Flat electrical cable is lightweight, flexible over wide temperature range, withstands continuous exposure to high levels of nuclear radiation, and can carry high currents with minimum of temperature rise. Its magnetic cleanliness is equal to or better than twisted pair of wires, and it can be terminated in conventional electrical connector

Silverman, P. G.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

June 1973
	 B73-10264 
•	 NASA TECH BRIEF 
Ames Research Center
	 4r 
NASA Tech Briefs announce new technology derived from the U.S. space program. They are issued to encourage 
commercial application. Tech Briefs are available on a subscription basis from the National Technical Information 
Service, Springfield, Virginia 22151. Requests for individual copies or questions relating to the Tech Brief program may 
be directed to the Technology Utilization Office, NASA, Code KT, Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Multilayer Flat Electrical Cable 
.
A flat electrical cable developed to meet stringent 
requirements for use in nuclear power supplies may 
also be of general use for construction of other in-
struments. Besides being lightweight and flexible over 
a temperature range of —129°C to +177°C, and 
withstanding continuous exposure to high levels of 
nuclear radiation, the flat cable also can carry high 
currents with a minimum of temperature rise; its 
magnetic cleanliness is equal to or better than a 
twisted pair of wires, and it can be terminated in a 
conventional electrical connector. 
Light weight and flexibility are obtained by use of 
an aluminum foil conductor in a flat configuration. 
The flat configuration provides a large area of heat-
radiating conductor surface and, since the conductors 
are coated with black epoxy paint, heat generated in 
the center foil is rapidly transmitted to the radiating 
black epoxy surface of the outer foils. Three layers of 
conductor foils are used to provide magnetic cleanli-
ness; when the positive potential is connected to the 
center conductor and the negative side to the outer 
foils, the resulting magnetic field is much less than a 
twisted-pair conductor. 
Each conductor foil is insulated from the other with 
very thin sheets of a polyimide resin coated with a 
fluorocarbon resin. The polyimide film has good 
resistance to high levels of nuclear radiation and 
flexibility over the specified temperature range. The 
edges of the insulating material, which extends be-
yond the conductor foil, are bonded to form the three-
conductor cable. 
A transition from flat foil to round wires (so that 
the cable can be used with conventional connectors) 
is made at the end of each conductor foil by resis-
tance-welding standard, silver-plated, polyimide-in-
sulated wires to the aluminum foils; metallurgical 
bonding of the wire strands to the foil is the result of 
formation of a lower-melting, silver-aluminum eutectic 
in the weld zone. The ends of the flat cable are en-
capsulated with a high-temperature epoxy resin to 
impart mechanical strength to the weld area. 
Note: 
Requests for further information may be directed 
to:
Technology Utilization Officer 
Ames Research center 
Moffett Field, California 94035 
Reference: TSP 73-10264 
Patent status: 
NASA has decided not to apply for a patent. 
Source: Philip G. Silverman of

TRW Systems Group

under contract to

Ames Research Center

(ARC-10734) 
Category 01 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National
	 Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States
	 information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States
	 will be free from privately owned rights.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19730000264 2020-03-17T06:57:22+00:00Z


Multilayer flat electrical cable

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