# US 12,216,009 B2 · Arrangement and method for determining temperatures of electronic components > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,216,009 B2 - Document ID: US12216009B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/029,836 - Filed: 2021-09-17 - Published: 2023-09-21 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2020-10-01 - Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Horst Geyer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12216009B2 ## CPC - G01K 7/42: Circuits effecting compensation of thermal inertia; Circuits for predicting the stationary value of a temperature - H02M 1/32: Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection - H02M 1/327: {against abnormal temperatures} - G01K 7/427: {Temperature calculation based on spatial modeling, e.g. spatial inter- or extrapolation} - G01K 2217/00: Temperature measurement using electric or magnetic components already present in the system to be measured - G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00) - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) ## Abstract An arrangement includes a supply unit of an industrial control system and a superordinate computing unit assigned to the supply unit. The supply unit includes an electronic assembly which includes an electronic component. The supply unit is configured to calculate a first temperature of the electronic component using a first thermal model. The superordinate computing unit is configured to calculate a second temperature of the electronic component using a second thermal model when the supply unit is without current, with the supply unit providing the superordinate computing unit with relevant data for a calculation of the second thermal model. The supply unit and the superordinate computing unit interact in such a way that at least one of the first temperature and the second temperature of the electronic component is calculated. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An arrangement, comprising: a supply unit of an industrial control system, said supply unit including an electronic assembly which includes an electronic component, said supply unit configured to calculate a first temperature of the electronic component using a first thermal model; and a superordinate computing unit assigned to the supply unit and configured to calculate a second temperature of the electronic component using a second thermal model, with the supply unit providing the superordinate computing unit with relevant data for a calculation of the second thermal model, wherein the supply unit and the superordinate computing unit interact so that at least one of the first temperature and the second temperature of the electronic component is always calculated, and the superordinate computing unit can calculate the second temperature when the supply unit is without current and not operating, and the calculated second temperature can be used as an initial value when the supply unit is restarted. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the supply unit is designed as a converter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the superordinate computing unit is designed as a superordinate controller, an Edge device, or a cloud server. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the second thermal model is more detailed than the first thermal model. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the electronic assembly comprises a temperature sensor, said second thermal model configured to determine a temperature of the temperature sensor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The arrangement of claim 5, wherein the first temperature is determined as a function of the temperature of the temperature sensor as determined by the second thermal model. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the electronic component is designed as a semiconductor component. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the electronic component is designed as an IGBT or as a diode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the electronic component is designed as an IGBT module. ### Claim 10 A method for determining a temperature of an electronic component of an electronic assembly of a supply unit of an industrial control system, said method comprising: calculating with the supply unit a first temperature of the electronic component using a first thermal model; and calculating with a superordinate computing unit assigned to the supply unit and cooperating with the supply unit a second temperature of the electronic component using a second thermal model based on relevant data received from the supply unit; wherein the supply unit and the superordinate computing unit interact in such a way that at least one of the first and second temperatures of the electronic component is always calculated, so that the superordinate computing unit can calculate the second temperature when the supply unit is without current and not operating, and the calculated second temperature can be used as an initial value when the supply unit is restarted. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising determining a wear value of the electronic component based on the second temperature. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising adapting a maintenance plan for the supply unit based on the wear value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the first temperature and the second temperature are calculated simultaneously while the supply unit is operating. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising calculating at least one of the first and second temperatures of the electronic component from a power loss or a thermal section, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein calculating the first temperature is less detailed than calculating the second temperature. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising determining a temperature of a temperature sensor of the electronic assembly when the second thermal model is calculated. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the first temperature is determined as a function of the temperature of the temperature sensor as determined by the second thermal model. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the superordinate computing unit assumes responsibility for the calculation of the second temperature while the supply unit is without current and not operating. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) A non-transitory computer readable medium, stored therein a computer program, said computer program comprising instructions which, when the computer program is loaded into an arrangement comprising a supply unit of an industrial control system, said supply unit including an electronic assembly which includes an electronic component, and a superordinate computing unit assigned to the supply unit, and executed by the arrangement, cause the arrangement to perform the method of claim 10. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein a data carrier signal is transferred when the computer program as set forth in claim 19 is performed by the arrangement. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computer program is a cloud app.