Cooling device and cooling method

Abstract

The invention discloses a cooling device and a cooling method for cooling an electronic module. The cooling device comprises a liquid supply unit used for providing cooling liquid; the multiple electronic modules are arranged in the cooling unit and located between the two ends of the cooling unit, the two ends of the cooling unit communicate with the liquid supply unit, and cooling liquid flows in the cooling unit and cools the electronic modules; the temperature acquisition unit is used for acquiring the temperature of the cooling liquid; and the control unit is used for obtaining the temperature parameter of the cooling liquid according to the collected temperature and changing the flow direction of the cooling liquid when the temperature parameter meets a preset condition. Therefore, the temperature difference between semiconductor devices at different positions can be reduced, and the overall service life and reliability of equipment can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and particularly to a cooling device and a cooling method for an electronic module. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of electronic technology, semiconductor devices, especially power semiconductor devices, play a crucial role in many fields such as electric vehicles, industrial power supplies, and communication equipment. A large amount of heat is generated during the operation of semiconductor devices, and excessive temperature will affect the normal operation of semiconductor devices. Therefore, how to effectively cool semiconductor devices has always been a key research point in the industry.

[0003] However, it is difficult for existing cooling devices to uniformly cool different semiconductor devices, which will result in a temperature difference between different semiconductor devices and further lead to uneven distribution of current and thermal stress. Such a long-term continuous temperature difference will reduce the overall service life of the device and even pose a reliability risk. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, the purpose of the present application is to provide a cooling device and a cooling method, which can improve the long-term temperature difference between different semiconductor devices to increase the overall service life of the device.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present application, a cooling device for cooling an electronic module is provided, which includes: a liquid supply unit for providing a coolant; a cooling unit, with a plurality of the electronic modules disposed in the cooling unit and located between two ends of the cooling unit, the two ends of the cooling unit being in communication with the liquid supply unit, and the coolant flowing in the cooling unit to cool the electronic modules; a temperature acquisition unit for acquiring the temperature of the coolant; and a control unit for obtaining a temperature parameter of the coolant based on the acquired temperature and switching the flow direction of the coolant when the temperature parameter meets a preset condition.

[0006] Optionally, the temperature parameter includes at least one of the upstream temperature, downstream temperature, downstream temperature rise rate, and temperature gradient value of the coolant, and the preset condition includes at least one of: the downstream temperature is greater than or equal to a first threshold; the downstream temperature rise rate is greater than or equal to a second threshold; the difference between the downstream temperature and the upstream temperature is greater than or equal to a third threshold; and the temperature gradient value is greater than or equal to a fourth threshold.

[0007] Optionally, the upstream temperature is the maximum value, median value, mode value or average value of the coolant temperatures at the positions of the upstream electronic modules, and the upstream electronic modules include at least one of the electronic modules adjacent to the liquid inlet end of the cooling unit; the downstream temperature is the maximum value, median value, mode value or average value of the coolant temperatures at the positions of the downstream electronic modules, and the downstream electronic modules include at least one of the electronic modules adjacent to the liquid outlet end of the cooling unit; the temperature gradient value is the slope of the fitting curve of the coolant temperatures at the positions of the electronic modules; or the temperature gradient value is the maximum value, median value, mode value or average value of the temperature differences of the coolant between adjacent electronic module positions.

[0008] Optionally, the control unit includes: a processing module configured to obtain the temperature parameter according to the temperature of the collected coolant; and an output module connected to the processing module and configured to provide a first control signal when the temperature parameter meets the preset condition, where the first control signal is used to reverse the flow direction of the coolant.

[0009] Optionally, the preset condition further includes: the duration for which the temperature parameter meets the corresponding threshold is at least a first duration.

[0010] Optionally, the control unit further includes: a timing module configured to obtain the duration.

[0011] Optionally, the control unit is further configured to provide a second control signal when the temperature parameter meets the corresponding threshold and the duration is less than the first duration, where the second control signal is used to increase the flow rate of the coolant.

[0012] Optionally, the cooling device further includes:

[0013] a monitoring module configured to monitor the operating states of the electronic modules during a pre-environmental adaptability test phase or during the operation phase of the cooling device to obtain the preset condition.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present application, there is provided a cooling method for cooling an electronic module, where the cooling method includes: supplying a coolant to a cooling unit, a plurality of the electronic modules being disposed on the cooling unit and between two ends of the cooling unit, the coolant flowing in the cooling unit to cool the electronic modules; collecting the temperature of the coolant; obtaining a temperature parameter of the coolant according to the collected temperature; and reversing the flow direction of the coolant when the temperature parameter of the coolant meets a preset condition.

