EV Charging Component Aerogel Isolation for High-Power Heat Control

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electric vehicle charging components face challenges in high power applications due to increased power dissipation, which requires more substantial and heavier thermal isolators, limiting flexibility and weight reduction.

Innovation Solution

The use of aerogel as a thermal isolator between the charging current carrying component and the housing in electric vehicle charging components, allowing for reduced material usage while maintaining thermal isolation, and enabling more flexible and lightweight designs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If common isolators like rubber or plastic are used for thermal isolation, then thermal isolation is provided, but the thickness and weight of the isolator increase, making them unsuitable for high power applications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal isolationVSAvoidisolator weight

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies porous materials (aerogel, foam materials) as thermal isolators to achieve high thermal isolation performance with reduced weight and thickness. The porous structure provides excellent thermal insulation properties, allowing the isolator to effectively block heat transfer while maintaining lightweight characteristics suitable for high power charging applications

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs composite materials combining different thermal isolation properties in a multi-layer structure. This includes combining aerogel with foam materials or other insulating layers to optimize both thermal isolation performance and mechanical properties, achieving effective heat blocking without excessive weight or thickness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Loss of energy

If common isolators like rubber or plastic are used for thermal isolation, then thermal isolation is provided, but the thickness of the isolator increases, making them unsuitable for high power applications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal isolationVSAvoidisolator thickness

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies porous materials (aerogel, foam materials) as thermal isolators to achieve high thermal isolation performance with reduced weight and thickness. The porous structure provides excellent thermal insulation properties, allowing the isolator to effectively block heat transfer while maintaining lightweight characteristics suitable for high power charging applications

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the thermal conductivity parameter by selecting materials with extremely low thermal conductivity values (aerogel with λ < 0.03 W/(m·K)). This parameter change allows achieving the same thermal isolation effect with much thinner isolator layers compared to conventional materials

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Power

If higher charging powers are used, then charging performance is improved, but unwanted power dissipation increases, requiring more substantial thermal isolators

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharging powerVSAvoidpower dissipation

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies porous materials (aerogel, foam materials) as thermal isolators to achieve high thermal isolation performance with reduced weight and thickness. The porous structure provides excellent thermal insulation properties, allowing the isolator to effectively block heat transfer while maintaining lightweight characteristics suitable for high power charging applications

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful effect of heat generation from high power dissipation into a manageable challenge by using advanced thermal isolators. The aerogel and foam material isolators effectively contain and manage the heat generated by high power operations, transforming the potential harm of excessive heat into a controlled thermal management scenario that enables higher charging powers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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

Aerogel thermal isolators effectively reduce temperature leakage and allow for higher charging powers, improving user experience through reduced heat transfer and enabling more extreme cooling methods.

Implementation Method 1

A thermal isolator, disposed between the charging current carrying component and the housing. The thermal isolator comprises an aerogel

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal insulation: Thermal Insulation

Data Source

PatentEP4538105A1Electric vehicle charging component with aerogel isolator

Publication Date: 2025.04.16 ABB E-MOBILITY BV

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Figure 3

AI summary

An electric vehicle charging component (10, 20, 30, 40) for an electric vehicle charging infrastructure (100), comprising: a charging current carrying component (13b, 14b), configured to provide electric charging current to an electric vehicle (60) to be charged; a housing (13a), configured to enclose the charging current carrying component (13a); and a thermal isolator (A), disposed between the charging current carrying component (13b, 14b) and the housing (13a); characterized in that the thermal isolator (A) comprises an aerogel.