Battery Charger Duct Separates Cooling Airflows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Charging of DC battery packs generates heat, leading to elevated temperatures that can reduce battery life and degrade the functionality of battery chargers, necessitating effective cooling systems to mitigate these issues.
Innovation Solution
A battery charger design incorporating a housing with a battery-cooling fan, duct, and electronics-cooling fan, where the duct separates battery-cooling airflow from electronics-cooling airflow, directing each airflow through distinct paths within the housing to efficiently cool both the battery pack and charging electronics, with variable fan speeds controlled by temperature and state of charge sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of stationary object
If a cooling system is incorporated to cool the battery pack, then battery life is extended, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into two independent airflow paths: a first cooling airflow path for the battery pack and a second cooling airflow path for the charging electronics. This segmentation allows each cooling path to be optimized independently, managing battery temperature to extend life while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
A duct is introduced as an intermediary component to guide and separate the cooling airflows. The duct acts as a mediator that directs the first cooling airflow from the battery pack opening to the battery pack, while the second cooling airflow passes through the housing to cool the electronics, enabling effective cooling without requiring complex integrated cooling mechanisms
2Reliability
If a cooling system is incorporated to cool the charging electronics, then functionality is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into separate airflow paths, with the second cooling airflow path dedicated to charging electronics cooling. This segmentation ensures reliable functionality maintenance through targeted cooling while keeping the overall system complexity manageable by using simple, independent cooling circuits rather than a complex integrated system
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical protection, defines the second cooling airflow path, and acts as a heat dissipation structure. This multi-functionality maintains charger reliability without adding separate dedicated cooling components, thereby avoiding increased device complexity
3Temperature
If separate cooling airflow paths are used for battery and electronics, then temperature management is optimized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Two distinct cooling airflow paths are implemented: the first path delivers cooling air to the battery pack through the battery pack opening, and the second path cools the charging electronics through the housing. This segmentation optimizes temperature management for each component while maintaining relatively simple system architecture through straightforward airflow separation
Solution Approach 2:
The duct serves as an intermediary structure that physically separates and directs the two cooling airflow paths. By using this simple mediating component, the system achieves optimized temperature management for both battery and electronics without requiring complex cooling mechanisms or control systems
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
This design effectively manages temperature by isolating and directing cooling airflows to maintain optimal operating conditions for both the battery pack and charging electronics, thereby extending battery life and preventing performance degradation.
Implementation Method 1
a battery-cooling fan configured to generate a cooling airflow along a first cooling airflow path from a battery pack opening to the battery pack
Implementation Method 2
an electronics-cooling fan configured to generate a cooling airflow along a second cooling airflow path through the housing to cool the charging electronics
Implementation Method 3
a duct configured to direct the battery-cooling airflow through the front of the housing and through the battery interface... The duct separates the battery-cooling airflow from the electronics-cooling airflow
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a battery charger including a housing, a battery-cooling fan, a duct, charging electronics, and an electronics-cooling fan. The housing includes a battery interface with a battery pack attachment portion at least partially surrounded by a battery-facing opening. A front opening is defined in the housing and is in fluid communication with the battery-facing opening. A rear opening and a lateral opening are also defined in the housing, between which charging electronics are disposed. The lateral opening is in fluid communication with the rear opening. The lateral opening is disposed at a location along a length of the housing between the front and rear openings. The battery-cooling fan is disposed between the battery-facing opening and the front opening. A duct forms a discrete flow path between the battery-facing opening and the front opening. An electronics-cooling fan is disposed in the housing between the rear and lateral openings.