Phase change radiator and semiconductor power module

Abstract

The invention provides a phase change radiator and a semiconductor power module, and belongs to the field of power electronic equipment. The phase-change radiator comprises an evaporator, a condenser and a conveying pipe, the condenser is located above the evaporator, the conveying pipe is connected between the evaporator and the condenser so that a phase-change material can circulate between the evaporator and the condenser, and the evaporator and the condenser are each provided with an air channel used for dissipating heat through air cooling. Channels for phase change materials to flow in the evaporator and the condenser are located in the side walls of the corresponding air channel cavities, the extending direction of an air channel of the evaporator is perpendicular to the extending direction of an air channel of the condenser, and the side face, away from the corresponding air channel, of the evaporator is an element installation face used for installing a heating element. The semiconductor power module comprises the phase change radiator. According to the invention, the phase change radiator capable of independently radiating is configured for the semiconductor power module, modular installation is convenient to realize, and the phase change radiator is simple in structure and lower in cost.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of power electronic devices, and particularly relates to a phase change heat sink and a semiconductor power module. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the rapid development of semiconductor technology, the working frequency of electronic components is advancing from GHz to THz, and the volume requirement of power electronic devices is becoming smaller and smaller, resulting in a larger and larger power density of the power electronic devices. A larger power density means a higher heat flux density, and the power electronic devices need to have a stronger heat dissipation capacity, otherwise the internal chip temperature will rise, causing problems such as reduced working efficiency and shortened service life.

[0003] At present, power electronic devices such as semiconductor power modules rely on water cooling for heat dissipation, which requires a complete water cooling circulation system including a circulating pipeline with a complex path, a circulating water pump, and heat absorption and release components. The various unit modules in the complete set of equipment share a set of water cooling circulation system, which not only has a high cost, but also leads to a complex structure of the equipment, making it difficult to achieve modular installation. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application aims to provide a phase change heat sink to solve the technical problems of high cost, complex structure, and difficulty in achieving modular installation of semiconductor power modules using a water cooling circulation system for heat dissipation in the prior art. Another object of the present application is to provide a semiconductor power module to solve the above technical problems.

[0005] To achieve the above objects, the technical scheme of the phase change heat sink provided by the present application is as follows: A phase change heat sink, comprising an evaporator, a condenser, and a delivery pipe, the condenser being located above the evaporator, the delivery pipe being connected between the evaporator and the condenser to allow the phase change material to flow between the evaporator and the condenser, the evaporator and the condenser being respectively provided with an air duct for heat dissipation by air cooling, the channels for the flow of the phase change material in the evaporator and the condenser being located in the side walls of the corresponding air duct cavities, the extension directions of the air ducts of the evaporator and the condenser being perpendicular to each other, and the side of the evaporator facing away from the corresponding air duct being an element mounting surface for mounting a heat generating element.

[0006] As a further improvement, the air duct of the evaporator extends horizontally, and the air duct of the condenser extends vertically and the airflow in the air duct of the condenser flows vertically upward when in use.

[0007] As a further improvement, fins connected to the evaporator and / or the condenser are provided in the corresponding air ducts of the evaporator and / or the condenser, and the extension direction of the fins is parallel to the extension direction of the corresponding air duct.

[0008] As a further improvement, the air duct of the condenser is located at the horizontal side of the air duct of the evaporator, so that in use the air under the evaporator can flow from the side of the evaporator upward into the air duct of the condenser, and other elements under the evaporator can be cooled.

[0009] As a further improvement, the condenser comprises a condensing base, and ventilation holes are formed in the condensing base to extend upward and downward, and the ventilation holes together form the air duct of the condenser.

[0010] As a further improvement, the ventilation holes are arranged in a staggered manner along the extension direction of the air duct of the evaporator, a channel for the phase change material to flow through is arranged in a side portion of the condensing base, the side portion is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the ventilation holes, and the side portion simultaneously forms a side wall of the ventilation holes.

[0011] As a further improvement, the evaporator is in a plate structure, and the air duct of the evaporator is formed by the evaporator and a side plate of the air duct.

[0012] As a further improvement, the phase change heat sink further comprises a mounting frame, the mounting frame comprises at least a front side plate, a rear side plate, a top side plate and a bottom side plate capable of forming a square frame, the evaporator is arranged inside the mounting frame, the condenser is arranged above the top side plate of the mounting frame, the top side plate is fixedly provided with a mounting bracket for mounting the condenser, the top side plate is further provided with an opening through which the delivery pipe passes, and the mounting frame is further provided with a ventilation hole through which the air duct of the evaporator can pass in and out.

