Power module cooling device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a power module cooling device including a manifold cover and fins included in the manifold cover, in which a vertical turbulent flow of a cooling fluid is generated by heat dissipation fins of the fins arranged perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the manifold cover, thereby causing the cooling fluid to be vertically ejected to a heat-generating surface, thereby ensuring cooling efficiency, and improving heat dissipation efficiency. And the flow characteristic of the cooling fluid is improved, so that the flow speed loss caused by vertical turbulence is minimized. The respective cooling channel portions of the manifold cover corresponding to the respective power modules have different cooling performance, thereby cooling the respective power modules in a balanced manner. Accordingly, cooling imbalance is eliminated, thus stabilizing the power module and maintaining performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a power module cooling apparatus configured to cool a power module by using a cooling fluid. Background Art

[0002] Power modules are used in electric vehicles and the like to control high voltage and high current. As a result, a large amount of heat is generated, so proper cooling is required to maintain performance and durability. To this end, for example, a cooling fluid is used to cool the power module, or waste heat from the power module is used to heat the mobile vehicle.

[0003] Conventionally, a cooling device is usually connected to the side of a power module, and a cooling fluid circulates through the power module to cool the power module. However, a problem with the conventional cooling device is that the cooling efficiency is not high due to the use of a commonly available simple tube structure or fin structure.

[0004] If multiple power modules are used, the cooling efficiency of the power modules cooled later is reduced compared to the power modules cooled first. This imbalance in the cooling of the power modules degrades their performance.

[0005] Therefore, the cooling efficiency of electric vehicles, etc. is closely related to the overall energy efficiency of mobile vehicles, and has a great influence on the durability, performance retention, etc. of power modules. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the cooling efficiency of power modules through a new cooling structure.

[0006] The information included in the Background of the Invention is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0007] Various aspects of the present invention are directed to a power module cooling device, wherein vertical turbulence of a cooling fluid is generated by heat dissipation fins of a fin plate arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of a manifold cover, so that the cooling fluid is vertically sprayed onto a heat-generating surface, thereby ensuring cooling efficiency and improving the flow characteristics of the cooling fluid, thereby minimizing the flow velocity loss caused by the vertical turbulence.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, a power module cooling device may include: a manifold cover, the manifold cover including an internal space in which a cooling fluid circulates and a plurality of cooling channel portions, a plurality of power modules are arranged in the internal space, the plurality of cooling channel portions are formed to match the respective power modules, each cooling channel portion including a first channel and a second channel, the first channel opening in a direction in which the cooling fluid flows in, and the second channel opening in a direction in which the cooling fluid flows out; a fin plate, which is arranged in the manifold cover to adjoin the plurality of power modules and includes heat dissipation fins facing the plurality of cooling channel portions, so that the cooling fluid flowing into the first channel flows between the heat dissipation fins and then flows out through the second channel, wherein the number of first channels or second channels of each cooling channel portion of the manifold cover decreases along the direction in which the cooling fluid circulates.

[0009] A plurality of power modules may be arranged in series in the inner space of the manifold cover such that a plurality of cooling channel portions are arranged in series along a direction in which the respective power modules are aligned.

[0010] Each cooling channel portion may have a smaller number of first channels formed therein than a number of second channels formed therein.

[0011] The power module may include a first power module, a second power module and a third power module, the multiple cooling channel sections may include a first cooling channel section, a second cooling channel section and a third cooling channel section, and the number of first channels or second channels formed in the third cooling channel section may be smaller than the number of first channels or second channels formed in the first cooling channel section and the second cooling channel section.

[0012] The multiple cooling channel portions may include a plurality of first barrier portions, a second barrier portion and a third barrier portion, wherein the plurality of first barrier portions extend to define a first channel and a second channel; the second barrier portion is connected to the first barrier portion on both sides of the end of the first channel in the direction in which the cooling fluid flows out; and the third barrier portion is connected to the first barrier portion on both sides of the end of the second channel in the direction in which the cooling fluid flows in.

[0013] The plurality of cooling channel portions may have the second barrier portions and the third barrier portions alternately arranged to connect the plurality of first barrier portions so that the first channels and the second channels are alternately disposed.

[0014] An extension direction of the first barrier portion and an extension direction of the heat dissipation fins may be perpendicularly intersected.

