System for cooling module with continuous progressive cooling fins

Abstract

A system for a cooling module with continuous progressive cooling fins. A heat sink system includes a first heat sink, the first heat sink including: a container including a cavity; a housing connected to the container to cover the cavity, where one or more of the container or the housing includes an inlet port, and one or more of the container or the housing includes an outlet port; and a cooling module located in the cavity between the container and the housing, the cooling module located in a flow of coolant from the inlet port to the outlet port, where the cooling module comprises: one or more cooling fins located in the cavity between the container and the housing, the fin geometry has a continuous progressive sine wave extending along the flow of coolant from the inlet port to the outlet port.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Various embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to a cooling module, and more particularly to a system for providing thermal management and continuous progressive cooling fins on a cooling module to, for example, facilitate reducing temperature in a power module. BACKGROUND

[0002] Thermal management is considered a key technical aspect in electric vehicle systems. As such, a cooling module can be a key component in a traction inverter system that controls the performance and efficiency of the entire drive system of an electric vehicle. However, some cooling modules can have limited thermal performance optimization capabilities and can have high pressure drops.

[0003] The present disclosure aims to overcome one or more of these aforementioned challenges. SUMMARY

[0004] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a heat sink system, comprising: a first heat sink, the first heat sink comprising: a vessel, the vessel comprising a cavity; a housing connected to the vessel to cover the cavity, wherein one or more of the vessel or the housing comprises an inlet port, and one or more of the vessel or the housing comprises an outlet port; and a cooling module, the cooling module located in the cavity between the vessel and the housing, the cooling module located in a coolant flow from the inlet port to the outlet port, wherein the cooling module comprises: one or more cooling fins, a fin geometry of the one or more cooling fins having a continuous progressive sinusoidal wave extending along the coolant flow from the inlet port to the outlet port.

[0005] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a heat sink system, wherein the one or more cooling fins comprises a cooling fin having an upstream end and a downstream end, wherein the upstream end of the cooling fin is located at the inlet port of the one or more of the vessel or the housing, and wherein the downstream end of the cooling fin is located at the outlet port of the one or more of the vessel or the housing.

[0006] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a heat sink system, wherein the one or more cooling fins comprises: a first cooling fin, the first cooling fin having a first upstream end and a first downstream end; a second cooling fin, the second cooling fin having a second upstream end and a second downstream end; and a third cooling fin, the third cooling fin having a third upstream end and a third downstream end.

[0007] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a heat sink system, wherein the cooling module comprises: a first transition zone between the first downstream end and the second upstream end; and a second transition zone between the second downstream end and the third upstream end, wherein the first and second transition zones do not comprise cooling fins.

[0008] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a heat sink system, wherein the cooling module comprises: a first transition zone between the first downstream end and the second upstream end; and a second transition zone between the second downstream end and the third upstream end, wherein each of the first and second transition zones comprises one or more transition zone cooling fins having a flattened fin geometry.

[0009] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a heat sink system, wherein the first downstream end is connected to the second upstream end, and the second downstream end is connected to the third upstream end.

[0010] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a heat sink system, further comprising: one or more power modules, wherein the first heat sink is disposed on the one or more power modules.

[0011] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a heat sink system, further comprising: a second heat sink, wherein the one or more power modules comprise: a first power module; a second power module; and a third power module, wherein the first heat sink is disposed on a first side surface of the first power module, a first side surface of the second power module, and a first side surface of the third power module, and wherein the second heat sink is disposed on a second side surface of the first power module, a second side surface of the second power module, and a second side surface of the third power module.

[0012] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to an inverter comprising the heat sink system.

[0013] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle comprising an inverter.

[0014] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a cooling module comprising: one or more cooling fins having a fin geometry with a continuous progressive sinusoidal wave extending from an upstream end to a downstream end along a coolant flow.

[0015] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a cooling module, wherein the one or more cooling fins comprise a first cooling fin having a first upstream end and a first downstream end.

[0016] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a cooling module, wherein the one or more cooling fins further comprise: a second cooling fin having a second upstream end and a second downstream end; and a third cooling fin having a third upstream end and a third downstream end.

[0017] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a cooling module, further comprising: a first transition zone having an upstream end and a downstream end; and a second transition zone having an upstream end and a downstream end, wherein the upstream end of the first transition zone is connected to the first downstream end of the first cooling fin and the downstream end of the first transition zone is connected to the second upstream end of the second cooling fin; wherein the upstream end of the second transition zone is connected to the second downstream end of the second cooling fin and the downstream end of the second transition zone is connected to the third upstream end of the third cooling fin, and wherein the first and second transition zones do not include cooling fins.

[0018] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a cooling module, further comprising: a first transition zone having an upstream end and a downstream end; and a second transition zone having an upstream end and a downstream end, wherein the upstream end of the first transition zone is connected to the first downstream end of the first cooling fin and the downstream end of the first transition zone is connected to the second upstream end of the second cooling fin; wherein the upstream end of the second transition zone is connected to the second downstream end of the second cooling fin and the downstream end of the second transition zone is connected to the third upstream end of the third cooling fin, and wherein each of the first and second transition zones includes one or more transition zone cooling fins having a flat fin geometry.

[0019] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a cooling module, wherein the second cooling fin is arranged upstream of the third cooling fin and the first cooling fin is arranged upstream of the second cooling fin.

[0020] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a cooling module, wherein a wavelength of the continuous progressive sinusoidal wave at the downstream end of the one or more cooling fins is shorter than a wavelength of the continuous progressive sinusoidal wave at the upstream end of the one or more cooling fins.

