EV Motor Controller Target Cooling by Using Micro Thermoelectric Cooler

The motor controller is an important component in electric vehicle. Controller always generates heat and needs cooling as electric vehicle driving. Micro thermoelectric cooler (μTEC) with many advantages becomes a potential cooling device for controller recently. This study uses the commercial software ANSYS workbench 14.5 to investigate the influence of the activated number and located position of μTEC on controller chip cooling. The following simulation results are obtained: (1) μTEC activating may assist cooling between 0 second and 60 seconds. The cooling capability enhancement is pronounced as the number of activated μTEC increased. (2) μTEC activating may not assist cooling between 60 seconds and 156 seconds because the energy on the hot side of μTEC is unable to be removed effectively. “All μTEC open” method gives the poorest cooling performance in this region.