Cooling module for parallel-connected power modules of inverters

Abstract

A cooling module for a parallel-type power module of an inverter may include: a parallel-type power module, a first cooling water channel, and a second cooling water channel, wherein the parallel-type power module is configured to be arranged in three or more columns and three or more rows, wherein three parallel-type power modules are arranged in three or more rows in each of the three or more columns to correspond to the U phase, V phase, and W phase of the inverter; the first cooling water channel has a channel through which cooling water flows and is configured to contact the upper surface and lower surface of the power module arranged in the first row; the second cooling water channel has a channel through which cooling water flows and is configured to contact the upper surface and lower surface of the power module installed in the third row.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0082858, filed on Jul. 17, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a cooling module for cooling a power module of a vehicle inverter. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cooling module for a parallel type power module. Background Art

[0004] Environmentally friendly vehicles such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and electric vehicles (EV) that use a motor as a driving source generally use a high-voltage battery as an energy source for driving the motor, and require an inverter that supplies power to the motor as a power conversion component.

[0005] The inverter is provided between the motor and the high voltage battery to convert direct current (DC) power of the high voltage battery into three-phase alternating current (AC) power and to supply the three-phase AC power to the motor.

[0006] The power module is provided at the inverter and is configured with a semiconductor switch made of an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) and a diode, thereby transmitting high voltage and high current to the motor through fast switching. Currently, the flowing high current causes loss, and the loss heats the semiconductor switch to generate high heat, increasing the junction temperature of the semiconductor switch.

[0007] Furthermore, the inverter may include a cooler for cooling heat caused by rapid switching losses of the power modules.

[0008] However, in order to prevent the semiconductor switch from burning out and maintain its durable life, the maximum temperature of the semiconductor switch needs to be kept within 175°C at all times.

[0009] therefore, Figure 1 The logic shown is applied to HEV or EV, so that the temperature T_ 结 Precisely controlled within 175℃.

[0010] When the input parameter values ​​(load current, input voltage, and variable frequency) that determine the driving conditions are determined, power loss occurs according to the input parameter values, and the Δ junction temperature is determined by multiplying the input parameter value with the thermal resistance value, and the final temperature is obtained by adding the Δ temperature and the water temperature read from the water temperature sensor, so that the temperature T_ of the semiconductor switch is 结 Always control within 175℃.

[0011] Even under the conditions of variable switching frequency, input voltage variation and load current variation, the temperature deviation of the predicted junction temperature is still within 5°C.

[0012] like Figure 2 As shown, it can be seen that the junction temperature of the power module is determined by the applied current.

[0013] Recently, as the lineup of environmentally friendly vehicles expands, the amount of current in high-performance vehicles has rapidly increased, making it impossible for conventional power modules to manage the rapidly increasing amount of current.

[0014] Therefore, the required current can be managed by driving the power modules in parallel.

[0015] Figure 3 A parallel-type power module and a parallel-type cooling module are schematically shown.

[0016] An exemplary parallel power module has the following construction: three rows of parallel power modules P1, P2 and P3 correspond to the three U, V and W phases of the inverter respectively, and an exemplary parallel cooling module has the following structure: the inlet and the outlet are arranged in opposite directions, and the cooling channels L1, L2, L3 and L4 are also configured in parallel.

[0017] There are two problems with this parallel cooling module. Figure 4 As shown, the first problem is that the flow rate LPM (L per minute) of each cooling channel L1, L2, L3 and L4 is reduced to 1 / n according to the number of parallel cooling channels, so that the thermal resistance is reduced; Figure 5 As shown, the second problem is that when the water temperature on the outlet side (W phase) rises, the water temperature on the W phase inevitably becomes higher than the water temperature on the inlet side (U phase).

[0018] Since the factor determining the inverter specification is the maximum temperature, the inverter specification is limited by the temperature of the W phase.

[0019] The information contained in this Background section is only intended to enhance understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this information constitutes the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0020] Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing a cooling module for a parallel-type power module of an inverter, which is configured to effectively cool the parallel-type power module of the inverter.

[0021] Other objects and advantages of the present invention can be understood by the following description and become clear with reference to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Likewise, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the objects and advantages of the present invention can be achieved by the claimed means or combinations thereof.

