Circular-Cooled Plug Connector Housing for High-Power Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing active cooling concepts for contact arrangements in detachable electrical connectors are often complex, prone to sealing failures, and do not fully utilize the heat transfer capacity of the cooling medium, making them unsuitable for efficiently transmitting high electrical power and dissipating heat in compact designs.
Innovation Solution
The proposed cooling system integrates the connector housing as both a heat exchanger and a holder for the contact arrangement, allowing for direct and indirect cooling effects. This design includes an offset between the electrical line connection and the cooling medium introduction, eliminating the need for separate cooling components and enhancing thermal connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If active cooling concepts with separate cooling components are used, then cooling performance is improved, but device complexity increases and sealing failures become more prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cooling medium guide with the electrical line by integrating the cooling medium guide as a hollow structure within the electrical line itself. This merging eliminates separate cooling components and reduces the number of sealing interfaces, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining cooling functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical line is designed to serve dual functions: transmitting electrical power through its conductor and guiding the cooling medium through its hollow interior. This multi-functionality reduces the overall system complexity by eliminating the need for dedicated cooling channels separate from the electrical connection path.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional cooling designs with axial alignment are used, then manufacturing is simplified, but heat transfer capacity is not fully utilized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intentional offset between the stop point of the electrical conductor and the connection point of the cooling medium guide. This asymmetric positioning allows the cooling medium to flow more effectively around the connector contact, improving heat transfer efficiency by creating better thermal contact between the cooling medium and the heated contact surfaces.
3Temperature
If cooling medium is introduced at the electrical line connection point, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The offset between the electrical conductor stop point and cooling medium connection point is intentionally designed to create optimal local cooling conditions at the connector contact. This localized quality enhancement ensures that the cooling medium flows directly over the hottest areas, maximizing cooling effectiveness where it is most needed.
4Temperature
If separate cooling components are used, then cooling function is achieved, but space requirements and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the cooling medium guide within the electrical line structure, the patent eliminates separate cooling components. This merging reduces both the weight and space requirements of the overall connector assembly while maintaining the active cooling function necessary for high-current applications.
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 integrated cooling system achieves improved cooling performance by directly surrounding the connector contacts with the cooling medium and transferring heat effectively through the connector housing, thus enabling efficient transmission of high electrical power while minimizing heat-related issues.
Implementation Method 1
The resulting temperature gradient and the thermal conductivity of the components cause heat to be transferred to the heat exchanger and then to the cooling medium inside the heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
The coolant flows through a closed heat exchanger located inside the charging plug, which is in mechanical solid-state contact with the heated electrical elements
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a plug connector for the detachable transmission of electrical power, comprising a contact arrangement with at least one plug connector contact, wherein the plug connector has a plug connector housing in which the contact arrangement is housed, wherein the plug connector housing fixes the at least one plug connector contact and forms at least one cooling medium chamber for at least one heat exchanger, wherein the at least one cooling medium chamber has at least two connection points spaced apart from one another for the inflow and outflow of cooling medium, so that a circular cooling medium guide is formed.