Heat source simulation system, cooling performance evaluation system, cooling performance evaluation method, and heat source simulation program

Abstract

Provided is a heat source simulation system that simulates a heat source that generates heat by being supplied with electric power. A heat source simulation system 100, which simulates a heat source that generates heat by being supplied with electric power, includes: a simulation heat source 10 for simulating thermal behavior of the heat source when the heat source generates heat by being supplied with electric power; an electric power supply device 20 for supplying electric power to the simulation heat source 10; and a control device 30 for controlling the electric power supply device 20.

Description

Heat source simulation system, cooling performance evaluation system, cooling performance evaluation method, and heat source simulation program

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat source simulation system, a cooling performance evaluation system, a cooling performance evaluation method, and a heat source simulation program.

[0002] For example, when power is supplied to a component such as a substrate, the component generates heat. Therefore, when developing the component, it may be necessary to evaluate the heat generated from the component.

[0003] Conventionally, in order to evaluate the heat generated from a component, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, an electrical model representing the electrical characteristics of the component and a thermal model representing the thermal characteristics of the component are used to simulate the thermal behavior of the component. Then, the simulation results are analyzed to evaluate the heat generated from the component.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-346527

[0005] By the way, when the component as the heat source has heat remaining, the component may deteriorate or the performance of the component may decrease. Therefore, in an actual product, it is necessary to cool the component and its surroundings. However, since the surrounding environment changes in an actual product, it is difficult to accurately evaluate the cooling performance of the cooling system that cools the component and its surroundings only by the above simulation.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a heat source simulation system that simulates a heat source that generates heat by supplying power.

[0007] That is, the heat source simulation system according to the present invention is a heat source simulation system that simulates a heat source that generates heat by supplying power, and includes a simulated heat source that simulates the thermal behavior of the heat source by generating heat by supplying power, a power supply device that supplies power to the simulated heat source, and a control device that controls the power supply device.

[0008] With this heat source simulation system, the simulated heat source is powered by a power supply device to simulate the thermal behavior of a heat source. Therefore, there is no need to use an actual heat source, and the thermal behavior of a heat source can be accurately simulated. Consequently, by evaluating the cooling performance of the cooling system that cools the simulated heat source, the cooling performance of the cooling system that cools an actual heat source can be evaluated.

[0009] For example, when electronic components such as resistors and / or capacitors are placed on a circuit board, an air cooling method is sometimes employed to cool the heat from the electronic components by air convection. In the air cooling method, the cooling effect changes significantly by changing the air convection around the circuit board. Therefore, a specific example of a simulated heat source is a simulated circuit board that simulates the thermal behavior of an actual circuit board. With this configuration, since the simulated circuit board simulates the thermal behavior of an actual circuit board, the cooling effect of the air cooling method can be reproduced on the simulated circuit board. As a result, by evaluating the cooling performance of the simulated circuit board and its surroundings, the cooling performance of the cooling system for the actual circuit board and its surroundings can be accurately evaluated. Furthermore, in the case of actual circuit boards, expensive components such as power semiconductors may be placed, but by simulating the thermal behavior of these expensive components on the simulated circuit board, it becomes unnecessary to use actual products. As a result, the development cost of developing an actual circuit board can be reduced.

[0010] The simulated circuit board includes a simulated circuit board body to which power is supplied from the power supply device, and a heat diffuser disposed on at least one surface of the simulated circuit board body that diffuses heat simulating the heat generated from circuits on the actual circuit board and / or heat generated from electronic components on the actual circuit board. With this configuration, the surface temperature of the circuit board varies depending on the circuit arrangement and / or electronic components on the circuit board, and the heat diffuser disposed on the simulated circuit board body diffuses heat simulating the heat generated from circuits and / or electronic components on the actual circuit board, so the thermal behavior of various circuit boards can be accurately simulated.

[0011] The heat diffuser is formed in a predetermined pattern that can reproduce the temperature distribution of the actual substrate. With this configuration, it is possible to reproduce various temperature distributions of the actual substrate, which contributes to simulating thermal behavior such as heat conduction between the substrate and surrounding members.

[0012] The heat diffuser may be formed with a predetermined density pattern and / or a predetermined uneven pattern. With this configuration, the thermal behavior of an actual substrate can be simulated using a simulated substrate.