[0022] According to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a cooling module for a parallel-type power module of an inverter may include: a parallel-type power module, a first cooling water channel, and a second cooling water channel, the parallel-type power module being configured to be arranged in three or more columns and three or more rows, wherein three parallel-type power modules are arranged in three or more rows in each of the three or more columns to correspond to the U phase, V phase, and W phase of the inverter; the first cooling water channel having a channel through which cooling water flows and being configured to contact the upper and lower surfaces of the power module arranged in the first row; the second cooling water channel having a channel through which cooling water flows and being configured to contact the upper and lower surfaces of the power module installed in the third row.

[0023] The first cooling water channel may be in contact with upper surfaces of the power modules mounted at the second row, and the second cooling water channel may be in contact with lower surfaces of the power modules mounted at the second row.

[0024] The first cooling water channel may include: a first inlet channel, a first upper cooling channel, a first U-turn channel, a first lower cooling channel and a first outlet channel, cooling water flows in through the first inlet channel; the first upper cooling channel is configured to be connected to the first inlet channel and contact the upper surface of the power module arranged in the first row; the first U-turn channel is configured to be connected to the distal end portion of the first upper cooling channel in a downward direction; the first lower cooling channel is configured to be connected to the first U-turn channel and contact the lower surface of the power module arranged in the first row and the upper surface of the power module arranged in the second row; the first outlet channel is connected to the distal end portion of the first lower cooling channel and cooling water flows out through the first outlet channel.

[0025] The second cooling water channel may include: a second inlet channel, a second upper cooling channel, a second U-turn channel, a second lower cooling channel and a second outlet channel, cooling water flows in through the second inlet channel; the second upper cooling channel is configured to be connected to the second inlet channel and to contact the lower surface of the power module arranged at the second row and the upper surface of the power module arranged at the third row; the second U-turn channel is configured to be connected to the distal end portion of the second upper cooling channel in a downward direction; the second lower cooling channel is configured to be connected to the second U-turn channel and to contact the lower surface of the power module arranged at the third row; the second outlet channel is configured to be connected to the distal end portion of the second lower cooling channel and cooling water flows out through the second outlet channel.

[0026] The first inlet channel and the second inlet channel may communicate with each other through the same inlet hole, and the first outlet channel and the second outlet channel may communicate with each other through the same outlet hole.

[0027] The first inlet channel may be in communication with the first upper cooling channel, the second inlet channel may be in communication with the second upper cooling channel, the first outlet channel may be in communication with the first lower cooling channel, and the second outlet channel may be in communication with the second lower cooling channel.

[0028] The parallel power modules can be arranged in six rows, and the cooling module can further include a third cooling water channel and a fourth cooling water channel, the third cooling water channel having a channel through which cooling water flows and is configured to contact the upper and lower surfaces of the power modules arranged in the fourth row, and the fourth cooling water channel having a channel through which cooling water flows and is configured to contact the upper and lower surfaces of the power modules arranged in the sixth row.

[0029] The cooling module may further include: a first inlet side support block, a second inlet side support block, a first outlet side support block and a second outlet side support block, the first inlet side support block being configured to support a first inlet channel on its upper surface; the second inlet side support block being configured to support a second inlet channel on its upper surface; the first outlet side support block being configured to support a first outlet channel on its upper surface; the second outlet side support block being configured to support a second outlet channel on its upper surface, wherein inlet holes may be formed in the first inlet side support block and the second inlet side support block, and outlet holes may be formed in the first outlet side support block and the second outlet side support block.

[0030] The second inlet-side supporting block and the second outlet-side supporting block may be integrally formed.

[0031] The cooling module may further include a first U-turn side support block, which is configured to support a first upper cooling channel, a first lower cooling channel, and a second upper cooling channel, and is divided into an upper space and a lower space, wherein the first U-turn channel is formed in the upper space and the second U-turn channel is formed in the lower space.

[0032] The cooling module may further include a U-turn side middle block configured to support the second lower cooling channel.

[0033] The methods and apparatus of the present invention have other features and advantages, which will be apparent from, or will be described in detail in, the accompanying drawings and subsequent detailed descriptions incorporated herein, which together serve to explain the specific principles of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the logic for temperature management of a semiconductor switch.

