An electric charging apparatus

Abstract

An electric charging apparatus comprises a casing (101), a charging cable (102) whose first end is attached to the casing and second end has a charging plug connectable to an electric vehicle, electric conductors (104) connectable to an external electric energy source, and electric devices (105) inside the casing and configured to control transfer of electric power between the electric conductors and the charging cable The casing comprises a cooling element (106) constituting a part of a wall structure of the casing and having a first surface (107) outside an inner room of the casing and configured to transfer heat to outside air. The cooling element comprises first tubular channels (108a) and the charging cable comprises a second tubular channel (109) connected to the first tubular channels to constitute a flow path for cooling fluid. Thus, the wall structure of the casing is utilized for cooling the charging cable.

Description

[0001] An electric charging apparatus

[0002] Field

[0003] The invention relates generally to charging of electric vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to an electric charging apparatus such as a dispenser or a charging pile for charging an electric vehicle such as e.g. an electric truck, an electric van, or an electric car.

[0004] Background

[0005] High-power charging of electric vehicles creates substantial amount of power losses in charging cable conductors. The high-power charging is typically direct current “DC” charging, and the charging current can be hundreds of amperes or even more than thousand amperes and thereby the power losses can be many kilowatts or even tens of kilowatts. These power losses need to be conveyed away from the charging cable to avoid cable and personnel damages. A typical electric charging apparatus, such as a dispenser or a charging pile, comprises a casing having a wall structure defining an inner room of the casing, a charging cable whose first end is mechanically attached to the casing and whose second end is provided with a charging plug connectable to a charging socket of an electric vehicle, electric conductors connectable to an electric energy source external to the electric charging apparatus, and electric devices in the inner room of the casing and configured to control and monitor transfer of electric power from the electric conductors to the charging cable.

[0006] Publication US5591937A describes a liquid cooling arrangement for cooling a charging cable of an electric charging apparatus. The liquid cooling arrangement described in US5591937A comprises a heat exchanger unit separate from the electric charging apparatus. The need for the separate heat exchanger unit can be an inconvenience in cases where e.g. the room for devices is limited. Summary

[0007] The following presents a simplified summary to provide basic understanding of some aspects of various invention embodiments. The summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention nor to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description of exemplifying embodiments.

[0008] In this document, the word “geometric” when used as a prefix means a geometric concept that is not necessarily a part of any physical object. The geometric concept can be for example a geometric point, a straight or curved geometric line, a geometric plane, a non-planar geometric surface, a geometric space, or any other geometric entity that is zero, one, two, or three dimensional.

[0009] In accordance with the invention, there is provided a new electric charging apparatus for charging an electric vehicle. In this document, the term “electric vehicle” covers not only full-electric vehicles but also pluggable hybrid vehicles which comprise both one or more electric motors and a combustion motor.

[0010] An electric charging apparatus according to the invention comprises:

[0011] - a casing having a wall structure defining an inner room of the casing,

[0012] - a charging cable whose first end is mechanically attached to the casing and whose second end is provided with a charging plug connectable to a charging socket of an electric vehicle,

[0013] - electric conductors connectable to an electric energy source external to the electric charging apparatus, and

[0014] - electric devices in the inner room of the casing and configured to control transfer of electric power between the electric conductors and the charging cable.

[0015] The casing comprises a cooling element constituting a part of the wall structure of the casing and having a surface outside the inner room of the casing and configured to transfer heat to air outside the inner room of the casing. The cooling element comprises one or more first tubular channels and the charging cable comprises at least one second tubular channel connected to the one or more first tubular channels to constitute a flow path for cooling fluid via the cooling element and the charging cable.

[0016] Thus, the wall structure of the casing is utilized for cooling the charging cable and therefore there is no need for a separate heat exchanger. The cooling fluid can be for example water, water-glycol mixture, or transformer oil.

[0017] Exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments are described in accompanied dependent claims.

[0018] Various exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments both as to constructions and to methods of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific exemplifying and nonlimiting embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0019] The verbs “to comprise” and “to include” are used in this document as open limitations that neither exclude nor require the existence of unrecited features.

[0020] The features recited in dependent claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated.

[0021] Furthermore, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an”, i.e. a singular form, throughout this document does not exclude a plurality.

