Ducted air-cooled secondary of automobile battery charging transformer

• US 5,499,185 A
• Filed: 11/02/1993
• Issued: 03/12/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanzer, Herbert J., Hall, John T., Quon, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Kozma, Thomas J.
• Application Number:
  US08/146,690
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 336/60, 336/61, 336/59, 336/58, 336/55, 336/183, 336/DIG. 2, 336/83, 361/689, 363/141, 363/126
• US Class Current: 363/126
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/085 Cooling by ambient air
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 336/02 Separable

Abstract

The inductive charge coupler carrying the transformer primary is supplied with coolant fluid. The inductive charge receptacle mounted on the automobile has interior cooling fluid passages and there is a duct to transfer the cooling fluid from the inductive charge coupler to the cooling fluid passages in the inductive charge receptacle.

Claims

1. A fluid-cooled transformer comprising:

a transformer primary comprising a primary winding and magnetic permeable material, said transformer primary being mounted on an inductive charge coupler, means to supply coolant fluid to said inductive charge coupler;

a transformer secondary having a secondary winding adjacent an inductive charger receptacle and an associated magnetic permeable material, first walls defining a coolant fluid passage adjacent said transformer secondary, second walls defining said inductive charge receptacle to removably receive said transformer primary inductive charge coupler and a duct for ducting coolant fluid from said primary winding through said coolant fluid passage adjacent said transformer secondary to said secondary winding.

2. The fluid-cooled transformer of claim 1 wherein there are first and second windings for said transformer secondary and said first walls define first and second coolant fluid channels of said coolant fluid passage respectively adjacent said first and second windings for said transformer secondary and said first and second windings for said transformer secondary are on opposite sides of said receptacle which removably receives said inductive charge coupler.

3. The fluid-cooled transformer of claim 2 wherein a flexible cable is connected to said inductive charge coupler to supply electric power to said transformer primary and a flexible coolant fluid hose is connected to said inductive charge coupler to supply coolant fluid to said inductive charge coupler.

4. The fluid-cooled transformer of claim 1 wherein a flexible cable is connected to said inductive charge coupler to supply electric power to said transformer primary and a flexible coolant fluid hose is connected to said inductive charge coupler to supply coolant gas to said inductive charge coupler.

5. The gas-cooled transformer of claim 4 wherein a receptacle housing surrounds said inductive charge coupler where it enters said secondary, said housing serving as a duct to duct coolant gas from said inductive charge coupler to coolant fluid passage adjacent said transformer secondary.

6. The gas-cooled transformer of claim 5 wherein said transformer secondary is connected to charge the battery in an automobile.

7. The gas-cooled transformer of claim 6 wherein said cable is connected to an electric power source and said inductive charge coupler is connected to a source of coolant gas.

8. The gas-cooled transformer of claim 5 further including an electronic housing adjacent said receptacle housing positioned so that said electronic housing receives the coolant gas issuing from said receptacle housing, electronics in said electronics housing positioned to be cooled by said coolant gas so that coolant gas issuing from said receptacle housing passes through said electronics housing to cool the electronics therein.

9. The gas-cooled transformer of claim 8 wherein said electronics comprises rectifiers connected to said transformer secondary.

10. A gas-cooled transformer comprising:

a transformer secondary including a transformer secondary winding and a magnetic core associated with said transformer secondary winding, said transformer secondary winding and its magnetic core comprising an inductive charge receptacle, walls defining a cooling gas passage adjacent said secondary winding;

an inductive charge coupler, said inductive charge coupler having a flexible connection thereto, said inductive charge coupler having a transformer primary electric winding thereon and having magnetic core material thereon, said inductive charge coupler being configured so that said inductive charge coupler can be inserted into said inductive charge receptacle and said transformer primary winding placed adjacent said transformer secondary winding so as to create magnetic coupling between said inductive charge coupler and said transformer winding secondary for the transfer of electric power between said transformer primary winding and said transformer secondary winding;

a source of coolant gas connected to said inductive charge coupler, said inductive charge coupler having a coolant gas outlet therefrom, said coolant gas outlet on said inductive charge coupler being configured to deliver coolant gas to said coolant gas passage adjacent said transformer secondary winding to cool said transformer secondary winding.

11. The gas-cooled transformer of claim 10 wherein a housing engages said transformer secondary, said housing also receiving said coolant gas outlets on said inductive charge coupler so that said housing serves as a duct to duct coolant gas from said inductive charge coupler to said coolant gas passages and adjacent said secondary winding.

12. The gas-cooled transformer of claim 11 wherein there are first and second transformer secondary windings and there is a slot between said secondary windings, said slot comprising said inductive charge receptacle, said inductive charge coupler being insertable into said slot so that inductive charge coupler primary windings magnetically couple to said secondary windings.

13. The gas-cooled transformer of claim 12 wherein said transformer is connected for the charging of the battery of an automobile.

14. The gas-cooled transformer of claim 13 wherein said inductive charge coupler is connected to a source of electric power and said coolant gas housing is connected to a source of coolant gas.

15. The gas-cooled transformer of claim 12 wherein said walls defining a cooling gas passage adjacent said secondary winding also define a cooling gas passage through an electronics housing and further including electronics in said electronics housing.

16. The gas-cooled transformer of claim 15 wherein said electronics in said electronics housing comprise rectifiers connected to said transformer secondary.

17. The gas-cooled transformer of claim 10 wherein said walls defining a cooling gas passage adjacent said secondary winding also define a cooling gas passage through an electronics housing and further including electronics in said electronics housing.

18. The gas-cooled transformer of claim 16 wherein said electronics in said electronics housing comprise rectifiers connected to said transformer secondary.