[0013] The control device further includes a parameter receiving unit that accepts an input profile indicating the usage mode of the controlled object in which the actual circuit board is used and / or an instruction value converted from the usage mode as one of the evaluation parameters, and the control device controls the power supply device based on the input profile. With this configuration, the control device controls the power supply device based on the usage mode of the controlled object in which the actual circuit board is used and / or an input profile indicating an instruction value converted from the usage mode, so it can simulate the thermal behavior according to the usage mode of the controlled object.

[0014] The control device may calculate the resistance values ​​of the actual circuit board and / or the simulated heat source based on the input profile. With this configuration, it is possible to calculate resistance values ​​according to the usage mode of the controlled object.

[0015] One example of such a control device is one that calculates the power supplied to the simulated heat source based on the resistance values ​​of the actual circuit board and / or the simulated heat source. With this configuration, the power supplied can be calculated according to the usage mode of the controlled object.

[0016] The control device further includes a temperature measuring unit for measuring the ambient temperature of the simulated heat source, and calculates the resistance value of the simulated heat source based on the ambient temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit. With this configuration, the control device can control the amount of heat generated by the simulated heat source according to the ambient temperature.

[0017] The control device further includes a resistance value calculation unit that calculates the resistance value of the heat source based on the input profile, and the control device controls the power supply device using the resistance value calculated by the resistance value calculation unit. With this configuration, it is possible to accurately simulate the heat source while taking into account the resistance value of the actual product, and to accurately evaluate the heat source.

[0018] An example of a cooling performance evaluation system for evaluating the cooling performance of a cooling system that cools the area around a heat source that generates heat when power is supplied is a cooling performance evaluation system that includes a heat source simulation system and a temperature measuring unit for measuring the temperature of the simulated heat source. An example of a cooling performance evaluation method for evaluating the performance of a cooling system that cools the area around a heat source that generates heat when power is supplied is a cooling performance evaluation method that receives an input profile indicating the usage mode of a controlled object using an actual circuit board and / or an instruction value converted from the usage mode, calculates the resistance value of the actual circuit board based on the input profile, calculates the power to be supplied to the simulated heat source based on the resistance value of the actual circuit board, supplies power to the simulated heat source based on the power to be supplied, and evaluates the performance of the cooling system. This is a heat source simulation program used in a heat source simulation system that simulates a heat source that generates heat when electricity is supplied. The heat source simulation system comprises a simulated heat source that simulates the thermal behavior of a heat source by generating heat when electricity is supplied, and a power supply device that supplies electricity to the simulated heat source. The heat source simulation program is characterized by causing a computer to perform the function of a control unit that controls the power supply device. Such a cooling performance evaluation system, cooling performance evaluation method, and heat source simulation program can achieve the same effects as the heat source simulation system described above.

[0019] According to the present invention configured in this manner, it is possible to provide a heat source simulation system that simulates a heat source that generates heat when electricity is supplied.

[0020] A schematic diagram showing the configuration of a heat source simulation system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. A schematic diagram showing the configuration of a simulated heat source according to the same embodiment. A schematic diagram showing a cooling performance evaluation system according to the same embodiment. A functional block diagram showing the functions of the control device according to the same embodiment. A flowchart showing the evaluation of cooling performance according to the same embodiment. A schematic diagram showing the configuration of a heat source simulation system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. A schematic diagram showing the configuration of a simulated heat source according to another embodiment. A schematic diagram showing the configuration of a simulated heat source according to another embodiment.

[0021] <First Embodiment> An embodiment of the heat source simulation system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0022] The heat source simulation system of this embodiment simulates a heat source that generates heat when electricity is supplied. Specifically, the heat source simulation system is used in a cooling performance evaluation system 1000 that evaluates the cooling performance of a cooling system that cools a heat source that generates heat when electricity is supplied, or its surroundings, which constitutes a vehicle such as an electric vehicle and / or a hybrid vehicle. Here, the cooling system is, for example, a fan that blows air onto the heat source, a Peltier element, or a cooling channel through which a refrigerant flows. Evaluation of cooling performance means evaluating the cooling performance of the cooling system by measuring the temperature of the heat source using, for example, a temperature sensor, while the cooling system is cooling the heat source.

