IGBT Cooling System

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of IGBT cooling technology, and in particular to an IGBT cooling system. It comprises: an IGBT module and a cooling device; the cooling device has a heat pipe structure, the heat pipe structure comprises an evaporation part and a heat dissipation part, the evaporation part comprises a first cavity, the heat dissipation part comprises a second cavity, the first cavity is connected to the second cavity, the top of the second cavity is connected to a third cavity, the third cavity is connected to the outside, the third cavity is provided with a flexible membrane, and the flexible membrane can freely expand and contract in the third cavity with pressure changes; the first cavity, the second cavity and the flexible membrane together constitute the inner cavity of the heat pipe structure, the first cavity is provided with an adjustment port, the adjustment port is used to add working fluid into the first cavity and to evacuate air to adjust the vacuum degree of the inner cavity; the IGBT module is immersed in the working fluid of the first cavity. The IGBT cooling system provided by the present invention meets the demand for rapid cooling and prolongs the service life of the IGBT module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of IGBT cooling, and in particular to an IGBT cooling system. Background Art

[0002] As a high-power power electronic device, the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) generates a large amount of heat due to its power consumption when working, causing the internal temperature of the IGBT to rise rapidly. If the internal heat of the IGBT cannot be dissipated in time, the IGBT will continue to heat up, causing the IGBT to fail due to overheating.

[0003] As IGBT is applied to railway locomotives, medical treatment, automobiles, high-voltage power grids, robots, computers and other fields, the heat generated by IGBT is getting higher and higher. Whether it can be cooled quickly has become a bottleneck in the development of IGBT. There are many cooling methods for existing IGBTs, such as direct air cooling, indirect liquid cooling, direct liquid cooling, etc. However, some methods can no longer meet the demand for rapid cooling, resulting in a higher operating temperature and a shorter service life of IGBT. Although some methods can meet the demand for rapid cooling, the cooling system is complex, occupies a large space, and has a high cost. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide an IGBT cooling system to alleviate the problems that the existing IGBT cooling system cannot meet the rapid cooling requirements, and the cooling system is complex, occupies a large space and has a high cost.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution provided by the present invention is:

[0006] An IGBT cooling system comprises: an IGBT module and a cooling device;

[0007] The cooling device has a heat pipe structure, the heat pipe structure includes an evaporation part and a heat dissipation part, the evaporation part includes a first cavity, the heat dissipation part includes a second cavity, the first cavity and the second cavity are connected, the top of the second cavity is connected to a third cavity, the third cavity is connected to the outside, the third cavity is provided with a flexible membrane, the flexible membrane can freely expand and contract in the third cavity with pressure changes, and in a working state, the space formed between the flexible membrane and the top of the second cavity is used to accommodate the working medium and the non-condensable gas generated by the heat pipe structure;

[0008] The first cavity, the second cavity and the flexible film together constitute the inner cavity of the heat pipe structure, and the first cavity is provided with an adjustment port, and the adjustment port is used to add working medium into the first cavity and to extract air to adjust the vacuum degree of the inner cavity;

[0009] The IGBT module is immersed in the working medium of the first cavity. In the working state, the working medium is heated and vaporized to transfer heat from the first cavity to the second cavity. The second cavity dissipates the heat by liquid cooling or air cooling.

[0010] Furthermore,

[0011] A mounting plate is arranged between the first cavity and the second cavity, the regulating port is arranged on the mounting plate, a first porous top plate is arranged on the top of the second cavity, and a second porous top plate is arranged on the top of the third cavity.

[0012] Furthermore,

[0013] The flexible membrane is attached to a side of the first porous top plate away from the second cavity.

[0014] or,

[0015] The flexible membrane is arranged in the middle of the third cavity.

[0016] Furthermore,

[0017] The cross-sectional area of ​​the third cavity is greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the second cavity.