[0022] Brief description of the figures

[0023] Exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments and their advantages are explained in greater detail below in the sense of examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0024] Figures 1 a and 1 b illustrate an electric charging apparatus according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, Figure 2 illustrates a part of an electric charging apparatus according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment,

[0025] Figure 3 illustrates a part of an electric charging apparatus according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment,

[0026] Figure 4 illustrates a part of an electric charging apparatus according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment, and

[0027] Figure 5 illustrates a part of an electric charging apparatus according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment.

[0028] Description of the exemplifying embodiments

[0029] The specific examples provided in the description given below should not be construed as limiting the scope and / or the applicability of the invention. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description given below are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.

[0030] Figure 1 a shows a partial section view of an electric charging apparatus according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment. The geometric section plane related to figure 1 a is parallel with the xz-plane of a coordinate system 199. The electric charging apparatus comprises a casing 101 having a wall structure defining an inner room of the casing 101. The electric charging apparatus comprises a charging cable 102 whose first end is mechanically attached to the casing 101 and whose second end is provided with a charging plug 103 connectable to a charging socket of an electric vehicle. The electric charging apparatus comprises electric conductors 104 connectable to an electric energy source external to the electric charging apparatus. In the exemplifying case shown in figure 1 a, the external energy source comprises underground cables to which the electric conductors 104 are connected. The electric charging apparatus comprises electric devices 105 in the inner room of the casing 101 . The electric devices 105 are configured to control transfer of electric power between the electric conductors 104 and the charging cable 102. The electric devices 105 may comprise for example a power electronic converter for controlling voltage and / or electric current fed to the charging cable 102, protector devices for reacting to faults and / or other anomalous situations, and a data processing system for controlling charging operations. Furthermore, the electric devices 105 may comprise for example energy measurement and / or monitoring equipment.

[0031] The casing 101 comprises a cooling element 106 that constitutes a part of the wall structure of the casing 101 and has a first surface 107 outside the inner room of the casing 101 and configured to transfer heat to air outside the inner room of the casing. Figure 1 b shows a section of the cooling element 106, where the geometric section plane is parallel with the xy-plane of the coordinate system 199. The cooling element 106 comprises first tubular channels 108a, 108b, 108c, and 108d. In this exemplifying case, the first tubular channels 108a-108d are vertical i.e. parallel with the z-axis of the coordinate system 199. The charging cable 102 comprises a second tubular channel 109 that is connected to the first tubular channels 108a- 108d to constitute a flow path for cooling fluid via the cooling element 106 and the charging cable 102. In figure 1 a, the second tubular channel 109 of the charging cable 102 is schematically depicted with a curved line. In this exemplifying electric charging apparatus, the second tubular channel 109 is connected to the first tubular channels 108a-108d with a piping 124 so that a closed circulation path for the cooling fluid is formed. The cooling fluid can be for example water or water-glycol mixture. If the cooling fluid needs to be electrically insulating, the cooling fluid can be e.g. transformer oil. As the cooling element 106 forms the part of the wall structure of the casing 101 , the casing 101 is utilized for cooling the charging cable 102 and therefore there is no need for a separate heat exchanger. Depending on the construction of the casing 101 , the cooling element 106 can be a mechanical support structure of the casing 101 so that the casing is incapable of being a self- supporting structure without the cooling element 106. Preferably, the cooling element 106 forms a part of an enclosure arrangement of the electric charging apparatus at least in the way that when the cooling element 106 has been assembled to the casing 101 , the enclosure arrangement forms part of the required ingress protection “IP” class for the electric charging apparatus.

[0032] In the exemplifying electric charging apparatus illustrated in figure 1 a, a second surface 110 of the cooling element 106 on an opposite side of the cooling element 106 with respect to the first surface 107 constitutes a part of walls of the inner room of the casing 101. In this exemplifying electric charging apparatus, the electric devices 105 are attached to the second surface 110 of the cooling element 106 to provide a heat conductive contact from the electric devices 105 to the cooling element 106. Alternatively, or additionally, at least some of the electric devices 105 can be assembled on a separate structure inside the electric charging apparatus, and heat therefrom is conveyed to the second surface 110 via air inside the apparatus. In this exemplifying case, there can be cooling fins on the second surface 110 to increase the surface area of the second surface 110. The inner room of the casing 101 can be a closed room to prevent the air outside the inner room from mixing with the air inside the inner room. In conjunction with this approach, it is assumed that the cooling element 106 is capable of transferring heat from the cooling fluid in the first tubular channels 108a-108d and most of heat from the electric devices 105 to the outside air.