[0021] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system comprising: an inverter configured to convert DC power from a battery to AC power to drive a motor, wherein the inverter comprises: one or more power modules; and a first heat sink configured to extract heat from the one or more power modules, wherein the first heat sink comprises: a first vessel comprising a first cavity; a first housing connected to the first vessel to cover the first cavity, wherein one or more of the first vessel or the first housing comprises a first inlet port and one or more of the first vessel or the first housing comprises a first outlet port; and a first cooling module located in the first cavity between the first vessel and the first housing, the first cooling module is located in a first coolant flow from the first inlet port to the first outlet port, wherein the first cooling module comprises: one or more cooling fins having a fin geometry with a continuous progressive sinusoidal wave extending from an upstream end to a downstream end along the first coolant flow from the first inlet port to the first outlet port.

[0022] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system wherein the one or more cooling fins comprise: a first cooling fin having a first upstream end and a first downstream end; a second cooling fin having a second upstream end and a second downstream end; and a third cooling fin having a third upstream end and a third downstream end, wherein a wavelength of the continuous progressive sinusoidal wave at the first downstream end of the first cooling fin, the second downstream end of the second cooling fin, and the third downstream end of the third cooling fin has a first length, wherein a wavelength of the continuous progressive sinusoidal wave at the first upstream end of the first cooling fin, the second upstream end of the second cooling fin, and the third upstream end of the third cooling fin has a second length, and wherein the first length is about 10% to about 90% of the second length.

[0023] In some aspects, the technology described herein relates to a system further comprising: a second heat sink, wherein the first heat sink is disposed on a first side surface of the one or more power modules, and wherein the second heat sink is disposed on a second side surface of the one or more power modules.

[0024] Additional objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or can be learned by practice of the disclosed embodiments. The objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

[0025] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the claimed disclosed embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0026] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various example embodiments and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments.

[0027] Figure 1 An exemplary system infrastructure for a vehicle including a traction inverter is depicted in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0028] Figure 2 An exploded view of an exemplary heat sink system including a cooling module is depicted in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0029] Figure 3 A top view of an exemplary heat sink system including a cooling module having cooling fins is depicted in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0030] Figure 4 A top view of an exemplary heat sink system including a cooling module having cooling fins and a transition region without fins is depicted in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0031] Figure 5 A top view of an exemplary heat sink system including a cooling module having cooling fins and a transition region including fins is depicted in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0032] Figure 6 A top view of an exemplary heat sink system including a cooling module having multiple regions of cooling fins is depicted in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0033] Figure 7A An exemplary cooling assembly including a first heat sink and a power module is depicted in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0034] Figure 7B An exemplary cooling assembly including a first heat sink and a power module is depicted in accordance with one or more embodiments. Figure 7A and including a second heat sink.

[0035] Figure 8 An exemplary three-phase dual-sided cooling assembly including multiple power modules is depicted in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0036] Figure 9 A side view of a three-phase dual-sided cooling assembly 800 having a unidirectional coolant flow path in accordance with one or more embodiments. Figure 8 A side view of a three-phase dual-sided cooling assembly 800 having a unidirectional coolant flow path in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0037] Figure 10 is a three-phase dual-sided cooling assembly 800 having a bi-directional coolant flow path in accordance with one or more embodiments. Figure 8 is a side view of a three-phase dual-sided cooling assembly 800.

[0038] Figure 11 is a top view of an exemplary three-phase heat spreader system in accordance with one or more embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the claimed features. As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "has," "having," "includes," "including," or "contains," "containing," or variants thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but can include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, relative terms such as, for example, "about," "substantially," and "approximately" are used to indicate a possible variation of ±10% in the stated value. In this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, any numerical values can include a possible variation of ±10% in the stated value.

[0040] The terms used below can be interpreted in their broadest reasonable manner, despite their use in conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific examples of the disclosure. Indeed, certain terms can even be emphasized below; however, any terms intended to be interpreted in any manner that is constrained will be explicitly and specifically so limited in the DETAILED DESCRIPTION section. For example, in the context of the present disclosure, a power module can be described as a device, but can refer to any device used to control power flow in a circuit. For example, the power module can be, for example, a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), or a relay, or any combination thereof, but is not limited thereto.

[0041] Thermal management can be considered as a key technical aspect in electric vehicle systems. As such, a cooling module can be a key component in a traction inverter system that controls the performance and efficiency of the entire drive system of an electric vehicle. As such, improving thermal management using high performance cooling modules can be a demanding technology for the performance and reliability requirements of a traction inverter. However, some cooling modules can have limited thermal performance optimization capabilities and can have high pressure drops. Some cooling modules with single-sided or double-sided cooling of power modules can have power modules operating at high temperatures, can not be able to provide uniform thermal performance among power modules due to the coolant temperature rise effect along the coolant flow direction, and can not be able to provide low pressure drops due to the cooling fin design.

[0042] One or more embodiments can include cooling fins with a wavelength (waviness) of the fins that can vary continuously and progressively in the coolant flow direction. One or more embodiments can reduce the pressure drop in an inverter, which can reduce the parasitic losses of the cooling system by reducing the energy consumption of the coolant pump. One or more embodiments can reduce the temperature of the power modules, which can improve the performance or power density of the inverter, or extend the range of the electric vehicle. One or more embodiments can include continuously progressive cooling fins that can provide uniform temperature among power modules, which can improve the performance and reliability of the electric vehicle.

