Fast Cooling Busbar Insulation

Cool-Running Epoxy-Insulated Power Transmission Gear

Epoxy-coated busbars improve safety without increasing operating temperature – according to recent testing at SolEpoxy labs. Bare bars were tested side-by-side with bus bars coated in epoxy, wrapped in mylar, and surrounded by polyolephin shrinktube.  
 
 
 
 
 
DK15-0907 cools faster than Mylar and Bustube on copper and aluminum
As expected, the mylar and shrinktube-wraped bars cooled down more slowly than bare bars. Surprisingly, epoxy-coated copper bus bars cooled just as fast as bare copper. Bare aluminum cooled only slightly faster than epoxy-insulated aluminum.
We gathered data using bars coated with 1.5mm of epoxy -- sufficient to insulate 15 kV. Low voltage busbars – typically 600V, and used for power distribution in large buildings, require less than 0.5mm of Epoxy for a tough, durable electrical insulation. At this thickness, we found a surprising result.

Fusion Bonded Epoxy May Actually Improve Heat Transfer 

In a separate experiment, we compared cooling rate as a function of epoxy coating thickness. The results were yet again favorable to using epoxy. 
     
  •  Thinner coatings cool faster
  • The thinnest coating cools 5-10% faster than bare bar
  • This is true for copper and aluminum
Epoxy-coated busbars provide improved safety while minimizing heat transfer. Engineers can safely design the future around e-mobility, micro-grids, and the electrification of everything. To keep up with insulation trends, contact SolEpoxy for by emailing info@solepoxy.com or calling (716)-372-6300.