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US 8,552,283 B2Granted
Thermoelectric application for waste heat recovery from semiconductor devices in power electronics systems
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorsErcan Mehmet Dede, Brian Joseph Robert
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Abstract
In a power electronics system of a next generation vehicle, a power module is provided including a thermoelectric device which is provided in a thermally conductive path between a power device and a cooling plate such that the thermoelectric device creates useful electric power from the waste heat of the power device.
Claims6
A power module of a power electronics system of a hybrid electric vehicle comprising:
- a substrate;
- a power device that switches electric power on the substrate;
- a thermoelectric device that produces a harvested electric power, the thermoelectric device including a top portion and a bottom portion;
- a metal base plate that dissipates heat produced by the power device;
- and
- a heat pipe that communicates with the top portion of the thermoelectric device and that communicates with the metal base plate,
- wherein the power module includes a first thermal path between the power device and the metal base plate via the thermoelectric device and the heat pipe such that a temperature differential across the thermoelectric device is formed between the top and bottom portions of the thermoelectric device,
- wherein the power module includes a second thermal path between the power device and the metal base plate via the substrate,
- wherein the harvested electric power is produced by the thermoelectric device based on the temperature differential, and
- wherein the power device is between the substrate and the thermoelectric device.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.