Method for electrically and hydraulically connecting a water-cooled conductor

A method of forming an electrical and hydraulic connection for a conductor bar having a plurality of hollow water-cooled conductors arranged in two parallel rows separated by a web of conductive material comprising the steps:

• producing mating connector clip members that form therebetween when placed together a conductor bar receiving chamber at one end and a larger water cavity at the other end;
• inserting strips of brazing material between adjacent hollow conductors in the conductor bars;
• placing a packing shim of an appropriate thickness in each of said rows of hollow conductors to adjust the cross-sectional length of the conductor bar in order to have it fit snuggly in said conductor bar receiving chamber;
• placing a band of brazing material in a conductor bar receiving chamber portion in each of said clip members and on each side of said web of conductive material, said bands of brazing material being sufficiently thick to insure that the cross-sectional width of the conductor bar added to the thickness of said bands is greater than the width of said conductor bar receiving chamber;
• locating the conductor bar between said clip members in said conductor bar receiving chamber portions thereof with the conductor bar extending partially into said water cavity;
• passing a pair of dowels formed of conductive material through appropriate openings provided in said clip members to prevent relative motion between said clip members without interfering with displacement of said clip members toward one another;
• heating said clip members and the conductor bar to the melting temperature of said strips and bands of brazing material;
• hydraulically compressing the conductor bar and said strips and bands of brazing material between said clip members until said clip members are brought into contact with one another to braze the hollow conductors to one another and to said clip members and said web;
• passing air through the hollow conductors to blow out any brazing material that begins to flow into the open ends of the hollow conductors;
• inserting a water inlet member into said water cavity from the open end thereof, the inserted end of said water inlet member being spaced from the opposed end of said conductor bar;
• and
• brazing said water inlet member to said clip members.