[0043] Figure 1 An exemplary system infrastructure for a vehicle including a traction inverter is depicted in accordance with one or more embodiments. An electric vehicle 100 can include a traction inverter 102, a connector 104, a drive motor 106, a wheel 108, and a battery 110. The traction inverter 102 can include a power module 112 and a heat sink system 200. The heat sink system 200 can be used to cool the power module 112. The connector 104 can connect the traction inverter 102 with the battery 110. The traction inverter 102 can include components for receiving electrical power from an external source and outputting electrical power to charge the battery 110 of the electric vehicle 100. Using the power module 112, the traction inverter 102 can convert DC power from the battery 110 in the electric vehicle 100 to AC power to power, for example, the drive motor 106 and the wheel 108 of the electric vehicle 100, although embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the traction inverter 102 can be bidirectional and can convert DC power to AC power, or AC power to DC power, such as during regenerative braking. For example, the traction inverter 102 can be a single-phase inverter, or a multi-phase inverter, such as a three-phase inverter.

[0044] Figure 2An exploded view of an exemplary heat sink system including a cooling module is depicted in accordance with one or more embodiments. The heat sink system 200 can include a housing 207, a container 205, and a cooling module 250. The housing 207 can include an inlet port 203 and an outlet port 204. The container 205 can include an inlet port 201, an outlet port 202, and a cavity 206.

[0045] The cooling module 250 can be disposed between the housing 207 and the container 205. The housing 207 can be in contact with the cooling module 250. The container 205 can be in contact with the cooling module 250. The container 205 can include a cavity 206 in which the cooling module 250 can be disposed. The inlet port 203 of the housing 207 or the inlet port 201 of the container 205 can be configured to supply a refrigerant (e.g., a liquid coolant) to the cavity 206 and the cooling module 250. The outlet port 204 of the housing 207 or the outlet port 202 of the container 205 can be configured to exhaust the refrigerant (e.g., a liquid coolant) from the cavity 206 and the cooling module 250.

[0046] The heat sink system 200 can include a housing 207 having an inlet port 203 and an outlet port 204, and a container 205 having an inlet port 201 and an outlet port 202, although embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, in one or more embodiments, the housing 207 can not include an inlet port 203 and / or an outlet port 204, and / or the container 205 can not include an inlet port 201 and / or an outlet port 202.

[0047] The heat sink system 200 can be configured to provide heat dissipation (e.g., extract heat from) the power module 112 (e.g., see Figure 1 ). The materials of the housing 207 and the container 205 of the heat sink system 200 can be selected based on a required thermal performance needed to extract heat from the power module 112. For example, the housing 207 and the container 205 of the heat sink system 200 can include an aluminum alloy having a high thermal conductivity, although embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the housing 207 and the container 205 of the heat sink system 200 can include copper, although embodiments are not limited thereto. The refrigerant used in the heat sink system 200 can include a circulating fluid having a liquid (e.g., a liquid coolant) or a gas therein, although embodiments are not limited thereto. The heat sink system 200 can be provided in an extruded, folded fin, bonded fin, active fan, stamped, or cross-cut configuration, although embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0048] The cooling module 250 may be a continuous, single-folded metal sheet having a rectangular, circular, or curved geometry, but embodiments are not limited thereto. Similar to the housing 207 and container 205 of the heat sink system 200, the cooling module 250 may include an aluminum alloy having high thermal conductivity and being mechanically flexible, but embodiments are not limited thereto. The cooling module 250 may include, for example, copper or an alloy of copper and aluminum, but embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0049] The cooling module 250 may have cooling fins arranged along the coolant flow from inlet port 201 / 203 to outlet port 202 / 204, these cooling fins having upstream ends and downstream ends. For example, the cooling module 250 may have cooling fins disposed in cavity 206, these cooling fins having an upstream end at inlet port 201 of container 205 and a downstream end at outlet port 202 of container 205, but the embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0050] Figure 3 A top view of an exemplary radiator system according to one or more embodiments is depicted, the exemplary radiator system including a cooling module with cooling fins. The radiator system 300 may include a container 305, an inlet port 301, an outlet port 302, and a cooling module 350 with cooling fins having an upstream end at the inlet port 301 and a downstream end at the outlet port 302. Reference Figure 2 Container 305 may correspond to container 205, inlet port 301 may correspond to inlet port 201, outlet port 302 may correspond to outlet port 202, and cooling module 350 may correspond to cooling module 250. Cooling module 350 may be disposed in the cavity of container 305. Figure 3 (Not shown in the image). For the sake of brevity, Figure 3 Radiator system 300 and Figure 2 The radiator system 200 may contain many similarities that will not be discussed.

[0051] The cooling module 350 may include cooling fins having a fin geometry that features a continuous progressive sine wave extending from an upstream end of the cooling fin to a downstream end. For example, the wavelength of the continuous progressive sine wave at the downstream end of the cooling fin (e.g., high ripple or greater ripple) may be shorter than the wavelength of the continuous progressive sine wave at the upstream end of the cooling fin (e.g., low ripple or less ripple). For example, the wavelength of the continuous progressive sine wave at the downstream end of the cooling fin may be approximately 10% to approximately 50% of the wavelength of the continuous progressive sine wave at the upstream end of the cooling fin, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the wavelength of the continuous progressive sine wave at the downstream end of the cooling fin may be approximately 10% to approximately 90% of the wavelength of the continuous progressive sine wave at the upstream end of the cooling fin, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0052] Figure 4 A top view of an exemplary heat spreader system including cooling modules with cooling fins and transition zones without fins is depicted in accordance with one or more embodiments. Heat spreader system 400 can include vessel 405, inlet port 401, outlet port 402, and cooling module 450. Cooling module 450 can be disposed in a cavity (not shown) of vessel 405. Cooling module 450 can include first cooling zone 461, second cooling zone 462, third cooling zone 463, first transition zone 431, and second transition zone 432. For brevity, Figure 4 Figure 4 Heat spreader system 400 and Figure 3 Heat spreader system 300 can contain many similarities that will not be discussed. For brevity of the description, only the differences between heat spreader system 400 and heat spreader system 300 will be described.

