Smart radiator for vehicles

Abstract

The present invention relates to a smart heat dissipation device for an automobile that arranges micro Peltier elements on heat-generating components of the vehicle and actively performs cooling or heating based on local temperature measurement to improve the performance stability and lifespan of the components. The smart heat dissipation device for an automobile comprises a temperature matrix that measures the local temperature of a heat dissipation target area of ​​the automobile in real time, a smart heat dissipation unit that performs heat dissipation using heat dissipation elements individually installed on the heat dissipation target of the automobile, and a control unit that performs local heat dissipation by individually operating the heat dissipation elements of the smart heat dissipation unit according to the local temperature of each heat dissipation target measured from the temperature matrix.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to smart heat dissipation for automobiles, and more specifically, to a smart heat dissipation device for automobiles that arranges micro Peltier elements on heat-generating components of a vehicle and actively performs cooling or heating based on local temperature measurement to improve the performance stability and lifespan of the components. Background Technology

[0002] With the recent increase in the electronification and performance of automobiles, heat generation in various components such as electronic control units (ECUs), batteries, sensors, and lighting modules (LED modules) is increasing. Vehicle components have the characteristic that generating heat causes performance degradation and reduces their lifespan.

[0003] In particular, automobiles are equipped with multiple lighting modules called lamps. These include fog lights that illuminate the road when driving in fog, snow, rain, or wind; headlights mounted on the front of the vehicle that brightly illuminate the road ahead when driving at night; daytime running lights installed at the front corners of the vehicle to help other drivers or pedestrians easily recognize the vehicle while driving, thereby preventing traffic accidents; and rear combination lamps installed at the rear of the vehicle that turn on when the brake pedal is pressed, allowing drivers of following vehicles to easily recognize the vehicle.

[0004] These automotive lamps have used halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps as light sources, but halogen lamps have the problem of having a color temperature of about 3200K, which is slightly reddish, and a short lifespan of up to about 1000 hours, while gas discharge lamps have the advantage of having a color temperature of about 4300K, which is close to white, and a long lifespan, but they are used only in limited quantities in high-end vehicles due to the disadvantage of being expensive.

[0005] Accordingly, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which have a color temperature of about 5500K that is close to sunlight and reduce eye strain, are attracting attention as a light source for automotive lamps. LEDs have the advantages of being able to be made small, allowing for high design freedom for lamps, and having a semi-permanent lifespan, but they have the disadvantage of being vulnerable to temperature.

[0006] In other words, since the luminous efficiency of LEDs drops sharply with increasing temperature, it is necessary to either raise the junction temperature of the LED itself or lower the ambient temperature. However, as there is a limit to how much the LED junction temperature can be raised, a heat dissipation system must be used to lower the ambient temperature; consequently, heatsinks are used in automotive lamps that utilize LEDs as a light source.

[0007] In addition, heat dissipation methods such as cooling fans and heat dissipation materials are also used to cool vehicle components.

[0008] However, since these heat dissipation methods rely on passive cooling devices such as heat sinks, cooling fans, and heat dissipation materials, there are limitations in heat dissipation efficiency. Furthermore, passive cooling devices have problems such as increased weight, energy inefficiency, and limitations in handling localized heat.

[0009] Therefore, there is a need to develop a high-precision thermal management system capable of actively controlling heat according to the local temperature of each component of an automobile. Prior art literature

[0010] Korean Registered Patent Publication 10-0756714 (Registered Sep. 03, 2007) (Heat dissipation structure for LED headlamps) Korean Registered Patent Publication 10-0867945 (Registered Nov. 04, 2008) (Assembly structure of PCB and heatsink of automotive cooling fan controller) Korean Published Patent Publication 10-2010-0105003 (Published Sep. 29, 2010) (Heatsink adjustable according to heat dissipation amount) Korean Registered Patent Publication 10-2041737 (Registered Oct. 31, 2019) (Heatsink for vehicle lamp with improved heat dissipation performance and method for manufacturing the same) Korean Registered Utility Model Publication 20-0364215 (Registered Sep. 30, 2004) (Aluminum heatsink for heat dissipation of automotive acoustic amplifiers) The problem to be solved