[0018] Furthermore,

[0019] The regulating port is installed with a three-way valve, and the three-way valve includes a first valve body, a second valve body and a third valve body. The third valve body is used to control the opening and closing of the regulating port. A first passage is formed between the first valve body and the third valve body, and the first passage is used to inject working fluid into the first cavity. A second passage is formed between the second valve body and the third valve body, and the second passage is used to extract air to adjust the vacuum degree of the inner cavity.

[0020] Furthermore,

[0021] The side wall of the second cavity is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet.

[0022] Furthermore,

[0023] A cooling fan is arranged on the side of the second cavity.

[0024] Furthermore,

[0025] It also includes a control device, which is connected to the cooling fan signal and is used to adjust the speed of the cooling fan.

[0026] Furthermore,

[0027] The control device includes a temperature sensor and an ECU. The temperature sensor is installed on the outer wall of the first cavity. The temperature sensor is connected to the ECU by signal, and the ECU is connected to the cooling fan by signal.

[0028] The embodiments of the present invention bring the following beneficial effects:

[0029] The present invention provides an IGBT cooling system, comprising: an IGBT module and a cooling device; the cooling device has a heat pipe structure, the heat pipe structure comprises an evaporation part and a heat dissipation part, the evaporation part comprises a first cavity, the heat dissipation part comprises a second cavity, the first cavity and the second cavity are connected, the top of the second cavity is connected to a third cavity, the third cavity is connected to the outside, the third cavity is provided with a flexible film, the flexible film can freely expand and contract in the third cavity with pressure changes, in a working state, the space formed between the flexible film and the top of the second cavity is used to accommodate a working medium and non-condensable gas generated by the heat pipe structure; the first cavity, the second cavity and the flexible film together constitute the inner cavity of the heat pipe structure, the first cavity is provided with an adjustment port, the adjustment port is used to add working medium into the first cavity and to extract air to adjust the vacuum degree of the inner cavity; the IGBT module is immersed in the working medium of the first cavity, in a working state, the working medium is heated and gasified to transfer heat from the first cavity to the second cavity, and the second cavity dissipates heat by liquid cooling or air cooling.

[0030] The IGBT module is immersed in the working fluid of the first cavity of the cooling device, and the working fluid can be added to the first cavity and the air can be pumped through the regulating port to adjust the vacuum degree of the inner cavity. Since the working fluid is heated and vaporized in a vacuum state, the heat can be transferred from the first cavity to the second cavity, and the heat continues to be transferred outward, and the second cavity dissipates the heat by liquid cooling or air cooling. The flexible membrane can freely expand and contract in the third cavity with the pressure change. The space between the flexible membrane and the top of the second cavity accommodates the non-condensable gas generated by the working fluid and the heat pipe structure, which can reduce the influence of the non-condensable gas on the heat dissipation performance of the heat dissipation part, and can also reduce the limit working pressure in the first cavity and the second cavity. The IGBT cooling system provided by the present application utilizes the working fluid to vaporize at a lower temperature in a vacuum environment, ensures that the IGBT module has a lower operating temperature, and prolongs the service life of the IGBT module. In addition, the IGBT cooling system is simple and efficient, and is suitable for application scenarios with small space, large heat dissipation, and low cost.

[0031] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, preferred embodiments are given below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the related technologies, the drawings required for use in the specific embodiments or the related technical descriptions will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0033] Figure 1 A side view of an air-cooled IGBT cooling system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an air-cooled IGBT cooling system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the liquid cooling of the IGBT cooling system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a flexible membrane arrangement method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a second cavity and a third cavity structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of a three-way valve provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] icon:

[0040] 100-IGBT module; 200-cooling device; 210-first cavity; 211-adjusting port; 220-second cavity; 221-first porous top plate; 230-third cavity; 231-second porous top plate; 300-flexible membrane; 400-mounting plate; 500-three-way valve; 510-first valve body; 520-second valve body; 530-third valve body; 610-liquid inlet; 620-liquid outlet; 700-cooling fan. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The technical solution of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, further definition and explanation thereof is not required in subsequent drawings.

