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DE-102024003676-A1 - Method and system for cooling a charging port of an electrically powered vehicle

DE102024003676A1DE 102024003676 A1DE102024003676 A1DE 102024003676A1DE-102024003676-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for cooling a charging port (20) of an electrically operated vehicle (10), wherein the charging port (20) has a pin tray (22) with at least two contact pins (24), comprising cooling the charging port (20) during a charging process by directing an airflow (50) from a compressed air device (14) of the vehicle (10) onto and through the pin tray (22) with the at least two contact pins (24). The invention further relates to a system (100) for cooling a charging port (20) of an electrically powered vehicle (10).

Inventors

  • Florian Fröhlich

Assignees

  • Mercedes-Benz Group AG

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241108

Claims (10)

  1. Method for cooling a charging port (20) of an electrically powered vehicle (10), wherein the charging port (20) has a pin tray (22) with at least two contact pins (24), comprising cooling the charging port (20) during a charging process by directing an airflow (50) from a compressed air device (14) of the vehicle (10) onto and through the pin tray (22) with the at least two contact pins (24).
  2. Procedure according to Claim 1 , wherein the charging port (20) is continuously cooled during the charging process.
  3. Procedure according to Claim 1 or 2 , wherein the charging port (20) is cooled during the charging process on the basis of a temperature control via at least one temperature sensor (26) which is arranged at the charging port (20), in particular wherein a flow rate and/or a pressure and/or a duration of the airflow (50) are controlled and/or regulated.
  4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the airflow (50) flows out through at least one nozzle (18) and is thereby directed expanding onto and through the pin tray (22).
  5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the airflow (50) is guided through hollow-drilled and/or transversely drilled contact pins (24) of the charging port (20), in particular wherein the contact pins (24) are manufactured by means of 3D printing.
  6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein, when approaching a charging station, a chassis (12) of the vehicle (10) is lowered to a low level prior to the charging process, thereby redistributing air from the compressed air device (14) and using it to cool the charging port (10) during the charging process.
  7. System (100) for cooling a charging port (20) of an electrically powered vehicle (10) using a method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the charging port (20) has a pin tray (22) with at least two contact pins (24), comprising a compressed air device (14) provided in the vehicle (10), and a branch line (16) from the compressed air device (14) to the pin tray (22) for guiding an airflow (50) onto and through the pin tray (22).
  8. System according to Claim 7 , wherein the branch line (16) has at least one nozzle (18) which is designed for directing in particular backward flow to the pin tray (22).
  9. System according to Claim 7 or 8 , wherein the contact pins (24) are hollow and/or have transverse bores (28) designed to allow airflow (50) through them, in particular wherein the contact pins (24) are manufactured by means of 3D printing.
  10. system according to one of the Claims 7 until 9 , wherein at least one temperature sensor (26) is arranged on and/or in the pin tray (22).

Description

The invention relates to a method and a system for cooling a charging port of an electrically powered vehicle. Battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles are usually charged via a standardized charging port and the corresponding counterpart plug on the side of the charging station. The direct current (DC) part of charging connectors consists of a pin head with two DC contact pins (positive and negative), which are designed to be electrically and thermally conductive. The function of the contact pins is to establish an electrical contact with the charging plug, to conduct the electrical power through the charging connector, and to establish an electrical contact with the vehicle's charging cable set. The design, consisting of two individual contact pins, typically uses cylindrical metal parts, as in the standardized CCS1 and CCS2 standards. Its primary function is to establish an electrical connection between the charging plug and the vehicle's charging cable set. For current charging currents of up to 500A, this design, or rather the standardized DC contact pins, is adequately dimensioned. However, for future charging currents of 1000A and above, this design, and specifically the standardized DC contact pins, will become thermally limiting after a very short time. This will necessitate derating the charging current due to the charging port, particularly the contact pins, thus increasing the charging time or even interrupting the charging process. The reason for this temperature increase is the contact resistance of the connector between the charging plug and the vehicle's charging port. The heat generated can be dissipated using fluids. However, this usually requires an additional fluid system with storage, pump, and pipes, and therefore additional weight. The DE 10 2015 100 347 A1 discloses an electrical connection body for a charging plug and/or a charging socket, which is cooled by means of a cooling fluid, for example compressed air from an air compressor. In the DE 10 2017 007 981 A1 Furthermore, a method and a system for cleaning a charging adapter for charging a plug-in electric vehicle by blowing compressed air is described. One object of the invention is to provide an improved method for cooling a charging port of an electrically powered vehicle. Another task is to create a system for cooling a charging port of an electrically powered vehicle using such an improved method. The aforementioned tasks are solved using the characteristics of independent claims. Favorable embodiments and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the further claims, the description and the drawing. According to one aspect of the invention, a method for cooling a charging port of an electrically operated vehicle is proposed, wherein the charging port has a pin tray with at least two contact pins, comprising cooling the charging port during a charging process by directing an airflow from a compressed air device of the vehicle onto and through the pin tray with the at least two contact pins. The proposed method uses air from an existing compressed air system in the vehicle to cool the thermally stressed DC contact pins. This compressed air system can be used primarily for chassis adjustments (height, roll, pitch, yaw, etc.) and thus mainly during active driving. It incorporates high-performance components such as a reservoir, pump, and a piping system to all wheel units. This compressed air system is not primarily used when the vehicle is stationary during charging; therefore, compressed air can be routed via a branch line to and through the pin head of the charging connector for cooling. The compressed air system does not necessarily have to be a chassis component, but can also be another compressed air or air supply system located in the vehicle. According to an advantageous embodiment of the method, the charging port can be continuously cooled during the charging process. The cooling can be active continuously and consistently throughout the entire charging process. According to an advantageous embodiment of the method, the charging port can be cooled during the charging process based on temperature control via at least one temperature sensor arranged at the charging port. In particular, a through The airflow, pressure, and/or duration can be controlled and/or regulated. Cooling can thus be regulated based on temperature control via corresponding temperature sensors, which are located on the pin tray, the contact pins directly, or elsewhere in the charging port, so that the airflow, pressure, and duration of cooling can be varied accordingly. According to an advantageous embodiment of the method, the airflow can exit through at least one nozzle and thereby be guided expanding onto and through the pin tray. Starting from an isenthalpic pressure reduction, the Joule-Thomson effect can be utilized, whereby a real gas such as ambient air or the air in the compressed air system experiences a temperature drop due t