[0011] Accordingly, the present invention is proposed to solve problems such as increased vehicle weight, energy inefficiency, and limitations in responding to local heat generation caused by passive cooling devices (heat sinks, cooling fans, heat dissipation materials, etc.) applied to conventional automobiles as described above. The purpose of the invention is to provide a smart heat dissipation device for an automobile that arranges micro Peltier elements on heat-generating components of the vehicle and actively performs cooling or heating based on local temperature measurement to improve the performance stability and lifespan of the components. means of solving the problem

[0012] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the "smart heat dissipation device for an automobile" according to the present invention is,

[0013] A temperature matrix that measures the local temperature of a heat dissipation target area of ​​a vehicle in real time;

[0014] A smart heat dissipation unit that performs heat dissipation using a heat dissipation element individually installed on a heat dissipation target of the above-mentioned vehicle;

[0015] It is characterized by including a control unit that performs local heat dissipation by individually operating the heat dissipation elements of the smart heat dissipation unit according to the local temperature of each heat dissipation target measured from the above temperature matrix.

[0016] Preferably, the temperature matrix is,

[0017] The ambient temperature of a heat dissipation target is measured locally, characterized by the fact that multiple temperature sensors for temperature measurement are installed around each heat dissipation target.

[0018] Preferably, the smart heat dissipation unit is,

[0019] It is characterized by including a small micro Peltier element, wherein the micro Peltier element is installed for each heat dissipation target.

[0020] Preferably, the control unit is,

[0021] It is characterized by individually operating the micro Peltier elements of the smart heat dissipation unit according to the locally measured ambient temperature of each heat dissipation target to perform heat dissipation for each heat dissipation target.

[0022] Preferably, the control unit is,

[0023] It is characterized by acquiring vehicle operating status and ambient temperature information in conjunction with an electronic control unit (ECU) installed in the vehicle, and integrally controlling the heat dissipation of the vehicle based on the acquired information and the temperature values ​​of the surroundings of the heat dissipation target acquired through the temperature matrix. Effects of the invention

[0024] According to the present invention, by arranging small micro Peltier elements on heat-generating components of a vehicle and actively performing cooling or heating based on local temperature measurement, there is an advantage of being able to improve energy efficiency by performing cooling only at necessary locations while preventing damage to the components.

[0025] In addition, according to the present invention, the cooling device can be miniaturized and modularized by using a micro Peltier element, thereby offering the advantage of being flexibly applicable to vehicle parts.

[0026] In addition, according to the present invention, by individually performing heat dissipation for each vehicle component, there is an advantage of ensuring vehicle performance stability and promoting the lifespan of electronic equipment. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a smart heat dissipation device for an automobile according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an example of the arrangement of micro Peltier elements in a smart heat dissipation unit according to the present invention, and Figure 3 is an example of the operation of a micro Peltier element applied to the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0028] A smart heat dissipation device for an automobile according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0029] The terms or words used in the present invention described below should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical spirit of the present invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the terms to best describe his invention.

[0030] Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all technical concepts of the present invention; thus, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications that can replace them may exist at the time of filing this application.

[0031] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a smart heat dissipation device (100) of a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein the smart heat dissipation device (100) of the vehicle can be installed at a predetermined location of the vehicle (1).

[0032] The smart heat dissipation device (100) of a vehicle according to the present invention may include a temperature matrix (110), a control unit (120), and a smart heat dissipation unit (130).

[0033] The temperature matrix (110) serves to measure the local temperature of the heat dissipation target area of ​​the vehicle (1) in real time.

[0034] This temperature matrix (110) locally measures the ambient temperature of the heat dissipation target, and multiple temperature sensors for measuring the temperature may be installed around each heat dissipation target.

[0035] The smart heat dissipation unit (130) performs the role of dissipating heat using a heat dissipation element individually installed on the heat dissipation target of the vehicle (1).

[0036] This smart heat dissipation unit (130) includes a small micro Peltier device, and the micro Peltier device can be installed for each heat dissipation target.

