Liquid Cooled Connector Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-current charging of electric vehicles generates excessive heat at connector junctions, reducing efficiency and posing fire hazards.
Innovation Solution
A liquid cooled connector design featuring a housing with terminals, a liquid cooling member, and insulation members, utilizing coolant circulation to dissipate heat and prevent electrical connections between terminals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high-current charging is used to improve charging speed, then charging efficiency is improved, but heat generation increases causing temperature rise and fire hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat dissipation function from the connector housing by introducing a separate liquid cooling member. This cooling member is inserted into the housing and contains coolant channels that actively remove heat from the connector terminals, separating the electrical connection function from the thermal management function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs hydraulic cooling by circulating liquid coolant through channels within the cooling member. The coolant absorbs heat from the connector terminals through thermal conduction and removes it via fluid flow, applying hydraulic principles to solve the thermal management problem in high-current charging connectors.
2Volume of moving object
If multiple terminals are disposed close together to reduce connector size, then device compactness is improved, but insulation between terminals becomes difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an insulation member as an intermediary component between adjacent terminals. This insulation member includes blocking portions that extend into the space between terminals, physically preventing electrical discharge and maintaining insulation even when terminals are closely spaced. The insulation member acts as a mediator that enables compact terminal arrangement without compromising electrical safety.
3Temperature
If cooling structures are added to manage heat, then temperature control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cooling function with the existing connector housing structure. The cooling member is designed to be inserted into and integrated with the housing, sharing the same spatial envelope and structural support. This merging approach adds cooling capability without proportionally increasing overall device complexity, as the cooling system utilizes the existing housing geometry.
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
Enhances charging efficiency, reduces connector damage, and prevents electrical shorts and fires by effectively managing heat and insulation within the connector.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid cooling member (3) provided between the two terminals (2)... The circulation of coolant in the liquid cooling member takes away a large amount of heat generated by the terminals
Implementation Method 2
The liquid cooling box is made of a high thermal conductivity material... an inner surface of the accommodating cavity is matched and mounted with an outer surface of an end of the liquid cooling box
Implementation Method 3
an insulation member (41) provided between each terminal (2) and the liquid cooling member (3)... the insulation member is made of a thermally conductive insulation material
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
Disclosed in the present disclosure is a liquid cooled connector, including a housing, at least two terminals disposed side by side in the housing, a liquid cooling member provided between the two terminals, and an insulation member provided between each terminal and the liquid cooling member. The liquid cooling member includes a liquid cooling box extending along an arrangement direction of the terminals. The terminals located at two ends of the liquid cooling box are each provided with a positioning cavity having an opening on one side. The two ends of the liquid cooling box are respectively inserted into the positioning cavities and abutted against bottom walls of the positioning cavities opposite to the openings so as to be fixed. In the liquid cooled connector according to the present disclosure, coolant circulates in the liquid cooling member, and by means of the circulating flow of the coolant, a large amount of heat generated by the terminals sleeved on the liquid cooling member is taken away during charging of an electric apparatus such as an electric vehicle, so as to reduce the temperatures of the terminals during operation, thereby improving the charging efficiency, shortening the charging time and reducing the damage to the connector.