[0043] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. Physical quantities in formulas, if not separately marked, should be understood as basic quantities of the base units of the International System of Units, or derived quantities derived from the basic quantities through mathematical operations such as multiplication, division, differentiation or integration.

[0044] In addition, the terms "horizontal", "vertical", "overhanging" and the like do not mean that the components are required to be absolutely horizontal or overhanging, but can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" only means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical", and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0045] In the description of the present invention, it is also necessary to explain that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0046] In conjunction with the accompanying drawings, some embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0047] Embodiment 1

[0048] There are many existing IGBT cooling methods, such as direct air cooling, indirect liquid cooling, direct liquid cooling, etc. However, some methods can no longer meet the needs of rapid cooling, resulting in higher operating temperatures and shorter service lives of IGBTs. Although some methods can meet the needs of rapid cooling, the cooling system is complex, occupies a large space, and is costly.

[0049] In view of this, an embodiment of the present invention provides an IGBT cooling system, including: an IGBT module 100 and a cooling device 200; the cooling device 200 has a heat pipe structure, the heat pipe structure includes an evaporation part and a heat dissipation part, the evaporation part includes a first cavity 210, the heat dissipation part includes a second cavity 220, the first cavity 210 and the second cavity 220 are connected, the top of the second cavity 220 is connected to a third cavity 230, the third cavity 230 is connected to the outside, the third cavity 230 is provided with a flexible membrane 300, the flexible membrane 300 can freely expand and contract in the third cavity 230 with pressure changes, and in a working state, the flexible membrane 300 00 and the space formed between the top of the second cavity 220 is used to accommodate the working medium and the non-condensable gas generated by the heat pipe structure; the first cavity 210, the second cavity 220 and the flexible membrane 300 together constitute the inner cavity of the heat pipe structure, and the first cavity 210 is provided with a regulating port 211, which is used to add working medium into the first cavity 210 and to evacuate air to adjust the vacuum degree of the inner cavity; the IGBT module 100 is immersed in the working medium of the first cavity 210. In the working state, the working medium is heated and vaporized to transfer heat from the first cavity 210 to the second cavity 220, and the second cavity 220 dissipates the heat by liquid cooling or air cooling.

[0050] The IGBT module 100 is immersed in the working fluid of the first cavity 210 of the cooling device 200, and the working fluid can be added to the first cavity 210 and the air can be pumped through the regulating port 211 to adjust the vacuum degree of the inner cavity. Since the working fluid is heated and vaporized in a vacuum state, the heat can be transferred from the first cavity 210 to the second cavity 220, and the heat continues to be transferred outward, and the second cavity 220 dissipates the heat by liquid cooling or air cooling. The flexible membrane 300 can freely expand and contract in the third cavity 230 with the pressure change. The space between the flexible membrane 300 and the top of the second cavity 220 accommodates the non-condensable gas generated by the working fluid and the heat pipe structure, which can reduce the influence of the non-condensable gas on the heat dissipation performance of the heat dissipation part, and can also reduce the limit working pressure in the first cavity 210 and the second cavity 220. The IGBT cooling system provided by the present application utilizes the working fluid to vaporize at a lower temperature in a vacuum environment, ensuring that the IGBT module 100 has a lower operating temperature and prolongs the service life of the IGBT module 100. In addition, the IGBT cooling system is simple and efficient, suitable for application scenarios in dimensions such as small space, large heat dissipation, and low cost.

[0051] In an optional manner of this embodiment, a first porous top plate 221 is disposed on the top of the second cavity 220 , and a second porous top plate 231 is disposed on the top of the third cavity 230 .

[0052] The first porous top plate 221 has a plurality of first through holes on its surface, through which the second cavity 220 and the third cavity 230 are connected. The second porous top plate 231 has a plurality of second through holes on its surface, through which the third cavity 230 and the outside are connected.

[0053] The configuration of the flexible film 300 is described in detail as follows:

[0054] Method 1: Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The flexible membrane 300 is attached to a side of the first porous top plate 221 away from the second cavity 220 .

