Adaptive contact solutions for fast charging of electric vehicles

During DC fast charging of electric vehicles, high contact resistances between the vehicle socket and charging plug lead to heat problems, which have so far been minimized by active cooling of the plug. Alternatively, increasing the normal contact force between the pin and socket can reduce the resistance and thus the heat development. However, the contact force may only be increased during the charging process in order to enable simple insertion and removal with minimal wear.

A new approach to overcome this problem is the integration of actuators based on SMA. This innovation enables the contact force to be increased autonomously only during the charging process, reducing the electrical contact resistance and thus increasing the efficiency of energy transfer. The SMA actuators are activated by the heat generated during the charging process, thus eliminating the need for an additional energy supply or sensors