[0035] Figure 2 is a graph showing the relationship between the junction temperature of the power module and the current applied to the power module.

[0036] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional cooling method according to a parallel type power module.

[0037] Figure 4 and Figure 5 Is used to describe Figure 3 A graph showing the problems with traditional cooling methods.

[0038] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram conceptually showing parallel type cooling, and Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram conceptually showing the tandem cooling.

[0039] Figure 8 Yes Display Figure 7 A graph showing the limiting point of series cooling.

[0040] Fig. 9 , Fig.10 , Fig.11 and Fig.12 is a schematic diagram showing the cooling methods available in a triple parallel drive.

[0041] Fig.13 and Fig.14 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cooling module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Fig.15 is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow of cooling water through a side surface shape of a cooling module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Fig.16 and Fig.17 is a graph showing the improved effect achieved by the cooling module of the present invention.

[0044] It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but rather present simplified representations of various features to illustrate the basic principles of the present invention. The specific design features of the present invention disclosed herein (including, for example, specific dimensions, directions, locations, and shapes) will be determined in part by specific target applications and use environments.

[0045] In the figures, like reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The following will be referred to in detail various embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings and are described below. Although the present invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that this specification is not intended to limit the present invention to those exemplary embodiments. On the other hand, the present invention is intended to not only cover the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, but also cover various alternative embodiments, modified embodiments, equivalent embodiments and other embodiments that may be included in the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0047] Reference may be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention, and to the description thereof, for a fuller understanding of the invention and its operating advantages, and objectives attained by its practice.

[0048] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, known technologies or detailed descriptions may be reduced or omitted to avoid obscuring the understanding of the present invention by those skilled in the art.

[0049] The present invention is a cooling module for cooling parallel type power modules, and as described above, it can be seen that it is difficult to achieve excellent performance by a simplified parallel cooling method.

[0050] In order to obtain an effective cooling method, the Figure 6 and Figure 7 Cooling method.

[0051] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram conceptually showing parallel type cooling, and Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram conceptually showing the tandem cooling.

[0052] Figure 6 and Figure 7 The advantages and disadvantages of the cooling methods can be summarized in Table 1 below.

[0053] [Table 1]

[0054]

[0055] As summarized in Table 1, in terms of cooling performance and the influence of the water temperature rise on the outlet side, it can be concluded that the series structure is more advantageous than the parallel structure.

[0056] However, when the cooling modules are configured in a series structure under the parallel driving condition of the power modules, the advantage is that as LPM (L per minute) becomes larger, the thermal resistance decreases and the influence of the water temperature rise decreases, but Figure 8 As shown, the pressure loss increases exponentially, so it can be seen that series and parallel operation strategies are required in the section for managing the pressure loss of the system.

[0057] That is, as LPM increases, thermal resistance decreases, but when LPM reaches a certain section, the improvement is significantly reduced, so when the target thermal resistance is met, there is no need to increase LPM in the certain section, and the number of series configurations should be considered for selection.

[0058] In order to verify the efficiency of the series-parallel method of cooling modules based on the above considerations, the reference Fig. 9 , Fig.10 , Fig.11 and Fig.12 Give a description.

[0059] Fig. 9 , Fig.10 , Fig.11 and Fig.12 is an example of a cooling structure that can be used in three power modules driven in parallel.

[0060] Fig. 9 shows a cooling module with a simplified parallel structure, Fig.10 An example of a cooling module having a series-parallel combination structure is shown, Fig.11 Another example of a cooling module having a series-parallel combination structure is shown, Fig.12 Yet another example of a cooling module having a series-parallel combination structure is shown.

[0061] In contrast Fig. 9 , Fig.10 , Fig.11 and Fig.12 When Fig.11 and Fig.12 The outlet temperature of the structure is the lowest. Fig.12 The parallel module deviation of the structure is the smallest. Therefore, Fig.12 The series-parallel combination structure is the most effective, and compared with the traditional parallel structure, Fig.12 The series-parallel combination structure can reduce the temperature and thermal resistance of the outlet part.

[0062] The present invention relates to a cooling structure for cooling a parallel power module, and proposes a cooling module using a series-parallel combined cooling method, which has Fig.12 The same type as shown.