[0053] First cooling zone 461 can include first cooling fins 417. First cooling fins 417 can include an upstream end and a downstream end. First cooling fins 417 can include a fin geometry having a continuous progressive sinusoidal wave extending from the upstream end of first cooling fins 417 to the downstream end of first cooling fins 417. For example, the wavelength of the continuous progressive sinusoidal wave at the downstream end of first cooling fins 417 (e.g., high corrugation or greater corrugation) can be shorter than the wavelength of the continuous progressive sinusoidal wave at the upstream end of first cooling fins 417 (e.g., low corrugation or lesser corrugation).

[0054] Second cooling zone 462 can include second cooling fins 418. Second cooling fins 418 can include an upstream end and a downstream end. Second cooling fins 418 can include a fin geometry having a continuous progressive sinusoidal wave extending from the upstream end of second cooling fins 418 to the downstream end of second cooling fins 418. For example, the wavelength of the continuous progressive sinusoidal wave at the downstream end of second cooling fins 418 (e.g., high corrugation or greater corrugation) can be shorter than the wavelength of the continuous progressive sinusoidal wave at the upstream end of second cooling fins 418 (e.g., low corrugation or lesser corrugation).

[0055] Third cooling zone 463 can include third cooling fins 419. Third cooling fins 419 can include an upstream end and a downstream end. Third cooling fins 419 can include a fin geometry having a continuous progressive sinusoidal wave extending from the upstream end of third cooling fins 419 to the downstream end of third cooling fins 419. For example, the wavelength of the continuous progressive sinusoidal wave at the downstream end of third cooling fins 419 (e.g., high corrugation or greater corrugation) can be shorter than the wavelength of the continuous progressive sinusoidal wave at the upstream end of third cooling fins 419 (e.g., low corrugation or lesser corrugation). ​

[0056] The first cooling fins 417, the second cooling fins 418, and the third cooling fins 419 can differ from one another in one or more of number, thickness, height in a direction transverse to the direction of coolant flow (e.g., the “amplitude” of the corrugation of the cooling fins), length in the direction of coolant flow, pitch, spacing, or material composition. For example, the first cooling fins 417 in the first cooling zone 461 can be composed of copper, while the second cooling fins 418 in the second cooling zone 462 can be composed of aluminum, although embodiments are not limited thereto. Each of the first cooling fins 417, the second cooling fins 418, and the third cooling fins 419 can be composed of one or more materials. For example, the first cooling fins 417 can include a first portion composed of copper and a second portion composed of aluminum, or a combination of aluminum and copper, although embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, each of the first cooling fins 417, the second cooling fins 418, and the third cooling fins 419 can be composed of copper, although embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, each of the first cooling fins 417, the second cooling fins 418, and the third cooling fins 419 can be composed of aluminum, although embodiments are not limited thereto. Although the first cooling fins 417, the second cooling fins 418, and the third cooling fins 419 are depicted as being composed of the same material, embodiments are not limited thereto. Figure 4 A cooling module 450 having three cooling zones (e.g., a first cooling zone 461, a second cooling zone 462, and a third cooling zone 463) is depicted, although the cooling module 450 can include one or more cooling zones. For example, the cooling module 450 can include five or more cooling zones.

[0057] The first transition zone 431 can not include cooling fins. The first transition zone 431 can include an upstream end and a downstream end. The first transition zone 431 can be arranged between the first cooling zone 461 and the second cooling zone 462 such that the upstream end of the first transition zone 431 is connected to (or in contact with) the downstream end of the first cooling zone 461 and the downstream end of the first transition zone 431 is connected to (or in contact with) the upstream end of the second cooling zone 462, although embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0058] The second transition zone 432 can not include cooling fins. The second transition zone 432 can include an upstream end and a downstream end. The second transition zone 432 can be arranged between the second cooling zone 462 and the third cooling zone 463 such that the upstream end of the second transition zone 432 is connected to (or in contact with) the downstream end of the second cooling zone 462 and the downstream end of the second transition zone 432 is connected to (or in contact with) the upstream end of the third cooling zone 463, although embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0059] Figure 5 A top view of an example heat sink system including a cooling module having cooling fins and a transition zone including fins is depicted in accordance with one or more embodiments. The heat sink system 500 can include a vessel 505, an inlet port 501, an outlet port 502, and a cooling module 550. The cooling module 550 can be disposed in a cavity of the vessel 505. The cooling module 550 can include a first cooling zone 561, a second cooling zone 562, and a third cooling zone 563. The first cooling zone 561 can include first cooling fins 571, the second cooling zone 562 can include second cooling fins 572, and the third cooling zone 563 can include third cooling fins 573. The first cooling fins 571, the second cooling fins 572, and the third cooling fins 573 can be composed of one or more materials. For example, the first cooling fins 571, the second cooling fins 572, and the third cooling fins 573 can be composed of copper, although embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the first cooling fins 571, the second cooling fins 572, and the third cooling fins 573 can be composed of aluminum, although embodiments are not limited thereto. Although the first cooling fins 571, the second cooling fins 572, and the third cooling fins 573 are depicted as being composed of the same material, embodiments are not limited thereto.Figure 5 The cooling module 550 can include a first cooling zone 561 having first cooling fins 517, a second cooling zone 562 having second cooling fins 518, a third cooling zone 563 having third cooling fins 519, a first transition zone 531, and a second transition zone 532. For brevity, Figure 5 The radiator system 500 and Figure 4 The radiator system 400 can contain many similarities that will not be discussed. For brevity of the description, only the differences between the radiator system 500 and the radiator system 400 will be described.

