Patent Application
20200282851
The present invention relates to electric vehicles; and more particularly to a liquid-cooled charging cable and charger for charging of electric vehicles.
The advancement of electric vehicles has created an increased need for charging equipment that delivers electric power. Some such applications (e.g., certain fast-charging vehicle chargers) are designed to work with continuous currents of 100 Amps or more. With the advancement of larger electric vehicles, such as semi-tractor electric vehicles, charging duties have increased. Resultantly, charging cables may be required to service charging at 2,000 Amps or more. Higher current flow in a charging cable results in the generation of more heat, which must be removed to prevent overheating and damage to the charging cable. As a result, the conductors of the charging cables have traditionally been sized larger to match higher current draws, resulting in greater bulk, cost, and difficulty in handling.
Various non-limiting aspects of the present disclosure will now be provided to illustrate features of the disclosed apparatus and methods.
In one embodiment, a charging system for an electric vehicle is disclosed. The charging system can include a power supply, a charging cable, and a connector. The charging cable can have a first end and a second end, the first end attached to the power supply. The charging cable can include a jacket along a length of the charging cable; a charging conductor within the jacket; a cooling conduit within the jacket; and a coolant return path within the jacket, but not within a conduit, that at least partially surrounds the charging conductor. The connector can be attached to the second end of the charging cable. The connector can include a chamber for communicating with the coolant conduit, wherein the charging conductor is exposed within the chamber.
In one embodiment, a charging cable for electric car is disclosed. The charging cable can include a conductor having an outer surface; a conduit configured to transport coolant through the charging cable; a jacket encasing the conductor and the conduit; a coolant return path, the coolant return path being defined by the free space within the jacket between the conductor and the conduit; a cable connector configured to connect the charging cable to an electric car; and a coolant return disposed within the cable connector and connected to the conduit, the coolant return having an opening to the coolant return path such that the conduit, coolant return path, and the coolant return are in fluid communication. In various embodiments, the outer surface of the conductor is at least partially exposed in the coolant return path and coolant flowing through the coolant return path contacts at least a part of the outer surface of the conductor.
In one embodiment, a connector for a charging cable for an electric vehicle is disclosed. The charging cable can include a conductor; a charging connector connected to the conductor, the charging connector configured to mate with a charging port; a chamber surrounding at least a part of the charging connector, the chamber having a first opening and a second opening; a conduit configured to transport a fluid, the conduit connected to the first opening such that the chamber and the conduit are in fluid communication; and a structure encasing the chamber, the conduit, the conductor and at least a part of the charging connector, the structure forming a pathway that is defined by the free space between the chamber, the conduit, the conductor, and at least a part of the charging connector, the pathway being connected to the second opening such that the chamber, the conduit, and the pathway are in fluid communication. In various embodiments, fluid flowing within the chamber can contact at least a part of the charging connector.
The present disclosure describes examples of systems and techniques for cooling charging cables. A charging cable is a cable that can be used to transport or deliver electric power from one system to another. For example, a charging cable can be used to deliver electric power from a charging station to an electric vehicle such as a car or semi-truck. When the charging system delivers electric power at a high current (e.g. 100 Amps or more), the current flow within the charging cable can generate high amounts of heat. In some situations, this heat can cause several issues. For example, the heat can damage components of the charging system or cable and can make handling the heated cable very difficult or dangerous for a user. In charging systems that deliver power at even higher currents (e.g. 1000 Amps or more), removing the heat from the charging cables can be vital to the safety of the operators and to the lifespan of the components involved in the charging system.
To remove heat from the charging cable, a cooling system can be implemented into the charging process. For example, a charging cable for an electric vehicle can be cooled by a liquid cooled system. Using liquid cooling to remove heat from a charging cable can provide several advantages. For example, using liquid cooling can allow for a higher current to be fed through the charging cable, as the effects of the heat are removed or greatly reduced. Additionally, using liquid cooling can allow for a more convenient cable design. With the effects of the heat being removed or greatly reduced, bulky and large cables are no longer needed to protect the equipment and user from the generated heat. Thus, the charging cable can be a lighter cable, thinner cable, and/or a more flexible cable.
