전 세계적인 에너지 절감 압력이 커지는 가운데, 가장 주목받는 산업 분야 중 하나가 바로 HVAC(냉난방) 시스템이다.
전 세계적으로 냉난방 시스템이 가정 내 소비 전력의 큰 부분을 차지하면서, 이제는 효율성과 친환경성이 HVAC 분야의 핵심 이슈로 떠올랐다. 그렇다면 현재 HVAC 시장에서 가장 큰 기술적 도전 과제는 무엇일까?
Global HVAC Market Overcomes Efficiency Barrier with WBG
iMOTION™ Breaks the Limits of One-Shunt Control, Presenting a New Solution for Noise Reduction
As pressure to conserve energy grows worldwide, one of the industries receiving the most attention is HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems.
With heating and cooling systems accounting for a significant portion of household power consumption worldwide, efficiency and environmental friendliness have now emerged as key issues in the HVAC industry. So what are the biggest technological challenges facing the HVAC market today?
Park Moon-soo, head of Infineon Korea, said, “Global warming is the biggest issue, and improving the efficiency of heating and cooling systems is essential.” He especially emphasized that improving HVAC efficiency is essential, saying, “In the European market, regulations for improving the efficiency of heating and cooling systems are becoming stricter.”
Improving HVAC Efficiency: Are Wide Bandgap (WBG) Semiconductors the Key?
The silicon-based IGBTs used in existing HVAC systems are showing their technological limitations. This is why wide bandgap (WBG) devices, namely SiC and GaN, have recently been attracting attention.
"Currently, the application of SiC and GaN in the HVAC market is helping the most to improve efficiency. Although there was hesitation due to cost issues, the price is dropping rapidly due to recent economies of scale."
Mr. Park explained that WBG devices are no longer in the experimental stage but have reached the stage where they are actively applied to actual products. In particular, he added, "They provide high efficiency even in the mid-to-low load range and have excellent advantages in terms of thermal management due to their short dead time." In fact, he emphasized that it is possible to improve efficiency to the point where heat sinks and fans can be eliminated compared to existing IGBTs.
The Key to HVAC System Efficiency: Improving Power Density
So how can we improve the efficiency of HVAC systems? Mr. Park Moon-soo pointed out the close relationship between system efficiency and power density.
"In order to improve efficiency, power density must ultimately be increased. Using WBG devices such as SiC or GaN will increase switching speed and greatly improve low- and mid-load efficiency."
As these technological advances gain wider acceptance in the market, Infineon is also actively investing in fabs and wafer production for WBG devices, he said.
How to solve noise and vibration problems with the 1-shunt method?
The 1-shunt method, which is commonly adopted in the motor control field, is excellent in terms of cost reduction, but can cause noise and vibration problems due to relatively low resolution. Manager Park briefly explained the technical background of this part.
"The one-shunt method has poor resolution and makes it difficult to find the exact position of the motor, which is the main cause of noise and vibration."
So how does Infineon’s iMOTION™ solution solve this problem?
"We overcome the limitations of the single-shunt method by continuously processing and adjusting the PWM duty. "We improved the resolution by using additional correction coordinates, which actually showed a significant reduction in noise at frequencies that humans can hear."
Director Park explained that through this, even the 1-shunt method can achieve performance close to that of the 3-shunt method.
Single Shunt Current Measurement
Any technology that is difficult for developers to use will eventually be ignored by the market. Mr. Park explained why Infineon’s iMOTION™ solution is particularly convenient for engineers:
"Our solution provides a GUI-based tuning environment that hardware engineers can easily use even without in-depth motor control knowledge. Although the detailed algorithms are implemented in hardware, users can easily adjust parameters through the GUI."
This architecture is evaluated as an exquisite combination of the simplicity of hardware logic-based solutions and the flexibility of MCU-based solutions.
HVAC Systems: What is Infineon's strategy going forward? Mr. Park said that Infineon plans to expand its product lineup based on WBG devices in the future while continuously strengthening the MCU solutions that support them.
"Ultimately, the key to HVAC efficiency is an integrated solution that combines fast frequency processing capable MCUs with efficient power semiconductors. Infineon will provide solutions that meet market demands by strengthening both of these simultaneously."
Learn more in the e4ds webinar! If you want to learn more about these technical details, don’t miss the e4ds webinar on May 27th, where Manager Park Moon-soo will share practical solutions to noise and vibration issues, as well as technical tips and know-how that engineers can experience in the field.
As environmental regulations are strengthened worldwide, the HVAC market is also undergoing fundamental changes. According to Mr. Park, HVAC systems are now evolving beyond simple performance and efficiency to environmental responsibility. In particular, in situations where WBG-based technology and precise motor control are required, Infineon’s iMOTION™ solution is likely to be established as a reasonable and practical answer. Now, the task for engineers is how quickly they can accept these technological trends and apply them to the field.