[0063] Fig.13 and Fig.14 is a schematic diagram showing a cooling module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, Fig.15 is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow of cooling water through a side surface shape of a cooling module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] The exemplary cooling module may be applied to six power modules driven in parallel, and a conventional cooling module for six power modules driven in parallel may be as follows: Figure 3 Eight parallel cooling modules are shown.

[0065] Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing a four-series-parallel combination type cooling module for six parallel-driven power modules.

[0066] The four-series-parallel combination type means that four cooling water channels are configured in parallel, and each cooling water channel has a series configuration.

[0067] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, cooling modules provided for power modules 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 (corresponding to only V phase shown) are configured in parallel in six rows by corresponding to U, V and W phases of the inverter, respectively.

[0068] For convenience, the power module arranged at the uppermost position in the figure is called the first row power module, and the power module arranged below the first row power module is called the second row power module, and the description is based on the order of the first row power module and the second row power module.

[0069] The cooling water channel contacts the upper and lower surfaces of each of the six rows of power modules 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, and thus the six rows of power modules 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 are cooled by the cooling water channel, thereby configuring four rows of parallel type cooling water channels in parallel.

[0070] In this way, a support block for supporting four rows of parallel type cooling water channels is configured, and a cooling module is configured according to a method of assembling the support block.

[0071] The first cooling water channel is configured with: a first inlet channel 111, through which cooling water flows in; a first upper cooling channel 112, which is connected to the first inlet channel 111 and contacts the upper surface of each of the plurality of first-row power modules 11; a first U-turn channel 113, which is connected to the distal end portion of the first upper cooling channel 112 in a downward direction; a first lower cooling channel 114, which is connected to the first U-turn channel 113 and contacts the lower surface of each of the plurality of first-row power modules 11 and the upper surface of each of the plurality of second-row power modules 12; and a first outlet channel 115, which is connected to the distal end portion of the first lower cooling channel 114 and through which cooling water flows out.

[0072] Next, the second cooling water channel is configured with: a second inlet channel 121, through which cooling water flows in; a second upper cooling channel 122, which is connected to the second inlet channel 121 and contacts the lower surface of each of the plurality of second-row power modules 12 and the upper surface of each of the plurality of third-row power modules 13; a second U-turn channel 123, which is connected to the distal end portion of the second upper cooling channel 122 in a downward direction; a second lower cooling channel 124, which is connected to the second U-turn channel 123 and contacts the lower surface of each of the plurality of third-row power modules 13; and a second outlet channel 125, which is connected to the distal end portion of the second lower cooling channel 124 and through which cooling water flows out.

[0073] The third cooling water channel is configured with: a third inlet channel 131, through which cooling water flows in; a third upper cooling channel 132, which is connected to the third inlet channel 131 and contacts the upper surface of each of the plurality of fourth-row power modules 14; a third U-turn channel 133, which is connected to the distal end portion of the third upper cooling channel 132 in a downward direction; a third lower cooling channel 134, which is connected to the third U-turn channel 133 and contacts the lower surface of each of the plurality of fourth-row power modules 14 and the upper surface of each of the plurality of fifth-row power modules 15; and a third outlet channel 135, which is connected to the distal end portion of the third lower cooling channel 134 and through which cooling water flows out.

[0074] Next, the fourth cooling water channel is configured with: a fourth inlet channel 141, through which cooling water flows in; a fourth upper cooling channel 142, which is connected to the fourth inlet channel 141 and contacts the lower surface of each of the plurality of fifth-row power modules 15 and the upper surface of each of the plurality of sixth-row power modules 16; a fourth U-turn channel 143, which is connected to the distal end portion of the fourth upper cooling channel 142 in a downward direction; a fourth lower cooling channel 144, which is connected to the fourth U-turn channel 143 and contacts the lower surface of each of the plurality of sixth-row power modules 16; and a fourth outlet channel 145, which is connected to the distal end portion of the fourth lower cooling channel 144 and through which cooling water flows out.

[0075] Since the cooling water channels (each channel has a series configuration) are configured in parallel, the inlet hole IN and the outlet hole OUT are configured on the same side of the cooling module, the inlet channels 111, 121, 131 and 141 are distributed through a single inlet hole IN and thus cooling water flows in, and the cooling water flowing out from the outlet channels 115, 125, 135, 145 and 155 flows out through a single outlet hole OUT.

