Piezoelectric Stack Cooling via Segmentation and Thermal Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Piezoelectric adjustment apparatuses face overheating issues due to thermal energy generation during operation, limiting their switching frequency, especially in high-power applications with small thermal conductivity, leading to potential overheating.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a cooling device with thermally conductive materials and dividing the piezoelectric stack into part stacks with a cooling system that includes passive and active cooling methods, along with a spring-elastic force-transmission arrangement to enhance heat dissipation and reduce energy input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the piezoelectric stack operates at high power and high switching frequency, then the productivity and adjustment precision are improved, but thermal energy accumulates causing overheating and reliability degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The piezoelectric stack is divided into multiple individual piezoelectric elements arranged in parallel. This segmentation reduces the volume of each element, thereby reducing internal heat accumulation. The distributed arrangement also improves heat dissipation across the stack assembly, allowing higher switching frequencies without overheating.
Solution Approach 2:
A thermally conductive housing is introduced as an intermediary between the piezoelectric stack and the environment. The housing acts as a heat sink that absorbs and dissipates thermal energy from the stack, enabling sustained high-power operation by preventing heat accumulation in the piezoelectric elements.
2Power
If the piezoelectric stack volume is increased to handle higher power, then the power handling capability is improved, but thermal conductivity remains insufficient leading to overheating
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single large-volume piezoelectric stack, the invention segments the power handling function across multiple smaller piezoelectric elements. Each element has sufficient thermal conductivity for its reduced volume, and the collective arrangement maintains high power handling capability while improving overall thermal management and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is designed as a composite structure with high thermal conductivity materials that envelop the piezoelectric elements. This composite construction provides both mechanical support and efficient thermal pathways, allowing the system to handle higher power without compromising reliability due to overheating.
3Temperature
If active cooling is implemented to improve heat dissipation, then the temperature control is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing serves dual functions: it provides mechanical support for the piezoelectric elements and simultaneously acts as a passive heat sink through its thermally conductive properties. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate active cooling systems, maintaining temperature control without increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is designed as a multi-functional component that combines structural support, electrical insulation, and thermal management functions. By integrating heat dissipation into the existing housing structure rather than adding separate cooling systems, the invention achieves effective temperature control while minimizing device complexity.
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 allows for higher switching frequencies and reduced overheating by efficiently dissipating thermal energy and increasing the adjustment stroke, thereby improving the operational efficiency and power handling of piezoelectric adjustment apparatuses.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric stack which comprises a plurality of layers of piezoelectric material arranged in stacked form and each provided with electrodes
Implementation Method 2
a layer of thermally conductive material via which layer at least one outer surface, in particular a side surface, of the piezoelectric stack is in contact with a wall section of a housing
Implementation Method 3
an overshoot of the adjustment apparatus with respect to the drive movement can be achieved in a simple manner
Data Source
AI summary
A piezoelectric adjustment apparatus comprises a piezoelectric stack which has a plurality of layers of piezoelectric material arranged in a stacked manner and each provided with electrodes, and comprises a lever mechanically connected to the piezoelectric stack for converting a drive movement of the stack into an adjustment movement of an adjustment element provided at the lever. A cooling device for dissipating heat from the piezoelectric stack is provided.