[0023] In this embodiment, heating due to power supply includes Joule heating, dielectric heating, and / or induction heating. The heat source is not limited to those that constitute a vehicle, but may be mounted on various moving objects such as ships, trains, and / or aircraft, or it may be mounted on devices other than moving objects, such as computers or electrical appliances.

[0024] The heat source is, for example, a physical substrate, and at least one surface of the physical substrate is provided with, for example, a resistive element, a capacitor element, a semiconductor element, a switching element, a diode element, a heat sink, various sensors and / or various circuits, etc. (hereinafter referred to as circuits and / or elements on the physical substrate).

[0025] Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the heat source simulation system 100 comprises a simulated heat source 10, a power supply device 20 that supplies power to the simulated heat source 10, and a control device 30 that controls the power supply device 20.

[0026] The simulated heat source 10 simulates the thermal behavior of the actual substrate described above. Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the simulated heat source 10 has a connection terminal 11 connected to the power supply device 20 via wiring, a simulated substrate body 12 to which power is supplied from the power supply device 20, and a heat diffuser 14 arranged on at least one surface of the simulated substrate body 12.

[0027] The connection terminal 11 is connected to the power supply device 20 via wiring and is also connected to the simulated circuit board body 12 by means of welding, for example. This connection terminal 11 may be the actual connection terminal welded to the real circuit board, or it may be a simulation of the shape and / or material of that connection terminal.

[0028] The simulated circuit board body 12 simulates the shape and / or material of an actual circuit board, and in this embodiment, for example, it is flat. The simulated circuit board body 12 itself may generate heat when power is supplied.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, a heating element 13 is provided inside the simulated circuit board body 12, which generates heat when power is supplied from the power supply device 20. In this embodiment, the heating element 13 is a resistive element that generates heat when power is supplied. The heating element 13 may be various types of heaters such as a linear heater, a sheet heater, and / or a spot heater.

[0030] The heat diffuser 14 diffuses heat that simulates the heat generated from circuits and / or electronic components arranged on the actual substrate. In this embodiment, the heat diffuser 14 diffuses the heat generated by the heat generating element 13, but the heat diffuser 14 itself may generate heat and diffuse that heat. Furthermore, the heat diffuser 14 may be replaceable to match the arrangement of circuits and / or electronic components on the actual substrate. For example, the heat diffuser 14 may be manufactured using a 3D printer or the like to match the arrangement of circuits and / or electronic components on the actual substrate.

[0031] In this embodiment, the heat diffuser 14 simulates a circuit and / or electronic component arranged on a real substrate, but it may be the circuit and / or element itself on the real substrate. If the heat diffuser 14 is the circuit and / or element itself on the real substrate, it is preferable that the circuit and / or element on the real substrate be inexpensive compared to, for example, a power semiconductor.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the heat diffuser 14 simulates the shape and thermal behavior of circuits and / or elements on an actual substrate. Here, simulating the shape of circuits and / or elements on an actual substrate means simulating not only the shape of circuits and / or elements on an actual substrate in a plan view, but also the height of circuits and / or elements on an actual substrate. Furthermore, simulating the thermal behavior of circuits and / or elements on an actual substrate means simulating the thermal behavior of the actual substrate when a vehicle is actually running, for example, simulating the thermal behavior of the actual substrate when power devices for energy storage systems such as AC / DC converters and DC / DC converters are in use, and simulating the thermal behavior of circuits through which input and output current to motors flows in a moving object including a vehicle. More specifically, the heat generation behavior of circuits and / or elements on an actual substrate is simulated by measuring the heat flux and / or temperature of each element when a controlled object using an actual substrate is actually used.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the heat diffuser 14 is arranged in accordance with the circuits and / or elements on the actual substrate. Specifically, the heat diffuser 14 is arranged on at least one surface of the simulated substrate body 12 so as to coincide with the positions of the circuits and / or elements on the actual substrate. In Figures 1 and 2, the heat diffuser 14 is arranged on one surface of the simulated substrate body 12 facing the temperature measuring unit 200, which will be described later, but it may be arranged on both sides of the simulated substrate body 12, or on one surface of the simulated substrate body 12 opposite to the temperature measuring unit 200.

[0034] This makes it possible to reproduce the temperature distribution of the actual substrate in the planar and / or height direction of the simulated substrate body 12. Here, "reproduces the temperature distribution of the actual substrate" means not only when the entire temperature distribution of the actual substrate is reproduced, but also when only a part of the temperature distribution of the actual substrate is reproduced.