[0015] Optionally, the preset condition further includes: determining the duration for which the temperature parameter of the coolant meets the preset condition, and increasing the flow rate of the coolant when the duration is less than the first duration.

[0016] According to the cooling device and cooling method provided by the present application, temperature parameters of the coolant are obtained based on the collected coolant temperature, and the flow direction of the coolant is switched when the temperature parameters meet a preset condition, thereby reducing the temperature difference between electronic modules at different positions and facilitating improving the overall service life and reliability of the device. Description of the Drawings

[0017] Through the following description of the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings, the above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become clearer. In the drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of the cooling device disclosed in the present application is shown;

[0019] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of the cooling unit is shown;

[0020] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the relative positions of the first surface and the second surface of the cooling unit is shown;

[0021] Figure 4 Shown along Figure 2 The sectional view taken along the line A-A' shown;

[0022] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of the control unit is shown;

[0023] Figure 6a And Figure 6b A schematic diagram of the temperature gradient is shown;

[0024] Figure 7 A schematic flowchart of the cooling method disclosed in the present application is shown. Detailed Embodiments

[0025] The various embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. In each of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. For the sake of clarity, the various parts in the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0026] It should be understood that in the following description, when it is said that a certain component is "connected to" another component, it may be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component. The connection between components can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. On the contrary, when it is said that a certain element is "directly connected to" another component, it means that there is no intermediate component between the two.

[0027] In addition, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprising", "including" or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article or device comprising a series of elements not only includes those elements but also includes other elements not expressly listed, or further includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the statement "comprising a..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or device comprising the element.

[0028] It should also be noted that in the various methods and processes of this application, the magnitude of the step numbers does not mean the order of execution, nor does it impose any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0029] Figure 1 The schematic structural diagram of the cooling device disclosed in this application is shown. The cooling device 100 is used to cool the electronic module 200. Among them, the electronic module 200 can be a semiconductor module, especially a power semiconductor module, such as a SiC power semiconductor module, an IGBT power module, etc.

[0030] Reference Figure 1 , the cooling device 100 includes: a liquid supply unit 110, a cooling unit 120, a control unit 130, a temperature acquisition unit 140, and a monitoring unit 150.

[0031] The liquid supply unit 110 is used to provide a coolant. Exemplarily, the liquid supply unit 110 may include a liquid storage tank and a water pump. The liquid storage tank is used to store the coolant, and the water pump is used to pump the coolant to ensure the circulation of the coolant in the cooling unit 120. The coolant is selected from, for example, water, water-based coolant or anhydrous coolant, etc., and this application does not impose too many limitations.

[0032] Both ends of the cooling unit 120 are communicated with the liquid supply unit 110. Specifically, refer to Figure 1, the first end 123 of the cooling unit 120 is communicated with the liquid supply unit 110 through the first interface 121, and the second end 124 is communicated with the liquid supply unit 110 through the second interface 122. In actual work, one of the first end 123 and the second end 124 is the liquid inlet end of the cooling unit 120, and the other is the liquid outlet end of the cooling unit 120. That is to say, the coolant enters the cooling unit 120 through one of the first end 123 or the second end 124 and flows out of the cooling unit 120 through the other end. The end where the coolant is injected into the cooling unit 120 is the liquid inlet end of the cooling unit 120, and the end where the coolant flows out of the cooling unit 120 is the liquid outlet end of the cooling unit 120. For example, when the coolant is injected into the cooling unit 120 through the first end 123 and flows out of the cooling unit 120 through the second end 124, the first end 123 is the liquid inlet end and the second end 124 is the liquid outlet end. The liquid inlet end and the liquid outlet end of the cooling unit 120 can be switched between the first end 123 and the second end 124 according to the flow direction of the coolant.

[0033] The electronic module 200 is disposed on the cooling unit 120 and is located between the first end 123 and the second end 124. When the coolant flows in the cooling unit 120, it exchanges heat with the electronic module 200, thereby cooling the electronic module 200. In Figure 1 , as an example, 6 electronic modules 201-206 disposed on the cooling unit 120 are shown.

[0034] The temperature acquisition unit 140 is used to acquire the temperature of the coolant in the cooling unit 120. Specifically, the temperature acquisition unit 140 includes a plurality of temperature sensors, and these temperature sensors are also disposed between the first end 123 and the second end 124 of the cooling unit 120.