One embodiment is an electric vehicle charging cable that includes a non-conductive liquid heat transfer medium. The charging cable may include a cooling conduit for transferring the coolant or liquid heat transfer media from a cooling system near a charging base to a connector which interfaces with a charging port on the electric vehicle. In this embodiment the connector includes an internal chamber adjacent the terminal ends of a pair of charging conductors which carry the electric current through the charging cable. In use, the non-conductive liquid heat transfer media exits the cooling conduit near the internal chamber and then contacts one or both charging conductors to remove heat from those terminal ends of the conductors within the chamber. The size and the dimensions of the internal chamber are designed to have a fairly small hydrodynamic diameter such that a relatively rapid flow of the liquid heat transfer media will interact with the charging conductors.
In one embodiment, the charging cable comprises an outer jacket or shell that is impermeable to liquid and acts to contain the liquid heat transfer media as it exits the internal chamber and flows back towards the cooling system and charging base. As the media flows along the internal spaces within the charging cable and jacket, the media can remove additional heat from the conductors that traverse the charging cable from the base to the connectors. In this embodiment, the media does not flow within a conduit as it returns to the charging base, but instead flows along all the internal spaces within the outer jacket of the charging cable.
The coolant system 204 provides coolant to the charging cable 206 and receives heated coolant from the charging cable 206. The coolant system 204 disperses heat within the received coolant by dispersing heat to the ambient via a radiator, a refrigerator system or process, or a combination of both. In other embodiments, the coolant system 204 can disperse the heat of the coolant through other means. The coolant can be any coolant that resists electrical shortages while still providing beneficial heat transfer and thermal properties. For example, the coolant can be a dielectric oil, which is non-conductive and can resist electrical shorts while providing beneficial thermal properties. In various embodiments, a pump can be connected with the coolant system 204. The pump can be directly connected to the charging cable 206 (e.g. with no intervening parts), or it can be indirectly connected to the charging cable 206 (e.g. with at least one part between the charging cable 206 and the pump). The pump can be used to pump coolant through the system. In some embodiments, the charging system 200 provides in excess of 2000 Amps of charge at 1500 Volts, for example, to support both as long-haul applications where DC fast charging is required (1-2 MW) as well as overnight DC charging (100 kW).
In various embodiments, the charging conductors 302, 304, the signaling conductors 306, 308, and the cooling conduit 310 are spaced apart from each other within the jacket 300. Spacing apart these components within the jacket 300 creates free space that between these components within the jacket 300. In some embodiments, coolant originates from the cooling system 204 and flows through the cooling conduit 310. This coolant can flow out of the cooling conduit 310 through a coolant return and flow into the coolant return path 312. The coolant flowing through the coolant return path 312 can return to the coolant system 204 where the coolant can disperse its captured heat and be returned back through the coolant conduit 310. In various embodiments, a pump is used to pump the coolant through the cooling conduit 310, the coolant return path 312, and the coolant system 204. In some embodiments, the charging conductors 302, 304 and the signaling conductors, 306, 308 do not have a thermal barrier so the coolant within the coolant return path 312 can directly contact the charging conductors 302, 304 and the signaling conductors, 306, 308. In some embodiments, the coolant can contact the outer surface of the charging conductors 302, 304 and the signaling conductors 306, 308.
Referring to both
The connector 208 is constructed such that the signaling connectors 406 and 408 disengage from a charging port 118 prior to the charging connectors 402 and 404 disengaging from the charging port 118. This structure can be achieved by utilizing signaling connectors 406, 408 that are longer than the charging connectors 402, 404. In some embodiments, the signaling connectors 406, 408 may extend further out from the connector 208 than the charging connectors 402, 404. In various embodiments, the design of the charging port 118 will permit the signaling connectors 406, 408 to disengage from the charging port 118 prior to the charging connectors 402, 404 from disengaging. With this structure, the charging system 200 may cut off power based upon detected loss of signaling prior to disengagement of the charging connectors 402 and 404 from the charging port 118. A CPU can be connected to the charging system 200. The CPU can determine when a loss of signaling is present and send a command to cut off the power. By having only two signaling connectors 406 and 408 (as well as only two signal conductors 306 and 308 of the charging cable 206), the signaling connectors 406 and 408 occupy less of the cross sectional area of the connector 208 and charging cable 206.
