“While the passengers are kept pleasantly cool, the air conditioning system has to do the hardest work. In an electric or hybrid car, an electric compressor compresses the gaseous refrigerant. This is powered by a battery, since no combustion engine is available as a drive. The technology has to meet extreme requirements because electric compressors are exposed to harsh operating and environmental conditions. They must be able to withstand high pressure, high humidity and vibrations, and may never leak or lose their coolant.
At the same time, large amounts of energy must be reliably transferred and electrically insulated from the battery to the air conditioning compressor. This task is performed by the so-called compressor terminal. As a key component, it is also a potential weak point. This is because the risk of leakage is particularly high where electricity is supplied.
SCHOTT has developed leading solutions in the market for all these demanding requirements of a compressor terminal. For many decades, this has been based on the proven technology of hermetic glass-to- metal sealing. The current-carrying contacts are sealed absolutely gas-tight in glass. The feedthroughs promise to deliver maximum performance and durability.
“We are not reluctant to say that we currently offer the most efficient and advanced range of compressor terminals, both customized and standard products,” explains Yasuo Tsukada, electronic packaging expert at SCHOTT. “We have more than 50 years of experience in this field, cooperate with electric compressor and automotive manufacturers worldwide and continue constant innovation to meet all current requirements.”
These include developments in fast-charging technology for electric vehicles, for example. This is because compressor feedthroughs must provide extremely high insulation resistance and high voltage power. In addition, they must have high-current capabilities to be able to operate electrical systems with 48 volts in the future.”