[0035] In the configuration described above, as shown in Figure 3, the cooling performance evaluation system 1000 of this embodiment further includes a temperature measuring unit 200 (not shown) that measures the temperature of the simulated heat source 10 and / or the ambient temperature of the simulated heat source 10 in order to evaluate the performance of the cooling system S that cools the simulated heat source 10. In Figure 3, the temperature measuring unit 200 is provided around the simulated substrate body 12, but it may also be provided on one surface of the simulated substrate body 12 on which the heat diffuser 14 is provided, or it may be provided on the heat diffuser 14. Furthermore, the temperature measuring unit 200 may measure the temperature distribution of the heat diffuser 14 using a non-contact temperature sensor such as a thermographic camera.

[0036] Furthermore, the number of temperature measuring units 200 is not particularly limited. For example, if two or more temperature measuring units 200 are used, the average value of the temperature values ​​obtained by those units 200 can be used. The advantage of this is that by obtaining the average value of the temperature distribution, the temperature distribution can be reproduced stably without being biased towards the high-temperature or low-temperature side of the temperature distribution. Conversely, if, for example, the evaluation focuses on the high-temperature portion of the temperature distribution, it is sufficient to install only one temperature measuring unit 200 near the high-temperature side.

[0037] As shown in Figure 1, the power supply device 20 receives power instructions from the control device 30 and supplies power to the simulated heat source 10 according to those power instructions.

[0038] The power supplied from this power supply device 20 is feedback-controlled by the control device 30, and more specifically, the temperature distribution or total heat generation of the simulated heat source 10 is feedback-controlled so that it approaches the temperature distribution or total heat generation of the actual substrate.

[0039] The creation of the temperature distribution of the simulated heat source 10 is carried out in the following procedure. (1) First, measure the temperature distribution of the actual substrate. (2) Create a thermal circuit model representing the temperature distribution of the actual substrate on a computer. (3) Design the simulated heat source 10 based on the thermal circuit model. And the total heat generation amount of the simulated heat source 10 is obtained by the power supply device 20 supplying power corresponding to the power instruction to the simulated heat source 10.

[0040] The feedback control of the supplied power is, for example, to create a reference table showing the correlation between the ambient temperature and the resistance value for each circuit and / or element on the actual substrate in advance, and by measuring the ambient temperature of the simulated heat source 10, calculate the resistance value of the simulated heat source 10 corresponding to that ambient temperature from the reference table, and supply power corresponding to that resistance value to the simulated heat source 10. Note that it is not limited to the configuration of measuring the ambient temperature of the simulated heat source 10, and a configuration for calculating or measuring the temperature of a representative point of the simulated heat source 10 may also be used.

[0041] The control device 30 controls the current, voltage and / or power supplied to the simulated heat source 10 based on an input profile described later. Specifically, physically, the control device 30 is equipped with a CPU, a memory, etc. Functionally, according to the program stored in the memory, the CPU and its peripheral devices cooperate to function as a parameter reception unit 31, a resistance value calculation unit 32, and a supplied power control unit 33 as shown in FIG.

[0042] Hereinafter, while referring to the flowchart of FIG. 5, the operation of the control device 30 will be described while also explaining each part.

[0043] First, the parameter reception unit 31 receives an input profile indicating the heat generation amount of the actual substrate as an evaluation parameter (S1). Here, the heat generation amount of the actual substrate is the amount of heat generated from the actual substrate when the vehicle actually runs.

[0044] Here, the evaluation parameter is a parameter necessary for simulating the thermal behavior of the actual substrate in the cooling performance evaluation system 1000 for evaluating the cooling performance of cooling the actual substrate and / or its surroundings.

[0045] In this embodiment, the heat generation amount of the actual substrate is determined on the assumption that the resistance value of the actual substrate has no temperature dependency. Note that the resistance value of the actual substrate may be a value that fluctuates moment by moment as the temperature of the actual substrate changes. When considering the temperature dependency of the resistance value of the actual substrate, calculating this resistance value is important for calculating the supply power of the simulated heat source 10. This is because the supply power to the simulated heat source 10 is calculated based on the ratio of the resistance value of the actual substrate and the resistance value of the simulated heat source 10.

