Inductive Energy Transfer Housing with Diving Bell Water Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for inductive energy transmission, particularly in applications like electric vehicle charging, face challenges with water ingress due to seal failures and complex sealing requirements, which are difficult to maintain and can be compromised by vibrations and animal interference.
Innovation Solution
A device design utilizing a housing with a one-way valve and a diving bell principle to prevent water ingress, where the housing is open at the bottom and features a safety distance above the opening to equalize water pressure, allowing air to escape and preventing liquid penetration without additional sealing measures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a seal is used at the feedthrough to prevent water ingress, then water protection is improved, but the device requires regular maintenance and the seal can be damaged by vibrations or animals
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the seal component entirely from the system. Instead of sealing the feedthrough opening, the device uses the natural water flow direction and gravity to prevent water ingress. The feedthrough opening remains open without any sealing element, eliminating maintenance requirements while maintaining water protection through passive hydraulic design.
2Reliability
If the housing is sealed to protect electronics, then water protection is improved, but maintenance becomes difficult as the housing cover must be removed and heavy coil taken out
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into functionally independent segments: the housing with open bottom for water drainage, the coil assembly, and the electronics compartment. This segmentation allows the housing to remain open for passive water protection while enabling easy access to internal components for maintenance without requiring disassembly of sealed structures.
3Reliability
If additional sealing measures are implemented, then water protection is improved, but the device complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the potentially harmful factor of water into a beneficial design element. Rather than fighting water ingress through seals, the device embraces water flow by providing an open bottom that allows water to naturally drain away from sensitive components. The water flow itself becomes part of the protection mechanism, eliminating the need for active sealing measures and reducing maintenance complexity.
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 solution ensures reliable and safe operation by preventing water from reaching sensitive electronics, reducing maintenance efforts and eliminating the need for complex sealing, while maintaining effective energy transfer.
Implementation Method 1
the coil unit has a one-way valve to allow air to escape from the interior space outside the housing and, when the device is completely filled with water and water continues to flow in, to allow water to drain from the interior space
Implementation Method 2
water to penetrate the housing only to the point where the water pressure and the pressure of the air enclosed in the housing, or possibly another gaseous fluid, are in equilibrium, according to the principle of a diving bell
Implementation Method 3
The base unit has a primary coil for the inductive transfer of electrical energy to the secondary coil of the portable socket unit
Data Source
Figure 1~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (1) for the inductive transfer of electrical energy between a stationary coil (12), which can be installed in a roadway (7), and a secondary coil (13) of a movable electrical load, in particular of an electrical vehicle (14), wherein a supply unit (16) for supplying electrical energy is allocated to the coil (12). The invention solves the problem of providing a maintenance-friendly, reliable, operationally secure device for inductive transfer of electrical energy, which is protected against penetration of water into the sensitive electronics, in that the supply unit (16) is arranged on a side of the coil (12) facing away from the roadway (7) in an installed state in a housing (19) which is closed on top and laterally, having a housing opening (20) open to the bottom.