New Application: Slip Rings in Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations
BY NBG
2025-09-25
VIEWS: 134
The electric vehicle (EV) industry is moving faster than ever. Following the transition millions will make way to fossil fuels, the requirements of effective, abundant, and, more and more, intelligent charging infrastructure shoot up. Charging cables and power electronics have become household names when it comes to advanced charging stations, but it is a critical component often using the slip ring which allows advanced designs to transpire: the slip ring. Conventionally, electrical slip rings and electronic slip rings have been linked to wind generators, industrial equipment, and indeed slip ring electric motors, but increasingly they are being used as part of the core of the modern EV charging technology.
With the growing adoption of electric vehicles, charging stations are increasingly being installed in parking facilities. However, in urban areas—particularly in densely populated megacities—land-saving vertical parking systems have emerged as a practical solution due to limited space. These systems consist of metal structural frameworks, transport mechanisms, drive systems, control units, and safety monitoring devices. Their advantages include compact footprint, low power consumption, minimal noise, quick vehicle retrieval, and flexible deployment. The key challenge lies in achieving continuous charging for EVs after parking. This is where slip rings prove essential. These precision-engineered rotating components enable uninterrupted power supply and signal transmission between rotating and stationary parts within charging systems. They ensure real-time charging for electric vehicles while the parking spaces move through vertical parking structures, maintaining uninterrupted service throughout the entire process.
The innovative vertical circular parking system features a rotating mechanism that continuously moves the transporters. This automated system efficiently delivers vehicles to designated positions for entry and exit operations. The integrated slip ring ensures stable power transmission to charging stations at any transporter location, maintaining uninterrupted connectivity regardless of device positioning.
The high level of safety features in EV charging stations is also dependent on the incorporation of slip rings. Providing confident signal transfer throughout rotations, these parts permit constant checking of charging parameters, emergency cutoff action, and instant status details by both the vehicle and charging network administrations.
Slip rings used in EV charging stations must meet stringent performance criteria to ensure reliable operation:
Requirements | Description |
High Current Capacity | Must handle high currents (up to 900 A or more) to support fast EV charging. |
Reliability & Longevity | Designed for continuous operation with minimal maintenance to avoid downtime. |
Environmental Resistance | Resistant to moisture, temperature fluctuations, and dust for outdoor use. |
Efficiency | Low resistance to minimize energy loss, ensuring fast and efficient charging. |
Such requirements are very important since the EV charging stations are commonly used 24 hours a day in a variety of settings and any system failure can leave users without the service and inconvenienced.
The typical design is a Through-Bore Slip Ring,Contact transmission technology, metal housing, protection class IP65 or IP68, silver alloy fiber brush or silver carbon brush, lifetime up to 200 million revolutions.
Another design uses magnetic coupling wireless transmission technology, which has no physical contact, requires no maintenance and the lifetime can be up to 20 years.
Maintenance
The silver contact transmission through-hole slip ring requires no maintenance within the first five years. After five years, open the housing annually to clean dust and observe:
1. Check for internal cleanliness of the slip ring, checking for oil stains and dust/scraps on brushes and slide rails – clean promptly if present.
2. 2. Inspect anti-rotation rod wear – replace any showing significant wear early.
Precision slip rings can present major benefits in EV charging:
● Efficient Power Transmission: They provide an efficient transmission of power with a minimum of energy loss, resulting in less time taken in charging and lower cost of operation.
● Long Life and Better Maintenance: Precision slip rings constructed using superior materials such as high-performance alloy and improved brush geometry have a long life that is less prone to maintenance.
● Increased Reliability: Downtime will be low through sharp precision-engineered solutions that are essential to 24/7 charging stations.
● Flexibility: Slip rings can be adapted to high currents, voltages, and data signals and suit both the current and upcoming EV charging technologies.
● Safety: Dependable power transmission alleviates the chances of electrical accidents, improving the safety of charging practices.
Precision slip rings have these advantages, making them a foundation of the modern EV charging ecosystem, capable of meeting the rising need for efficient and consistent charging services.
Slip rings are a vital component in the rapidly evolving EV charging infrastructure. As electric vehicle adoption surges driven by environmental concerns and technological advancements, the need for innovative charging solutions grows. Slip rings are the solution to this as they offer a sure way of power and data transfer in systems containing moving parts like the vertical parking systems and the cable reel systems.
In the future, EV charging will be improved with the further development of slip ring technology. Instead of mechanical contact, magnetic or inductive slip rings (contactless slip rings) could have the advantage of not wearing out under contact and thus tend to have longer life and greater efficiency. It can also support the charging mechanism, and provide easier to use charging, possibly integrated with wireless charging systems. With the ever-innovating industry, slip rings will become the frontier, aiding the switch towards a more sustainable transportation future.