[0013] As a further improvement, the evaporator is arranged in the upper space inside the mounting frame, the bottom side plate of the mounting frame is provided with an air inlet hole for air to enter from the lower side, the top side plate of the mounting frame is provided with an air outlet hole for air to exit from the upper side, and in use, the air entering the mounting frame through the air inlet hole can pass through the elements in the lower space inside the mounting frame and flow upward through the air outlet hole to enter the air duct of the condenser.

[0014] The phase change heat sink can be independently configured for a single semiconductor power module, has a simple structure and low cost, and is easy to realize the modular installation of the semiconductor power module. The phase change heat sink is provided with air ducts for air cooling for the evaporator and the condenser, so that the area for heat dissipation is increased and the heat dissipation efficiency is improved. Meanwhile, the extension directions of the air ducts of the evaporator and the condenser are perpendicular to each other, so that the cold air obtained by the air ducts of the evaporator and the condenser in operation comes from different directions, and the hot air generated is also discharged to different directions. The surrounding air is fully utilized for air cooling, the heat dissipation efficiency is further improved, and the phase change heat sink has good heat dissipation capacity.

[0015] To achieve the above-mentioned purposes, the technical scheme of the semiconductor power module provided by the present application is: A semiconductor power module includes semiconductor elements and a phase change heat sink. The phase change heat sink includes an evaporator, a condenser, and a delivery pipe. The condenser is located above the evaporator. The delivery pipe is connected between the evaporator and the condenser to allow the phase change material to flow between the evaporator and the condenser. The evaporator and the condenser are respectively provided with air ducts for heat dissipation by air cooling. The channels for the flow of the phase change material in the evaporator and the condenser are located in the side walls of the corresponding air duct cavities. The extension directions of the air ducts of the evaporator and the condenser are perpendicular to each other. The side of the evaporator facing away from the corresponding air duct is a component mounting surface for mounting a heating element. The semiconductor elements are mounted on the component mounting surface of the evaporator.

[0016] As a further improvement, the evaporator's air duct extends horizontally, and the condenser's air duct extends vertically, with the airflow in the condenser's air duct flowing vertically upward during use.

[0017] As a further improvement, the duct corresponding to the evaporator and / or condenser is provided with fins connected to the evaporator and / or condenser, and the extension direction of the fins is parallel to the extension direction of the corresponding duct.

[0018] As a further improvement, the condenser's air duct is located on the horizontal side of the evaporator's air duct, so that when in use, the air below the evaporator can flow upward from one side of the evaporator into the condenser's air duct, allowing other components below the evaporator to dissipate heat.

[0019] As a further improvement, the condenser includes a condenser base with vertically penetrating ventilation holes, which together form the air duct of the condenser.

[0020] As a further improvement, the ventilation holes are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the evaporator's air duct, and a channel for the flow of phase change material is provided in one side of the condenser substrate. The direction of the side is perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the ventilation holes, and the side also constitutes the sidewall of each ventilation hole.

[0021] As a further improvement, the evaporator has a plate-like structure, and the air duct of the evaporator is formed by the evaporator and the side plate of the air duct.

[0022] As a further improvement, the phase change radiator also includes a mounting frame, which includes at least a front side plate, a rear side plate, a top side plate, and a bottom side plate that can form a square. The evaporator is located inside the mounting frame, and the condenser is located above the top side plate of the mounting frame. A mounting bracket for mounting the condenser is fixedly installed on the top side plate, and an opening for the delivery pipe to pass through is also provided on the top side plate. The mounting frame is also provided with ventilation openings for the air duct of the evaporator to enter and exit.

[0023] As a further improvement, the evaporator is set in the upper space of the mounting frame. The bottom side plate of the mounting frame is provided with an air inlet for air to enter from the bottom, and the top side plate of the mounting frame is provided with an air outlet for air to exit from the top. In use, the air entering the mounting frame through the air inlet can pass through the components in the lower space of the mounting frame and flow upward through the air outlet before entering the air duct of the condenser.