[0037] For example, assuming that the vehicle's heat dissipation targets are the ECU, battery, sensors, and lighting modules, a single or multiple micro-Peltier elements may be installed on each of the ECU, battery, sensors, and lighting modules. It would be obvious to anyone with ordinary knowledge in the relevant field that micro-Peltier elements can be installed and individually controlled for all vehicle components requiring heat dissipation, in addition to the components mentioned above.

[0038] The control unit (120) performs local heat dissipation by individually operating the heat dissipation elements of the smart heat dissipation unit (130) according to the local temperature of each heat dissipation target measured from the temperature matrix (110).

[0039] This control unit (120) can individually operate the micro Peltier elements of the smart heat dissipation unit (130) according to the locally measured ambient temperature of each heat dissipation target to perform heat dissipation for each heat dissipation target.

[0040] In addition, the control unit (120) can acquire information on the vehicle's operating status and ambient temperature in conjunction with an electronic control unit (ECU) mounted on the vehicle, and can maintain the balance of heat distribution of the entire vehicle system by controlling the heat dissipation of the vehicle in an integrated manner based on the acquired information and the temperature values ​​of the surroundings of the heat dissipation target acquired through the temperature matrix (110).

[0041] The operation of the smart heat dissipation device (100) of a vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention configured as described above is specifically explained as follows.

[0042] First, the local temperature of the heat dissipation target area is measured in real time using a plurality of temperature sensors installed in the heat dissipation target area of ​​the vehicle (1), and the measured temperature value is transmitted to the control unit (120) in real time.

[0043] For example, assuming that the heat dissipation target components are an ECU, a battery, a sensor, and a lighting module, temperature sensors are installed around the ECU, around the battery, around the sensor, and around the lighting module, respectively, to measure local temperatures and transmit them to a control unit (120).

[0044] Temperature sensors installed on each heat dissipation target component include unique information (ID) that can distinguish their installation location, and by transmitting this unique information together with data transmission, the temperature measurement area can be identified.

[0045] The control unit (120) sequentially acquires the temperature values ​​of the corresponding parts, each measured by a plurality of temperature sensors forming the temperature matrix (110), in a preset order.

[0046] Next, the measurement location is identified using the unique information of the sensor included in the acquired temperature value, and the component corresponding to the identified measurement location and the corresponding reference temperature value are extracted from the built-in memory.

[0047] Next, the extracted reference temperature value is compared with the acquired temperature value to determine whether cooling is required at the corresponding location. That is, if the acquired temperature value is greater than the reference temperature value, it is determined that cooling is required, and if the acquired temperature value is significantly lower than the reference temperature value, it may be determined that heating is required.

[0048] For a local location where cooling is determined to be required through heat dissipation, a micro Peltier element (e.g., 131) of a smart heat dissipation unit (130) attached to the heat dissipation target is identified, and a driving signal is generated to individually drive only the micro Peltier element (131).

[0049] In response to such driving signals, the micro Peltier element (131) of the smart heat dissipation unit (130) operates to perform a heat dissipation operation, thereby cooling the heat-dissipation target component to prevent performance degradation of the component and extend its lifespan.

[0050] Here, the micro Peltier element (131) is a small thermoelectric element that pumps heat or controls temperature using the Peltier effect, as shown in FIG. 3. It is mainly used in fields requiring precision cooling, such as small electronic devices, sensors, medical devices, and laser diodes.

[0051] A Peltier element is a device formed by joining two different types of conductive materials (primarily N-type and P-type semiconductors); when current is passed through it, heat absorption (cooling) occurs at one junction surface while heat generation occurs at the other.

[0052] For example, the cooling or heating position can be changed by adjusting the direction of the current. This makes it possible to selectively perform cooling or heating operations using a single micro Peltier element.

[0053] Micro Peltier devices are fabricated using MEMS technology, allowing them to be manufactured to sizes of less than a few millimeters. Compared to standard Peltier devices, they have lower power consumption, faster response speeds ranging from a few milliseconds to several seconds, enable highly precise control for local temperature regulation, and offer advantages in terms of vibration and noise due to their noise-free electrical operation.

[0054] These micro Peltier elements can be used to perform heat dissipation functions for various heat-dissipating components of a vehicle.