[0076] Therefore, as shown in the drawings, the inlet channel and the outlet channel are disposed opposite to each other with respect to the upper cooling channel or the lower cooling channel such that the inlet channel is bent to communicate with the upper cooling channel and the outlet channel is bent to communicate with the lower cooling channel.

[0077] The support block is assembled to support the cooling water channel, and is provided on each of the inlet side of the inlet hole IN and the outlet side of the outlet hole OUT.

[0078] The first inlet-side support block 210 has an inlet hole formed to vertically penetrate the first inlet-side support block 210 , and the first inlet-side support block 210 supports the first inlet passage 111 on an upper surface thereof.

[0079] The second inlet-side support block 230 has an inlet hole formed to vertically penetrate the second inlet-side support block 230 , and the second inlet-side support block 230 supports the second inlet passage 121 on an upper surface thereof.

[0080] The third inlet-side support block 250 has an inlet hole formed to vertically penetrate the third inlet-side support block 250 , and supports the third inlet passage 131 on an upper surface thereof.

[0081] The fourth inlet-side support block 270 has an inlet hole formed vertically through the fourth inlet-side support block 270 , and supports the fourth inlet passage 141 on an upper surface thereof.

[0082] The inlet holes formed at the first inlet side support block 210, the second inlet side support block 230, the third inlet side support block 250 and the fourth inlet side support block 270 pass through each other to form a single inlet hole IN, and the first inlet channel 111, the second inlet channel 121, the third inlet channel 131 and the fourth inlet channel 141 are connected to the upper surfaces of the first inlet side support block 210, the second inlet side support block 230, the third inlet side support block 250 and the fourth inlet side support block 270.

[0083] Next, the first outlet-side support block 220 has an outlet hole formed to vertically penetrate the first outlet-side support block 220 , and the first outlet-side support block 220 supports the first outlet passage 115 on an upper surface thereof.

[0084] The second outlet-side support block 240 has an outlet hole formed to vertically penetrate the second outlet-side support block 240 , and the second outlet-side support block 240 supports the second outlet passage 125 on an upper surface thereof.

[0085] The third outlet-side support block 260 has an outlet hole formed to vertically penetrate the third outlet-side support block 260 , and supports the third outlet passage 135 on an upper surface thereof.

[0086] The fourth outlet-side support block 280 has an outlet hole formed vertically through the fourth outlet-side support block 280 , and the fourth outlet-side support block 270 supports the fourth outlet passage 145 on an upper surface thereof.

[0087] The inlet holes formed at the first outlet side support block 220, the second outlet side support block 240, the third outlet side support block 260 and the fourth outlet side support block 280 pass through each other to form a single outlet hole OUT, and the first outlet channel 115, the second outlet channel 125, the third outlet channel 135 and the fourth outlet channel 145 are connected to the upper surfaces of the first outlet side support block 220, the second outlet side support block 240, the third outlet side support block 260 and the fourth outlet side support block 280.

[0088] In such a configuration of six or more parallel type power modules, a suitable inlet-side support block and an outlet-side support block corresponding to the suitable inlet-side support block may be integrally formed so as to support the six or more parallel type power modules in a vertical direction thereof.

[0089] For example, the second inlet side support block 230 and the second outlet side support block 240 are integrally formed by being connected to each other to form the middle blocks 230 and 240, and the middle blocks 230 and 240 are integrally formed with the middle cover 290 extending in the longitudinal direction of the cooling module.

[0090] Due to the configuration of the middle cover 290 , the rigidity of the power modules arranged in parallel in the vertical direction can be ensured, so that the middle cover 290 is supported between the third row of power modules 13 and the fourth row of power modules 14 .

[0091] Next, the U-turn side support block is configured to support the cooling water channel on a side opposite to the inlet side support block and the outlet side support block.

[0092] The first U-turn side support block 310 supports the first upper cooling channel 112, the first lower cooling channel 114, and the second upper cooling channel 122, and the first U-turn side support block 310 is divided into an upper space and a lower space. The first U-turn channel 113 is formed in the upper space, the second U-turn channel 123 is formed in the lower space, and the first U-turn channel 113 and the second U-turn channel 123 can communicate with each other.