[0060] The first transition zone 531 can include first transition zone cooling fins 521 having a flat fin geometry with a flat wave (or substantially flat wave, or straight fin geometry) corresponding to an infinite wavelength (or large radius geometry, for example). The first transition zone 531 can include an upstream end and a downstream end. The first transition zone 531 can be arranged between the first cooling zone 561 and the second cooling zone 562 such that the upstream end of the first transition zone 531 is connected to (or in contact with) the downstream end of the first cooling zone 561 and the downstream end of the first transition zone 531 is connected to (or in contact with) the upstream end of the second cooling zone 562.

[0061] The second transition zone 532 can include second transition zone cooling fins 522 having a flat fin geometry with a flat wave (or substantially flat wave) corresponding to an infinite wavelength. The second transition zone 532 can include an upstream end and a downstream end. The second transition zone 532 can be arranged between the second cooling zone 562 and the third cooling zone 563 such that the upstream end of the second transition zone 532 is connected to (or in contact with) the downstream end of the second cooling zone 562 and the downstream end of the second transition zone 532 is connected to (or in contact with) the upstream end of the third cooling zone 563.

[0062] The transition zone cooling fins of the first transition zone 531 and the second transition zone 532 can each have a flat fin geometry with a flat wave (or substantially flat wave) corresponding to an infinite wavelength, although embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0063] Figure 6 A top view of an exemplary radiator system including a cooling module having cooling fins is depicted in accordance with one or more embodiments. The radiator system 600 can include a vessel 605, an inlet port 601, an outlet port 602, and a cooling module 650. The cooling module 650 can be disposed in a cavity of the vessel 605 (not shown). The cooling module 650 can include a first cooling zone 661 having first cooling fins 617, a second cooling zone 662 having second cooling fins 618, a third cooling zone 663 having third cooling fins 619, a first transition zone 631, and a second transition zone 632. For brevity, Figure 6The cooling module 650 can include a first cooling zone 661 having first cooling fins 617, a second cooling zone 662 having second cooling fins 618, and a third cooling zone 663 having third cooling fins 619. The cooling module 650 can not include a transition zone. For brevity, Figure 6 the radiator system 600 of Figure 4 the radiator system 400 can contain many similarities that will not be discussed. For brevity of the description, only the differences between the radiator system 600 and the radiator system 400 will be described.

[0064] The third cooling fins 619 can be disposed in the container 605 at the outlet port 602 at a location in the container 605 that is downstream in the direction of the coolant flow. The first cooling fins 617 can be disposed in the container 605 at the inlet port 601 upstream of the coolant flow. The second cooling fins 618 can be disposed in the container 605 upstream of the third cooling fins 619 and downstream of the first cooling fins 617. In other words, the second cooling fins 618 can be disposed between the first cooling fins 617 and the third cooling fins 619 such that a downstream end of the first cooling fins 617 can be connected to (or in contact with) an upstream end of the second cooling fins 618, and a downstream end of the second cooling fins 618 can be connected to (or in contact with) an upstream end of the third cooling fins 619.

[0065] Figure 7A An exemplary cooling assembly including a first radiator and a power module is depicted in accordance with one or more embodiments. The single-sided cooling assembly 700 can include a first radiator system 710 and a power module 711. The first radiator system 710 can correspond to Figure 3 the radiator system 300 of Figure 4 the radiator system 400 of Figure 5 the radiator system 500 of Figure 6 and the power module 711 can correspond to Figure 1 the power module 112 of

[0066] The first radiator system 710 can include an inlet port and an outlet port (not shown in Figure 7A The inlet port can be configured to supply (or introduce) a coolant flow to the first radiator system 710, and the outlet port can be configured to exhaust the coolant flow in the first radiator system 710, as depicted by the arrows in Figure 7A

[0067] ​The power module 711 has a first side surface and a second side surface. In one or more embodiments, a first heat sink system 710 may be configured to be disposed on the first side surface or the second side surface of the power module 711 (e.g., a single side surface) to extract heat from the power module 711.

[0068] Figure 7B A second radiator system is described according to one or more embodiments. Figure 7A The cooling assembly 750 may include a first radiator system 710, a second radiator system 720, and a power module 711. The first radiator system 710 and the second radiator system 720 may each correspond to... Figure 3 Radiator system 300, Figure 4 Radiator system 400, Figure 5 Radiator system 500 and / or Figure 6 The heat sink system 600, and the power module 711 can correspond to Figure 1 The power module 112.

[0069] The first radiator system 710 may include an inlet port and an outlet port. Figure 7B (Not shown in the image). The inlet port may be configured to supply (or introduce) a coolant flow into the first radiator system 710, and the outlet port may be configured to discharge the coolant flow from the first radiator system 710, which is determined by... Figure 7B The arrow in the image depicts this.

[0070] The second radiator system 720 may include an inlet port and an outlet port. Figure 7B (Not shown in the image). The inlet port may be configured to supply (or introduce) a coolant flow into the second radiator system 720, and the outlet port may be configured to discharge the coolant flow from the second radiator system 720, which is determined by... Figure 7B The arrow in the image depicts this.

