Semiconductor cooling components that improve heat and cold release and their in-vehicle refrigerators

Abstract

This invention relates to a semiconductor cooling component for improving heat release and its in-vehicle refrigerator, comprising a semiconductor cooling device with an aluminum heat sink and a cooler on each of its two end faces, and a fan for promoting air circulation; characterized in that: the fan is an axial flow fan; both the heat sink and the cooler have finned sides with cavities to accommodate the axial flow fan, the cavities corresponding to the central region of the semiconductor cooling device and without fins; a copper gas diversion heat sink is located directly below the axial flow fan within the cavity, the copper gas diversion heat sink being in direct contact with the semiconductor cooling device and diverting the fresh air drawn in by the axial flow fan to the fins on both sides. This invention achieves refrigeration within approximately 30 to 40 minutes, with a minimum cooling temperature of around 3°C, significantly superior to traditional in-vehicle refrigerators.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to semiconductor-cooled vehicle refrigerators, and more particularly to a semiconductor cooling component that can improve the current cooling effect and a vehicle refrigerator using the semiconductor cooling component. Background Technology

[0002] like Figure 1 As shown, the current semiconductor cooling component for a vehicle refrigerator includes: a semiconductor cooling device 101, aluminum heat sinks / coolers 100 bonded to both ends of the semiconductor cooling device 101 with thermally conductive silicone, and peripheral centrifugal fans 102 and circuit components. The current energy conversion ratio of the semiconductor cooling component is:

[0003] Total electrical energy ≈ Total heat of cooling / cooling of aluminum heat sink / cooler 100 (approximately 70%) + Internal consumption of semiconductor cooling device 101 (approximately 20%) + Energy consumption of external centrifugal fan 102 and circuit components (approximately 10%).

[0004] First, the high internal friction ratio of the existing semiconductor cooling device 102 is due to its inherent structure: such as Figure 2 As shown, it has advantages such as thin structure, light weight, and clean energy. The general overall structure consists of an outer periphery sealed with a waterproof adhesive layer 103, and its appearance is usually a regular square, with upper / lower ceramic plates, a flow guide plate 104 located between the upper / lower ceramic plates, and N / P type semiconductor particles connected in series through the flow guide plate. Due to the above structural limitations, the semiconductor cooling device 101 exhibits less heat accumulation at the outer periphery and more heat accumulation in the middle, with higher heat dissipation efficiency at the outer periphery than in the middle. Although the outer periphery sealed with a waterproof adhesive layer 103 isolates condensation, it also exacerbates the above situation, leading to increased heat convection between the cold / hot ceramic plates, ultimately resulting in such high internal friction.

[0005] Based on the above situation, aluminum heat sinks / coolers 100 are currently used to rapidly dissipate heat and cold from the semiconductor cooling device 101, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the cold and hot ceramic plates. While this technology improves cooling and heating effects, it does not fundamentally solve the problem of less heat and cold accumulating at the outer edges and more in the center of the semiconductor cooling device 101, and the reduction of the temperature difference between the cold and hot ceramic plates has not been substantially improved. Therefore, many researchers are currently focusing their efforts on N / P type semiconductor materials to achieve breakthroughs in semiconductor materials and compensate for the internal friction of the semiconductor cooling device 101.

[0006] like Figure 1As shown, the cooling / heating effect of existing semiconductor vehicle refrigerators is not only constrained by the aforementioned prior art, but also limited by their own structural reasons: that is, the semiconductor cooling component is integrated into the end cover of the vehicle refrigerator, and the end cover is divided into a cold zone and a hot zone by a heat insulation plate. A coaxial centrifugal cold / hot fan 102 is provided on one side of the cold zone and the hot zone. The cold / hot fan 102 draws air from one side of the end cover and pushes the drawn air to the other side of the end cover, so that the airflow passes through the aluminum heat sink / cooler 100 located in the middle of the end cover to achieve the conduction of cold / heat. In semiconductor-powered vehicle refrigerators with this or similar structures, the centrifugal fan 102 merely serves the basic function of guiding airflow from one side to the other. Furthermore, due to the obstruction of the aluminum heat sink / cooler 100, not all the intake air passes through it, thus affecting the heat dissipation and cooling of the semiconductor cooling device 101. In other words, the heat sink / cooler 100 accumulates heat and cold, failing to effectively remove it from the semiconductor cooling device 101. Additionally, semiconductor-powered vehicle refrigerators are affected by the ambient temperature inside the vehicle and limited electrical power, resulting in a cooling temperature typically between 5-10°C and a heating temperature typically between 50-65°C, with the time required to achieve the desired cooling effect ranging from 40 to 120 minutes. Summary of the Invention