[0093] The second U-turn side support block 320 supports the third upper cooling channel 132, the third lower cooling channel 134 and the fourth upper cooling channel 142, and the second U-turn side support block 320 is divided into an upper space and a lower space. The third U-turn channel 133 is formed in the upper space, the fourth U-turn channel 143 is formed in the lower space, and the third U-turn channel 133 and the fourth U-turn channel 143 can communicate with each other.

[0094] In addition, the U-turn side middle block 330 is configured to support the second lower cooling passage 124 and is connected to one end portion of the middle cover 290 .

[0095] The above-mentioned support blocks are stacked and assembled to form a cooling module, and in order to assemble the above-mentioned support blocks, flanges 221 and 261 with bolt holes are formed at the first outlet side support block 220 and the third outlet side support block 260, and flanges 221 and 261 with bolt holes are further formed at the first inlet side support block 210 and the third inlet side support block 250.

[0096] Furthermore, a bolt tube 241 is formed at the second outlet-side support block 240 and is assembled by bolts B in a state of being aligned with bolt holes formed at the flanges 221 and 261 .

[0097] The bolt tube 241 is also formed at the second inlet side support block 230 and assembled by the above-mentioned assembling method, and as shown in the figure, the bolt tube 241 can be double-threaded to the inlet side and the outlet side thereof.

[0098] In addition, through holes are formed at the first U-turn side support block 310, the second U-turn side support block 320 and the U-turn side middle block 330, so that the first U-turn side support block 310, the second U-turn side support block 320 and the U-turn side middle block 330 can be assembled by bolts.

[0099] Fig.16 and Fig.17 is a graph showing the improved effect achieved by the cooling module of the present invention described above.

[0100] As can be seen from the accompanying drawings, according to the cooling module of the present invention, as LPM increases, the thermal resistance can be gradually reduced from about T2 to about T1 (T2>T1). When the cooling modules are configured in parallel according to the prior art, the LPM flowing through each cooling channel is significantly reduced, resulting in an increase in thermal resistance. Therefore, the thermal resistance can be reduced by increasing the LPM through the series-parallel combination structure.

[0101] Furthermore, the effect of increased water temperature can be minimized (balanced).

[0102] When cooling modules are configured in parallel according to the prior art, the output is limited due to the increase in water temperature at the outlet side, but according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the output may be increased by balancing the increase in water temperature at the inlet and outlet.

[0103] Furthermore, since the manageable current of each cooling module increases, the number of power modules forming the parallel type power module can be reduced, and thus the cost of the entire product can be reduced.

[0104] According to the cooling module for parallel type power modules of an inverter according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to increase the flow rate LPM of each cooling water channel for cooling the parallel type power modules and reduce the thermal resistance as the LPM increases.

[0105] Furthermore, the effect of the water temperature rise of each phase can be minimized (balanced), and thus the output can be increased.

[0106] Therefore, since the manageable current of each cooling module increases, the number of power modules forming the parallel type power module can be reduced, and thus the cost of the entire product can be reduced.

[0107] For convenience of interpretation and precise definition of the appended claims, the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "high", "low", "up", "down", "front", "back", "inside", "outside", "inward", "outward", "interior", "exterior", "forward" and "rearward" are used to describe the features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0108] The foregoing description of the specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention is presented for the purpose of illustration and description. The foregoing description is not intended to be exhaustive, nor is it intended to limit the present invention to the precise embodiments disclosed, and it is apparent that many changes and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments are selected and described in order to explain the specific principles of the present invention and its practical application, so that other persons skilled in the art can implement and utilize the various exemplary embodiments of the present invention and its different alternative embodiments and modified embodiments. The scope of the present invention is intended to be limited by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A cooling module device for a parallel power module of an inverter, the cooling module device comprising: A parallel power module installed in three or more columns and three or more rows, wherein three parallel power modules of the parallel power module are installed in three or more rows in each of the three or more columns to correspond to the U phase, the V phase, and the W phase of the inverter; a first cooling water channel having a channel through which cooling water flows and in contact with upper and lower surfaces of a power module installed at a first row among three or more rows of parallel-type power modules; a second cooling water channel having a channel through which cooling water flows and in contact with upper and lower surfaces of a power module installed at a third row among three or more rows of parallel-type power modules; The first cooling water channel contacts the upper surface of the power module installed at the second row among three or more rows of parallel power modules, and the second cooling water channel contacts the lower surface of the power module installed at the second row.