[0046] The input profile (evaluation parameter) indicates the usage mode of the control target for which the actual substrate is used and / or the indicated value converted from the usage mode. The control target is, for example, a device in which the actual substrate is used, such as an inverter, a battery, an e-motor, an air conditioner, a computer, a vehicle, or the like. The input profile of this embodiment indicates the change over time of the current, voltage, power, and / or heat generation amount applied to the simulated heat source 10. This input profile is created in advance by the user and input to the control device 30. Specifically, it is a waveform represented by a graph in which one axis is time and the other axis is set to the current value, voltage value, and / or power value. Note that the input profile may be calculated by simulating the heat behavior of the actual substrate. Also, when the resistance value of the actual substrate has temperature dependency, the input profile may be the heat generation amount of the actual substrate calculated from the relationship between the temperature of the actual substrate and the resistance value of the actual substrate. Further, the input profile may be a parameter indicating the operating conditions of the control target, such as the operating conditions of an inverter and / or the driving conditions of a vehicle.

[0047] Some or all of the evaluation parameters received by the parameter reception unit 31 described above are output to and stored in the calculation data storage unit 34.

[0048] Next, when the resistance value of the actual substrate changes over time, the resistance value calculation unit 32 calculates the resistance value of the actual substrate when current, voltage, and / or power based on the input profile are applied to the actual substrate (S2). When the resistance value of the actual substrate does not change over time, the operation of the resistance value calculation unit 32 can be omitted.

[0049] The resistance calculation unit 32 calculates the resistance value using at least the evaluation parameters received by the parameter reception unit 31. Specifically, the resistance calculation unit 32 calculates the resistance value using an input profile showing the resistance value of the actual board, and / or an input profile showing the change over time of the current, voltage, and / or power applied to the actual board.

[0050] As shown in Figure 4, the control device 30 of this embodiment further includes a calculation data storage unit 34 that stores calculation data for calculating resistance values ​​and / or supplied power.

[0051] Specifically, this calculation data storage unit 34 stores a conversion table as calculation data for converting the aforementioned evaluation parameters into resistance values.

[0052] The resistance value of the actual circuit board calculated by the resistance value calculation unit 32 is output to the power supply control unit 33.

[0053] Then, the power supply control unit 33 calculates the power to be supplied to the power supply device 20 based on the input profile (S3). Specifically, the input profile includes information regarding the power to be supplied to the actual substrate, and the power supply control unit 33 calculates the power to be supplied to the simulated heat source 10 based on the ratio of the resistance values ​​of the actual substrate and the simulated heat source 10, and the power to be supplied to the actual substrate. At this time, the power supply control unit 33 may control the power supply device 20 using the resistance value of the actual substrate which changes over time and is calculated by the resistance value calculation unit 32.

[0054] Specifically, the power supply control unit 33 may calculate the supply current to be supplied to the simulated heat source 10 based on the ratio of the resistance value of the actual circuit board to the resistance value of the simulated heat source 10 and the supply current supplied to the actual circuit board.

[0055] The resistance value of the simulated heat source 10 is the resistance value of the heating element 13. In order to achieve an accurate surface temperature, if the temperature dependence of the heating element 13 in terms of resistance is to be considered, the power supply control unit 33 may acquire the temperature detected by the temperature measurement unit 200 and sequentially calculate the resistance value of the simulated heat source 10 based on this temperature.

[0056] The power supply control unit 33 then calculates the power supplied to the simulated heat source 10 using the current supplied to the simulated heat source 10 and the resistance value of the simulated heat source 10, and outputs a power indicator to the power supply device 20 indicating the magnitude of the supplied power (S4). The supplied power can be calculated by multiplying the square of the supply current by the resistance value.

[0057] The power supply calculated by the power supply control unit 33 is output to and stored in the calculation data storage unit 34.

[0058] When power is supplied to the simulated heat source 10, the heat diffuser 14 diffuses heat that simulates the heat generated from circuits and / or elements on the actual substrate. In this state, the user or the cooling performance evaluation system 1000 evaluates the cooling performance of the simulated heat source 10 and / or its surroundings (S5).