[0015] The manifold cover may include a first manifold cover and a second manifold cover (which includes one of an inlet and an outlet formed therein), and the fin plate may include a first fin plate and a second fin plate arranged to respectively abut a first side surface and a second side surface of the power module, the first fin plate includes a first circulation hole formed therein and the second fin plate includes a second circulation hole formed therein, so that the cooling fluid circulates between the respective manifold covers, thereby cooling the first side and the second side of the power module.

[0016] Each of the first manifold cover and the second manifold cover may include an inlet or an outlet formed at one side thereof, and a first circulation hole of the first fin plate and a second circulation hole of the second fin plate may be formed at the other side thereof.

[0017] The advantage of the power module cooling device including the above-mentioned structure is that vertical turbulence of the cooling fluid is generated by the heat dissipation fins of the fin plate arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the manifold cover, so that the cooling fluid is vertically sprayed onto the heat-generating surface, thereby ensuring the cooling efficiency and improving the flow characteristics of the cooling fluid, thereby minimizing the flow velocity loss caused by the vertical turbulence.

[0018] The cooling channel portions of the manifold cover corresponding to the respective power modules have different cooling performances, thereby cooling the respective power modules in a balanced manner. Therefore, cooling imbalance is eliminated, thereby stabilizing the power modules and maintaining performance.

[0019] The methods and apparatus of the present invention have other features and advantages, which will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description incorporated herein, or will be described in more detail in the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description incorporated herein, which together are used to explain the specific principles of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is an assembly diagram of a power module cooling device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 The cooling channel portion of the manifold cover of the power module cooling device shown;

[0022] Figure 3 shows the jet impact effect of the power module cooling device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 An exemplary embodiment of a cooling channel portion of a manifold cover according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0024] Figure 5Another exemplary embodiment of a cooling channel portion of a manifold cover according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown; and

[0025] Figure 6 Another exemplary embodiment of a cooling channel portion of a manifold cover according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0026] It is to be understood that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but are appropriately simplified drawings of various features presented to illustrate the basic principles of the present invention. The predetermined design features of the present invention as included herein (e.g., including specific dimensions, directions, positions and shapes) will be determined in part by the specific intended application and use environment.

[0027] In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings and described below. Although the present invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that this specification is not intended to limit the present invention to those exemplary embodiments of the present invention. On the other hand, the present invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, but also various alternative embodiments, modified embodiments, equivalent embodiments and other embodiments that may be included in the spirit and scope of the present invention defined by the appended claims.

[0029] Hereinafter, various exemplary embodiments included in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the same or similar reference numerals are provided to the same or similar elements, and thus repeated descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0030] The terms “module” and “unit” used for elements in the following description are provided or used interchangeably in consideration of convenience in writing the specification only, and do not have distinct meanings or roles by themselves.

[0031] When describing the exemplary embodiments included in this specification, when it is determined that the detailed description of the related known technology unnecessarily obscures the main points of the present invention, the detailed description may be omitted. In addition, the attached drawings are provided only to facilitate the understanding of the exemplary embodiments included in this specification, and the technical spirit included herein is not limited by the attached drawings, and it should be understood that all modified forms, equivalent forms or alternative forms thereof are included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0032] Terms including ordinal numbers such as "first", "second", etc. may be used to describe various elements, but these elements are not limited by the terms. The above terms are only used to distinguish one element from another.

[0033] Where an element is referred to as being "connected" or "joined" to any other element, it should be understood that another element may be disposed therebetween, and that the element may be directly connected or joined to another element. In contrast, where an element is "directly connected" or "directly joined" to any other element, it should be understood that no other element exists therebetween.

[0034] A singular expression may include a plural expression unless they are really different in context.

[0035] As used herein, the expressions “comprising,” “including,” or “having” are intended to indicate the presence of the mentioned features, values, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, and should be interpreted as not excluding the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, values, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0036] Hereinafter, a power module cooling device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the power module cooling device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a manifold cover 20 and a fin plate 30. The manifold cover 20 includes an internal space in which a cooling fluid circulates, and a plurality of power modules 10 are arranged in the internal space. The manifold cover 20 includes a plurality of cooling channel portions 21 that match the respective power modules 10. Each cooling channel portion 21 includes a first channel C1 that opens in a direction in which the cooling fluid flows in, and a second channel C2 that opens in a direction in which the cooling fluid flows out. The fin plate 30 is included in the manifold cover 20 to abut against the plurality of power modules 10. The fin plate 30 has heat dissipation fins 31 that are formed to face the cooling channel portion 21 so that the cooling fluid flowing into the first channel C1 flows between the heat dissipation fins 31 and then flows out through the second channel C2.

