High power, high frequency transmission cable breach detection

• US 5,591,937 A
• Filed: 12/02/1994
• Issued: 01/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Woody, George R., Hulsey, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Machtinger, Marc Diamant
• Application Number:
  US08/348,664
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 174/24, 174/14 R, 174/50.6, 174/15.1, 174/8, 174/5 R, 174/15.6, 174/28
• US Class Current: 174/5.00R
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/18 Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/302 Cooling of charging equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/423 using a cooling fluid
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 15/28 structurally associated with devices for indicating the presence or location of non-electric faults
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/03 Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A transmission cable system that incorporates cooling channels that encircles electrical conductors with coolant. The transmission cable system also provides for breach or leak detection. More specifically, the transmission cable system maybe used with an inductive charging system that transfers electric power from a power source to batteries of an electric vehicle. The cable system includes a cooling system for storing, cooling, and pumping coolant, and a pressure sensitive switch for determining the pressure in the cooling system and for providing an output signal indicative of a drop in sensed pressure. A controller is coupled to the pressure sensitive switch that is responsive to the output signal from the switch for shutting down the inductive charging system in the event of a drop in sensed pressure. The transmission cable is electrically coupled between the power source and the electric vehicle for coupling electrical power to the batteries. The transmission cable is also coupled between the cooling system and the inductive charging system and includes a plurality of coolant channels that permit the flow of coolant between the cooling system and the inductive charging system that cools the transmission cable when transferring electrical power.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle inductive battery charging system that transfers electric power from a power source to batteries of the electric vehicle, said inductive charging system comprising:

a cooling system for storing, cooling, and pumping coolant;

a pressure sensitive switch for determining the pressure in the cooling system and for providing an output signal indicative of a drop in sensed pressure;

a controller coupled to the pressure sensitive switch responsive to the output signal from the switch for shutting down the inductive charging system in the event of such drop in sensed pressure; and

a transmission cable for electrically coupling the power source to the batteries via an inductive charge port on the vehicle, and for coupling coolant between the cooling system and the inductive charge port via a plurality of coolant channels in the cable.