Electric Vehicle Charging Arm Angle Adjustment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric vehicle charging systems face instability in maintaining contact between power receiving elements and power lines due to variations in the distance between the electric vehicle and the power lines, leading to intermittent power supply.
Innovation Solution
An electric vehicle with a charging arm that deploys outwardly in the vehicle transverse direction, utilizing a spring damper to maintain contact pressure and an actuator that slides along a rail to adjust the arm's angle, ensuring the charging head remains perpendicular to the power lines even as the distance varies, thus stabilizing the contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the arm portion is returned toward the electric vehicle when the distance becomes shorter, then the charging head maintains contact with power lines, but portions apart from the power receiving elements interfere with the power lines
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of returning the arm portion toward the electric vehicle when distance varies, the system dynamically adjusts the rotation angle to a first angle greater than the predetermined angle. This dynamic response prevents portions of the charging head apart from the power receiving elements from interfering with the power lines while maintaining stable contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution addresses the interference problem by changing the rotational dimension of the arm portion. By increasing the rotation angle to a first angle greater than the predetermined angle, the charging head is positioned such that only the power receiving elements contact the power lines, preventing interference from other portions of the charging head.
2Measurement precision
If the charging head is positioned perpendicular to the power lines at a predetermined angle, then the power receiving elements align properly with the power lines, but the angle becomes too small when distance varies, causing interference
Solution Approach 1:
The rotation angle parameter of the arm portion is changed from a predetermined angle to a first angle of rotation that is greater than the predetermined angle. This parameter adjustment ensures that the charging head maintains perpendicular alignment with the power lines even when distance varies, preventing the angle from becoming too small and avoiding interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates distance detection to determine when the distance between the electric vehicle and power lines varies. Based on this feedback, the control unit adjusts the arm portion's rotation angle to a first angle greater than the predetermined angle, maintaining proper perpendicular alignment and ensuring continuous charging without interference.
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 configuration ensures stable and continuous electrical power supply to the energy storage device by maintaining contact between the power receiving elements and power lines, even during vehicle vibrations and swinging, by adjusting the arm's angle and using a spring damper to maintain pressure.
Implementation Method 1
a spring damper comprising one end attached rotatably to the arm portion, and another end attached rotatably to the actuator, and the spring damper biases the arm portion in a direction to deploy the arm portion outwardly in the vehicle transverse direction
Implementation Method 2
a spring damper comprising one end attached rotatably to the arm portion, and another end attached rotatably to the actuator, and the spring damper biases the arm portion in a direction to deploy the arm portion outwardly in the vehicle transverse direction
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Provided is an electric vehicle allowing a power receiving portion and an aerial wire to make a stable contact with each other even when the angle formed by a charging head and the aerial wire varies due to the variation of the distance between the electric vehicle and the aerial wire. The electric vehicle (10) charges an electricity storage device (16) by allowing the power receiving portions (40p, 40n) of a charging arm (22) to make contact with an aerial wire (20). In the electric vehicle (10), the charging arm (22) is equipped with an arm portion (86) that is expanded from a side portion (10s) of the electric vehicle (10) toward the outside of the vehicle width by rotationally moving about a rotationally moving shaft (84). The power receiving portions (40p, 40n) are provided on a charging head (26) positioned at the top of the arm portion (86). The charging head (26) is set so as to face the aerial wire (20) in such a direction that the longitudinal direction of the charging head (26) becomes orthogonal to the aerial wire (20) when the arm portion (86) is expanded to a predetermined rotational movement angle (θ3). The arm portion (86) is expanded up to a first rotational movement angle (θ1) larger than the predetermined rotational movement angle (θ3).