[0033] In the exemplifying electric charging apparatus illustrated in figures 1 a and 1 b, the first surface 107 of the cooling element 106 comprises cooling fins so that channels between adjacent ones of the cooling fins allow vertical airflow along the first surface 107. In figures 1 a and 1 b, one of the cooling fins is denoted with a reference 1 19. The electric charging apparatus may further comprise a cover plate 120 so that there are vertical air channels between the cover plate 120 and the first surface 107 of the cooling element 106. The electric charging apparatus may further comprise a first blower 122 configured to maintain a forced air flow along the first surface 107 of the cooling element 106 and / or a second blower 123 configured to circulate air in the inner room of the casing 101 to improve cooling of devices inside the casing 101 .

[0034] The exemplifying electric charging apparatus illustrated in figures 1 a and 1 b comprises a pump 121 configured to maintain forced circulation of the cooling fluid. It is however also possible that a cooling fluid circulation is maintained by natural convection caused by the fact that the density, kg / m3, of warmer cooling fluid is smaller than that of colder cooling fluid.

[0035] Figure 2 shows a part of a charging cable 202 and a section view of a cooling element 206 of an electric charging apparatus according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment. The geometric section plane is parallel with the xy-plane of a coordinate system 299. In figure 2, the charging cable 202 and the cooling element 206 are not in the same scale. The cooling element 206 has a first section 211 and a second section 212. The first section 211 of the cooling element 206 comprises first tubular channels 208a, 208b, 208c, and 208d, the charging cable 202 comprises a second tubular channel 209, and the second section 212 of the cooling element 206 comprises third tubular channels 213a, 213b, 213c, and 213d. The cooling element 206 comprises a thermal break 214 between the first and second sections 211 and 212. In this exemplifying case, the thermal break 214 is constituted by a flat-shaped cavity so that there are narrow isthmuses between the first and second sections 211 and 212 of the cooling element 206. In figure 2, one of the isthmuses is denoted with a reference 218. The third tubular channels 21 Sa- 213d are connected to the first tubular channels 208a-208d to constitute a flow path for cooling fluid via the first and second sections 211 and 212 of the cooling element 206. In the exemplifying case illustrated in figure 2, a flow direction of the cooling fluid in the first tubular channels 208a-208d is the negative z-direction of the coordinate system 299, and a flow direction of the cooling fluid in the third tubular channels 213a-213d is the positive z-direction of the coordinate system 299. The first and third tubular channels can be e.g. vertical. In this case, the flow direction in the first tubular channels 208a-208d is downwards and the flow direction in the third tubular channels 213a-213d is upwards. Whilst the flow directions preferably are as disclosed due to natural convection of the fluid in different temperatures, the directions are not restricted to them. With a forced fluid movement, the directions of the fluids can be chosen quite freely. In the first tubular channels 208a-208d, the cooling fluid is cooled down so that heat is removed from the cooling fluid via a surface 207 of the cooling element 206. In the third tubular channels 213a-213d, the cooling fluid is warmed up so that heat is transferred to the cooling fluid via a surface 210 of the cooling element 206. The thermal break 214 prevents, or at least reduces, heat transfer from the cooling fluid in the first tubular channels 208a-208d to the second section 212 of the cooling element 206.

[0036] In the exemplifying case illustrated in figure 2, the electric charging apparatus comprises a piping configured to direct a first part of the cooling fluid coming out from the first tubular channels 208a-208d to the second tubular channel 209 of the charging cable 202 and a second part of the cooling fluid coming out from the first tubular channels 208a-208d to the third tubular channels 213a-213d. Furthermore, the piping is configured to direct the first part of the cooling fluid coming out from the second tubular channel 209 of the charging cable 202 to the first tubular channels 208a-208d and the second part of the cooling fluid coming out from the third tubular channels 213a-213d to the first tubular channels 208a-208d. Thus, in this exemplifying case, the third tubular channels 213a-213d of the second section 212 form a parallel connection together with the second tubular channel 209 of the charging cable 202. In this exemplifying case where the fluid flow to the charging cable 202 and the fluid flow to the third tubular channels 213a-213d are parallel as described above, the flowrate ratio between these parallel fluid flows can be designed to take into consideration the ratio of losses to be conveyed by them. For example, if the losses in the charging cable 202 are in the range of few kilowatts and the losses inside the electric charging apparatus are in the range of some hundred watts, then the fluid flow to the charging cable 202 is advantageously designed to be larger than the fluid flow to the third tubular channels 213a-213d.

