Rotating Contact Terminals for High-Power EV Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-power charging of electric vehicle batteries can cause heat and damage to the power feeding and receiving terminals due to concentrated contact points, leading to inefficiencies and potential terminal degradation.
Innovation Solution
A contact charging system where both the power feeding and receiving terminals are rotatable, with a rotational power mechanism that ensures continuous rotation during charging, distributing the contact point and preventing adhesion or damage, and includes a controller to manage the timing of voltage application and motor startup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high charging power is used to charge electric vehicle batteries, then charging speed is improved, but heat is generated at the contact point causing terminal damage
Solution Approach 1:
The power feeding terminal and power receiving terminal are both designed to rotate, segmenting the contact point into multiple points over time. This rotation distributes the heat generation across different areas of the terminals, preventing concentrated heat buildup that would occur with stationary contacts during high-power charging.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces rotational movement to both terminals during the charging process. This dynamic configuration allows the contact point to continuously change, distributing thermal load and mechanical stress across the terminal surfaces, thereby enabling high-power charging without terminal damage.
2Loss of time
If high charging power is used to reduce charging time, then productivity is improved, but terminal adhesion and damage occur due to concentrated contact
Solution Approach 1:
By making both terminals rotatable, the single concentrated contact point is segmented into multiple contact points throughout the charging cycle. This segmentation prevents adhesion and damage by distributing the mechanical and thermal stress across different areas of the terminal surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotational movement of both terminals creates a dynamic contact interface that continuously changes the contact location. This dynamic behavior prevents static adhesion and distributes wear, allowing high-power charging to proceed without compromising terminal reliability.
3Device complexity
If power feeding and receiving terminals are made stationary during charging, then device complexity is reduced, but heat concentration damages the terminals
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces rotational capability to both terminals, transforming them from stationary to dynamic components. This added complexity is minimal (rotation mechanisms) but provides significant benefit by distributing heat generation across multiple contact points, preventing terminal damage during high-power charging.
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
Prevents damage and adhesion of the terminals even under high-power charging by maintaining a distributed contact point, ensuring efficient and safe charging of electric vehicle batteries.
Implementation Method 1
When the power receiving element comes into contact with a wire in such a situation, frictional force occurs between the two. The frictional force causes the power receiving element to rotate.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Provided are a contact charging system, a power feeding device, a power receiving device, and a contact charging method that prevent damage to a power feeding terminal and a power receiving terminal, even when the charging power is high power. When charging a high-voltage battery (102), a power feeding-side motor (38) or a power receiving-side motor (110) is rotated in a state with a power feeding terminal (36) and a power receiving terminal (84) pressed against each other, and power is thereby transmitted from one of the power feeding terminal (36) and the power receiving terminal (84) to the other. In a state with both the power feeding terminal (36) and the power receiving terminal (84) rotated in this manner, electric power is supplied from the power feeding terminal (36) to the power receiving terminal (84).