[0038] The manifold cover 20 is formed so that the cooling fluid circulates therein, and may include an inlet 25 through which the cooling fluid flows in and an outlet 26 through which the cooling fluid flows out after passing through the power module 10 .

[0039] A plurality of cooling channel portions 21 are formed in the manifold cover 20 to match the power module 10, so that as the cooling fluid circulates through the cooling channel portions 21, the cooling channel portions 21 transfer heat exchange between the cooling fluid and the power module 10, thereby cooling the power module 10. Each cooling channel portion 21 includes a first channel C1 and a second channel C2 formed to switch the direction in which the cooling fluid circulates.

[0040] The fin plate 30 is included in the manifold cover 20 and has heat dissipation fins 31 formed to face the cooling channel portion 21 .

[0041] The cooling channel portion 21 may include a plurality of first barrier portions 22, a second barrier portion 23 and a third barrier portion 24, wherein the first barrier portion 22 extends to define a first channel C1 and a second channel C2; the second barrier portion 23 is connected to the first barrier portion 22 on both sides of the end of the first channel C1 in the direction in which the cooling fluid flows out; and the third barrier portion 24 is connected to the first barrier portion 22 on both sides of the end of the second channel C2 in the direction in which the cooling fluid flows in.

[0042] The cooling channel portion 21 includes a plurality of first barrier portions 22, second barrier portions 23, and third barrier portions so that the cooling fluid is discharged from the first channel C1 to the second channel C2 after passing through the heat dissipation fins 31. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cooling channel portion 21 is configured such that the second barrier portion 23 is connected along the first barrier portion 22 in an orthogonal direction, but is not limited thereto.

[0043] The cooling channel portion 21 has alternately arranged second barrier portions 23 and third barrier portions 24 to connect the plurality of first barrier portions 22, so that the first channels C1 and the second channels C2 are alternately arranged. Therefore, the cooling fluid is distributed to the first channels C1 and the second channels C2, which is conducive to the formation of a jet impact cooling structure.

[0044] The first barrier portion 22 is configured to extend in the direction in which the cooling fluid circulates and to be spaced at predetermined intervals to form a plurality of channels. If the second barrier portion 23 is connected to the first barrier portion 22 at an end adjacent to the outlet in the direction in which the cooling fluid circulates, the corresponding channels form the first channels C1. If the third barrier portion 24 is connected to the first barrier portion 22 at an end adjacent to the inlet in the direction in which the cooling fluid circulates, the corresponding channels form the second channels C2. In addition, the second barrier portion 23 and the third barrier portion 24 may be arranged alternately so that the first channels C1 and the second channels C2 are arranged alternately.

[0045] Accordingly, the cooling channel portion 21 has a first channel C1 and a second channel C2 formed by a plurality of first barrier portions 22, a second barrier portion 23 and a third barrier portion, and the heat dissipation fins 31 of the fin plate 30 are in contact therewith, forming the first channel C1 and the second channel C2 together, so that the cooling fluid can circulate through the first channel C1 and the second channel C2 through the heat dissipation fins 31.

[0046] In addition, the direction in which the first barrier portion 22 extends and the direction in which the heat dissipation fins 31 extend may be perpendicularly intersected, such as Figure 3 shown.

[0047] The first barrier portion 22 extends in the longitudinal direction of the manifold cover 20, so that the first channel C1 and the second channel C2 extend in the longitudinal direction of the manifold cover 20. The heat dissipation fins 31 of the fin plate 30 extend perpendicularly to the direction in which the first barrier portion 22 extends, so that the cooling fluid circulates from the first channel C1 to the second channel C2 through the heat dissipation fins 31. This causes turbulence (a velocity component in the vertical direction) to occur when the cooling fluid circulates from the first channel C1 to the second channel C2, thereby forming a jet impingement cooling structure.

