Oil cooled high power inductive coupler

• US 5,684,380 A
• Filed: 07/26/1996
• Issued: 11/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: Delco Electronics Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Woody, George R., Ramos, Sergio, Rosas, Juventino
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US08/686,891
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 320/5, 336/DIG. 2, 336/55, 336/57, 336/58, 336/61, 336/179
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/12 Inductive energy transfer
• 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: B60L 53/34 Plug-like or socket-like devices specially adapted for contactless inductive charging of electric vehicles positioning means for charging devices using inductive energy transfer B60L53/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 336/02 Separable

Abstract

An oil cooled inductive coupler for use with an inductive charging system that charges propulsion batteries of an electric vehicle. The coupler is connected to a power source by way of a coaxial cable that has power conductors for coupling power to the coupler, and cooling channels for coupling high dielectric strength cooling fluid to and from the coupler. The coupler has a housing with a flood box formed therein having an open interior that forms a conductor termination area. The cooling channels are coupled to the flood box, and the power conductors are terminated in the termination area and are exposed to the cooling fluid that is pumped therethrough to cool them. A heat exchanger having a fluid flow path therethrough is coupled to the flood box and permits the cooling fluid to circulate therethrough. A primary winding is secured or bonded to the heat exchanger, a magnetic puck is disposed in an opening in the heat exchanger, and upper and lower primary winding covers enclose the heat exchanger. The cooling fluid is pumped through the coaxial cable, the flood box and the heat exchanger to cool the primary winding, the magnetic puck, and the power conductors, to permit high power levels to be transferred between the power source and the propulsion batteries of the electric vehicle.

Claims

1. A high power fluid cooled inductive charging coupler for use with inductive charging apparatus comprising a power source and a charge port disposed in an electric vehicle that is coupled to propulsion batteries thereof, and wherein the coupler is insertable into the charge port to couple power from the power source to charge the batteries of the electric vehicle, said coupler comprising:

a coaxial cable coupled between the power source and the coupler that comprises power conductors for coupling power to the coupler, and inlet and outlet cooling channels for coupling high dielectric strength cooling fluid to and from the coupler;

a housing;

a flood box disposed within the housing and having an open interior that forms a conductor termination area, and wherein the inlet cooling channel is coupled to the flood box to deliver fluid thereto, and wherein the power conductors of the coaxial cable are terminated in the termination area and are exposed to cooling fluid that is pumped therethrough;

a heat exchanger having a fluid inlet channel coupled to the flood box to receive cooling fluid therefrom, and an outlet channel coupled to the outlet cooling channel of said coaxial cable to return cooling fluid to said power source;

a primary winding electrically coupled to the power conductors in the termination area of said flood box, and thermally coupled to the heat exchanger; and

a magnetic puck disposed in an opening in the heat exchanger;

and wherein the cooling fluid is pumped through the inlet and outlet channels of the coaxial cable, the flood box and the inlet and outlet channels of the heat exchanger to cool the primary winding, the puck, the power conductor terminations, and the power conductors to permit high power levels to be transferred between the power source and the propulsion batteries of the electric vehicle.

2. The inductive charging coupler of claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid is poly alpha olefin.