Cooled Inlet Cold Plate With Busbar Isolation for EV Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-power electrical connector assemblies in electrical vehicles face power losses due to electrical contact resistance, leading to thermal issues and potential damage from overheating, which are compounded by the reduced thermal performance from dielectric conformal coatings used for electrical isolation in liquid cooling systems.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector assembly with a metallic cooling plate in thermal communication with conductive busbars, utilizing an isolator ring made of electrically insulative material, such as 15% glass-filled polybutylene terephthalate, to maintain electrical isolation while allowing thermal communication through strategically designed openings and fins, integrated with a coolant channel and seal for efficient heat management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dielectric conformal coating is applied between electrical terminals and the cooling plate to ensure electrical isolation, then electrical isolation is improved, but thermal performance deteriorates due to reduced heat transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the dielectric conformal coating from the interface between electrical terminals and cooling plate, replacing it with a mechanical isolation structure (isolator ring with protrusions) that provides electrical isolation without thermal resistance, thereby extracting the harmful thermal barrier while maintaining electrical isolation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an isolator ring with electrical insulator protrusions as an intermediary element between the electrical terminals and cooling plate, which provides robust electrical isolation through mechanical contact while allowing direct thermal conduction through the protrusions, serving as a mediator that separates the electrical and thermal functions
2Temperature
If conductive components are upsized to carry additional current for compensating resistive heating, then thermal management is improved, but device complexity and material costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the thermal management function from the electrical conductors by introducing a separate cooling plate that directly contacts the electrical terminals, allowing the conductors to be sized for electrical current only without the additional thermal management burden, thereby reducing component size and complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling plate is designed to be in direct thermal communication with the electrical terminals, allowing the terminals themselves to serve as heat transfer surfaces without requiring additional thermal management components, enabling the system to self-regulate temperature through the integrated cooling plate
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 solution effectively manages thermal issues without derating the connector, allowing for smaller, lighter components and cables, reducing material costs and weight, while maintaining robust electrical isolation and thermal performance.
Implementation Method 1
a metallic cooling plate in thermal communication with major surfaces of the pair of electrically conductive busbars
Implementation Method 2
a dielectric structure that is configured to prevent electrical contact between the pair of electrically conductive busbars and the cooling plate
Data Source
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AI summary
An electrical connector assembly (100) includes a connector housing (102) in which a pair of electrically conductive busbars (104) are disposed, a metallic cooling plate (110) in thermal communication with major surfaces (112) of the pair of electrically conductive busbars (104), and a dielectric structure (126) that is configured to prevent electrical contact between the pair of electrically conductive busbars (104) and the cooling plate (110).