[0048] Therefore, the cooling fluid circulating in the inner space of the manifold cover 20 is respectively distributed to the plurality of first channels C1. The first channels C1 are open only in the direction in which the cooling fluid flows in, and their outlets are closed, so that the cooling fluid flows between the heat dissipation fins 31 of the fin plate 30 and then circulates to the second channels C2. The second channels C2 are open only in the direction in which the cooling fluid flows out, and their inlets are closed, so that the cooling fluid circulating to the second channels C2 can be discharged from the manifold cover 20.

[0049] Therefore, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a jet impingement cooling structure is formed by fluid flow, thereby improving the cooling performance associated with the power module 10. Jet impingement cooling refers to a cooling scheme in which cold air is directly sprayed onto a high-temperature wall surface to remove heat, thereby obtaining a local high heat transfer rate. In order to actively achieve the effect of this jet impingement cooling scheme, it is necessary to use turbulent flow rather than laminar flow. Turbulent flow refers to a flow that includes a velocity component perpendicular to the flow direction (i.e., a flow with three-dimensional vortices in the upward / downward / leftward / rightward direction (non-flow direction)), so the flow is irregular and dispersed. If turbulence is generated around an object, the cooling area is further increased and the agitation of the cooling fluid is enhanced, thereby improving the cooling effect.

[0050] The jet impingement cooling will now be described in detail. Figure 3 FIG. 2 shows a microchannel of a power module cooling device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3As shown, the cooling fluid flows in from the inlet and forms an inlet plenum (aggregation of narrow streams). The manifold cover 20 is guided based on the cooling channel portion 21 so that the cooling fluid flowing into the first channel C1 or the second channel C2 flows to a plurality of heat sink fins 31. That is, the cooling fluid flowing into the first channel C1 is blocked at the outlet, flows to the heat sink fins 31, and then flows into the second channel C2, thereby forming turbulence. In addition, the inlet of the second channel C2 is closed, so that the cooling fluid flows toward the outlet, passes through the heat sink fins 31, and then is discharged. Therefore, the cooling fluid in the second channel C2 has enhanced irregularity and dispersion, thereby providing a higher degree of jet impact cooling. Therefore, the present invention can ensure the cooling performance of the power module 10 by the jet impact cooling effect caused by the cooling channel portion 21 of the manifold cover 20 and the heat sink fins 31 of the fin plate 30.

[0051] According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of power modules 10 are arranged in the inner space of the manifold cover 20. However, if a plurality of power modules 10 are arranged, the cooling efficiency of the power module 10 cooled later is reduced compared to the power module 10 cooled first.

[0052] Therefore, each cooling channel portion 21 of the manifold cover 20 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is configured such that the number of the first channels C1 or the second channels C2 decreases along the direction in which the cooling fluid circulates. This ensures that the cooling channel portion 21 through which the cooling fluid first circulates has less cooling fluid pressure loss and lower cooling performance because the number of the first channels C1 or the second channels C2 is greater than that of the subsequent cooling channel portions 21, and the cooling channel portion 21 through which the cooling fluid subsequently circulates has increased cooling fluid pressure loss and improved cooling performance because the number of the first channels C1 or the second channels C2 is less.

[0053] As a result, even if a plurality of power modules 10 are disposed in the manifold cover 20 , the cooling channel portions 21 corresponding to the respective power modules 10 have different numbers of first channels C1 or second channels C2 , thereby balancing the temperature distribution of the respective power modules 10 by differentiating the cooling performance.

[0054] The above-mentioned present invention will now be described in more detail. A plurality of power modules 10 are arranged in series in the inner space of the manifold cover 20 , and thus the cooling channel portions 21 may be arranged in series along the direction in which the respective power modules 10 are aligned.

[0055] Therefore, the fluid circulating in the inner space of the manifold cover 20 passes through each cooling channel portion 21 and cools each power module 10. In addition, the path for the cooling fluid circulating through each cooling channel portion 21 to the next cooling channel portion 21 is simplified, thereby reducing the cooling fluid circulation loss. That is, compared with the scheme of arranging a plurality of power modules 10 in parallel so that the cooling fluid circulates through each cooling channel portion 21 arranged in parallel, the power module 10 can be cooled with a larger mass flow rate through the cooling channel portions 21 arranged in series.

[0056] Figure 1 An exemplary embodiment is disclosed in which the number of the first channels C1 of each cooling channel portion 21 may be the same as the number of the second channels C2 .