2. The cooling module device for parallel power modules of an inverter according to claim 1, wherein: The first cooling water channel comprises: a first inlet channel through which cooling water flows; a first upper cooling channel in fluid communication with the first inlet channel and in contact with an upper surface of a power module mounted at a first row; a first U-turn passage in fluid communication with a distal portion of the first upper cooling passage in a downward direction; a first lower cooling channel in fluid communication with the first U-turn channel and in contact with lower surfaces of the power modules installed at the first row and upper surfaces of the power modules installed at the second row; A first outlet passage is in fluid communication with a distal portion of the first lower cooling passage and through which cooling water flows out.

3. The cooling module device for parallel power modules of an inverter according to claim 2, wherein: The second cooling water channel comprises: a second inlet channel through which cooling water flows; a second upper cooling channel in fluid communication with the second inlet channel and in contact with lower surfaces of the power modules mounted at the second row and upper surfaces of the power modules mounted at the third row; a second U-turn passage in fluid communication with a distal portion of the second upper cooling passage in a downward direction; a second lower cooling channel in fluid communication with the second U-turn channel and in contact with a lower surface of a power module mounted at the third row; A second outlet passage is in fluid communication with a distal portion of the second lower cooling passage and through which cooling water flows out.

4. The cooling module device for parallel power modules of an inverter according to claim 3, wherein: The first inlet channel and the second inlet channel are in fluid communication with each other through a same inlet aperture, and the first outlet channel and the second outlet channel are in fluid communication with each other through a same outlet aperture.

5. The cooling module device for parallel power modules of an inverter according to claim 4, wherein: The same inlet opening and the same outlet opening are formed on a same side of the cooling module arrangement.

6. The cooling module device for parallel power modules of an inverter according to claim 4, wherein: The first inlet passage is in fluid communication with the first upper cooling passage, the second inlet passage is in fluid communication with the second upper cooling passage, the first outlet passage is in fluid communication with the first lower cooling passage, and the second outlet passage is in fluid communication with the second lower cooling passage.

7. The cooling module device for parallel power modules of an inverter according to claim 4, further comprising: a first inlet-side support block, the first inlet-side support block supporting the first inlet passage on an upper surface thereof; a second inlet-side support block, the second inlet-side support block supporting the second inlet passage on an upper surface thereof; a first outlet-side support block, the first outlet-side support block supporting the first outlet passage on an upper surface thereof; a second outlet-side support block, the second outlet-side support block supporting the second outlet passage on an upper surface thereof; The same inlet hole is formed in the first inlet-side support block and the second inlet-side support block, and the same outlet hole is formed in the first outlet-side support block and the second outlet-side support block.

8. The cooling module device for parallel power modules of an inverter according to claim 7, wherein: The first inlet-side support block, the second inlet-side support block, the first outlet-side support block, and the second outlet-side support block are formed on the same side of the cooling module device.

9. The cooling module device for parallel power modules of an inverter according to claim 7, wherein: The second inlet-side supporting block and the second outlet-side supporting block are integrally formed.

10. The cooling module device for parallel power modules of an inverter according to claim 7, further comprising: A U-turn side support block, the U-turn side support block supports the first upper cooling channel, the first lower cooling channel and the second upper cooling channel, and includes an upper space and a lower space, wherein the first U-turn channel is formed in the upper space of the first U-turn side support block, and the second U-turn channel is formed in the lower space of the first U-turn side support block.

11. The cooling module device for parallel power modules of an inverter according to claim 10, further comprising: A U-turn side middle block supports the second lower cooling channel.

12. The cooling module device for parallel power modules of an inverter according to claim 4, wherein: The three or more rows of parallel-connected power modules include six rows, The cooling module device further comprises: a third cooling water channel having a channel through which cooling water flows and in contact with upper and lower surfaces of a power module installed at a fourth row among the six rows of the parallel-type power modules; A fourth cooling water channel has a channel through which cooling water flows and contacts upper and lower surfaces of a power module installed at a sixth row among the six rows of the parallel type power modules.

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