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US 2020/0395147 A1Published application
Heat sink device, system and method of use for passive heat removal
AssigneesThe Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma, The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, University of Connecticut
InventorsHamidreza Shabgard, Amir Faghri, Kenneth Goodson, Mehdi Asheghi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims12
A heat sink apparatus, the 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 pivotably closed in a clamshell arrangement such that a facing portion 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 which is sized to contain and engage an electric vehicle charging cable;
- 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 cable exceeds a predetermined temperature.
2 more elements
A method of passively removing heat from an electric cable, comprising:
- providing a 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 pivotably closed in a clamshell arrangement such that 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 which is sized to contain and engage an electric vehicle charging cable, 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 cable exceeds a predetermined temperature;
- positioning the heat sink apparatus about a portion of an electric cable such that the portion of the electric cable is securely engaged within the tubular bore of the heat sink apparatus;
- and
- passing electric current through the electric cable, wherein heat generated within the electric cable is thermally conducted into the phase change material of the heat sink apparatus, thereby removing heat from the electric cable.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.