[0057] At the same time, if Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the number of the first channels C1 of each cooling channel portion 21 may be smaller than the number of the second channels C2.

[0058] Each cooling channel portion 21 includes a first channel C1 with an inlet opening and a second channel C2 with an outlet opening. The number of the first channels C1 is formed to be less than the number of the second channels C2, so that the pressure at the inlet of the first channel C1 is higher than the pressure at the outlet of the second channel C2, thereby facilitating the circulation of the cooling fluid. That is, the plurality of heat sink fins 31 promote the flow of the fluid that has flowed into the first channel C1 when it circulates to the outlet of the second channel C2 with a lower pressure. Therefore, when the fluid circulates from the first channel C1 to the second channel C2 through the heat sink fins 31, the efficiency of the jet impact cooling is improved.

[0059] Meanwhile, the power module 10 includes a first power module 11, a second power module 12, and a third power module 13. The cooling channel portion 21 includes a first cooling channel portion 21a, a second cooling channel portion 21b, and a third cooling channel portion 21c.

[0060] The first power module 11 may be configured in U phase, the second power module 12 may be configured in V phase, and the third power module 13 may be configured in W phase, so that three-phase AC power is provided to the outside through each power module 10 .

[0061] Therefore, the cooling channel portion 21 of the manifold cover 20 may include a first cooling channel portion 21a for cooling the first power module 11, a second cooling channel portion 21b for cooling the second power module 12, and a third cooling channel portion 21c for cooling the third power module 13. In addition, the first power module 11, the second power module 12, and the third power module 13 may be sequentially arranged in series in the inner space of the manifold cover 20 along the direction of circulation of the cooling fluid, so that the first cooling channel portion 21a, the second cooling channel portion 21b, and the third cooling channel portion 21c are also arranged in series while being spaced apart according to the arrangement of the respective power modules 10.

[0062] However, the cooling fluid circulates while sequentially cooling the first power module 11, the second power module 12, and the third power module 13, and the cooling fluid circulates to the third power module 13 after having a higher temperature through heat exchange with each preceding power module 10, thereby reducing the cooling efficiency of the third power module 13.

[0063] Therefore, the number of the first channels C1 or the second channels C2 of the third cooling channel portion 21 c according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be smaller than the number of the first channels C1 or the second channels C2 of the first and second cooling channel portions 21 a and 21 b .

[0064] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 As shown, the first cooling channel portion 21a may have three first channels C1 and four second channels C2 formed therein, the second cooling channel portion 21b may have two first channels C1 and three second channels C2 formed therein, and the third cooling channel portion 21c may have one first channel C1 and two second channels C2 formed therein.

[0065] In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 As shown, the first cooling channel portion 21a may have three first channels C1 and four second channels C2 formed therein, the second cooling channel portion 21b may have three first channels C1 and four second channels C2 formed therein, and the third cooling channel portion 21c may have one first channel C1 and two second channels C2 formed therein.

[0066] In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 As shown, the first cooling channel portion 21a may have three first channels C1 and four second channels C2 formed therein, the second cooling channel portion 21b may have three first channels C1 and four second channels C2 formed therein, and the third cooling channel portion 21c may have two first channels C1 and three second channels C2 formed therein.

[0067] Therefore, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the number of the first channel C1 or the second channel C2 of the cooling channel portion 21 to which the cooling fluid reaches last in the direction of the cooling fluid circulation is smaller than the number of the first channel C1 or the second channel C2 of the other preceding cooling channel portions 21, so that the first cooling channel portion 21a and the second cooling channel portion 21b have a smaller cooling fluid pressure loss and have a reduced cooling performance, and the third cooling channel portion 21c has an increased cooling fluid pressure loss and has an improved cooling performance. Therefore, the cooling flow rate of the cooling fluid can be concentrated in the third cooling channel portion 21c.

[0068] This ensures the cooling performance of the third cooling channel portion 21 c , thereby achieving a temperature distribution balance with the other cooling channel portions 21 .

[0069] At the same time, if Figure 1 As shown, the manifold cover 20 includes a first manifold cover 20a and a second manifold cover 20b (which includes one of the inlet 25 and the outlet 26), and the fin plate 30 includes a first fin plate 30a (which includes a first circulation hole 32) and a second fin plate 30b (which includes a second circulation hole 33) arranged to be adjacent to the two side surfaces of the power module 10 respectively, so that the cooling fluid circulates between the respective manifold covers 20, thereby cooling the two surfaces of the power module 10.