[0059] Specifically, by changing the wind direction, wind speed, etc., relative to the simulated heat source 10 using a cooling system S such as a blower, the cooling performance of the heat diffuser 14 and / or its surroundings is evaluated based on the temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit 200. This makes it possible to analyze the wind direction that provides the highest cooling effect for the heat diffuser 14 and / or its surroundings.

[0060] <Effects of the First Embodiment> With the heat source simulation system 100 configured as described above, the simulated substrate, which is the simulated heat source 10, simulates the thermal behavior of a real substrate, so the cooling effect of the air cooling method can be reproduced on the simulated substrate. As a result, the cooling performance of the simulated substrate and its surroundings can be accurately evaluated. The heat source simulation system in this embodiment is not limited to the air cooling method, but can also reproduce the cooling effect of other cooling methods such as liquid cooling, refrigerant cooling, or direct immersion cooling on the simulated substrate. Furthermore, in real substrates, expensive components such as power semiconductors may be placed, but by simulating the thermal behavior of power semiconductors with the simulated substrate, it becomes unnecessary to use actual power semiconductors. As a result, the development cost of developing a real substrate can be reduced.

[0061] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this second embodiment, only the differences from the first embodiment will be described.

[0062] In the second embodiment, unlike the configuration of the first embodiment (in which a heat-generating element 13 is provided separately from the heat diffuser 14), as shown in Figure 6, the heat diffuser 14 is configured to generate heat and dissipate heat. Specifically, the heat diffuser 14 is electrically connected to the connection terminal 11, and power is supplied to the heat diffuser 14 from the power supply device 20, causing the heat diffuser 14 to generate heat. The heat diffuser 14 then dissipates the heat generated by its own heat generation to the outside.

[0063] <Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the simulated heat source 10 simulated the thermal behavior of an actual substrate. However, the heat source simulated by the simulated heat source 10 is not limited to an actual substrate, as long as it constitutes a moving body and generates heat when power is supplied. For example, the heat source simulated by the simulated heat source 10 may be a motor, inverter, converter, or speed reducer, for example.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the evaluation of cooling performance involved analyzing the airflow method that provides the highest cooling effect on the heat diffuser 14 and / or its surroundings, but it is not limited to this. For example, the evaluation of cooling performance may involve, for instance, the arrangement of the heat diffuser 14, the shape of the heat diffuser 14, the size of the heat diffuser 14 if it is a heat sink or simulates a heat sink, the shape and / or arrangement of the cooling channel if the cooling system is a cooling channel, or the current supplied to the Peltier element if the cooling system is a Peltier element.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the heat diffuser 14 was arranged in accordance with circuits and / or elements on the actual substrate, but the heat diffuser 14 may be formed in a predetermined pattern that can reproduce the temperature distribution of the heat source.

[0067] For example, the heat diffuser 14 may be formed with a predetermined uneven pattern, as shown in Figures 7(a) to 7(c). Specifically, the predetermined uneven pattern may be a pattern in which the height of the heat diffuser 14 gradually increases from one end to the other of the simulated substrate body 12, as shown in Figure 7(a); a pattern in which the height of the heat diffuser 14 is repeated, as shown in Figure 7(b); or a pattern in which the heat diffuser 14 is arranged at predetermined fixed intervals, as shown in Figure 7(c).

[0068] Alternatively, the heating element 13 or the heat diffuser 14 may be formed in a predetermined density pattern, as shown in Figures 8(a) to 8(b). Specifically, as shown in Figure 8(a), there are regions where the spacing between adjacent heat diffusers 14 is narrow and regions where the spacing between adjacent heat diffusers 14 is wide. That is, one surface of the simulated substrate body 12 is provided with regions where the heat diffusers 14 are sparsely arranged and regions where the heat diffusers 14 are densely arranged.

[0069] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8(b), the heating element 13 can be a linear structure arranged in a meandering manner on the simulated substrate body 12. In this case, one surface of the simulated substrate body 12 is provided with a region where the heat diffusers 14 are sparsely arranged and a region where the heat diffusers 14 are densely arranged. With this configuration, the surface temperature per unit area is higher in the densely arranged region than in the sparsely arranged region. As a result, the temperature distribution of various real substrates can be simulated using the simulated substrate.

[0070] For example, in the above embodiment, the resistance value calculation unit 32 obtained the resistance value of the simulated heat source 10 using a conversion table, but the resistance value may also be obtained using a pre-created simulation model. Specifically, a simulation model may be created that takes evaluation parameters received by the parameter reception unit 31 as input and outputs the resistance value of the simulated heat source 10 according to that input, and this simulation model may be stored as calculation data in the calculation data storage unit 34.