[0035] Next, in conjunction with Figures 2 to 4 , the positional relationship between the cooling unit 120 and each temperature sensor and the electronic module 200 will be described in detail. Among them, Figure 2 shows a schematic structural diagram of the cooling unit 120, and in Figure 2 , still taking the electronic module 200 disposed on the cooling unit 120 as the electronic modules 201-206 as an example, Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the relative positions of the first surface and the second surface of the cooling unit 120, Figure 4 shows along Figure 2 a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A' in

[0036] The present application does not limit the specific shape of the cooling unit 120. In a preferred embodiment, as Figure 2 shown, taking the cooling unit 120 as a U-shaped or serpentine extended plate-like structure as an example, it can increase the cross-sectional area of the coolant in the direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the coolant, that is, along Figure 2Increase the cross-sectional area of the coolant in the cross-section along line B-B' in the figure, thereby enhancing the cooling effect.

[0037] The cooling unit 120 includes opposite first surface 10 and second surface 20, and the coolant flows between the first surface 10 and the second surface 20. In some embodiments, as Figure 2 shown, the electronic modules 201-206 are disposed on the first surface 10. In some other embodiments, electronic modules 200 can be disposed on both the first surface 10 and the second surface 20.

[0038] It should be noted that in the preferred embodiments, the cooling unit 120 extends in a U shape or a serpentine shape. Thus, at different positions of the cooling unit 120, the relative positions of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 may change. For example, for the U-shaped cooling unit 120, referring to Figure 3 , the second surface 20 is always located inside the U shape, and the first surface 10 is always located outside the U shape. That is to say, at the position near the first end 123 and the position near the second end 124, the relative positions of the first surface 10 and the second surface 20 are opposite.

[0039] In some embodiments, the electronic module 200 is cooled by a direct cooling method. Referring to Figure 4 the enlarged view of the electronic module 200 in the figure, as an example, the electronic module 200 includes, for example, a housing 210, a substrate 220, and a heat sink 230. Among them, the housing 210 and the substrate 220 form a cavity, and this cavity can be used to seal semiconductor devices, especially power semiconductor devices such as insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), etc. The heat sink 230 can be connected to the substrate 220 or directly integrated on the substrate 220. The heat sink 230 can be a fin, a needle-like structure, or other structures. The heat sink 230 is usually made of a metal material, such as a metal material with good thermal conductivity efficiency like aluminum, copper, etc. By directly inserting the heat sink 230 into the cooling unit 120, the heat dissipation area can be effectively increased, and the cooling efficiency can be improved.

[0040] However, it should be understood that the present application does not impose excessive restrictions on the specific structure or heat dissipation method of the electronic module 200. For example, in some other embodiments, the electronic module 200 is also cooled by an indirect cooling method. By printing a thermal interface material (TIM) on the back of the substrate of the electronic module 200, and fastening the electronic module 200 to the cooling unit 120 by means of fasteners, welding, or bonding, the heat of the electronic module 200 can be transferred to the coolant via the substrate, the thermal interface material, and the cooling unit 120.

[0041] The temperature acquisition unit 140 includes a plurality of first temperature sensors 141 and / or a plurality of second temperature sensors 142. Refer to Figure 2 , the first temperature sensor 141 is installed on the first surface 10 of the cooling unit 140, and the second temperature sensor 142 is installed on the second surface 20 of the cooling unit 140. In some embodiments, on the first surface 10, the first temperature sensors 141 and the electronic modules 200 are alternately arranged; on the second surface 20, the second temperature sensors 142 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the electronic modules 200 and / or the first temperature sensors 141.

[0042] The first temperature sensors 141 and the second temperature sensors 142 are used to sense the coolant temperature at different positions on the cooling unit 120 and output the sensed temperature to the control unit 130. The control unit 130 processes the received sensed temperature to obtain the temperature parameter of the coolant, and provides a first control signal when the temperature parameter meets a preset condition, and the first control signal is used to switch the flow direction of the coolant.

[0043] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of the control unit 130 is shown. Refer to Figure 5 , the control unit 130 includes a processing module 131, a timing module 132, and an output module 133.

[0044] The processing module 131 is used to process the sensed temperature provided by each of the first temperature sensors 141 and / or the second temperature sensors 142, that is, to process the coolant temperature collected by the first temperature sensors 141 and / or the second temperature sensors 142, so as to obtain the temperature parameter. Specifically, the processing module 131 obtains the coolant temperature at the position of each electronic module 200 according to the sensed temperature of each of the first temperature sensors 141 and / or the second temperature sensors 142, and obtains the temperature parameter according to the coolant temperature at the position of each electronic module 200.

