The design features integrated motor driver, MOSFET technology, and optimized PCB layout for quicker circuit assembly, accelerating development and market entry for 100 W pumps.
An auxiliary water pump is essential in automotive thermal management systems for several reasons. It provides supplemental cooling to the engine, battery, and other components when the primary water pump, which is usually engine-driven, is off or when additional cooling is required. This is especially important in hybrid and electric vehicles to maintain optimal temperatures for the battery and electronic systems. In cold weather, the auxiliary water pump can circulate coolant through the engine and heating system before starting the engine, aiding in quicker warm-up and reduced emissions. For vehicles with turbocharged engines, it offers cooling to the turbocharger after the engine is shut off, preventing heat soak and prolonging the turbocharger’s life. By ensuring all components operate within their ideal temperature ranges, the auxiliary water pump contributes to better fuel efficiency, engine performance, and overall vehicle longevity.
The REF_WATERPUMP100W is a reference design by Infineon Technologies developed specifically for 3-phase automotive auxiliary water pumps used in thermal management systems. It features the TLE9879QXW40, which is part of the Embedded Power IC family. This single-chip 3-phase motor driver is a System-on-Chip (SoC) solution that integrates an industry-standard Arm® Cortex®-M3 core, LIN transceiver, bridge driver, and power supply. This integration enables the implementation of advanced motor control algorithms such as sensorless field-oriented control (FOC).
Another key component of the reference design is the IAUC60N04S6N031H, a 40 V MOSFET in a 5×6 SSO8 package that uses Infineon’s leading OptiMOSâ„¢-6 technology. It offers cost efficiency for low and mid-power drive applications and allows for a reduced PCB size due to enhanced routing for bridge applications. Additionally, the design includes the IPZ40N04S5-3R1, an OptiMOS 5 40 V component in an S3O8 Package. This component combines leading power MOSFET technology with a compact 3.3 x 3.3 mm leadless power package for robust automotive system solutions. Based on Infineon’s latest silicon automotive PowerMOS technology, it is optimized to meet and exceed the energy efficiency and power density requirements of automotive BLDC and H-bridge applications. The robust S3O8 leadless package technology enables very small and efficient system designs with minimal RDS(on) down to 2.8 mΩ.
The reference design is optimized in terms of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and thermal behavior. The reference design is aimed at accelerating the development process and helping developers go to market faster with their 100 W auxiliary water pump solutions.
The design offers recommendations for components and layout. It is based on a printed circuit board (PCB) design, which allows for quicker assembly of a circuit compared to a leadframe solution.
Infineon has tested this reference design. It comes with a Bill of Material (BOM), schematics, etc. You can find additional data about the reference design on the company’s website. To read more about this reference design, click here.