[0037] In figure 2, the above-mentioned piping is depicted schematically so that flow paths of the cooling fluid at a lower end of the cooling element 206, i.e. at the end where the z-coordinate is smaller, are depicted with dashed lines and flow paths of the cooling fluid at an upper end of the cooling element 206, i.e. at the end where the z- coordinate is greater, are depicted with solid lines.

[0038] Figure 3 shows a part of a charging cable 302 and a section view of a cooling element 306 of an electric charging apparatus according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment. The geometric section plane is parallel with the xy-plane of a coordinate system 399. In figure 3, the charging cable 302 and the cooling element 306 are not in the same scale. The cooling element 306 has a first section 311 and a second section 312. The first section 311 of the cooling element 306 comprises first tubular channels 308a, 308b, 308c, and 308d, the charging cable 302 comprises a second tubular channel 309, and the second section 312 of the cooling element 306 comprises third tubular channels 313a, 313b, 313c, and 313d. The cooling element 306 comprises a thermal break 314 between the first and second sections 311 and 312. In this exemplifying case, the thermal break 314 is constituted by two flat-shaped cavities so that there are narrow isthmuses between the first and second sections 311 and 312 of the cooling element 306.

[0039] In the exemplifying case illustrated in figure 3, the electric charging apparatus comprises a piping configured to direct a first part of cooling fluid coming out from first ones of the first tubular channels 308a and 308c to the second tubular channel 309 of the charging cable 302 and a second part of the cooling fluid coming out from second ones of the first tubular channels 308b and 308d to the third tubular channels 313a-313d. Furthermore, the piping is configured to direct the first part of the cooling fluid coming out from the second tubular channel 309 of the charging cable 302 to the first ones of the first tubular channels 308a and 308c and the second part of the cooling fluid coming out from the third tubular channels 313a-313d to the second ones of the first tubular channels 308b and 308d. The first ones the first tubular channels 308a and 308c are different from the second ones the first tubular channels 308b and 308d to avoid mixing of the first and second parts of the cooling fluid. In this exemplifying case, if the power losses inside the electric charging apparatus are relatively small, e.g. few hundred watts, the fluid flow in the third tubular channels 313a-313d can be left to natural convection whilst the fluid flow in the charging cable 302 can be forced to ensure sufficient cooling in the charging cable 302 and to avoid a need to install two separate pumps.

[0040] In figure 3, the above-mentioned piping is depicted schematically so that flow paths of the cooling fluid at a lower end of the cooling element 306, i.e. at the end where the z-coordinate is smaller, are depicted with dashed lines and flow paths of the cooling fluid at an upper end of the cooling element 306, i.e. at the end where the z- coordinate is greater, are depicted with solid lines.

[0041] Figure 4 shows a part of a charging cable 402 and a section view of a cooling element 406 of an electric charging apparatus according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment. The geometric section plane is parallel with the xy-plane of a coordinate system 499. In figure 4, the charging cable 402 and the cooling element 406 are not in the same scale. The cooling element 406 has a first section 411 and a second section 412. The first section 411 of the cooling element 406 comprises a first tubular channel 408, the charging cable 402 comprises a second tubular channel 409, and the second section 412 of the cooling element 406 comprises a third tubular channel 413. The cooling element 406 comprises a thermal break 414 between the between the first and second sections 411 and 412. In this exemplifying case, the first and second sections 411 and 412 of the cooling element 406 are parts a distance away from each other, and the thermal break 414 is within a gap between the parts of the cooling element 406. In this exemplifying case, the thermal break 414 is solid thermal insulator material.