[0045] In some embodiments, for each electronic module 200, the processing module 131 receives the sensed temperature provided by the first temperature sensors 141 and / or the second temperature sensors 142 surrounding the electronic module 200, and uses the maximum value, median, mode, or mean value thereof as the coolant temperature at the position of the electronic module.

[0046] For example, in the sensor position example described above, in combination with Figure 4, for each electronic module 200, the first temperature sensor 141 and the second temperature sensor 142 surrounding the electronic module 200 include: first temperature sensors 141a and 141b adjacent to the electronic module 200, a second temperature sensor 142c symmetric to the electronic module 200, and second temperature sensors 142a and 142b symmetric to the first temperature sensors 141a and 141b. The processing module 131 counts the sensed temperatures of these five temperature sensors, and takes the maximum value, median value, mode value or mean value among them as the temperature of the coolant at the electronic module. By statistically processing the sensed temperatures of multiple temperature sensors, the reliability of the coolant temperature can be improved.

[0047] It should be noted that in some embodiments, the sensed temperatures of the same temperature sensor may be used to obtain the coolant temperatures at the positions of multiple electronic modules 200. For example, in Figure 2 , the electronic modules 200 and the first temperature sensors 141 are arranged alternately. The first temperature sensor 141 located between two adjacent electronic modules 200 can be used to obtain the coolant temperatures at the positions of these two electronic modules 200.

[0048] Thereafter, the processing module 131 obtains the temperature parameters of the coolant according to the temperatures of the coolant at the positions of each electronic module.

[0049] The temperature parameters include at least one of the upstream temperature, downstream temperature, downstream temperature rise rate, and temperature gradient of the coolant. Correspondingly, the preset conditions include at least one of the downstream temperature being greater than or equal to the first threshold; the downstream temperature rise rate being greater than or equal to the second threshold; the difference between the downstream temperature and the upstream temperature being greater than or equal to the third threshold; and the temperature gradient value being greater than or equal to the fourth threshold.

[0050] Specifically, the upstream temperature is the maximum value, median value, mode value or mean value of the coolant temperatures at the positions of each upstream electronic module. The upstream electronic modules include at least one electronic module 200 adjacent to the liquid inlet end of the cooling unit 120.

[0051] The downstream temperature is the maximum value, median value, mode value or mean value of the coolant temperatures at the positions of each downstream electronic module. The downstream electronic modules include at least one electronic module 200 adjacent to the liquid outlet end of the cooling unit 120.

[0052] Among them, some of the electronic modules close to the liquid inlet end are regarded as upstream electronic modules, and the coolant at the positions of the upstream electronic modules is the upstream coolant; some of the electronic modules close to the liquid outlet end are regarded as downstream electronic modules, and the coolant at the positions of the downstream electronic modules is the downstream coolant. It should be noted that the specific number of upstream electronic modules and downstream electronic modules can be adjusted according to the actual working conditions.

[0053] In some embodiments, the upstream electronic module position and the number of downstream electronic modules can be set in combination with the shape and length of the cooling unit 120 and the positions of the electronic modules 200 on the cooling unit 120. By way of example, referring to Figure 2 , for the U-shaped cooling unit 120 with three electronic modules 200 provided on each of its two arms, the number of upstream electronic modules and downstream electronic modules can both be set to 3. That is to say, one arm of the U-shape is the upstream of the coolant, and the other arm is the downstream of the coolant.

[0054] Further, if the first end 123 of the cooling unit 120 is the liquid inlet end and the second end 124 is the liquid outlet end, then the coolant at the corresponding positions of the three electronic modules 206, 205, and 204 close to the first end 123 is the upstream coolant, and the maximum value, median, mode, or average value of the coolant temperature at these three electronic module positions is used as the upstream temperature of the coolant; the coolant at the corresponding positions of the three electronic modules 201, 202, and 203 close to the second end 124 is the downstream coolant, and the maximum value, median, mode, or average value of the coolant temperature at these three electronic module positions is used as the downstream temperature of the coolant. If the second end 124 of the cooling unit 120 is the liquid inlet end and the first end 123 is the liquid outlet end, then the coolant at the corresponding positions of the three electronic modules 201, 202, and 203 close to the second end 124 is the upstream coolant, and the maximum value, median, mode, or average value of the coolant temperature at these three electronic module positions is used as the upstream temperature of the coolant; the coolant at the corresponding positions of the three electronic modules 206, 205, and 204 close to the first end 123 is the downstream coolant, and the maximum value, median, mode, or average value of the coolant temperature at these three electronic module positions is used as the downstream temperature of the coolant.