[0007] One of the objectives of this invention is to improve the structural defects of existing semiconductor cooling components, thereby providing a semiconductor cooling component that can improve the release of heat and cold, increase the heat exchange rate on the heat sink and the radiator, reduce the effective temperature difference between the hot and cold surfaces of the semiconductor cooling device, and ultimately improve the cooling effect of the semiconductor vehicle refrigerator.

[0008] Technical solutions for semiconductor cooling components that improve heat dissipation:

[0009] The main innovative idea of ​​this invention is to improve the centrifugal fan placed outside the semiconductor cooling component into an axial fan integrated within the heat sink and radiator; at the same time, a copper gas diversion heat sink that can directly contact the semiconductor cooling device is provided on the heat sink and radiator directly below the axial fan. The specific technical solution is as follows:

[0010] A cavity for accommodating an axial flow fan is provided on the finned side of both the aluminum heat sink and the radiator. This cavity corresponds to the central area of ​​the semiconductor cooling device. The cavity should not contain fins; rather, it is formed solely by the surrounding fins and the base plate of the aluminum heat sink and radiator at its bottom. The axial flow fan is embedded and fixed at the port of this cavity. A copper gas diversion heat sink, which can directly contact the semiconductor cooling device, is provided on the base plate of the aluminum heat sink and radiator directly below the axial flow fan.

[0011] The following are the advantages of implementing the above technical solution:

[0012] Firstly, axial flow fans have advantages over centrifugal fans, such as larger air volume, stronger air force, and energy saving. Under the same power, their price is 2-3 times lower than that of centrifugal fans.

[0013] Secondly, the axial flow fan is embedded at the port of the cavity, which allows the fresh air it draws in to be quickly expanded into the cavity and the surrounding fins, so that the flowing fresh air can carry out heat exchange in a timely and sufficient manner. Due to its advantages of large air volume and strong air force, it can quickly remove the heat and cold accumulated on the heat sink and the cooler, that is, it can quickly remove the heat and cold from the hot and cold surfaces of the semiconductor cooling device, and promote the reduction of the effective temperature difference between the hot and cold surfaces.

[0014] Third, when the axial flow fan blows a large volume of fresh air into the cavity for heat exchange and then quickly removes it from the radiator and cooler, a siphon effect is formed around the radiator and cooler, thereby removing the heat and cold around the radiator and cooler, further reducing the effective temperature difference between the hot and cold surfaces.

[0015] Fourth, the thermal conductivity of copper gas-distribution heat sinks is nearly twice that of aluminum heat sinks and radiators, enabling rapid heat dissipation from the hot and cold surfaces of semiconductor cooling devices. Specifically, the thermal conductivity of the central area of ​​the semiconductor cooling device is nearly twice that of its outer edges. Simultaneously, the direct contact with fresh air facilitates heat exchange, thus addressing the technical issue of excessive heat accumulation in the central area of ​​the semiconductor cooling device while improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the outer perimeter. Furthermore, the copper gas-distribution heat sink effectively splits the fresh air in two, guiding it to the fins on both sides. This prevents airflow turbulence at the bottom of the cavity caused by large air volumes and strong airflow, improving the efficiency of heat exchange and further reducing the effective temperature difference between the hot and cold surfaces of the semiconductor cooling device.

