Liquid-cooled EV charging connectors

As the number of electric vehicles on the road continues to increase, the demand for EV Charging Infrastructure has also reached an unprecedented level. Low-power slow chargers take a long time to fully charge EVs, limiting the charging experience for vehicle owners, especially for drivers who need to travel long distances. High-power chargers significantly improve charging efficiency, reduce charging time, and enhance the market competitiveness of electric vehicles for long journeys. However, the high heat generated by high-power charging cannot be ignored, as it not only affects charging efficiency but also relates to Electrical Safety. Efficient Liquid Cooling technology has emerged as a solution.   This article will briefly discuss how liquid cooling technology serves high-power charging for EVs, the classification of liquid-cooled charging connectors, and the benefits for businesses.   What is Liquid Cooling? We know that conductors all have resistance and will generate heat due to the thermal effect of current. Under a 250A current, the temperature rise of an ordinary 80 square DC charging plug is about 40K.   As the charging current increases, the heat generated by the current also becomes more significant. To keep charging safe, we must ensure that the temperature of the charging connector terminals and cables is within an appropriate range.   Although increasing the conductor cross-sectional area can solve this problem, it will also increase the weight of the cable and make it more difficult to operate. However, using liquid-cooled high-power charging technology, the Cooling Efficiency is higher, and the weight of the charging cable is lighter.   Liquid-cooled charging uses a liquid cooling medium to circulate under the propulsion of a power pump, carrying away the heat generated by the cable and charging connector, and reducing the temperature at the hot components, allowing the charging plug to withstand a larger current.   The cooling medium is divided into oil cooling and water cooling. Oil cooling is usually immersion cooling, with the medium being dimethyl silicone oil or E4 CCF, which have very high heat exchange efficiency. The water cooling medium is water plus ethylene glycol solution, although the cooling effect is limited due to the physical properties of water, it is more environmentally friendly and degradable.   The commonly mentioned liquid cooling system consists of pumps, fans, oil tanks, and connecting pipes, a compact system with high cooling capacity. It can be divided into automatic control and non-automatic control liquid cooling systems, depending on whether the charger needs to control the operation power of the pump and fan.   Liquid Cooled Charging Connectors According to the standards they meet, liquid-cooled charging connectors can be divided into CCS2/CCS1/NACS (TESLA DC)/GB/T/CHAOJI liquid-cooled charging connectors, which are used in corresponding standard DC Fast Chargers. The CCS2 is a combined AC and DC charging interface, with the standard referring to IEC 62196. It applies to Europe and most regions. The upper part is the AC interface, the lower part is the DC charging interface, and there are no electronic locks or hooks.   The CCS1 is also a combined AC and DC charging interface, with the standard referring to SAE J1772. It applies to the United States and countries such as Japan and South Korea. The upper part is AC and the lower part is DC interface, without electronic locks and with hooks.   NACS is the new charging interface announced by Tesla, and its current standard is defined as SAE J3400. It uses a shared AC and DC interface, without electronic locks and hooks.   The GB/T charging connector is based on Version2015 of the DC charging plug to develop the liquid-cooled plug, with the electronic lock on the charging connector and with hooks.   CHAOJI is a new standard jointly developed by China, Japan, Germany, and other countries, without electronic locks and hooks.   As a leading global professional charging plug solution provider, Workersbee’s CCS1 and CCS2 charging plugs adopt an integrated design, simple generous, and easy to handle. At the same time, they are compatible with natural cooling and liquid cooling.   The charging peak of the CCS2 liquid-cooled charging plug can reach 700A, with a rated current of 500A. With its safe and reliable performance, it has passed CE and TUV certifications and has always been a trusted partner of customers. For high-frequency use plug terminals, from the perspective of maintenance costs of business partners, the terminal quick change design is applied to avoid the high cost of replacing the whole piece. This technology has also received positive feedback from the market.   How Does Liquid Cooling Help High Power Charging? Liquid cooling technology plays a crucial role in High-power Charging. Uses liquid to absorb and transfer heat, achieving efficient heat dissipation, ensuring that charging equipment can maintain an appropriate and stable temperature range during high power operation, thereby safety and reliability of the charging process.   The power pump promotes the circulation of the cooling liquid, which carries away a large amount of heat, significantly improving the current transmission efficiency of the charging cable and reducing the risk of cable damage due to overheating.   Since the liquid cooling technology can effectively reduce the temperature of the charging system, it allows for higher charging currents and voltages, achieving faster charging speeds and improving charging efficiency. It ensures the system's stable operation and extends the service life of the equipment.   Benefits of Liquid Cooling Technology for Businesses 1. Enhance heat dissipation efficiency and performance of equipment to ensure stable and efficient charging. 2. The efficient liquid cooling mechanism can further save energy and improve work efficiency. 3. Charging station design can be more flexible, and better adapted to specific environmental, space, and electrical needs. 4. Liquid cooling can significantly enhance the stability and service life of equipment, effectively reducing maintenance costs and providing cost benefits. 5. Compared to chargers that rely solely on high-power fans for heat dissipation, liquid cooling technology has lower noise, resulting in a better customer experience.   Advantages Provided by Workersbee for Businesses - Comprehensive customized liquid cooling charging solutions. - Experienced quick-change terminal technology to reduce operational and maintenance costs. - Over a decade of professional R&D and production experience, and years of brand reputation for overseas markets. A complete product testing system and multiple authoritative certifications.   Conclusion Supercharging has improved the practicality and market competitiveness of EVs, while liquid cooling technology ensures the safety and stability of high-power charging. In the future, as the electric vehicle market continues to expand and technology advances, high-power charging and liquid cooling technology will play an even more significant role, jointly promoting the healthy development of the EV industry. As a global leading charging plug solution provider fortunate to participate in the reform, Workersbee eagerly anticipates providing strong support to all business partners committed to creating a sustainable transportation future. This includes offering more reliable products, cutting-edge technology, and more attentive after-sales service, jointly promoting the healthy development of the electric vehicle industry.