An example method of using the charging will now be described. A user can connect a charging system 200 to an electric vehicle 100. The user can connect the charging system 200 to the electric vehicle 100 by connecting the connector 208 of the charging cable 206 to the electric vehicle's 100 charging port 118. When the connector 208 is connected to the charging port 118, the signaling connectors 406, 408 electrically connect with the complimentary signaling receivers on the charging port 118. Additionally, the charging connectors 402, 404 electrically connect with the complimentary charging receivers on the charging port 118. Once the connector 208 is connected to the charging port 118, data can be sent from the electric vehicle to the charging system through the signaling connectors 406, 408 and signaling conductors 306, 308. Additionally, electric power can be sent from the power supply 202 of the charging system 200 to the electric vehicle 100 by sending the power through the charging conductors 302, 304 and the charging connectors 402, 404. As the power supply 202 charges the battery 106 of the electric vehicle 100, coolant from the coolant system 204 can be pumped through the charging cable 206 and connector 208. The coolant can enter into the charging cable 206 through the coolant conduit 310. The coolant conduit 310 can transport the coolant from one end of the charging cable 206 to the connector 208. The coolant conduit 310 can be connected to and in fluid communication with the coolant return 602. As coolant enters into the coolant return 602, the coolant is routed over the charging connectors 402, 404 by the coolant return 602. After the coolant is routed over the charging connectors 402, 404, the coolant exits the coolant return 602 and flows into the coolant return path 312. The coolant can fill the free space within the jacket 300 created by the spacing between the charging conductors 302, 304, the signaling conductors 306, 308, and the coolant conduit 310. The coolant within the coolant return path 312 can travel back to coolant system 204, where heated is removed from the coolant. The heat can be removed from the coolant through a radiator, a refrigeration process, or other heat removal process. Once heat is removed from the coolant, the coolant can be pumped back through the coolant conduit 310. The coolant can be cycled through the coolant system 204, charging cable 206, and connector 208 repeatedly and throughout the duration of the charging process. Once the user disconnects the connector 208 from the charging port 118, the charging system 200 can detect a loss of signal from the signaling conductors 306, 308 and the signaling connectors 406, 408.
In the foregoing specification, the disclosure has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, as one skilled in the art will appreciate, various embodiments disclosed herein can be modified or otherwise implemented in various other ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, this description is to be considered as illustrative and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the manner of making and using various embodiments of the disclosed system, method, and computer program product. It is to be understood that the forms of disclosure herein shown and described are to be taken as representative embodiments. Equivalent elements, materials, processes or steps may be substituted for those representatively illustrated and described herein. Moreover, certain features of the disclosure may be utilized independently of the use of other features, all as would be apparent toone skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the disclosure.
Routines, methods, steps, operations, or portions thereof described herein may be implemented through electronics, e.g., one or more processors, using software and firmware instructions. A “processor” includes any hardware system, hardware mechanism or hardware component that processes data, signals or other information. A processor can include a system with a central processing unit, multiple processing units, dedicated circuitry for achieving functionality, or other systems. Some embodiments may be implemented by using software programming or code in one or more digital computers or processors, by using application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), optical, chemical, biological, quantum or nano-engineered systems, components and mechanisms. Based on the disclosure and teachings representatively provided herein, a person skilled in the art will appreciate other ways or methods to implement the invention.
As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any contextual variants thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, product, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, product, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition “A or B” is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B is true (or present).
Language of degree used herein, such as the terms “approximately,” “about,” “generally,” and “substantially” as used herein represent a value, amount, or characteristic close to the stated value, amount, or characteristic that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “approximately”, “about”, “generally,” and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within less than 10% of, within less than 5% of, within less than 1% of, within less than 0.1% of, and within less than 0.01% of the stated amount. As another example, in certain embodiments, the terms “generally parallel” and “substantially parallel” refer to a value, amount, or characteristic that departs from exactly parallel by less than or equal to 15 degrees, 10 degrees, 5 degrees, 3 degrees, 1 degree, or 0.1 degree.
Although the steps, operations, or computations may be presented in a specific order, this order may be changed in different embodiments. In some embodiments, to the extent multiple steps are shown as sequential in this specification, some combination of such steps in alternative embodiments may be performed at the same time. The sequence of operations described herein can be interrupted, suspended, reversed, or otherwise controlled by another process.
It will also be appreciated that one or more of the elements depicted m the drawings/figures can also be implemented in a more separated or integrated manner, or even removed or rendered as inoperable in certain cases, as is useful in accordance with a particular application. Additionally, any signal arrows in the drawings/figures should be considered only as exemplary, and not limiting, unless otherwise specifically noted.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62814620 | Mar 2019 | US |
