TEC Semiconductor Cooling Components: Core Components in Temperature Control for New Energy Vehicles

The competition in the new energy vehicle market is intensifying, with refrigerators, heated seats, and advanced intelligent driving features becoming mainstream. Behind these comfortable and intelligent functions lies a small but crucial component: a thermoelectric cooler (TEC). Utilizing the Peltier effect, this solid-state chip can be applied to various automotive temperature control scenarios, including batteries, intelligent driving radar, cockpits, and computing chips, becoming an important direction for automakers' thermal management strategies. According to authoritative industry data, thermoelectric coolers are entering a period of rapid growth, becoming one of the key variables in the second half of the new energy vehicle competition. 01 Core Principles and Advantages of Thermoelectric Coolers The thermoelectric cooler is a solid-state temperature control element that operates based on the Peltier effect, composed of P- and N-type semiconductor chips. When energized, one end of the chip absorbs heat and the other dissipates heat; reversing the current switches between heating and cooling modes. Unlike traditional compressor refrigeration, it has no refrigerant, no mechanical movement, and no piping structure, possessing millisecond-level temperature control response capabilities. Image Image from Huajing Temperature Control In harsh automotive conditions, TEC offers significant advantages: temperature control accuracy reaches ±0.1℃, with fast response; its ultra-thin size fits the limited installation space in automobiles; it operates silently without vibration, and eliminates safety hazards such as leakage and corrosion, meeting the demands of new energy vehicles for lightweight, high safety, and high-precision temperature control. 02 Four Major Applications of TEC in the Automotive Field (1) Power Batteries The optimal operating temperature for lithium batteries is 25℃～40℃. High temperatures can easily lead to thermal runaway and accelerate cell aging, while low temperatures can cause the electrolyte to become viscous and reduce range. Traditional air cooling has limited heat dissipation efficiency, and liquid cooling poses a risk of leakage during maintenance. Semiconductor cooling chips can achieve precise point-to-point temperature control. During fast charging in summer, it quickly absorbs the high temperature of the battery cells, avoiding the risk of battery bulging; in winter, it provides reverse heating, raising the battery temperature in a low-temperature environment of 30℃, alleviating the problem of power loss in winter. Currently, companies such as Nidec and Toyota are exploring TEC temperature control solutions in battery systems to optimize battery cycle life and charge/discharge stability. (2) LiDAR LiDAR is a core sensing hardware component for advanced autonomous driving and is extremely sensitive to temperature. For every 10°C increase in ambient temperature, the laser output power decreases by approximately 15%, easily leading to ranging errors and point cloud disorder. TEC semiconductor cooling chips are installed in conjunction with the core radar components, maintaining a stable operating temperature between 25°C and 35°C, suppressing wavelength drift and reducing signal noise. Domestically developed micro-temperature control chips from Lengxin Technology can achieve temperature difference regulation exceeding 100°C in extreme environments ranging from 40°C to 85°C, ensuring that intelligent driving functions are not degraded under extreme weather conditions. Image Image from Pioneer Thermoelectric (3) Intelligent Cockpit The core temperature control components of high-end new energy vehicles, such as constant-temperature seats, in-vehicle heated and cooled cupholders, and in-vehicle refrigerators, are mostly semiconductor cooling chips. Compared to traditional ventilated seats, TEC air-conditioned seats offer a breeze-free, constant-temperature, and quiet operation; they can also assist the in-vehicle air conditioning in regulating room temperature, with faster heating and cooling speeds and lower energy consumption. Due to its fluorine-free, environmentally friendly, quiet, and comfortable characteristics, it has become a common configuration in the cabins of mid-to-high-end new energy vehicles. Its specific application principle is as follows: The semiconductor cooling chip (TEC), along with fins, a fan, and air ducts, forms a module. A centrifugal or axial fan draws external air into the module for cooling/heating, which is then evenly distributed to the seat cushion and backrest through the air duct system, allowing people to experience the temperature transfer of the seat. [Image] Image from Pioneer Thermoelectric (4) Computing Power Controller Mid-to-high-end models are generally equipped with high-computing power chips of 800 TOPS or higher, generating extremely high heat under high load operation. Traditional heat dissipation methods are difficul