[0055] In addition, in some embodiments, the number of upstream electronic modules and the number of downstream electronic modules can also be set proportionally according to the total number of the electronic modules 200. For example, if the total number of the electronic modules 200 on the cooling unit 120 is Q, and the numbers of the upstream electronic modules and the downstream electronic modules are P respectively, then:

[0056] (1)

[0057] where P and Q are integers, and n≥2 and is an integer.

[0058] The downstream temperature of the coolant can characterize the ability of the coolant to exchange heat with the downstream electronic modules. The higher the downstream temperature of the coolant, the weaker its ability to exchange heat with the downstream electronic modules. When the downstream temperature of the coolant reaches the first threshold, it indicates that the downstream electronic modules cannot be effectively cooled currently.

[0059] The downstream temperature rise rate characterizes the change of the downstream temperature over time. It can be obtained with reference to the following formula (2):

[0060] (2)

[0061] Among them, dT is the change in downstream temperature, and dt is the change in time.

[0062] When the temperature rise rate reaches the second threshold, it indicates that the too rapid rise in the downstream temperature of the coolant will result in insufficient cooling effect of the coolant on the downstream electronic module, and it is necessary to improve the cooling capacity of the cooling device.

[0063] The difference between the downstream temperature and the upstream temperature of the coolant can reflect the working state of the cooling device 100. If this difference is relatively stable, it indicates that the cooling device is in a stable working state. If this difference exceeds the third threshold, it indicates abnormal cooling and the downstream electronic module cannot be effectively cooled.

[0064] The temperature gradient value is the slope of the fitting curve of the coolant temperature at the positions of each electronic module, or the maximum value, median, mode, or mean value of the temperature differences of the coolant at the positions of any adjacent electronic modules. Figure 6a and Figure 6b shows a schematic diagram of the temperature gradient.

[0065] In some embodiments, let X represent the distance of the electronic module 200 from the liquid inlet end, and T represent the coolant temperature at the position of each electronic module 200. Then referring to Figure 6a , by fitting the (X, T) coordinates of each electronic module 200, a curve can be obtained, and the slope of this curve is the temperature gradient value. For example Figure 6a the fitting of the coolant temperatures at each electronic module 200 shown obtains a straight line, and the slope of this straight line is Figure 6a the exemplary temperature gradient value.

[0066] In some embodiments, the maximum value, median, mode, or mean value of the temperature differences of the coolant between the positions of adjacent electronic modules can also be used as the temperature gradient.

[0067] Referring to Figure 6b , i represents the i-th electronic module 200 in the coolant flow direction, and ΔT i represents the temperature difference of the coolant between the i-th electronic module and its adjacent (i - 1)-th electronic module.

[0068] (3)

[0069] If the electronic modules 200 are arranged at equal intervals, and the cooling device can normally cool each electronic module, each ΔT should be approximately equal. Therefore, the maximum value, median, mode, or mean value of ΔT can be used as the temperature gradient value to characterize the cooling capacity of the cooling device.

[0070] In some embodiments, ΔT i may also represent the temperature difference of the coolant at the i-th electronic module and its adjacent (i + 1)-th electronic module, that is:

[0071] (4)

[0072] At this time, ΔT i is a negative value.

[0073] It should be understood that for different types of temperature parameters, the specific data of their corresponding thresholds may not be the same, and these thresholds can also be set with reference to the actual working conditions. Generally speaking, when the temperature parameter reaches the threshold, it indicates that the cooling capacity of the coolant for the downstream electronic module decreases.

[0074] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the above preset condition further includes that the duration for which the temperature parameter satisfies the corresponding threshold is at least the first duration. By setting the first duration, frequent switching of the coolant flow direction can be avoided, which is beneficial to reducing power consumption.

[0075] The setting of the first duration should be based on not causing damage to the electronic module 200 and leaving a time margin for the cooling process. Taking the downstream temperature of the coolant as an example of the temperature parameter, assuming that the cooling efficiency decreases when the temperature of the coolant exceeds 40°C, and the performance of the electronic module 200 will decline or be damaged when it works in a high-temperature environment for 20 minutes, then the first threshold can be set to 40°C, and the first duration can be set to 15 minutes, or even 10 minutes. Controlling the cooling capacity of the cooling device before the performance of the electronic module 200 declines or is damaged is beneficial to improving the reliability of the cooling device.

