# US 12,119,146 B2 · Coaxial phase change material heat sink for electric charging cable

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- Number: US 12,119,146 B2
- Document ID: US12119146B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/897,401
- Filed: 2020-06-10
- Published: 2020-12-17
- Granted: 2024-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2019-06-11
- Assignees: The Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma; University of Connecticut; The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
- Applicants: The Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma; The Board of Trustees of The Leland Stanford Junior University; The University of Connecticut
- Inventors: Hamidreza Shabgard; Amir Faghri; Kenneth Goodson; Mehdi Asheghi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12119146B2

## CPC

- H01B 7/425: {the construction being bendable}
- B60L 53/18: Cables specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
- B60L 53/302: Cooling of charging equipment
- F28D 7/106: {consisting of two coaxial conduits or modules of two coaxial conduits}
- F28D 15/0233: {the conduits having a particular shape, e.g. non-circular cross-section, annular (F28D15/0241, F28D15/0266 take precedence)}
- F28D 15/0275: {Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores}
- F28D 15/04: with tubes having a capillary structure
- F28F 1/32: the means having portions engaging further tubular elements
- F28D 2021/0029: {Heat sinks}
- H10W 40/73: for cooling by change of state
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 90/12: Electric charging stations
- Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles
- H01B: CABLES; CONDUCTORS; INSULATORS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING OR DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES (selection for magnetic properties H01F1/00; waveguides H01P {; printed circuits H05K})
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general)
- F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16)
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A heat sink apparatus having a pair of casings hinged in a clamshell arrangement and configured to contain a portion of an electric charging cable, the casings each having an inner space which contains a phase change material for absorbing heat generated during current flow through the electric charging cable.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A heat sink apparatus configured to be removably attached to an electric vehicle charging cable, the heat sink apparatus comprising:
a first casing having an outer wall, an inner wall, a first end wall, a second end wall, and an inner space, the inner wall comprising a first cable receiving space;
a second casing having an outer wall, an inner wall, a first end wall, a second end wall, and an inner space, the inner wall comprising a second cable receiving space;
a hinge mechanism connected to the first casing and to the second casing enabling the first casing and the second casing to be selectively placed in one of an open position and a closed position in a clamshell arrangement such that, in the closed position, a facing portion of the inner wall of the first casing faces and engages a facing portion of the inner wall of the second casing and causes the first cable receiving space to oppose the second cable receiving space thereby forming a lengthwise tubular bore containing the electric vehicle charging cable when the heat sink apparatus is attached to the electric vehicle charging cable such that the electric vehicle charging cable engages the facing portion of the inner wall of the first casing and the facing portion of the inner wall of the second casing; and
a phase change material contained within the inner space of the first casing and the inner space of the second casing, the phase change material changeable between a first state and a second state when heat generated by the electric vehicle charging cable exceeds a predetermined temperature; and
wherein the inner wall of the first casing and the inner wall of the second casing are constructed of a first material with a high thermal conductivity, and the outer wall of the first casing and the outer wall of the second casing are constructed of a second material with a low thermal conductivity.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The heat sink apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a fastening mechanism having a first portion connected to the first casing and a second portion connected to the second casing such that, when the first casing and the second casing are placed in the closed position, the first portion is operable to engage the second portion to maintain the first casing and the second casing in the closed position about the electric cable.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The heat sink apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a support material which contains the phase change material contained within the inner space of the first casing and within the inner space of the second casing.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The heat sink apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of heat pipes embedded in the phase change material, wherein the plurality of heat pipes embedded in the phase change material extend outwardly from the outer wall of the first casing and from the outer wall of the second casing.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The heat sink apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a securing mechanism connected to the first casing and the second casing such that, when the first casing and the second casing are placed in the closed position, the securing mechanism may connect the first casing and the second casing to maintain the first casing and the second casing in the closed position about the electric cable.