Vehicle Charging Socket Cooling Duct for DC Contact Heat Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle charging sockets face challenges in efficiently cooling direct-current charging contacts while minimizing heat transfer into the vehicle interior, leading to increased energy consumption by the air-conditioning system and potential overheating issues.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle charging socket design incorporating a cooling duct within the housing, utilizing air from the vehicle's interior to cool direct-current charging contacts via a fan, with a controllable speed to maintain optimal temperature and minimize structural complexity and energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a water cooler or air cooler is used to cool the direct-current charging contacts, then the cooling effect is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling function from complex external cooling systems (water coolers, air coolers) and integrates it into the charging socket housing itself through a simple cavity design that directs cooling air flow around the charging contacts, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining cooling effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The charging socket housing serves dual functions: it houses the charging contacts and simultaneously provides the cooling cavity structure. The housing itself becomes the cooling system, eliminating the need for separate dedicated cooling devices and reducing overall system complexity
2Temperature
If a phase-change material cooling system is used, then the cooling capacity is improved, but the device complexity and heat release into vehicle interior increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the phase-change material and complex thermal management system from the design, replacing it with a simple air flow cavity integrated into the housing. This extraction eliminates the complexity of phase-change material containment and heat transfer management while avoiding heat release into the vehicle interior
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses pneumatic cooling by directing air flow through the cavity around the charging contacts. This simple fluid-based cooling approach replaces complex phase-change material systems, providing effective cooling without the associated complexity and heat release issues
3Temperature
If cooling systems are used to cool the direct-current charging contacts, then the temperature control is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing structure serves dual purposes: structural enclosure and cooling channel provision. By making the housing itself the cooling system, no additional energy-consuming cooling devices are required, thereby reducing air-conditioning energy consumption while maintaining effective temperature control
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
Effectively cools direct-current charging contacts, reduces overheating risks, and minimizes energy consumption by using interior air, ensuring compact design and efficient operation.
Implementation Method 1
a fan (44) which is allocated to the cooling duct (32), and which is configured to draw in air from the interior (20) of the vehicle via the first end (40) of the cooling duct (32), and to execute the discharge thereof via the second end (42) of the cooling duct (32), in order to cool the direct-current charging contact (38)
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle charging socket for an at least partially electrically driven vehicle has at least one direct-current charging contact that extends from an exterior of the vehicle towards the interior of the vehicle. The vehicle charging socket has, within a charging socket housing, a cavity through which the at least one direct-current charging contact extends. The cavity is designed as a cooling channel that has a first end allocated to the interior of the vehicle, and a second end allocated to the exterior of the vehicle. The vehicle charging socket has a fan that is allocated to the cooling channel and is configured to draw in air from the interior of the vehicle via the first end of the cooling channel and discharge same via the second end of the cooling channel in order to cool the direct-current charging contact.