[0076] Correspondingly, the control unit 130 further includes a timing module 132 for obtaining the duration for which the temperature parameter satisfies the corresponding threshold.

[0077] The output module 133 is connected to the processing module 131 or the timing module 132, and is configured to provide a first control signal when the temperature parameter satisfies the preset condition, and the first control signal is used to control the liquid supply unit 110 to switch the flow direction of the coolant.

[0078] In some embodiments, the output module 133 further provides a second control signal when the temperature parameter satisfies the corresponding threshold, but the duration does not reach the first duration. The second control signal is used to control the liquid supply unit 110 to increase the flow rate of the coolant. This is beneficial to further improving the reliability of the cooling device.

[0079] The working process of the cooling device provided in this application will be briefly described below. In an exemplary description, the temperature parameter is the downstream temperature of the coolant, and the downstream electronic modules include three electronic modules adjacent to the liquid outlet end of the cooling unit 120 as an example.

[0080] Refer to Figure 1 , for example, in the initial state, with the first end 123 as the liquid inlet end and the second end 124 as the liquid outlet end, the coolant is injected into the cooling unit 120 through the first end 123 and discharged through the second end 124. At this time, the downstream electronic modules include three electronic modules 201, 202, and 203. Each first temperature sensor 141 and / or second temperature sensor 142 in the temperature acquisition unit 140 provides the sensed temperature to the processing module 131. The processing module 131 receives these sensed temperatures, and for example, takes the average value of the sensed temperatures of the first temperature sensor 141 and the second temperature sensor 142 around the electronic module 201 as the temperature at the electronic module 201, takes the average value of the sensed temperatures of the first temperature sensor 141 and the second temperature sensor 142 around the electronic module 202 as the coolant temperature at the electronic module 202, takes the average value of the sensed temperatures of the first temperature sensor 141 and the second temperature sensor 142 around the electronic module 203 as the temperature at the electronic module 203, and takes the average value of the coolant temperatures at the three positions of the electronic modules 201, 202, and 203 as the downstream temperature of the coolant.

[0081] When the downstream temperature reaches the first threshold, it indicates that at least at the current coolant flow rate, effective cooling of the downstream electronic modules cannot be achieved, and the timing module 132 starts timing. At the same time, the output module 133 provides a second control signal to the liquid supply unit 110, and the liquid supply unit 110 is controlled by the second control signal to increase the coolant flow rate, thereby improving the cooling effect on the downstream electronic modules 201, 202, and 203.

[0082] If the timing of the timing module 132 continues to extend and reaches the first duration, it indicates that even if the coolant flow rate is increased, effective cooling of the downstream electronic modules cannot be achieved. At this time, the output module 133 provides a first control signal to the liquid supply unit 110, and the liquid supply unit 110 is controlled by the first control signal to reverse the flow direction of the coolant in the cooling unit. The coolant is injected into the cooling unit 120 through the second end 124 and discharged through the first end 123, that is, the second end 124 is switched to the liquid inlet end and the first end 123 is switched to the liquid outlet end. Accordingly, the electronic modules 201, 202, and 203 are changed from downstream electronic modules to upstream electronic modules, and are cooled by the low-temperature coolant newly injected into the cooling unit 120, so the cooling balance can be improved.

[0083] The cooling device 100 further includes a monitoring module 150. In some embodiments, the above preset conditions can be obtained by pre-conducting environmental adaptability tests on the electronic module 200 and monitoring the operating state of the electronic module 200 through the monitoring module 150. Exemplarily, the first threshold, second threshold, third threshold, and fourth threshold are obtained by testing the cooling efficiency of coolants at different temperatures, and the first duration is obtained by testing the performance of the electronic module 200 operating at different temperatures.

[0084] Taking the first threshold as an example, when the operating temperature of the electronic module 200 is 60°C, coolants at 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, and 40°C are used to cool the electronic module 200 at this operating temperature. The test results show that the cooling effect of the 40°C coolant on the electronic module significantly decreases. Then, the first threshold can be set to 40°C. At the same time, test the continuous working time of the electronic module 200 at a temperature of 60°C and a coolant temperature of 40°C. For example, when the performance of the electronic module 200 deteriorates or is damaged at 20 minutes, then the above first duration can be set to a value less than 20 minutes. For example, to maintain a sufficient safety margin, the first duration is set to 10 minutes. It should be understood that the above examples are only for understanding the detection process, and the temperature parameters and corresponding preset conditions can be determined according to the actual working conditions and costs, and the present application does not make excessive restrictions.