[0071] The coolant flow supplied to the first radiator system 710 may be supplied from the inlet port of the second radiator system 720, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The coolant flow discharged through the outlet port of the first radiator system 710 may be discharged to the outlet port of the second radiator system 720, and the outlet port of the second radiator system 720 may discharge the coolant flow discharged from the first radiator system 710 and the coolant flow in the second radiator system 720, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0072] The power module 711 has a first side surface and a second side surface. In one or more embodiments, a first heat sink system 710 may be configured to be disposed on the first side surface of the power module 711, and a second heat sink system 720 may be configured to be disposed on the second side surface of the power module 711 to extract heat from the power module 711.

[0073] Figure 8 An exemplary three-phase dual-sided cooling assembly including multiple power modules is depicted according to one or more embodiments. The three-phase dual-sided cooling assembly 800 may include a first radiator system 810, a second radiator system 820, and multiple power modules, including a first power module 811, a second power module 812, and a third power module 813. The first radiator system 810 and the second radiator system 820 may each be... Figure 3 Radiator system 300, Figure 4 Radiator system 400, Figure 5 Radiator system 500 and / or Figure 6 The radiator system is 600. Multiple power modules can be configured to... Figure 1 The power module 112. For the sake of simplicity, Figure 8 Three-phase dual-sided cooling assembly 800 and Figure 7B The dual-sided cooling assembly 750 may contain many similarities that will not be discussed here. For the sake of brevity, only the differences between the three-phase dual-sided cooling assembly 800 and the dual-sided cooling assembly 750 will be described.

[0074] Multiple power modules, including a first power module 811, a second power module 812, and a third power module 813, can correspond to Figure 1 The power module 112. For example, the power module 112 can be a three-phase power module for a three-phase system. That is, in a three-phase system, the first power module 811 can correspond to ΦA, the second power module 812 can correspond to ΦB, and the third power module 813 can correspond to ΦC.

[0075] The first power module 811, the second power module 812, and the third power module 813 may each have a first side surface and a second side surface. A first heat sink system 810 may be disposed on the first side surface of the first power module 811, the first side surface of the second power module 812, and the first side surface of the third power module 813. A second heat sink system 720 may be disposed on the second side surface of the first power module 811, the second side surface of the second power module 812, and the second side surface of the third power module 813. In other words, the three-phase dual-side cooling assembly 800 can be configured to extract heat from both side surfaces of the multiple power modules.

[0076] Figure 9 According to one or more embodimentsFigure 8 FIG. 8B is a side view of a first arrangement of the three-phase dual-sided cooling assembly 800 of FIG. 8A. The first heat sink system 810 and the second heat sink system 820 can be arranged in the first arrangement 825. The first heat sink system 810 can be positioned on the second heat sink system 820 such that the inlet port of the first heat sink system 810 can overlap with the inlet port of the second heat sink system 820 in a first direction (e.g., a vertical direction), although embodiments are not limited as such. Similarly, the outlet port of the first heat sink system 810 can overlap with the outlet port of the second heat sink system 820 in the first direction (e.g., a vertical direction), although embodiments are not limited as such.

[0077] The inlet port of the first heat sink system 810 can be connected to the inlet port of the second heat sink system 820 such that a flow of coolant can flow from the first heat sink system 810 to the second heat sink system 820, and vice versa. The outlet port of the first heat sink system 810 can be connected to the outlet port of the second heat sink system 820 such that a flow of coolant can flow from the first heat sink system 810 to the second heat sink system 820, and vice versa.

[0078] Figure 9 The arrows in FIG. 8B can represent a flow of coolant through the three-phase dual-sided cooling assembly 800 in the first arrangement 825. The first heat sink system 810 and the second heat sink system 820 can be arranged in the first arrangement 825 such that coolant can be introduced (or supplied) to the second heat sink system 820 through the inlet port of the second heat sink system 820, the coolant can flow in a downstream direction (e.g., from the inlet port to the outlet port), and the coolant can be exhausted from inside the second heat sink system 820 to outside the second heat sink system 820 through the outlet port of the second heat sink system 820.

[0079] Meanwhile, the coolant introduced (or supplied) to the second heat sink system 820 can also be introduced (or supplied) to the first heat sink system 810 through the connection between the inlet port of the first heat sink system 810 and the inlet port of the second heat sink system 820. The coolant in the first heat sink system 810 can flow in a downstream direction (e.g., from the inlet port to the outlet port), and the coolant can be exhausted from inside the first heat sink system 810 to the second heat sink system 820 through the connection between the outlet port of the first heat sink system 810 and the outlet port of the second heat sink system 820. The coolant exhausted from the first heat sink system 810 to the second heat sink system 820 can then be exhausted to outside the second heat sink system 820 through the outlet port of the second heat sink system 820 along with the coolant inside the second heat sink system 820.

[0080] In the first arrangement 825 depicted in FIG. 8B, the cooling modules 802, 804, 806, 808 inside the first heat sink system 810 can be arranged in a first direction (e.g., a vertical direction), although embodiments are not limited as such. The cooling modules 802, 804, 806, 808 can be arranged in the first direction such that the cooling modules 802, 804, 806, 808 can be stacked on top of each other in the first direction, although embodiments are not limited as such. Figure 9 Figure 9 ​(not shown in the image) and the cooling module inside the second radiator system 820 ( Figure 9 (not shown in the image) can be along the path of... Figure 9 The arrows in the diagram depict coolant flows arranged in the same upstream-to-downstream direction.

[0081] Figure 10 According to one or more embodiments Figure 8 A side view of the second arrangement of the three-phase dual-sided cooling assembly 800. For simplicity, Figure 10 The second arrangement 850 and Figure 9 The first arrangement 825 may contain many similarities that will not be discussed. For the sake of brevity, only the differences between the second arrangement 850 and the first arrangement 825 will be described.