[0016] As a preferred technique for direct contact between the aforementioned copper gas-distributed heat sink and the semiconductor cooling device, a channel is provided in the central region of both the heat sink and the cooler within the cavity for direct contact between the copper gas-distributed heat sink and the semiconductor cooling device. This channel is the most effective means of shortening the thermal path. The channel must be designed to allow the copper gas-distributed heat sink to pass through; it can be a narrow slit or a wide opening, but only the copper gas-distributed heat sink needs to pass through. It must be in close contact with the substrates of both the heat sink and the cooler to improve the thermal exchange efficiency of the semiconductor cooling device.

[0017] As a preferred embodiment of the above-mentioned copper gas diversion radiator structure, the copper gas diversion radiator is formed by continuously bending a long copper strip, and from top to bottom, it forms an airflow separation part, an airflow guide part, a first heat contact part, a heat penetration part, a second heat contact part, and a third heat contact part. The airflow guide part and the first heat contact part together form a negative pressure heat dissipation cavity.

[0018] This solution not only controls the cost of copper substrates, but also allows the airflow separation section to divide the large volume and strong airflow blown into the cavity by the axial fan into two parts, which are then quickly guided to the fins on both sides by the airflow guide section. This avoids turbulence caused by the fresh air blowing directly to the bottom of the cavity, and improves the heat exchange rate of the cavity and the fins on both sides. At the same time, the negative pressure heat dissipation cavity formed by the airflow guide section and the first thermal contact section creates a large area for heat dissipation inside and outside. Compared with the cavity, the negative pressure heat dissipation cavity has a small internal space and a high temperature. Under the action of the large volume and strong airflow, a negative pressure state is formed in the heat dissipation cavity, which can quickly carry out heat exchange. This allows for the rapid removal of heat and cold obtained from the central region of the semiconductor cooling device by the first thermal contact section, the thermal penetration section, the second thermal contact section, and the third thermal contact section, effectively solving the technical problem of difficult heat dissipation in the central region of the semiconductor cooling device.

[0019] The airflow guide section in the above scheme has a concave arc shape with an arc of 30°-60°. This design can effectively avoid fresh air reversal, eliminate turbulence, improve the fresh air circulation efficiency between the two side fins, and also increase the heat exchange area.

[0020] As another preferred embodiment of the aforementioned copper gas-distribution radiator structure, the copper gas-distribution radiator is integrally formed using a hot-pressing process, and sequentially forms an airflow partition, an airflow guide, and a heat penetration section from top to bottom. This solution has a slightly higher cost and a slightly lower heat exchange rate than the previous solution, but its advantages are more significant compared to pure aluminum radiators.

[0021] To avoid turbulence caused by direct fresh airflow, the airflow guide section has a concave arc surface with an arc angle of 30°-60°. To further improve the heat exchange rate, the airflow guide section is provided with arc-shaped fins with an arc angle of 30°-60°.

[0022] To leverage the advantages of axial flow fans—high air volume and strong airflow—2-3 longitudinal airflow-oriented toothed rows are installed near the end of each fin within the near-cavity of the aforementioned design. The height of these toothed rows should be based on 1 / 4 of the fin spacing. Within this range of 2-3 longitudinal toothed rows, the flow velocity increases from low to high, thus generating a condensation effect, further enhancing the heat exchange rate in the middle region of the radiator.

[0023] In order to take advantage of the large air volume and strong air force of the axial flow fan, and at the same time supplemented by the copper gas diversion heat sink with high efficiency of heat exchange, the gaps inside the semiconductor cooling device can be filled with insulating potting compound with low thermal conductivity. This not only reduces the internal loss between the hot and cold surfaces of the semiconductor cooling device, but also solves the technical problem of a large amount of heat accumulation in the middle of the semiconductor cooling device, and ultimately improves the release of heat.

[0024] A second objective of this invention is to provide a vehicle refrigerator that utilizes any of the above-described solutions to enhance the release of heat and cold via a semiconductor cooling component.