[0085] In some other embodiments, when the electronic module 200 is operating normally, the operating state and working data of the electronic module 200 can be monitored and analyzed through the monitoring module 150, so as to obtain the above preset conditions.

[0086] Still taking the first threshold as an example, monitor the temperature rise rate of the electronic module 200. When the temperature of the electronic module 200 fluctuates up and down or rises slowly, it indicates that the coolant is exchanging heat with the electronic module 200 normally and cooling the electronic module 200; when the temperature of the electronic module 200 rises rapidly, it indicates that the coolant cannot cool the electronic module 200, and the downstream temperature of the coolant at this time is used as the first threshold. Further, analyze the working data of the electronic module 200. When the working data of the electronic module 200 indicates that the performance of the electronic module 200 begins to decline, the duration between the start of the temperature rise of the electronic module 200 and the start of the decline in the performance of the electronic module 200 can be used as the first duration.

[0087] It should be noted that by monitoring and analyzing during the normal operation of the electronic module 200 to obtain the preset conditions, the corresponding environmental adaptability test process can be omitted, but its regulation of the coolant has hysteresis, and the coolant can only be regulated according to data analysis after the performance of the electronic module 200 begins to decline. In actual working conditions, the method for obtaining the above preset conditions can be selected according to the cost and the performance requirements of the electronic module 200.

[0088] The present application also provides a cooling method for cooling an electronic module, which is, for example, a semiconductor device, particularly a power semiconductor device. In some embodiments, the cooling method may be executed by the cooling device described above. Figure 7 A schematic flowchart showing the cooling method disclosed in the present application is presented.

[0089] Referring to Figure 7 , the cooling method provided by the present application includes the following steps:

[0090] In step S11, coolant is supplied to the cooling unit.

[0091] One of the first end and the second end of the cooling unit is the liquid inlet end of the cooling unit, and the other is the liquid outlet end of the cooling unit. The electronic module is mounted on the cooling unit and is located between the first end and the second end. When the coolant flows through the cooling unit, heat exchange occurs between the coolant and the electronic module, causing the temperature of the electronic module to drop.

[0092] In step S12, the temperature of the coolant is collected.

[0093] In this step, the temperatures of the coolant at different positions on the cooling unit are collected. Specifically, for example, as described above, a first temperature sensor and / or a second temperature sensor are provided on the cooling unit for temperature collection.

[0094] In step S13, temperature parameters of the coolant are obtained based on the collected temperature.

[0095] The temperature parameters include at least one of the upstream temperature, downstream temperature, downstream temperature rise rate, and temperature gradient value of the coolant. Correspondingly, the preset conditions include that the downstream temperature is greater than or equal to the first threshold; the downstream temperature rise rate is greater than or equal to the second threshold; the difference between the downstream temperature and the upstream temperature is greater than or equal to the third threshold; at least one of the temperature gradient values is greater than or equal to the fourth threshold. In some embodiments, the preset conditions further include that the duration for which the temperature parameters satisfy the corresponding thresholds is at least the first duration.

[0096] It should be noted that step S13 can specifically be obtained by referring to the statistics and processing flow of the temperatures sensed by each temperature sensor in the cooling device disclosed above, or other methods can also be used, which will not be elaborated here. After step S13, it is determined whether the temperature parameters of the coolant satisfy the preset conditions, and when the preset conditions are satisfied, the flow direction of the coolant is reversed.

[0097] Taking the downstream temperature of the coolant as the temperature parameter as an example, then step S13 is specifically followed by the following steps:

[0098] In step S14, it is determined whether the downstream temperature of the coolant is greater than or equal to the first threshold.

[0099] In this step, it is determined whether the temperature parameter obtained in step S13 meets the corresponding threshold. In the example where the temperature parameter is the downstream temperature, it is determined whether the downstream temperature is greater than or equal to the first threshold. When the downstream temperature reaches the first threshold, it indicates that the current coolant flow rate and flow direction may not be able to effectively cool the downstream electronic modules.

[0100] Adjust the coolant flow rate in step S15. In this step, when the downstream temperature reaches the first threshold, the flow rate of the coolant in the cooling unit is increased to enhance the cooling effect on each downstream electronic module.

[0101] In step S16, it is determined whether the duration for which the downstream temperature is greater than or equal to the first threshold continues to extend and reaches the first duration.

[0102] If, after adjusting the flow rate, the recorded duration in this step still continues to extend and reaches the first duration, it can be determined that increasing the flow rate of the coolant cannot reduce the coolant temperature at each downstream electronic module. At this time, step S17 is continued.

