Charging Column Sensor Detecting Housing Deformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-voltage charging columns are vulnerable to damage from vehicles and vandalism, posing a risk to users due to their accessibility and the inability to ensure component safety without restricting access, especially when operating at voltages up to 1000 V.
Innovation Solution
A sensor system comprising a mechanically stable arm with an electrical probe element and activation element that detects mechanical deformations of the charging column's housing, automatically deactivating the probe upon deformation to prevent reactivation and ensure safety, integrated with a pilot line for immediate discharge and software monitoring for fault detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If charging columns are made accessible to vehicles and public areas, then charging convenience and usage rate are improved, but vulnerability to damage from vehicles and vandalism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system performs preliminary detection of mechanical deformations on the charging column housing before damage can affect internal high-voltage components. The arm with probe element continuously monitors the housing surface, detecting deformations in advance and triggering protective actions before critical damage occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system establishes a feedback loop where deformation detection immediately triggers a signal to the control unit, which then activates the discharge mechanism. This closed-loop feedback ensures rapid response to potential damage, automatically protecting the charging column without requiring human intervention.
2Measurement precision
If sensor detection sensitivity is increased to detect minor deformations, then measurement precision is improved, but false activation from thermal fluctuations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The probe element's contact area is specifically dimensioned to create an optimal balance between detection sensitivity and false activation resistance. The contact area parameters are chosen such that they respond to genuine mechanical deformations while remaining insensitive to thermal expansion and contraction, effectively filtering out false signals.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical probe element replaces more sensitive mechanical detection systems with an electrical contact mechanism that can be precisely controlled through contact area dimensions. This substitution allows for tunable sensitivity through geometric parameters rather than requiring complex mechanical amplification systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor for identifying a mechanical deformation of a housing of a charging column configured to charge an electrical energy store of an electrically driven vehicle. The sensor includes an elongated arm having a first end portion arranged in the longitudinal orientation and a second end portion opposite the first end portion in the longitudinal orientation. The arm is connected at its first end portion to a base of the charging column and runs in the longitudinal orientation approximately parallel to a part of the charging column that is sensitive to deformations of the housing, in particular to a side wall of the housing. An electrical probe element is arranged on the second end portion of the arm. An activation element is connected to the part of the charging column that is sensitive to deformations of the housing and is configured to activate the electrical probe element.