[0025] The technical solution of this invention is:

[0026] A vehicle-mounted refrigerator includes an end cover, within which is integrated any of the aforementioned semiconductor cooling components that enhance heat release. An air inlet and an exhaust outlet are located at corresponding positions on the end cover. By implementing the above technical solutions, this invention features a unidirectional air inlet and a bidirectional exhaust outlet. The air inlet has a large air volume and strong airflow, the semiconductor cooling component exhibits high heat release intensity, shortens cooling and heating time, and improves the cooling effect of the vehicle-mounted refrigerator. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an existing semiconductor-based vehicle refrigerator structure;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an existing semiconductor cooling device structure;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the aluminum heat sink / cooler structure of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Sectional view along line AA in the middle;

[0031] Figure 5 A partial cross-sectional view of the aluminum heat sink / cooler of the present invention, showing a hollow copper gas diversion heat sink with copper strips.

[0032] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Assembly diagram for installing an axial flow fan;

[0033] Figure 7 A partial cross-sectional view of the aluminum heat sink / cooler of the present invention with a solid copper gas-distribution heat sink mounted on it;

[0034] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a solid copper gas-distribution radiator.

[0035] Figure 9A partial cross-sectional view of the aluminum heat sink / cooler of the present invention, which has a hollow copper gas diversion heat sink with a copper strip and has a toothed array.

[0036] Figure 10 for Figure 9 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle;

[0037] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the semiconductor cooling device structure of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the vehicle-mounted refrigerator structure of the present invention.

[0039] In the picture:

[0040] 100. Aluminum heat sinks / coolers; 101. Semiconductor cooling devices; 102. Centrifugal fans; 103. Waterproof adhesive layers; 104. Air guide plates; 105. Low thermal conductivity insulating potting compound;

[0041] 1. Cavity; 11. Channel; 12. Gear rack; 13. Connecting rod; 14. Groove;

[0042] 2. Copper gas-distribution radiator; 21. Airflow partition; 22. Airflow guide; 23. First thermal contact section; 24. Thermal penetration section; 25. Second thermal contact section; 26. Third thermal contact section; 27. Negative pressure heat dissipation cavity; 28. Arc-shaped fins;

[0043] 3. Axial flow fan. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0045] Example 1: Example of a copper strip hollow semiconductor cooling assembly

[0046] like Figures 3 to 6 , Figure 9 and Figure 10The semiconductor cooling assembly shown, designed to improve heat release, includes a semiconductor cooling device 101 and aluminum heat sinks and coolers 100 located on both ends of the semiconductor cooling device 101 (actually, both are aluminum heat sinks, functionally differentiated based on the contact between the cold and hot surfaces of the semiconductor cooling device). The aluminum heat sinks and coolers 100 are integrally formed by hot pressing, resulting in a cavity 1 in the central region. The cavity 1 is surrounded by fins, and each fin has 2-3 rows of teeth 12 with longitudinal airflow direction near its proximal end. The bottom of the cavity 1 is an aluminum substrate, and the central region of this aluminum substrate has a channel 11 leading to the semiconductor cooling device 101. An axial flow fan 3 is embedded at the port of the cavity 1 and connected to the aluminum substrate at the bottom of the cavity 1 via two connecting rods 13. A copper gas diversion heat sink 2 is provided on the aluminum substrate at the bottom of the cavity 1. The copper gas diversion heat sink 2 is formed by continuously bending a long copper strip: from top to bottom, it is first folded in half to form an airflow separation part 21, then folded in half to form an airflow guide part 22, folded back to form a first thermal contact part 23, and vertically folded to form a thermal penetration part 24. At this time, the copper strip is inserted into the channel 11, and then the second thermal contact part 25 and the third thermal contact part 26 are folded. At the same time, the airflow guide part 22 and the first thermal contact part 23 are combined to form a negative pressure heat dissipation cavity 27.