[0042] In the exemplifying case illustrated in figure 4, the electric charging apparatus comprises a piping such that the third tubular channel 413 forms a series connection with the second tubular channel 409 of the charging cable 402. The piping is configured to direct the cooling fluid coming out from the first tubular channel 408 to the series connection and to direct the cooling fluid coming out from the series connection back to the first tubular channel 408. The series connection is such that the third tubular channel 413 is before the second tubular channel 409 of the charging cable 402 in the flow direction of the cooling fluid. The above-mentioned piping is depicted schematically in figure 4 so that flow paths of the cooling fluid at the lower end of the cooling element 406, i.e. at the end where the z-coordinate is smaller, are depicted with dashed lines and flow paths of the cooling fluid at the upper end of the cooling element 406, i.e. at the end where the z-coordinate is greater, are depicted with solid lines. Typically, losses inside a casing an electric charging apparatus are significantly lower than losses in a charging cable. The losses inside the casing can be e.g. few hundreds of watts, whereas the losses in the charging cable can be few kilowatts. Thus, the losses transferred to the cooling fluid in the second section 412 of the cooling element 406 do not significantly increase the temperature of the cooling fluid and thus do not significantly impair the cooling of the charging cable 402.

[0043] Figure 5 shows a part of a charging cable 502 and a section view of a cooling element 506 of an electric charging apparatus according to an exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment. The geometric section plane is parallel with the xy-plane of a coordinate system 599. In figure 5, the charging cable 502 and the cooling element 506 are not in the same scale. The cooling element 506 has a first section 511 and a second section 512. The first section 511 of the cooling element 506 comprises a first tubular channel 508, the charging cable 502 comprises a second tubular channel 509, and the second section 512 of the cooling element 506 comprises a third tubular channel 513. The cooling element 506 comprises a thermal break between the first and second sections 511 and 512.

[0044] In the exemplifying case illustrated in figure 5, the electric charging apparatus comprises a piping such that the third tubular channel 513 forms a series connection with the second tubular channel 509 of the charging cable 502. The piping is configured to direct the cooling fluid coming out from the first tubular channel 508 to the series connection and to direct the cooling fluid coming out from the series connection back to the first tubular channel 508. Furthermore, the electric charging apparatus according to this exemplifying and non-limiting embodiment comprises selector valves 514, 515, 516, and 517. When the selector valves 514-517 are in a first position, the above-mentioned series connection is such that the third tubular channel 513 is before the second tubular channel 509 of the charging cable 502 in the flow direction of the cooling fluid. When the selector valves 514-517 are in a second position, the series connection is such that the third tubular channel 513 is after the second tubular channel 509 of the charging cable 502 in the flow direction of the cooling fluid. The second position of the selector valves 514-517 can be beneficial e.g. in winter conditions, where it may be beneficial to utilize losses of the charging cable 502 to warm up the inner room of the casing of the electric charging apparatus.

[0045] In the exemplifying case illustrated in figure 5, each of the selector valves 514-517 is such that there is a flow path between ports p1 and p2 and a port p3 is blocked when the selector valve under consideration is in the above-mentioned first position, and there is a flow path between the ports p1 and p3 and the port p2 is blocked when the selector valve under consideration is in the above-mentioned second position.

[0046] The specific examples provided in the description given above should not be construed as limiting the scope and / or the applicability of the invention. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description given above are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.

Claims

What is claimed is:1 . An electric charging apparatus comprising:- a casing (101 ) having a wall structure defining an inner room of the casing,- a charging cable (102, 202, 302, 402, 502) whose first end is mechanically attached to the casing and whose second end is provided with a charging plug (103) connectable to a charging socket of an electric vehicle,- electric conductors (104) connectable to an electric energy source external to the electric charging apparatus, and- electric devices (105) in the inner room of the casing and configured to control transfer of electric power between the electric conductors and the charging cable, characterized in that the casing comprises a cooling element (106, 206, 306, 406, 506) constituting a part of the wall structure of the casing and having a first surface (107, 207) outside the inner room of the casing and configured to transfer heat to air outside the inner room of the casing, wherein the cooling element comprises one or more first tubular channels (108a-108d, 208a-208d, 308a-308d, 408, 508) and the charging cable comprises at least one second tubular channel (109, 209, 309, 409, 509) connected to the one or more first tubular channels to constitute a flow path for cooling fluid via the cooling element and the charging cable.

2. An electric charging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a second surface (110) of the cooling element on an opposite side of the cooling element with respect to the first surface (107) constitutes a part of walls of the inner room of the casing, and one or more of the electric devices (105) is / are attached to the second surface (110) of the cooling element to provide a heat conductive mechanical contact from the one or more of the electric devices to the cooling element.