[0071] The predetermined pattern of the heat diffuser 14 may be obtained by machine learning. More specifically, one can use a learning model that uses the temperature distribution of a real model as input data and predetermined patterns such as the shape and / or density of the heat diffuser 14 as training data.

[0072] The heat source simulation system according to the present invention can be used, for example, when it is desired to evaluate the actual product being simulated in a certain state (e.g., at the time of product shipment), and when it is not necessary to evaluate the actual product over time. In this case, the parameter reception unit may accept an input profile that does not require the actual product to change over time as one of the evaluation parameters.

[0073] In the heat source simulation system according to the present invention, the power supply control unit 33 may directly acquire evaluation parameters received by the parameter reception unit 31 and control the power supply device 20 based on those evaluation parameters.

[0074] Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from its spirit.

[0075] 100... Heat source simulation system 10... Simulated heat source (simulated circuit board) 11... Connection terminal 12... Simulated circuit board body 13... Heating element 14... Heat diffuser 20... Power supply device 30... Control device 31... Parameter reception unit 32... Resistance value calculation unit 33... Power supply control unit 34... Data storage unit for calculation

Claims

1. A heat source simulation system that simulates a heat source that generates heat when electricity is supplied, comprising: a simulated heat source that simulates the thermal behavior of the heat source by generating heat when electricity is supplied; a power supply device that supplies electricity to the simulated heat source; and a control device that controls the power supply device.

2. The heat source simulation system according to claim 1, wherein the simulated heat source is a simulated substrate that simulates the thermal behavior of an actual substrate.

3. The heat source simulation system according to claim 2, wherein the simulated circuit board comprises a simulated circuit board body to which power is supplied from the power supply device, and a heat diffuser disposed on at least one surface of the simulated circuit board body for diffusing heat that simulates heat generated from circuits on the actual circuit board and / or heat generated from electronic components on the actual circuit board.

4. The heat source simulation system according to claim 3, wherein the heat diffuser is formed in a predetermined pattern capable of reproducing the temperature distribution of the actual substrate.

5. The heat source simulation system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the heat diffuser is formed with a predetermined density pattern and / or a predetermined uneven pattern.

6. The heat source simulation system according to any one of claims 2 to 5, further comprising a parameter receiving unit that receives an input profile indicating the usage mode of a controlled object in which the actual substrate is used and / or an instruction value converted from the usage mode, wherein the control device controls the power supply device based on the input profile.

7. The heat source simulation system according to claim 6, wherein the control device calculates the resistance value of the actual substrate and / or the simulated heat source based on the input profile.

8. The heat source simulation system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the control device calculates the power to be supplied to the simulated heat source based on the resistance values ​​of the actual substrate and / or the simulated heat source.

9. A heat source simulation system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a temperature measuring unit for measuring the ambient temperature of the simulated heat source, wherein the control device calculates the resistance value of the simulated heat source based on the ambient temperature measured by the temperature measuring unit.

10. A cooling performance evaluation system for evaluating the performance of a cooling system that cools the area around a heat source that generates heat due to the supply of electricity, comprising: a heat source simulation system according to any one of claims 1 to 6; and a temperature measuring unit for measuring the temperature of the simulated heat source.

11. A cooling performance evaluation method for evaluating the performance of a cooling system that cools the area around a heat source that generates heat due to the supply of power, the method comprising: receiving an input profile indicating the usage mode of a controlled object using an actual circuit board and / or an instruction value converted from the usage mode; calculating the resistance value of the actual circuit board based on the input profile; calculating the power to be supplied to the simulated heat source based on the resistance value of the actual circuit board; supplying power to the simulated heat source based on the power to be supplied; and evaluating the performance of the cooling system.

12. A heat source simulation program used in a heat source simulation system that simulates a heat source that generates heat when electricity is supplied, wherein the heat source simulation system comprises a simulated heat source that simulates the thermal behavior of a heat source by generating heat when electricity is supplied, and a power supply device that supplies electricity to the simulated heat source, and the heat source simulation program is characterized in that it causes a computer to perform the function of a control unit that controls the power supply device.

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