Semiconductor Cooling Control Using Heating Loss for Refrigerant Temperature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicles face reduced distance to empty and increased power consumption due to the need for additional electric heaters, which also increase vehicle weight, and hybrid vehicles suffer from worsened fuel economy from using engines as heat sources for temperature control.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device with a heating controller that adjusts heating loss to match the target temperature of a refrigerant, integrated into a cooling system with a heat exchanger, allowing efficient heat exchange without the need for additional heat sources, thereby maintaining a required heat source while minimizing power consumption and weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If additional electric heaters are prepared for temperature control in electric vehicles, then temperature control function is achieved, but power consumption increases and distance to empty is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The semiconductor device serves dual purposes: it cools itself through the cooler while simultaneously generating heating loss that is utilized to heat the refrigerant for temperature control functions. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate heating devices and their associated power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the harmful heating loss, which is normally wasted energy requiring additional cooling capacity, into a beneficial heat source for temperature control functions. By directing this waste heat to heat the refrigerant, the system achieves temperature control without additional power consumption.
2Temperature
If additional electric heaters are prepared for temperature control in electric vehicles, then temperature control function is achieved, but vehicle weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The semiconductor device and cooler system perform multiple functions: cooling the semiconductor device, heating the refrigerant for temperature control, and potentially providing heat to other vehicle facilities. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate heating devices and reduces overall system weight.
3Temperature
If engines are driven for heating up catalysts or actuator units in hybrid vehicles, then heat source is obtained, but fuel economy is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The semiconductor device generates its own heating loss that is directly utilized to heat the refrigerant for catalyst or actuator heating. This eliminates the need to run the engine specifically for heating purposes, thereby maintaining fuel economy while providing necessary heat sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the semiconductor device's heating loss, which would normally be waste heat requiring engine operation to utilize, into a beneficial heat source for catalyst or actuator heating. This eliminates unnecessary engine operation and preserves fuel economy.
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
This solution enables efficient temperature control in electric vehicles by using the semiconductor device's variable heating loss to regulate refrigerant temperature, reducing power consumption and maintaining a heat source for electric vehicles, thus extending their range and improving fuel efficiency without additional weight or power usage.
Implementation Method 1
The semiconductor device generates variable heating loss
Implementation Method 2
a cooler that cools the semiconductor device with a refrigerant
Implementation Method 3
a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange with a heat exchange target in the electrically powered member by using the refrigerant
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device of the present invention is a semiconductor device applicable in a cooling system including an ECU functioning as a setting part that sets target temperature of a refrigerant used to cool the semiconductor device, and a sensor functioning as a detector that detects the temperature of the refrigerant as refrigerant's temperature. The semiconductor device generates variable heating loss. The semiconductor device includes a heating controller that controls the heating loss in the semiconductor device such that the target temperature and the refrigerant's temperature become the same.