[0055] When the IGBT cooling system is working, the space enclosed by the flexible membrane 300 and the first porous top plate 221 can gather non-condensable gas, which can reduce the influence of non-condensable gas on the heat dissipation performance of the heat dissipation part and reduce the ultimate working pressure in the first cavity 210 and the second cavity 220.

[0056] Method 2: Please refer to Figure 4 , the flexible film 300 is disposed in the middle of the third cavity 230 .

[0057] In this arrangement, under the action of negative pressure and positive pressure, the flexible film 300 can be stretched to the same extent, thereby extending the service life of the flexible film 300.

[0058] In an optional manner of this embodiment, the cross-sectional area of ​​the third cavity 230 is greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the second cavity 220 .

[0059] See also Figure 5 The third cavity 230 has a wider size than the second cavity 220 , which can reduce the stretching degree of the flexible membrane 300 under the same volume, thereby extending the service life of the flexible membrane 300 .

[0060] Furthermore, a mounting plate 400 is disposed between the first cavity 210 and the second cavity 220 , and the regulating port 211 is disposed on the mounting plate 400 .

[0061] See also Figure 1 A mounting plate 400 is disposed between the first cavity 210 and the second cavity 220 , and the regulating port 211 is disposed outside the tube wall of the second cavity 220 on the mounting plate 400 .

[0062] In an optional manner of this embodiment, a three-way valve 500 is installed in the regulating port 211. The three-way valve 500 can be used to fill and replace the working medium in the first cavity 210, adjust the vacuum degree of the inner cavity, and open and close the regulating port 211.

[0063] For details, see Figure 6The three-way valve 500 includes a first valve body 510, a second valve body 520 and a third valve body 530. The third valve body 530 is used to control the opening and closing of the regulating port 211. A first passage is formed between the first valve body 510 and the third valve body 530, and the first passage is used to inject working fluid into the first cavity 210. A second passage is formed between the second valve body 520 and the third valve body 530, and the second passage is used to evacuate air to adjust the vacuum degree of the inner cavity.

[0064] When it is necessary to add or replace the working fluid in the first cavity 210, the first valve body 510 and the third valve body 530 are opened, and the working fluid is added to the first cavity 210 through the first passage, and the first valve body 510 and the third valve body 530 are closed after completion. When it is necessary to adjust the vacuum degree in the first cavity 210, the second valve body 520 and the third valve body 530 are opened, and air is extracted from the first cavity 210 through the second passage to adjust the vacuum degree of the inner cavity of the heat pipe structure, and the second valve body 520 and the third valve body 530 are closed after completion. Through the specific structural setting of the three-way valve 500, the filling and replacement of the working fluid in the first cavity 210, the adjustment of the vacuum degree of the inner cavity, and the opening and closing of the regulating port 211 are realized.

[0065] Heat can be dissipated from the second cavity 220 in the following two ways:

[0066] Method 1: Liquid cooling: The side wall of the second cavity 220 is provided with a liquid inlet 610 and a liquid outlet 620 .

[0067] See also Figure 3 The cooling liquid flows into the second cavity 220 from the liquid inlet 610 and then flows out from the liquid outlet 620 to take away the heat transferred to the second cavity 220 .

[0068] Method 2: A cooling fan 700 is disposed on the side of the second cavity 220 .

[0069] See also Figure 1 A group of cooling fans 700 are used, and the cooling fans 700 can blow air to dissipate the heat of the second cavity 220 into the atmosphere, thereby reducing the temperature.

[0070] Furthermore, the IGBT cooling system also includes a control device, which is connected to the cooling fan 700 by signal and is used to adjust the rotation speed of the cooling fan 700 .

[0071] Specifically, the control device includes a temperature sensor and an ECU. The temperature sensor is installed on the outer wall of the first cavity 210 . The temperature sensor is connected to the ECU by signal, and the ECU is connected to the cooling fan 700 by signal.

