Ford and Purdue University researchers have developed a new charging cable that the automaker claims could allow future electric cars to recharge in as short a time as a fill up with gas.
The patent-pending design uses a new cooling method that exploits the phase change of the coolant from liquid to vapor, Ford said in a press release. Liquid-cooled charging cables are not new, but this version can generate more heat, the automaker claims.
Focusing on cooling is key to speeding up charging. Michael Degner, senior engineering lead for Ford Research and Advanced Engineering, said in a statement, faster charging requires more current to pass through the cable, thus generating more heat, which needs to be eliminated to keep the parts working.
Ford notes that this charging cable will not be on the market for a while as more research is planned. Issam Mudawar, a Purdue professor whose lab is conducting the research, said in a statement that more tests will be conducted over the next two years to determine charging rates for specific types of vehicles.
Ford University and Purdue University Charge Study
An alternative to the new cooling technology is to increase the thickness of the cable, which has been suggested for a new generation of cable need to charge at 450kw and higher. But those cables are getting bulkier.
In some EVs, air conditioning system for the car already serves the purpose of helping to keep the battery cool for faster charging. In 2020, automotive supplier Mahle announced a new air conditioning condenser designed with this in mind. But in terms of charging hardware, the cooling system takes up significant space, uses extra energy, and leads to additional maintenance needs.
Some of these phase change cooling methods can be used well in megawatt charging hardware It is expected to be rolled out to commercial trucks in the next few years.
Basically, charge at higher voltage allows higher capacity charging without increasing the width of the copper wire in the charging cable. That coupled with innovation like this could help with weight and bulk management in the future.
