Air-Cooled Power Receiving Module for High-Power Charging Heat Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile industrial machines face challenges with bulky, non-modular, liquid-cooled cooling systems that are difficult to service, particularly when high power charging is required, leading to overheating and increased downtime.
Innovation Solution
An air-cooled power receiving module with modular design, including a front portion, air intake, and blower for directed airflow, along with a controller to manage electrical components and cooling, allowing safe and efficient power transfer and cooling without liquid cooling components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If liquid-cooled cooling systems are used for high power charging, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but system volume and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the liquid-cooled mechanical cooling system with an air-cooled system using blowers and heat sinks. This substitution eliminates heavy liquid cooling components while maintaining adequate cooling effectiveness through forced air convection over heated surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the liquid cooling system entirely, replacing it with a simpler air cooling approach. By taking out the heavy liquid cooling infrastructure, the system achieves weight reduction while still providing necessary thermal management for high power charging.
2Temperature
If liquid-cooled cooling systems are used for high power charging, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but system complexity and maintenance difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes complex liquid cooling infrastructure with simpler air cooling components. By replacing pumps, radiators, and liquid circulation systems with blowers and heat sinks, the system achieves comparable cooling with significantly reduced complexity and maintenance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The air cooling system is designed to be inherently simpler and more self-contained than liquid cooling systems. The blowers and heat sinks require no fluid management, leak prevention, or complex thermal fluid circulation, making the system more reliable and easier to maintain.
3Productivity
If high power charging is implemented, then charging speed is improved, but heat generation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful heat generated during high power charging into a manageable thermal flow by directing air through heat sinks and cooling passages. The forced air convection system captures the waste heat and dissipates it effectively, allowing high power charging to proceed without thermal damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The air cooling system operates continuously during high power charging to maintain thermal management. The blowers run concurrently with charging operations, ensuring constant air flow over heated components throughout the charging process, thereby sustaining both high power transfer and effective cooling.
4Ease of repair
If modular design is implemented, then ease of servicing is improved, but device complexity may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the power receiving module into distinct modular components that can be independently accessed and serviced. By segmenting the housing into separate sections with individual access panels, technicians can service specific components without disassembling the entire system, improving maintenance efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular design uses standardized components and interfaces that can serve multiple functions. The air cooling system, for example, cools multiple components (charging receptacle, voltage transducer, contactor) through a unified air flow path, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining serviceability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The air-cooled module reduces system volume, weight, and maintenance complexity, enhancing safety and productivity by enabling efficient heat evacuation and modular servicing.
Implementation Method 1
a blower configured to direct air through the power receiving module along an air flow path
Implementation Method 2
a voltage transducer configured to convert the first voltage to a second voltage
Implementation Method 3
the air being discharged from the power receiving module via an air outlet disposed on a rear portion of the power receiving module
Data Source
AI summary
A power receiving module may include a front portion, a back portion, a charging input disposed on the front portion, an air intake including a blower disposed on the front portion, the blower configured to direct air through the power receiving module along an air flow path. The power receiving module may be configured to supply power to a battery pack installed in a machine outside of the power receiving module. The power receiving module may further include a first electrical circuit including the charging input, the charging input configured to accept power at a first voltage via a charging connector, and an electrical contactor.