Phase Change Heat Accumulator for EV Charging Station Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling systems for electric vehicle charging stations are inefficient and unable to handle rapid thermal loads due to unpredictable usage patterns, leading to potential overheating and component damage.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device with an integrated phase change heat accumulator or enthalpy-based thermal store that allows for quick heat dissipation, reducing the need for a robust coolant circuit and enabling efficient cooling even during sudden thermal loads, using materials like salts, salt hydrates, or organic compounds for controlled phase transitions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a robust coolant circuit is used to handle rapid thermal loads, then cooling reliability is improved, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The phase change heat accumulator stores thermal energy in advance during periods of low thermal load. When rapid cooling is needed, the pre-stored cold energy from the phase change material immediately absorbs the thermal load, eliminating the need for a robust continuous cooling circuit and its associated complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase change materials that transition between solid and liquid states to absorb and release thermal energy. During phase transition, the material absorbs large amounts of latent heat without temperature change, providing rapid thermal response and reliable cooling without requiring complex active cooling systems.
2Speed
If a large coolant circuit is used to dissipate heat quickly, then cooling speed is improved, but device complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The phase change heat accumulator provides rapid heat absorption through phase transition of the storage material. This passive thermal storage mechanism achieves fast cooling response without requiring large-diameter coolant pipes, high-flow pumps, or complex circuit configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the active mechanical coolant circulation system with a passive thermal storage system based on phase change. The thermal energy is stored and released through material phase transitions rather than continuous mechanical pumping and heat dissipation, simplifying the system while maintaining fast thermal response.
3Reliability
If continuous cooling operation is maintained to handle unpredictable usage patterns, then cooling reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary cooling action by charging the phase change heat accumulator during periods of low or no thermal load. This pre-charged thermal storage ensures cooling availability when needed without requiring continuous operation of energy-intensive cooling equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuous cooling operation, the system uses periodic charging of the thermal storage system when thermal load is low or absent. The phase change material is repeatedly charged and discharged in cycles, providing cooling on demand while minimizing energy consumption by operating the cooling unit only when necessary.
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 provides rapid and effective cooling, protecting components from overheating, reducing energy consumption, and allowing for continued operation even if the primary cooling system fails, by utilizing the heat accumulator to manage thermal energy storage and dissipation.
Implementation Method 1
the heat storage device or devices is/are a phase-change heat storage device or an enthalpy-based thermal storage device
Implementation Method 2
This allows for very rapid heat dissipation to achieve fast cooling... This allows a relatively large amount of heat to be stored relatively quickly, because a high amount of enthalpy can be used briefly during the phase transition
Implementation Method 3
a coolant circuit including a cooling unit for cooling the coolant... with an internal coolant channel for the flow of a coolant through the charging station
Implementation Method 4
a pump for pumping the coolant in the coolant circuit
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a cooling device (1, 100, 200) for cooling a charging station (2) or a plurality of charging stations (2) of a charging park (3), wherein the respective charging station (2) has an internal coolant channel (4) for the flow of a coolant through the charging station (2) with an inlet coolant connection (5) and with an outlet coolant connection (6), with a coolant circuit (7) with a cooling unit (8) for cooling the coolant and with a pump (9) for pumping the coolant in the coolant circuit (7), wherein the coolant channel (4) of the respective charging station (2) is integrated into the coolant circuit (7), wherein a heat storage device (10) or a plurality of heat storage devices (10) is integrated into the coolant circuit (7).