Onboard Charging Heat Exchanger for EV Cable Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-capacity onboard batteries in electric vehicles generate excessive heat during charging, leading to increased cable weight and reduced flexibility, and inefficient power usage, as widening the cable diameter to address heat issues results in decreased power efficiency and usability.
Innovation Solution
An onboard charging system with a vehicle-side coupling unit equipped with a heat exchanger and a controller that performs ON/OFF control of heat exchange with an outside-vehicle power feeding apparatus, using a fan to manage heat transfer between the two units, thereby maintaining optimal temperature and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the cable diameter is widened to handle heat during charging, then heat dissipation capability is improved, but cable weight increases and flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The charging system is divided into two separate coupling units (vehicle-side and apparatus-side), each equipped with its own heat exchanger. This segmentation allows heat management to be distributed rather than concentrated in a single thick cable, reducing the need for excessive cable diameter while maintaining effective heat dissipation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Heat exchangers are introduced as intermediary devices between the charging cable and the environment. These heat exchangers provide a dedicated thermal management interface, allowing heat to be dissipated efficiently without requiring the cable itself to have increased diameter or cross-sectional area for heat conduction.
2Temperature
If the cable diameter is widened to handle heat during charging, then heat dissipation capability is improved, but flexibility and usability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the heat management function into separate heat exchangers at each coupling unit, the cable can maintain a smaller, more flexible diameter while thermal management is handled by dedicated components at the connection points.
Solution Approach 2:
Heat exchangers serve as intermediary thermal management devices that decouple the heat dissipation function from the cable structure itself, allowing the cable to remain thin and flexible while heat is actively managed by the heat exchanger components.
3Temperature
If active cooling is applied to the coupling unit, then temperature control is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat management functions of both the vehicle-side coupling unit and the apparatus-side coupling unit are merged into a coordinated system. The controller on the vehicle side communicates with the apparatus side to synchronize heat exchanger operation, ensuring that cooling is applied efficiently only when and where needed, thereby reducing unnecessary power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller monitors temperature conditions and charging status to dynamically control the heat exchanger operation. This feedback mechanism ensures that active cooling is applied only when temperature thresholds are exceeded or charging conditions require it, optimizing power consumption by avoiding continuous or unnecessary cooling operation.
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
The system effectively manages heat transfer between the vehicle and outside-vehicle units, preventing overheating, maintaining efficient charging, and reducing the risk of component deterioration and user safety hazards, while enhancing charging efficiency and usability.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger that is provided in the vehicle-side coupling unit and configured to perform heat exchange between the vehicle-side coupling unit and the apparatus-side coupling unit
Data Source
AI summary
An onboard charging system includes an onboard battery, a vehicle-side coupling unit, a heat exchanger, a controller, and a charger. The onboard battery that is configured to be mounted on a vehicle and used to drive the vehicle. The vehicle-side coupling unit that is configured to make a charging current path to an outside-vehicle power feeding apparatus by being coupled to an apparatus-side coupling unit of the outside-vehicle power feeding apparatus. The heat exchanger that is provided in the vehicle-side coupling unit and configured to perform heat exchange between the vehicle-side coupling unit and the apparatus-side coupling unit. The controller that is configured to perform ON/OFF control of a function of the heat exchange performed by the heat exchanger. The charger that is configured to charge the onboard battery by using the charging current path.