Challenges
Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHEV) and Electric Vehicles (EVs) are equipped with numerous batteries to extend the distance they can travel without the need for recharging. Since there is limited mounting space, highly efficient water-cooling systems are increasingly being adopted.
Thermistors are being used to monitor the temperature of the coolant in these battery cooling systems and play an important role in vehicle safety.
Other companies entered this market before us, but they had problems with temperature accuracy, response speed, and the ability to make proposals. So they asked SEMITEC for development assistance.
Efforts to address challenges
SEMITEC proposed thermistors that can detect changes in coolant temperature with high sensitivity; quickly redesigned the inner structure of water temperature sensors to achieve required performance at low cost, and swiftly responded to customer requests in a timely manner to resolve the problems.
Since entering the market, we have delivered about 2 million water temperature sensors and gained recognition as a supplier of reliable temperature sensors with almost no problems in quality and delivery. In addition to resolving battery cooling problems, we developed a system that controls the thermal management of the entire vehicle via circulating coolant. This system is now being put to practical use. It is expected that the number of thermistors installed in electric vehicles will further increase in the future as the electrification of vehicles accelerates.