[0103] Swap the coolant flow direction in step S17.

[0104] With the swapping of the coolant flow direction, the downstream electronic modules become upstream electronic modules, and are cooled by the low-temperature coolant newly entering the cooling unit, thereby improving the balance of temperature reduction.

[0105] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cooling method disclosed in the present application further includes obtaining the above-mentioned preset conditions through a pre-environment adaptability test or obtaining the above-mentioned preset conditions by monitoring the operating state of the electronic modules. The specific test process can also refer to the examples above and will not be elaborated here.

[0106] According to the cooling device and cooling method provided by the present application, the temperature parameter of the coolant is obtained based on the collected coolant temperature, and the flow direction of the coolant is swapped when the temperature parameter meets the preset conditions, thereby reducing the temperature difference between electronic modules at different positions and facilitating improving the overall service life and reliability of the device.

[0107] As described above in accordance with the embodiments of the present application, these embodiments do not elaborate on all details and do not limit the present application to only the specific embodiments. Obviously, many modifications and variations can be made based on the above description. These embodiments are selected and specifically described in this specification to better explain the principles and practical applications of the present application, so that those skilled in the art can make good use of the present application and its modifications based on the present application. The protection scope of the present application should be defined by the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A cooling device for cooling an electronic module, wherein: include: A liquid supply unit, used for providing cooling liquid; A cooling unit, wherein the plurality of electronic modules are disposed in the cooling unit and are located between two ends of the cooling unit, the two ends of the cooling unit are connected to the liquid supply unit, and the coolant flows in the cooling unit and cools the electronic modules; A temperature collection unit, used to collect the temperature of the coolant; as well as The control unit obtains the temperature parameter of the coolant according to the collected temperature, and changes the flow direction of the coolant when the temperature parameter meets a preset condition.

2. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein: The temperature parameter includes at least one of the upstream temperature, the downstream temperature, the downstream temperature rise rate and the temperature gradient value of the coolant, The preset conditions include: the downstream temperature is greater than or equal to a first threshold; the downstream temperature rise rate is greater than or equal to a second threshold; the difference between the downstream temperature and the upstream temperature is greater than or equal to a third threshold; and the temperature gradient value is greater than or equal to at least one of a fourth threshold.

3. The cooling device according to claim 2, wherein: The upstream temperature is a maximum value, a median value, a mode or a mean value of the coolant temperature at each upstream electronic module position, and the upstream electronic module includes at least one electronic module adjacent to the liquid inlet end of the cooling unit; The downstream temperature is a maximum value, a median value, a mode or a mean value of the coolant temperature at each downstream electronic module position, and the downstream electronic module includes at least one electronic module adjacent to the liquid outlet of the cooling unit; The temperature gradient value is the slope of a fitting curve of the coolant temperature at each electronic module position; or the temperature gradient value is the maximum value, median value, mode or mean value of the coolant temperature difference at adjacent electronic module positions.

4. The cooling device according to claim 2, wherein: The control unit comprises: A processing module, which obtains the temperature parameter according to the collected temperature of the coolant; and The output module is connected to the processing module and is used to provide a first control signal when the temperature parameter meets the preset condition, and the first control signal is used to change the flow direction of the coolant.

5. The cooling device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein: The preset condition also includes: the temperature parameter meets the corresponding threshold for at least a first duration.

6. The cooling device according to claim 5, wherein: The control unit further includes: a timing module, which is used to obtain the duration.

7. The cooling device according to claim 5, wherein: The control unit is further configured to provide a second control signal when the temperature parameter meets a corresponding threshold and the duration is less than the first duration, wherein the second control signal is configured to increase the flow rate of the coolant.

8. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein: The cooling device also includes: The monitoring module is used to monitor the operating status of each of the electronic modules in a preliminary environmental adaptability test phase or a working phase of the cooling device to obtain the preset conditions.

9. A cooling method for cooling an electronic module, wherein: The cooling method comprises: Providing cooling liquid to a cooling unit, a plurality of electronic modules are arranged in the cooling unit and located between two ends of the cooling unit, the cooling liquid flows in the cooling unit and cools the electronic modules; collecting the temperature of the coolant; Obtaining a temperature parameter of the coolant according to the collected temperature; and When the temperature parameter of the coolant meets a preset condition, the flow direction of the coolant is changed.

10. The cooling method according to claim 9, wherein: The preset conditions also include: It is determined that the temperature parameter of the coolant meets the preset condition for a continuous period of time, and when the continuous period of time is less than the first period of time, the flow rate of the coolant is increased.

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