[0082] A first radiator system 810 and a second radiator system 820 may be arranged in a second arrangement 850. The first radiator system 810 may be located on top of the second radiator system 820 such that the inlet port of the first radiator system 810 and the outlet port of the second radiator system 820 may overlap in a first direction (e.g., vertical direction), but the embodiment is not limited thereto. Similarly, the outlet port of the first radiator system 810 and the inlet port of the second radiator system 820 may overlap in a first direction (e.g., vertical direction), but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0083] The inlet port of the first radiator system 810 can be connected to the outlet port of the second radiator system 820, allowing coolant flow from the first radiator system 810 to the second radiator system 820, and vice versa. The outlet port of the first radiator system 810 can be disconnected from the inlet port of the second radiator system 820, preventing coolant flow from the outlet port of the first radiator system 810 to the inlet port of the second radiator system 820.

[0084] Figure 10The arrows in the diagram indicate coolant flow through the three-phase dual-sided cooling assembly 800 in the second arrangement 850. A first radiator system 810 and a second radiator system 820 may be arranged in the second arrangement 850 such that coolant can be introduced (or supplied) to the second radiator system 820 through its inlet port, and can flow downstream (e.g., from the inlet port to the outlet port of the second radiator system 820). The coolant can then flow from the second radiator system 820 to the first radiator system 810 through the connection between the outlet port of the second radiator system 820 and the inlet port of the first radiator system 810. The coolant can then flow downstream (e.g., from the inlet port to the outlet port of the first radiator system 810), and can then be discharged from the first radiator system 810 to the outside through its outlet port.

[0085] exist Figure 10 In the second arrangement 850 depicted, the cooling module inside the first radiator system 810 ( Figure 10 (not shown in the image) and the cooling module inside the second radiator system 820 ( Figure 10 (Not shown) The coolant flow in each of the first radiator system 810 and the second radiator system 820 may be arranged in opposite upstream to downstream directions, as shown by... Figure 10 The arrow in the image depicts this.

[0086] Figure 11 A top view of an exemplary three-phase radiator system according to one or more embodiments is depicted. The three-phase radiator system 1100 may include a container 1105, an inlet port 1101, an outlet port 1102, a cooling module 1150, and a plurality of power modules, including a first power module 1111, a second power module 1112, and a third power module 1113. The cooling module 1150 may be disposed within the cavity of the container 1105. Figure 11 (Not shown in the image). The cooling module 1150 may include a first cooling zone 1161, a second cooling zone 1162, a third cooling zone 1163, a first transition zone 1131, and a second transition zone 1132. For simplicity, Figure 11 Three-phase radiator system 1100 and Figure 5 The radiator system 500 may contain many similarities that will not be discussed here. For the sake of brevity, only the differences between the three-phase radiator system 1100 and the radiator system 500 will be described.

[0087] The three-phase heat sink system 1100 can have a first power module 1111 disposed in the first cooling zone 1161, a second power module 1112 disposed in the second cooling zone 1162, and a third power module 1113 disposed in the second cooling zone 1163. The three-phase heat sink system 1100 can be configured to extract heat from the first power module 1111, the second power module 1112, and the third power module 1113.

[0088] The first transition zone 1131 and the second transition zone 1132 can each include transition zone cooling fins having a flattened fin geometry with a flattened wave (or substantially flattened wave) corresponding to an infinite wavelength, although embodiments are not so limited. For example, the flattened fin geometry can have a tilted flattened wave (or substantially tilted flattened wave), although embodiments are not so limited. For example, the flattened fin geometry can have a tilted flattened wave relative to the overall direction of coolant flow from the inlet port 1101 to the outlet port 1102, although embodiments are not so limited. For example, the first transition zone 1131 and the second transition zone 1132 can not include cooling fins, although embodiments are not so limited. The three-phase heat sink system 1100 can not include the first transition zone 1131 and the second transition zone 1132, although embodiments are not so limited. For example, the three-phase heat sink system 1100 can include only the first cooling zone 1161, the second cooling zone 1162, and the third cooling zone 1163.

[0089] According to one or more embodiments, a cooling module containing cooling fins having a continuous progressive sinusoidal wave can provide uniform temperature distribution to one or more power modules. The continuous progressive sinusoidal wave cooling fins can reduce pressure drop in the one or more power modules, and can reduce parasitic losses of the heat sink system, which can ultimately extend the range of an electric vehicle.

[0090] According to one or more embodiments, a cooling module can include cooling fins that can have a continuous progressive sinusoidal wave, with the wavelength (waviness) of the fins varying in the direction of coolant flow, which can reduce pressure drop in the inverter, which can reduce parasitic losses of the cooling system by reducing the energy consumption of the coolant pump. The cooling module containing cooling fins having a continuous progressive sinusoidal wave can also help improve heat transfer in the direction of coolant flow, with the wavelength (waviness) of the fins varying in the direction of coolant flow.

[0091] According to one or more embodiments, a heat sink system containing a cooling module having cooling fins (with a continuous progressive sinusoidal wave) can reduce the temperature of one or more power modules, which can improve the performance or power density of the inverter, and / or extend the range of an electric vehicle, and / or can provide uniform temperature between one or more power modules, which can improve the performance and reliability of the electric vehicle.