3. An electric charging apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cooling element (206, 306, 406, 506) has a first section (211 , 311 , 411 , 511 ) comprising the one or more first tubular channels (208a-208d, 308a-308d, 408, 508) and the firstsurface (207), a second section (212, 312, 412, 512) comprising one or more third tubular channels (213a-213d, 313a-313d, 413, 513), and a thermal break (214, 414) between the first and second sections, the one or more third tubular channels being connected to the one of more first tubular channels to constitute a flow path for the cooling fluid via the first and second sections of the cooling element.

4. An electric charging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the electric charging apparatus comprises a piping configured to direct a first part of the cooling fluid coming out from the one or more first tubular channels (208a-208d) to the second tubular channel (209) of the charging cable and a second part of the cooling fluid coming out from the one or more first tubular channels (208a-208d) to the third tubular channels (213a-213d), and to direct the first part of the cooling fluid coming out from the second tubular channel of the charging cable to the one or more first tubular channels (208a-208d) and the second part of the cooling fluid coming out from the one or more third tubular channels to the one or more first tubular channels (208a-208d).

5. An electric charging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the electric charging apparatus comprises a piping configured to direct a first part of the cooling fluid coming out from first one or ones of the first tubular channels (308a, 308c) to the second tubular channel (309) of the charging cable and a second part of the cooling fluid coming out from second one or ones of the first tubular channels (308b, 308d) to the third tubular channels (313a-313d), and to direct the first part of the cooling fluid coming out from the second tubular channel (309) of the charging cable to the first one or ones of the first tubular channels (308a, 308c) and the second part of the cooling fluid coming out from the one or more third tubular channels to the second one or ones of the first tubular channels (308b, 308d), the first one or ones of the first tubular channels being different from the second one or ones of the first tubular channels to avoid mixing of the first and second parts of the cooling fluid.

6. An electric charging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the electric charging apparatus comprises a piping such that the one or more third tubular channels (413, 513) forms / form a series connection with the second tubular channel (409, 509) of the charging cable, and the piping is configured to direct the coolingfluid coming out from the one or more first tubular channels (408, 508) to the series connection and to direct the cooling fluid coming out from the series connection to the one or more first tubular channels.

7. An electric charging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the series connection is such that the one or more third tubular channels (413) is / are before the second tubular channel (409) of the charging cable in a flow direction of the cooling fluid.

8. An electric charging apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the electric charging apparatus comprises selector valves (514-517) having a first position in which the series connection is such that the one or more third tubular channels (513) is / are before the second tubular channel (509) of the charging cable in a flow direction of the cooling fluid, and a second position in which the series connection is such that the one or more third tubular channels (513) is / are after the second tubular channel (509) of the charging cable in the flow direction of the cooling fluid.

9. An electric charging apparatus according to any one of claims 3-8, wherein the thermal break (214) is constituted by one or more flat-shaped cavities of the cooling element so that there are isthmuses (218) between the first and second sections of the cooling element.

10. An electric charging apparatus according to any one of claims 3-8, wherein the first and second sections (411 , 412) of the cooling element (406) are parts a distance away from each other, and the thermal break (414) is within a gap between the parts of the cooling element.

11. An electric charging apparatus according to any one of claims 3-10, wherein the one or more third tubular channels (213a-213d, 313a-313d, 413, 513) is / are vertical.

12. An electric charging apparatus according to any one of claims1 -11 , wherein the one or more first tubular channels (108a-108d, 208a-208d, 308a-308d, 408, 508) is / are vertical.

13. An electric charging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 -12, wherein the inner room of the casing (101 ) is a closed room to prevent the air outside the inner room from mixing with air inside the inner room.

14. An electric charging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 -13, wherein the first surface (107) of the cooling element comprises cooling fins (119) so that channels between adjacent ones of the cooling fins allow vertical airflow along the first surface of the cooling element.

15. An electric charging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 -14, wherein the electric charging apparatus comprises a cover plate (120) so that there are one or more vertical air channels between the cover plate and the first surface (107) of the cooling element.

16. An electric charging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 -15, wherein the electric charging apparatus comprises a pump (121 ) configured to maintain forced circulation of the cooling fluid.

17. An electric charging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 -16, wherein the electric charging apparatus comprises a first blower (122) configured to maintain a forced air flow along the first surface of the cooling element.

18. An electric charging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 -17, wherein the electric charging apparatus comprises a second blower (123) configured to circulate air in the inner room of the casing.

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