[0070] According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first manifold cover 20a includes an inlet 25, and the second manifold cover 20b includes an outlet 26. Therefore, the cooling fluid flowing in through the inlet 25 of the first manifold cover 20a circulates to the first channel C1 and the second channel C2 in the first manifold cover 20a through the cooling channel portion 21 of the first manifold cover 20a and the heat dissipation fins 31 of the first fin plate 30a, thereby achieving jet impingement cooling. After passing through the first circulation hole 32 and the second circulation hole 33, the cooling fluid circulates to the first channel C1 and the second channel C2 in the second manifold cover 20b through the cooling channel portion 21 of the second manifold cover 20b and the heat dissipation fins 31 of the second fin plate 30b, thereby achieving jet impingement cooling. As a result, both sides of the power module 10 can be cooled.

[0071] Each of the first and second manifold covers 20a and 20b may include an inlet 25 or an outlet 26 formed at one side thereof, and a first circulation hole 32 of the first fin plate 30a and a second circulation hole 33 of the second fin plate 30b may be formed at the other side thereof.

[0072] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first manifold cover 20a may include an inlet, and the second manifold cover 20b may include an outlet 26. The inlet 25 and the outlet 26 may be arranged in a straight line to manufacture a single manifold cover 20, thereby realizing the first manifold cover 20a and the second manifold cover 20b.

[0073] Each manifold cover 20a includes an inlet 25 and an outlet 26 on one side, and each fin plate 30 includes a circulation hole on the other side, thereby forming a circulation flow of the cooling fluid through the inlet 25, the first manifold cover 20a and the first fin plate 30a, the first circulation hole 32, the second circulation hole, the second manifold cover 20b and the second fin plate 30b, and the outlet 26. In addition, jet impingement cooling is achieved by the flow of fluid in the first channel C1 and the second channel C2 formed by the first manifold cover 20a and the first fin plate 30a, thereby performing heat exchange with one side of the power module 10, and jet impingement cooling is achieved by the flow of fluid in the first channel C1 and the second channel C2 formed by the second manifold cover 20b and the second fin plate, thereby performing heat exchange with the other side of the power module 10. As a result, both faces of the power module 10 can be cooled.

[0074] The power module cooling device including the above-mentioned structure is configured so that vertical turbulence is generated by the heat dissipation fins 31 of the fin plate arranged perpendicularly to the manifold cover 20, thereby causing the cooling fluid to be vertically sprayed to the heat-generating surface. Therefore, the cooling efficiency is ensured, and the flow characteristics of the cooling fluid are improved, thereby minimizing the flow velocity loss due to the vertical turbulence.

[0075] The respective cooling channels 21 of the manifold cover 20 corresponding to the respective power modules 10 have different cooling performances, thereby cooling the respective power modules 10 in a balanced manner. Therefore, cooling imbalance is eliminated, thereby stabilizing the power modules 10 and maintaining performance.

[0076] For ease of interpretation and accurate definition in the appended claims, the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "upward", "downward", "upwardly", "downwardly", "front", "rear", "back", "inside", "outside", "inwardly", "outwardly", "inner", "external", "inwardly", "outwardly", "forward" and "rearward" are used to describe the features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as shown in the accompanying drawings. It will be further understood that the term "connected" or its derivatives refer to both direct and indirect connections.

[0077] The term "and / or" may include a combination of multiple related listed items or any one of multiple related listed items. For example, "A and / or B" includes all three situations such as "A", "B" and "A and B".

[0078] In this specification, unless otherwise stated, a singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0079] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, “at least one of A and B” may refer to “at least one of A or B” or “at least one of a combination of at least one of A and B”. Furthermore, “one or more of A and B” may refer to “one or more of A or B” or “one or more of a combination of one or more of A and B”.

[0080] In the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that terms such as "include" or "have" are intended to indicate the presence of features, values, steps, operations, elements, parts, or a combination thereof described in the specification, and do not exclude the possibility of adding or existing one or more other features, values, steps, operations, elements, parts, or a combination thereof.

