Cooled HV Cable Contact Assembly With Flexible Integrated Termination
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical cable connections for high-voltage applications in the automotive industry face challenges with thermal management and flexibility, as they require a large number of components and lack flexibility for tolerance compensation, making them costly and inefficient for mass production.
Innovation Solution
An electrical cable design featuring a cooling channel with an inner conductor that is integrally bonded or compacted to form a contact element, allowing for flexible orientation and reduced component count, eliminating the need for bolted or crimped connections, and utilizing a stranded wire configuration for improved mechanical stability and heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a bolted connection with cable shoe and crimp sleeve is used to connect the inner conductor to the contact element, then the connection is mechanically stable, but the device complexity increases and flexibility for orientation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cable shoe, crimp sleeve, and contact element into a single integrated contact element. The inner conductor is directly crimped or welded to the contact element body, eliminating the need for separate cable shoes and crimp sleeves. This merging reduces the number of components while maintaining mechanical stability through direct bonding between the inner conductor and contact element.
2Strength
If a rigid bolted connection is used to ensure mechanical stability, then the connection strength is improved, but the adaptability for flexible orientation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a flexible connection region between the inner conductor and contact element that allows for angular adjustment and orientation flexibility. This flexible region enables the contact element to be oriented at different angles relative to the cable axis while maintaining a secure mechanical and electrical connection, thus providing both strength and adaptability.
3Strength
If multiple separate components are used for the connection, then the mechanical stability can be ensured, but the ease of manufacture for high-volume production is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple components into a single integrated contact element that can be directly attached to the inner conductor through crimping or welding. This integration simplifies the assembly process to a single operation, eliminating the need for multiple separate assembly steps involving cable shoes, crimp sleeves, and bolts, thereby significantly improving ease of manufacture for high-volume production.
4Temperature
If a cooling channel is integrated through the cable, then heat dissipation is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the cooling channel into the existing cable structure, allowing the cable to serve dual functions: electrical power transmission and thermal management. The cooling channel is incorporated within the cable insulation layers, enabling coolant flow through the cable to dissipate heat generated during high-current operation, thus adding thermal management capability without requiring a completely separate cooling system.
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 reduces heat introduction into surrounding modules, minimizes cable cross-section and weight, and enhances heat dissipation, while allowing for flexible connection orientations and reduced material usage, making it suitable for high-voltage applications in electric vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling channel is generally guided through the cable in a longitudinal direction and is connected to a cooling circuit and is passed through by a cooling liquid in order to transport the heat away
Implementation Method 2
the inner conductor (4) is connected to the contact element (9) in an integrally bonded manner
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an assembled electrical cable (1). The cable (1) has a cooling channel (2) extending along the center axis (M) of the cable (1) and at least one inner conductor (4) extending along the outer surface of the cooling channel (2). The cable (1) furthermore has a cable sheath (7) guiding the inner conductor (4) and the cooling channel (2) within itself and a contact element (9) for an electrical plug connector (10), wherein the contact element (9) is electrically and mechanically connected to at least one portion of the inner conductor (4) exposed from the cable sheath (7). According to the invention, the inner conductor (4) is integrally joined to the contact element (9) or is compacted in a planar manner in order to form the contact element (9).