[0047] During implementation, the height of the aforementioned toothed rack 12 should be controlled within 1 / 4 of the fin spacing. Given the low-power axial flow fan 3 currently used in vehicle refrigerators, excessive height would affect the fresh air flow rate and make it difficult to achieve the desired condensation effect. Of course, when matching a more powerful axial flow fan 3, the number and height of the toothed rack 12 can exceed the limitations of this embodiment. Secondly, the copper gas diversion radiator 2 in this embodiment should not be in close contact with the perimeter of the cavity 1, but should have sufficient clearance; especially, sufficient clearance should be left at both ends of the negative pressure heat dissipation cavity 27 so that the negative pressure heat dissipation cavity 27, with its large air volume and sufficient airflow, can better extract the heat and cold accumulated in the central area of ​​the semiconductor cooling device 101. Simultaneously, the existence of the third thermal contact portion 26 is necessary because a heat exchange blind zone will be formed at the bend intersection after the formation of the second thermal contact portion 25. The third thermal contact portion 26 is designed to compensate for this blind zone defect. In fact, the second thermal contact portion 25 and the third thermal contact portion 26 do not need to cover the entire bottom surface of the aluminum substrate. The method in this embodiment can be adopted, that is, a groove 14 that only accommodates the second thermal contact portion 25 and the third thermal contact portion 26 can be opened in the central area where the aluminum substrate contacts the semiconductor cooling device 101. The purpose is to quickly remove the heat and cold accumulated in the central area. Of course, it is also possible to completely cover the bottom surface of the aluminum substrate.

[0048] Axial flow fan 3 blows a large volume of fresh air into cavity 1. The fresh air blows directly downwards and is divided into two parts by the airflow divider 21 of the copper gas splitter radiator 2. The airflow is then guided by the airflow guide 22 to the fins on both sides. Because the airflow guide 22 has a concave arc surface with an arc of 30°-60°, it avoids turbulence at the bottom of cavity 1 caused by the strong downward airflow. The orderly and regular fresh air undergoes sufficient heat exchange. The large volume of fresh air promotes efficient heat exchange in the negative pressure heat dissipation chamber 27, thereby releasing the heat in the central area of ​​the semiconductor cooling device 101 in a timely manner and improving the heat exchange rate. At the same time, the toothed row 12 near the fins also forms a condensation end effect, which can also fully exchange the heat in the cavity 1 and the central area of ​​the radiator and cooler 100 after the heat exchange, thus improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0049] This implementation not only makes full use of the fresh air introduced by the axial flow fan 3, but also achieves the exhaust effect at both ends of the radiator and the cooler 100. The exhaust effect per unit time is at least 2-3 times higher than that of the prior art, which increases the heat release of both ends of the semiconductor cooling device 101, avoids the phenomenon of heat accumulation and cold in the central area of ​​the semiconductor cooling device 101, greatly improves the efficiency of heat exchange, effectively reduces the temperature difference between the hot and cold surfaces of the semiconductor cooling device 101, and improves the cooling and heating effect.

[0050] Example 2: Example of a copper solid semiconductor cooling assembly

[0051] like Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, Embodiment 2 simply replaces the copper gas diversion heat sink 2 in Embodiment 1. In this embodiment, the copper gas diversion heat sink 2 is a solid copper body, integrally formed using a hot-pressing process, and sequentially forms an airflow partition 21, an airflow guide 22, and a heat penetration section 24 from top to bottom. The airflow guide 22 has a concave arc surface with an arc angle of 30°-60°, and is also provided with spaced arc-shaped fins 28 with an arc angle of 30°-60°. The heat penetration section 24 directly contacts both ends of the semiconductor cooling device 101 to promptly remove heat from the central region. The heat penetration section 24 is wedge-shaped and is assembled from the bottom of the heat sink and cooler 100 into the matching channel 11, thereby placing the airflow partition 21 and airflow guide 22 within the cavity 1.

[0052] Example 3

[0053] like Figure 11 As shown, based on Examples 1 and 2, Example 3 replaces the existing semiconductor cooling device 101 with a semiconductor cooling device that has been filled with a low thermal conductivity insulating potting compound 105.

