EV Charging Station Break-Away Coupling for Impact Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicle charging stations located near vehicular and pedestrian traffic pose safety hazards due to potential damage and exposure of electrical wiring upon impact, which can lead to hazards like fires and electrocution, as they often lack sufficient physical shielding.
Innovation Solution
The design of electric vehicle charging stations with mechanical and electrical break-away couplings that disconnect power and safely collapse onto the impact point, featuring a failure point within six inches of bumper height, non-locking connectors, and minimal wire slack to ensure immediate disconnection upon impact, preventing exposure of live wires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If physical shielding such as bollards is installed to protect the charging station from vehicle impact, then the charging station's resistance to impact is improved, but the device complexity and installation feasibility worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The charging station is divided into separable sections connected by break-away couplings. The station can be segmented into the charging unit and the support structure, which can detach upon impact. This segmentation allows the station to be protected without requiring permanent shielding structures, resolving the contradiction between impact resistance and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful function of the charging station during high-speed impact is extracted by designing break-away couplings that disconnect the charging unit from the support structure upon impact. This extraction removes the danger of falling debris and exposed wiring while maintaining normal operation during low-speed events, avoiding the need for complex shielding.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the charging station is designed to be robust and fixed to prevent collapse, then structural stability is improved, but the harmful effects from high-speed impact worsen due to potential falling debris and exposed wiring
Solution Approach 1:
The charging station's structural configuration is made dynamic through break-away couplings that can transition from a connected state during normal operation to a disconnected state upon impact. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the station to maintain structural stability during low-speed events while automatically becoming safe during high-speed impacts by disconnecting and collapsing in a controlled manner.
Solution Approach 2:
The potential harm from structural collapse during high-speed impact is converted into a beneficial safety feature. The break-away couplings are designed to fail in a controlled manner that directs the charging unit to fall onto the impacting vehicle rather than away from it, converting the harmful collapse into a protective action that shields pedestrians and prevents wire exposure.
3Reliability
If electrical wiring is securely connected to maintain power supply, then electrical reliability is improved, but the risk of electrocution and fire from damaged wiring during impact worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connection system is made dynamic through non-locking electrical connectors that can transition from a connected state during normal operation to a disconnected state upon impact. This dynamic electrical configuration maintains reliable power supply during low-speed events while automatically disconnecting during high-speed impacts to prevent electrocution and fire hazards from exposed wiring.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical disconnection action is performed in advance of potential harm by designing non-locking connectors that automatically disconnect upon detecting impact forces. This preliminary disconnection prevents the harmful effects of exposed wiring before they can occur, while maintaining secure connections during normal operation to ensure electrical reliability.
4Reliability
If the charging station uses locking connectors and excess wire slack to maintain electrical connection, then electrical connectivity is improved, but the disconnection time during impact increases, allowing harmful effects to occur
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connector system is made dynamic by using non-locking connectors that can quickly transition from connected to disconnected states upon impact. This dynamic design maintains adequate electrical connectivity during normal operation while enabling rapid disconnection during impacts, eliminating the time delay that would allow harmful effects to occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical connection parameters are optimized by using non-locking connectors with minimal wire slack. This parameter change allows the connectors to maintain reliable electrical connectivity during normal operation while enabling immediate disconnection upon impact, reducing the disconnection time to prevent harmful effects from exposed wiring.
Data Source
AI summary
An electric vehicle charging station is provided. The electric vehicle charging station is configured to safely disconnect power during an impact. The electric vehicle charging station includes a mechanical break-away coupling connecting a base section and a charger section, the mechanical break-away coupling including a failure point to allow the charger section to break away from the base section. The electric vehicle charging station also includes an electrical break-away coupling connecting at least one wire extending from the base section to the charger section, the electrical break-away coupling configured to disconnect the at least one wire from the charger section when the charger section breaks away from the base section. A pedestal for an electric vehicle charging station is also provided.