[0055] For example, it can be used to stabilize temperature when used for cooling radar diodes, which are heat-sensitive components, and can also be utilized for temperature compensation of CMOS / image sensors, and for cooling skin contact sensors such as biosensors and medical devices. It can also be applied to wearable devices when used as a cooling / heating device to improve thermal comfort, and can be used for thermal control of high-performance microprocessors.

[0056] In particular, infrared sensors, LiDAR, and thermal imaging cameras in automotive components are sensitive to heat, making temperature stability critical; however, by applying micro Peltier elements, they can be integrated within small camera modules, thereby minimizing sensor drift caused by temperature changes.

[0057] In addition, high-output LED or laser headlamps generate a significant amount of heat, but micro Peltier elements enable localized and precise cooling, which can facilitate module miniaturization.

[0058] In addition, by embedding small Peltier elements in the steering wheel, seat, armrest, etc., and enabling localized cooling and heating, driver comfort can be improved.

[0059] In addition, since micro Peltier elements are suitable for cooling small heat sources, they are better suited for cooling small electronic components such as sensors and BMS ICs rather than cooling the entire battery, allowing for optimization in battery and power electronics cooling.

[0060] In addition, it can be applied to heat control for OLED clusters, HUDs, touch panels, etc., thereby enabling improvements in display and interior functions.

[0061] Meanwhile, as another feature of the present invention, the control unit (120) can perform temperature control in conjunction with a vehicle device using a communication module.

[0062] For example, the control unit (120) can acquire information on the vehicle's operating status and ambient temperature in conjunction with an electronic control unit (ECU) mounted on the vehicle, and can maintain the balance of heat distribution of the entire vehicle system by controlling the heat dissipation of the vehicle in an integrated manner based on the acquired information and the temperature value of the surroundings of the heat dissipation target acquired through the temperature matrix (110).

[0063] According to the present invention described above, by arranging small micro Peltier elements in a heat-generating component of a vehicle and actively performing cooling or heating based on local temperature measurement, it is possible to improve energy efficiency by performing cooling only at necessary locations while preventing damage to the component.

[0064] In addition, according to the present invention, the cooling device can be miniaturized and modularized by using a micro Peltier element, thereby offering the advantage of being flexibly applicable to vehicle parts.

[0065] In addition, according to the present invention, by individually performing heat dissipation for each vehicle component, it is possible to ensure vehicle performance stability and improve the lifespan of electronic equipment.

[0066] Although the invention made by the inventors has been specifically described according to the above embodiments, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. Explanation of the symbols

[0067] 1: Car 100: Smart heat dissipation system for cars 110: Temperature Matrix 120: Control Unit 130: Smart heat dissipation unit 131 - 139: Micro Peltier element

Claims

Claim 1 A smart heat dissipation device for an automobile, comprising: a temperature matrix for measuring the local temperature of a heat dissipation target area of ​​the automobile in real time; a smart heat dissipation unit for performing heat dissipation using heat dissipation elements individually installed on the heat dissipation target of the automobile; and a control unit for performing local heat dissipation by individually operating the heat dissipation elements of the smart heat dissipation unit according to the local temperature of each heat dissipation target measured from the temperature matrix, wherein the temperature matrix locally measures the ambient temperature of the heat dissipation target, and a plurality of temperature sensors for temperature measurement are installed around each heat dissipation target; and wherein the control unit acquires information on the vehicle's operating status and ambient temperature in conjunction with an electronic control unit (ECU) mounted on the vehicle, and controls the heat dissipation of the automobile in an integrated manner based on the acquired information and the temperature value around the heat dissipation target acquired through the temperature matrix, thereby maintaining the heat distribution balance of the entire vehicle system. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 A smart heat dissipation device for an automobile, wherein, in claim 1, the smart heat dissipation unit comprises a small micro Peltier element, and the micro Peltier element is installed for each heat dissipation target. Claim 4 A smart heat dissipation device for an automobile, wherein, in claim 1, the control unit individually operates the micro Peltier elements of the smart heat dissipation unit according to the locally measured ambient temperature for each heat dissipation target to perform heat dissipation for each heat dissipation target.

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