Abstract: A system and method are provided for automated engaging of a truck trailer at a loading dock. Sensors measure a distance and an angle of alignment between the incoming trailer and a wall of the loading dock. An outside lighting system guides a truck driver backing the trailer toward the dock door. A vehicle restraint system fixates the trailer within the loading dock in response to signals from the sensors. An overhead dock door opens once the trailer is successfully fixated by the vehicle restraint system. A dock leveler deploys after the overhead dock door opens. An inside dock light indicates to dock personnel that the trailer is ready to be serviced. Once servicing of the trailer is finished, an automated release of the trailer from the loading dock may be initiated by PLC communication.

Abstract: An inventory monitoring system and process for monitoring inventory is shown and described herein. The system and process includes an RFID reader configured to collect or receive product code data, location data, and secondary metric data of inventory RFID tags relative to that of other RFID tags or markers for determining the location of the inventory from such data. From the information obtained from the RFID tags, the location of inventory in an environment can be determined.

Abstract: A distribution box for enclosing an electrical connection in an electrical wiring system includes a housing that is resistive to penetration by electromagnetic fields and a plurality of electrical conductors that form the electrical connection. A mirror plate is disposed within the housing and generates mirror currents to suppress electromagnetic fields generated by current flowing through the plurality of electrical conductors.

Abstract: A distribution box for enclosing an electrical connection in an electrical wiring system includes a housing that is resistive to penetration by electromagnetic fields and a plurality of electrical conductors that form the electrical connection. A mirror plate is disposed within the housing and generates mirror currents to suppress electromagnetic fields generated by current flowing through the plurality of electrical conductors.

Abstract: An inductive charging apparatus for use in charging batteries of an electric vehicle. The apparatus has a power source, cooling fluid pumping and cooling apparatus, and a charge port disposed in the electric vehicle. An inductive charging coupler that is insertable into the charge port comprises a housing, a ferrite puck, and an insulated, liquid-cooled, current-carrying conductive tubular transformer coil disposed around the puck. A liquid-cooled, liquid-carrying tubular transmission cable is coupled to the power source, to the cooling fluid pumping and cooling apparatus, and to the transformer coil. The transmission cable couples current from the power source to the transformer coil, and couples cooling fluid between the cooling fluid pumping and cooling apparatus and the transformer coil. The transformer coil may be a multilevel helix, spiral fluid-cooled transformer coil such as an eight turn (although n turns are possible), two level helix, four turn spiral winding.

Abstract: A sealed transformer for use in charging the batteries of an electric automobile includes a housing that contains the secondary windings, a core and a dielectric fluid. A removable primary winding coupler is inserted into the housing to complete a magnetic circuit. During operation of the magnetic circuit, heat is continuously generated by the primary and secondary windings and the core. The fluid undergoes a first phase change and boils as it absorbs the generated heat. The boiling fluid absorbs additional heat and undergoes a second phase change is it turns into a vapor. The heat of vaporization is released into thin windows formed in the transformer housing when the vapors contact the relatively cooler windows and re-condense into a liquid. A continuous cycle of boiling, vaporizing, and condensing occurs during operation of the transformer to cool the transformer and to improve the power density of the transformer.

Abstract: An oil cooled inductive coupler for use with an inductive charging system that charges propulsion batteries of an electric vehicle. The coupler is connected to a power source by way of a coaxial cable that has power conductors for coupling power to the coupler, and cooling channels for coupling high dielectric strength cooling fluid to and from the coupler. The coupler has a housing with a flood box formed therein having an open interior that forms a conductor termination area. The cooling channels are coupled to the flood box, and the power conductors are terminated in the termination area and are exposed to the cooling fluid that is pumped therethrough to cool them. A heat exchanger having a fluid flow path therethrough is coupled to the flood box and permits the cooling fluid to circulate therethrough. A primary winding is secured or bonded to the heat exchanger, a magnetic puck is disposed in an opening in the heat exchanger, and upper and lower primary winding covers enclose the heat exchanger.

Abstract: A charging system employing a liquid-cooled transmission cable for transferring power. The transmission cable has a central tube with an extruded member disposed therewithin for carrying coolant. A plurality of layers of coaxial tubular wire braid are disposed around the central tube that carry charging current and that are separated by a layers of dielectric material. An outer layer of wire braid is disposed around an outermost layer of dielectric material that is used for grounding and/or shielding. An outer jacket is disposed around the outer layer of wire braid for encasing the transmission cable. The extruded member may comprise a thermoplastic rubber extrusion, for example. The coolant path through the transmission cable is internally supported by means of the extruded member to assure uniform flexibility, maintain tangential magnetic flux, and eliminate kinking and collapse of the flow path.

Abstract: An inductive charging coupler for use in inductive charging apparatus for charging a battery. The charging coupler is insertable into a charge port that is coupled to the battery. The charge port comprises a housing, an opening into which the charging coupler is inserted, and a secondary core surrounded by secondary windings. The charging coupler comprises a housing, a primary core, a primary winding having an even number of primary turns disposed around the core, and a hollow coolant conducting heat exchanger symmetrically disposed between the primary turns of the primary winding. The heat exchanger is typically them tally bonded to the primary turns of the primary winding by means of heat conducting adhesive or epoxy. The coolant flow passages of the heat exchanger may be configured in several ways. One approach is to construct thin, flat, self-contained flexible bladders made of metal, such as copper.

Abstract: An inductive battery charging system that uses heat conducting heat exchangers that shape electromagnetic fields produced by the windings of the charging system. The field shaping provided by the heat exchangers of the present invention improves the power handling capacity of the system. The charging system includes a charge probe that includes a primary winding of a transformer and a charge port that includes secondary windings of the transformer. The heat exchangers are heat sinks that are inserted between or are disposed adjacent turns of the windings and are used to remove heat from windings. In the present invention, the heat exchangers are also used to shape the leakage flux near the edges of the windings in such a manner that AC losses in the windings are considerably reduced. The present invention may be used to increase the inductive charging capacity of an electric vehicle battery pack to on the order of 120 KW and beyond.

Abstract: Heat exchanger that are also outer turns of secondary windings of a transformer for use in a charge port of battery charging apparatus. The outer turns may have any shape or thickness, may be air or liquid cooled, or may be vapor changers (heat pipes). Other turns of the secondary windings cannot be used in this manner because they cause excessive energy dissipation, due to proximity losses. When used to a liquid cooled turn, the present invention comprises porting liquid coolant from a cooling system including a pump, a compact heat exchanger, and a fan through the outer windings. Heat dissipation from the secondary windings of the transformer is efficiently removed by providing an internal coolant flow passage or passages formed or integrated at the center of the outer windings comprising the heat exchangers. The internal passages may be configured in several ways. One approach is to construct thin, flat, self-contained flexible coolant bladders made of metal, such as copper.

Abstract: A transformer is used to charge the battery of an electric automobile. The primary of the transformer is connected to a fixed power supply and is separable from a secondary mounted in the automobile. The secondary is cooled by cooling structure mounted on the secondary, particularly a heat pipe.