Strengthening its footprint in the growing global e-mobility market. HUBER+SUHNER, a leading global supplier of electrical and optical connectivity solutions, has recently announced the commercial launch of its new high power roadside charging solution to provide the automotive industry with a superior solution, the RADOX® HPC500; It is the world’s first cooled charging cable system that allows continuous charging at 500 Amperes.
The HPC500 cable and connector improves on the performance and design of its predecessor the HPC400, and is built on extensive experience and continuous research and innovation in cooled cable solutions for EV charging stations. Several new features make the system ready not just for existing stations but their future requirements as well. These enhancements include continuous 500A charging, an IP67 connector protection rating, integrated option of a ready-to-use metering system and replaceable contacts for longer service life.
“We are talking about 500 amps /1.000 volts in a very thin cable, to transport 500 amps usually requires a very thick inflexible cable. So, we have reduced the copper and made the cable very thin and flexible. The reduction in the connector weight and improved cable flexibility, offers easier handling for end-users. flexible and lightweight but we have to cool the whole cable otherwise it gets too hot” said Max Göldi, Market Manager Industry at HUBER+SUHNER, who went on to explain
Cooling
“For the cooling we have a closed loop; that means we have a small tank, a pump, a heat exchanger and we pump in the coolant through the cable direct on to the powerlines. The cooling starts with the coolant to the front of the connector through the contacts and then back on the copper lines. With this direct cooling of the power lines we achieve the best heat dissipation. We decided to use an insulated liquid for the coolant and not water glycol so it means we are not implementing any risk if there is a fault”.
Alongside the cooled cable system, the company has also developed a new 24 V cooling unit to increase cooling capacity and reduce operational temperatures of the power lines, enabling continuous 500 A charging at environmental temperatures of up to 50 oC.
The new plug-and-play cooling unit, which is pre-filled with coolant, fits into existing charging stations, significantly reducing installation time. The speed of both the ventilators on the heat exchanger and the coolant pump is automatically adjusted to achieve the most efficient performance, with normal operating levels requiring lower speed, significantly reducing noise level. These new features make the HPC500 a future-proof solution for infrastructure manufacturers and charging station operators.
“The improvements we have made to the complete HPC system make this a truly ground-breaking product which enables continuous charging at 500 A for the first time,” Max continued “This helps charging station operators prepare for the future with an improved return on investment.”
“We have the largest number of installed cooled HPC (high power charging) systems in the world. Our expertise in HPC solutions is renowned which is why we are the absolute market leader in America where we are the leading supplier of the RADOX® HPC systems in Electrify America, so that means the three main contractors Signet, ABB and BTC are all using our cooling cables. We are also very keen to be a part of the Asian market where you know the Chinese and Japanese are creating their own interface under the working name “ChaoJi” and we are eager to lend our intellect to this project“.
“Becoming the biggest HPC supplier in the US and Europe is very rewarding and it involved a lot of learning for us. Our newest generation of cool cable solutions will be essential to the future of charging infrastructures as we keep pace with advancing charge rates and accommodate greater range in the new era of electric transportation”, Max concluded.