[0092] Other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the application disclosed herein. The specification and examples are intended as illustrative only and as variations of the true scope and spirit of the application as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A radiator system comprising: A first heat sink, comprising: Container, the container including a cavity; A housing, connected to the container to cover the cavity, wherein one or more of the container or the housing include an inlet port, and one or more of the container or the housing include an outlet port; and A cooling module is located in the cavity between the container and the shell, and the cooling module is situated within the coolant flow from the inlet port to the outlet port. The cooling module includes: One or more cooling fins having a fin geometry having a continuous, progressive sine wave extending along the coolant flow from the inlet port to the outlet port.

2. The radiator system of claim 1, wherein the one or more cooling fins comprise cooling fins having an upstream end and a downstream end. The upstream end of the cooling fins is located at one or more of the inlet ports in the container or the housing, and The downstream end of the cooling fins is located at the outlet port of one or more of the container or the housing.

3. The radiator system of claim 1, wherein the one or more cooling fins comprise: A first cooling fin, the first cooling fin having a first upstream end and a first downstream end; The second cooling fin has a second upstream end and a second downstream end, and The third cooling fin has a third upstream end and a third downstream end.

4. The radiator system according to claim 3, wherein the cooling module comprises: A first transition zone, located between the first downstream end and the second upstream end; as well as A second transition zone is located between the second downstream end and the third upstream end. The first transition zone and the second transition zone do not include cooling fins.

5. The radiator system according to claim 3, wherein the cooling module comprises: A first transition zone, located between the first downstream end and the second upstream end; as well as A second transition zone is located between the second downstream end and the third upstream end. Each of the first transition zone and the second transition zone includes one or more transition zone cooling fins having a flat fin geometry.

6. The radiator system of claim 3, wherein the first downstream end is connected to the second upstream end, and the second downstream end is connected to the third upstream end.

7. The radiator system according to claim 1, further comprising: One or more power modules, wherein the first heat sink is disposed on the one or more power modules.

8. The radiator system according to claim 7, further comprising: Second radiator, The one or more power modules mentioned above include: First power module; Second power module; and Third power module, The first heat sink is disposed on the first side surface of the first power module, the first side surface of the second power module, and the first side surface of the third power module. The second heat sink is disposed on the second side surface of the first power module, the second side surface of the second power module, and the second side surface of the third power module.

9. An inverter comprising the radiator system according to claim 1.

10. A vehicle comprising an inverter according to claim 9.

11. A cooling module comprising: One or more cooling fins having a fin geometry that has a continuous, progressive sine wave extending along the coolant flow from the upstream end to the downstream end.

12. The cooling module of claim 11, wherein the one or more cooling fins include a first cooling fin having a first upstream end and a first downstream end.

13. The cooling module of claim 12, wherein the one or more cooling fins further comprise: The second cooling fin has a second upstream end and a second downstream end, and The third cooling fin has a third upstream end and a third downstream end.

14. The cooling module according to claim 13, further comprising: A first transition zone, the first transition zone having an upstream end and a downstream end; as well as The second transition zone has an upstream end and a downstream end. The upstream end of the first transition zone is connected to the first downstream end of the first cooling fin, and the downstream end of the first transition zone is connected to the second upstream end of the second cooling fin. The upstream end of the second transition zone is connected to the second downstream end of the second cooling fin, and the downstream end of the second transition zone is connected to the third upstream end of the third cooling fin. The first transition zone and the second transition zone do not include cooling fins.

15. The cooling module according to claim 13, further comprising: A first transition zone, the first transition zone having an upstream end and a downstream end; as well as The second transition zone has an upstream end and a downstream end. The upstream end of the first transition zone is connected to the first downstream end of the first cooling fin, and the downstream end of the first transition zone is connected to the second upstream end of the second cooling fin. The upstream end of the second transition zone is connected to the second downstream end of the second cooling fin, and the downstream end of the second transition zone is connected to the third upstream end of the third cooling fin. Each of the first transition zone and the second transition zone includes one or more transition zone cooling fins having a flat fin geometry.

16. The cooling module of claim 13, wherein the second cooling fin is disposed upstream of the third cooling fin, and the first cooling fin is disposed upstream of the second cooling fin.

17. The cooling module of claim 11, wherein the wavelength of the continuous progressive sine wave at the downstream end of the one or more cooling fins is shorter than the wavelength of the continuous progressive sine wave at the upstream end of the one or more cooling fins.

18. A system comprising: An inverter configured to convert DC power from a battery into AC power to drive a motor, wherein the inverter includes: One or more power modules; and A first heat sink, configured to extract heat from the one or more power modules, wherein the first heat sink comprises: A first container, the first container including a first cavity; A first housing, connected to the first container to cover the first cavity, wherein the first container or one or more of the first housings includes a first inlet port, and the first container or one or more of the first housings includes a first outlet port; and A first cooling module is located in the first cavity between the first container and the first shell, and is situated within a first coolant flow from the first inlet port to the first outlet port, wherein the first cooling module comprises: One or more cooling fins having a fin geometry that forms a continuous, progressive sine wave extending from the upstream end to the downstream end along the first coolant flow from the first inlet port to the first outlet port.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more cooling fins comprise: A first cooling fin, the first cooling fin having a first upstream end and a first downstream end; The second cooling fin has a second upstream end and a second downstream end; as well as The third cooling fin has a third upstream end and a third downstream end. The continuous progressive sine wave has a first length at the first downstream end of the first cooling fin, the second downstream end of the second cooling fin, and the third downstream end of the third cooling fin. The continuous progressive sine wave has a second length at the first upstream end of the first cooling fin, the second upstream end of the second cooling fin, and the third upstream end of the third cooling fin, and The first length is approximately 10% to approximately 90% of the second length.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising: Second radiator, The first heat sink is disposed on the first side surface of the one or more power modules, and The second heat sink is disposed on the second side surface of the one or more power modules.

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