Vehicle Fluid Heater Heat Sink for Switch Overheating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heating systems in motor vehicles, including electric vehicles, face inefficiencies in rapidly and effectively heating the passenger compartment, especially in cold environments, and additional electrical heating devices can be unreliable due to overheating issues with control switches.
Innovation Solution
An electrical heating device for motor vehicles featuring a heat sink in thermal contact with an electric-current switch, which dissipates heat into the fluid being heated, improving reliability and efficiency without increasing size, and allowing the use of switches that do not need to withstand high temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an additional electrical heating device is added to the heating system, then the heating performance and reliability are improved, but the device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the electrical heating device with the existing heat exchanger by integrating the heating element directly into the heat exchanger structure. The heating element is positioned within the fluid passage of the heat exchanger, allowing it to heat the fluid passing through. This merging approach improves heating reliability without significantly increasing device complexity, as the heating function is added to an existing component rather than creating a separate system.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger is designed to serve dual functions: heat exchange between fluids and electrical heating. By making the heat exchanger multi-functional, the patent avoids adding a completely separate heating device, thus improving heating performance while minimizing the increase in device complexity and overall system size.
2Ease of operation
If the heating element is controlled by an electric-current switch, then the heating operation is controllable, but the switch overheats and disrupts operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a thermally conductive intermediary structure (the heat exchanger body) that acts as a heat sink for the electric-current switch. The switch is mounted on the heat exchanger, which conducts heat away from the switch, preventing overheating. This intermediary heat-sinking structure allows the switch to operate reliably while maintaining controllability of the heating element.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger serves a dual purpose: its primary function of heat exchange and a secondary function of cooling the electric-current switch. The heat exchanger's thermal mass and fluid flow naturally provide cooling to the switch without requiring additional active cooling components, allowing the switch to dissipate its own generated heat through the heat exchanger structure.
3Productivity
If rapid heating of the passenger compartment is required, then heating efficiency must be increased, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous heating operation by integrating the electrical heating element directly into the fluid circulation system. The heating element can continuously heat the fluid as it passes through, maintaining a steady temperature rise without interruption. This continuous heating action improves the speed at which the passenger compartment can be heated while optimizing energy utilization through constant thermal input.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal parameters of the fluid by heating it electrically before it enters the passenger compartment. By controlling the electrical power input to the heating element, the system can rapidly adjust the fluid temperature, enabling fast heating response. The parameter change approach allows efficient energy transfer from the electrical heating element to the fluid, improving heating speed while managing energy consumption through controlled power delivery.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances the reliability and efficiency of the heating system by effectively dissipating heat generated by the electric-current switch into the fluid, contributing to the heating process while protecting the switch from mechanical impacts and high temperatures, thus ensuring rapid and efficient heating without size increase.
Implementation Method 1
a heat sink having a first surface which is intended to be in contact with the fluid and a second surface which is in thermal contact with a base plate of said electric-current switch
Implementation Method 2
dissipates heat into the fluid being heated
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for electrically heating fluid for a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises: at least one heating module (2a, 2b) comprising at least one heating element (7a, 7b) and defining a circuit (7a, 7b) for guiding the fluid to be heated; a means (3) for controlling the heating element (7a, 7b), comprising an electric current switch (14a, 14b) connected to said heating element (7a, 7b) and a heat sink (15) having a first surface (19), which is to contact the fluid, and a second surface (19), which is to contact a sole plate (16) of said electric current switch (14a, 14b). The invention also relates to a heating and/or air-conditioning apparatus for a motor vehicle, including at least one such electric-heating device (1).