[0054] like Figures 1 to 12 The vehicle-mounted refrigerator shown integrates the semiconductor cooling components of Embodiments 1, 2, and 3 into the end cover of the refrigerator, and provides exhaust ports on both sides of the upper and lower end faces of the end cover, while providing an air inlet in the middle of the upper and lower end faces of the end cover, corresponding to the position of the axial flow fan 3.

[0055] Finally, the finished vehicle refrigerator of this application was tested against existing vehicle refrigerators, and a set of comparative analysis data from the self-test experiments is provided as follows:

[0056] Testing equipment: 4 x 2m³ test chambers; 4 x NOVASENS2050 infrared pyrometers; 4 x Sail batteries of the same model.

[0057] Test location: Inside the factory workshop.

[0058] Recorder: Ding Zhihai

[0059] Test method: The existing car refrigerator, the car refrigerator of Example 1, the car refrigerator of Example 2 and the car refrigerator of Example 3 were placed in the test chamber to simulate the closed environment inside the car. The car refrigerators were all empty. The probe of the infrared pyrometer was placed inside the car refrigerator. The end cover of the car refrigerator was sealed. The temperature change of the infrared pyrometer display was observed at regular intervals.

[0060] Test date: June 9, 2025

[0061]

[0062] Based on the above self-test data, we can conclude that:

[0063] All four types of vehicle refrigerators exhibit a rapid initial cooling rate followed by a gradual cooling effect. Furthermore, it is evident that the vehicle refrigerator provided in this application demonstrates a significant cooling effect, achieving refrigeration within approximately 30 to 40 minutes, with a minimum cooling temperature reaching around 3°C, which is significantly superior to traditional vehicle refrigerators.

Claims

1. A semiconductor cooling component for improving heat release, comprising a semiconductor cooling device, wherein an aluminum heat sink and a cooler are respectively provided on both ends of the semiconductor cooling device, and a fan for promoting air circulation; characterized in that: The fan is an axial flow fan; the radiator and the cooler each have a cavity on one side with fins to accommodate the axial flow fan. The cavity corresponds to the central area of ​​the semiconductor cooling device and there are no fins in the cavity. A copper gas diversion radiator is located directly below the axial flow fan in the cavity. The copper gas diversion radiator is in direct contact with the semiconductor cooling device and can divert the fresh air drawn in by the axial flow fan to the fins on both sides.

2. The semiconductor cooling component for improving heat release as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Within the cavity, channels are provided in the central areas corresponding to the heat sink and the radiator for direct contact between the copper gas-distribution heat sink and the semiconductor cooling device.

3. The semiconductor cooling component for improving heat release as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The copper gas diversion heat sink is formed by continuously bending a long copper strip, and from top to bottom, it forms an airflow separation part, an airflow guide part, a first heat contact part, a heat penetration part, a second heat contact part, and a third heat contact part. The airflow guide part and the first heat contact part together form a negative pressure heat dissipation cavity.

4. The semiconductor cooling component for improving heat release as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The airflow guide section has a concave arc shape with an arc angle of 30°-60°.

5. The semiconductor cooling component for improving heat release as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The copper gas diversion radiator is integrally formed using a hot pressing process, and consists of an airflow partition, an airflow guide, and a heat penetration section from top to bottom.

6. The semiconductor cooling component for improving heat release as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The airflow guide section has a concave arc surface with an arc angle of 30°-60°.

7. The semiconductor cooling component for improving heat release as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The airflow guide is provided with arc-shaped fins with an arc of 30°-60°.

8. The semiconductor cooling component for improving heat release as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: Each fin within the cavity has 2-3 rows of teeth with longitudinal airflow direction near its proximal end.

9. The semiconductor cooling component for improving heat release as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The gaps within the semiconductor cooling device are filled with insulating potting compound with low thermal conductivity.

10. A vehicle-mounted refrigerator, comprising an end cap, characterized in that: The end cap integrates a semiconductor cooling component for improving heat release as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, and an air inlet and an exhaust outlet are provided at corresponding positions on the end cap.

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