[0072] The temperature sensor is installed on the outer wall of the first cavity 210, and can monitor the temperature of the first cavity 210 in real time and feed back the signal to the ECU. After receiving the signal, the ECU sends a command to the cooling fan 700, thereby realizing real-time adjustment of the speed of the cooling fan 700 and saving energy. When the temperature sensor detects that the temperature of the first cavity 210 is too high, it means that the operating temperature of the IGBT module 100 is high and needs to be cooled down quickly. The temperature sensor feeds back the signal to the ECU, and the ECU sends a command to the cooling fan 700 to increase the speed of the cooling fan 700, quickly take away the heat, and realize rapid cooling of the IGBT module 100. When the temperature sensor detects that the temperature of the first cavity 210 returns to the normal range, the temperature sensor feeds back the signal to the ECU, and the ECU sends a command to the cooling fan 700 to reduce the speed of the cooling fan 700 to the normal range.

[0073] In addition, the ECU can also adjust the heat removed by adjusting the coolant flow after receiving the signal from the temperature sensor.

[0074] The present application utilizes the working fluid to gasify at a lower temperature in a vacuum environment, ensuring that the IGBT module 100 has a lower operating temperature, meeting the heat dissipation requirements, and extending the service life of the IGBT module 100. In addition, the IGBT cooling system is simple and efficient, and is suitable for application scenarios with dimensions such as small space, large heat dissipation, and low cost.

[0075] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An IGBT cooling system, characterized in that: include: IGBT modules and cooling devices; The cooling device has a heat pipe structure, the heat pipe structure includes an evaporation part and a heat dissipation part, the evaporation part includes a first cavity, the heat dissipation part includes a second cavity, the first cavity and the second cavity are connected, the top of the second cavity is connected to a third cavity, the third cavity is connected to the outside, the third cavity is provided with a flexible membrane, the flexible membrane can freely expand and contract in the third cavity with pressure changes, and in a working state, the space formed between the flexible membrane and the top of the second cavity is used to accommodate the working medium and the non-condensable gas generated by the heat pipe structure; The first cavity, the second cavity and the flexible film together constitute the inner cavity of the heat pipe structure, and the first cavity is provided with an adjustment port, and the adjustment port is used to add working medium into the first cavity and to extract air to adjust the vacuum degree of the inner cavity; The IGBT module is immersed in the working medium of the first cavity. In the working state, the working medium is heated and vaporized to transfer heat from the first cavity to the second cavity. The second cavity dissipates the heat by liquid cooling or air cooling.

2. The IGBT cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A mounting plate is arranged between the first cavity and the second cavity, the regulating port is arranged on the mounting plate, a first porous top plate is arranged on the top of the second cavity, and a second porous top plate is arranged on the top of the third cavity.

3. The IGBT cooling system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The flexible membrane is attached to a side of the first porous top plate away from the second cavity.

4. The IGBT cooling system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The flexible membrane is arranged in the middle of the third cavity.

5. The IGBT cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The cross-sectional area of ​​the third cavity is greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the second cavity.

6. The IGBT cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The regulating port is installed with a three-way valve, and the three-way valve includes a first valve body, a second valve body and a third valve body. The third valve body is used to control the opening and closing of the regulating port. A first passage is formed between the first valve body and the third valve body, and the first passage is used to inject working fluid into the first cavity. A second passage is formed between the second valve body and the third valve body, and the second passage is used to extract air to adjust the vacuum degree of the inner cavity.

7. The IGBT cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side wall of the second cavity is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet.

8. The IGBT cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A cooling fan is arranged on the side of the second cavity.

9. The IGBT cooling system according to claim 8, characterized in that: It also includes a control device, which is connected to the cooling fan signal and is used to adjust the speed of the cooling fan.

10. The IGBT cooling system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The control device includes a temperature sensor and an ECU. The temperature sensor is installed on the outer wall of the first cavity. The temperature sensor is connected to the ECU by signal, and the ECU is connected to the cooling fan by signal.

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