[0081] The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention are presented for the purpose of illustration and description. These descriptions are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise form disclosed, and it is apparent that many modifications and changes may be made in light of the foregoing teachings. Exemplary embodiments are selected and described to explain the specific principles of the present invention and their practical application, so that other persons skilled in the art can implement and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the present invention and various alternative and modified embodiments thereof. The scope of the present invention is intended to be limited by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A power module cooling device, comprising: A manifold cover comprising: an internal space in which a cooling fluid circulates, wherein a plurality of power modules are arranged in the internal space; and A plurality of cooling channel portions, wherein the plurality of cooling channel portions are formed to match each power module, wherein each of the plurality of cooling channel portions includes a first channel and a second channel, the first channel opens in a direction in which a cooling fluid flows in, and the second channel opens in a direction in which the cooling fluid flows out; and a fin plate arranged in the manifold cover to abut against the plurality of power modules and including heat dissipation fins facing the plurality of cooling channel portions so that a cooling fluid flowing into a first channel flows between the heat dissipation fins and then flows out through a second channel, The number of the first channels or the second channels of each cooling channel portion of the manifold cover is the same or decreases along the direction of circulation of the cooling fluid.

2. The power module cooling device according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of power modules are arranged in series in the inner space of the manifold cover such that the plurality of cooling channel portions are arranged in series along a direction in which the respective power modules are aligned.

3. The power module cooling device according to claim 1, wherein: Each cooling channel portion has a smaller number of first channels formed therein than a number of second channels formed therein.

4. The power module cooling device according to claim 1, wherein: Each cooling channel portion has the same number of first channels formed therein as the number of second channels formed therein.

5. The power module cooling device according to claim 1, wherein: The number of first channels or second channels formed therein of the last cooling channel section among the plurality of cooling channel sections is smaller than the number of first channels or second channels of the remaining cooling channel sections among the plurality of cooling channel sections.

6. The power module cooling device according to claim 5, wherein: The number of first channels formed in a last cooling channel portion among the plurality of cooling channel portions is smaller than the number of second channels formed in the last cooling channel portion.

7. The power module cooling device according to claim 5, wherein: The number of first channels in a last cooling channel portion formed among the plurality of cooling channel portions is smaller than the number of first channels or the number of second channels formed in the remaining cooling channel portions.

8. The power module cooling device according to claim 5, wherein: The number of the second channels formed in the last cooling channel section among the plurality of cooling channel sections is less than or equal to the number of the first channels formed in the remaining cooling channel sections.

9. The power module cooling device according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of power modules include a first power module, a second power module and a third power module, The plurality of cooling channel portions include a first cooling channel portion, a second cooling channel portion, and a third cooling channel portion, The third cooling channel portion has a smaller number of first channels or second channels formed therein than the first cooling channel portion and the second cooling channel portion.

10. The power module cooling device according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of cooling channel portions include a plurality of first barrier portions, a plurality of second barrier portions, and a plurality of third barrier portions, the plurality of first barrier portions extending to define a first channel and a second channel; the plurality of second barrier portions are connected to the plurality of first barrier portions at first and second sides of an end portion of the first channel in a direction in which the cooling fluid flows out; The plurality of third barrier portions are connected to the plurality of first barrier portions on first and second sides of an end portion of the second channel in a direction in which the cooling fluid flows in.

11. The power module cooling device according to claim 10, wherein: The plurality of second barrier portions and the plurality of third barrier portions are alternately arranged to connect the plurality of first barrier portions so that the first channels and the second channels are alternately arranged.

12. The power module cooling device according to claim 10, wherein: An extension direction of the plurality of first barrier portions is perpendicular to an extension direction of the heat dissipation fins.

13. The power module cooling device according to claim 1, wherein: The manifold cover includes a first manifold cover and a second manifold cover having an inlet and an outlet, The fin plate includes a first fin plate and a second fin plate arranged to be adjacent to a first side surface and a second side surface of the plurality of power modules, respectively, the first fin plate includes a first circulation hole formed therein and the second fin plate includes a second circulation hole formed therein, so that a cooling fluid circulates between each of the first manifold cover and the second manifold cover, thereby cooling the first side and the second side of the plurality of power modules.

14. The power module cooling device according to claim 13, wherein: Each of the first manifold cover and the second manifold cover includes an inlet or an outlet formed at a first side thereof, and a first circulation hole of the first fin plate and a second circulation hole of the second fin plate are formed at a second side thereof.

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