[0024] The beneficial effects are as follows: The semiconductor power module provided by this invention is an improvement on the existing technology. This semiconductor power module utilizes a new phase-change heat sink, which can independently dissipate heat, making modular installation easier. Furthermore, this phase-change heat sink has a simple structure and low cost. The phase-change heat sink is equipped with air ducts for air cooling in both the evaporator and condenser, increasing the heat dissipation area and improving heat dissipation efficiency. Simultaneously, the air ducts of the evaporator and condenser extend perpendicularly to each other. This ensures that the cold air acquired by the evaporator and the hot air generated during operation come from different directions, and are discharged in different directions, fully utilizing the surrounding air for air cooling, further improving heat dissipation efficiency and ensuring that the phase-change heat sink has good heat dissipation capabilities. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of Embodiment 1 of the semiconductor power module in this invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another embodiment 1 of the semiconductor power module in this invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the evaporator and condenser in Embodiment 1 of the semiconductor power module of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the evaporator and condenser from another perspective in Embodiment 1 of the semiconductor power module of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a partial structural diagram of the condenser in Embodiment 1 of the semiconductor power module of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the combined use of semiconductor power modules in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Semiconductor element; 2. Resistor element; 3. Mounting frame; 31. Front side panel; 32. Rear side panel; 33. Top side panel; 34. Bottom side panel; 35. Opening; 36. Vent; 37. Mounting bracket; 38. Air inlet; 4. Evaporator; 41. Porous capillary tube; 42. Component mounting surface; 43. Horizontal fins; 5. Condenser; 51. Condenser substrate; 52. Vent; 53. Condenser section; 54. Vertical fins; 6. Delivery pipe; 7. Air duct side panel; 8. Air duct partition. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments.

[0028] Specific Embodiment 1 of the semiconductor power module provided by the present invention: This semiconductor power module has an independent phase-change heat sink, which not only has a lower cost but also greater installation flexibility, making it easier to achieve modular installation and use.

[0029] See appendix Figure 1 and attached Figure 2 The semiconductor power module includes a phase change heat sink, semiconductor element 1, resistor element 2, and other components with low heat generation such as capacitors.

[0030] The phase change radiator includes a mounting frame 3, an evaporator 4, a condenser 5, and a delivery pipe 6. The phase change material used in the phase change radiator is a mixture of water and acetone.

[0031] The mounting frame 3 includes a front side plate 31, a rear side plate 32, a top side plate 33, and a bottom side plate 34 that can form a square. A left side plate and a right side plate can also be added if needed. The front side plate 31 of the mounting frame 3 is provided with communication and power supply interfaces, allowing it to be used as a flexible, independent module. The evaporator 4 is located in the upper space within the mounting frame 3, and the condenser 5 is located above the top side plate 33. The top side plate 33 has an opening 35 for the delivery pipe 6 to pass through.

[0032] Evaporator 4 and condenser 5 are respectively equipped with air ducts for heat dissipation through air cooling. The air duct of evaporator 4 is the lower air duct, and the air duct of condenser 5 is the upper air duct. The extension direction of the lower air duct is parallel to the front-to-back direction, the extension direction of the upper air duct is parallel to the vertical direction, and the extension direction of the upper air duct is perpendicular to the extension direction of the lower air duct.

[0033] See appendix Figure 3 and attached Figure 4 The evaporator 4 has a plate-like structure, and the lower air duct is formed by the evaporator 4 and the air duct side plate 7. Both the evaporator 4 and the air duct side plate 7 are the side walls of the lower air duct. The channel for the phase change material to flow in the evaporator 4 is a microchannel network, specifically a porous capillary 41, which has a large capillary suction force. During the operation of the phase change radiator, it increases the reflux capacity of the phase change material and also increases the evaporation surface area.

[0034] The evaporator 4 has fins on one side facing the inner cavity of the lower air duct. These fins are transverse fins 43, and their extension direction is the same as that of the lower air duct. The fins can guide airflow and increase the heat dissipation area of ​​the evaporator 4. The front and rear ends of the lower air duct sidewall are fixedly connected to the front side plate 31 and the rear side plate 32, respectively. The front side plate 31 and the rear side plate 32 are respectively provided with ventilation openings 36 for air to enter and exit the lower air duct.

[0035] The condenser 5 includes a condenser base 51, on which vertically penetrating ventilation holes 52 are provided. These ventilation holes 52 are evenly arranged along the front-to-back direction, and together they form an upper air duct. (See appendix) Figure 5 Each ventilation hole 52 is fixedly equipped with vertically extending fins 54 to increase the heat dissipation area. A mounting bracket 37 is fixedly mounted on the upper surface of the top side plate 33, and the condenser substrate 51 is fixedly mounted on the mounting bracket 37. The mounting bracket 37 includes two sub-frames, which are integrally stamped from sheet metal. Each sub-frame has grooves for the front and rear ends of the condenser substrate 51 to be inserted into. The upper end of each sub-frame is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the condenser substrate 51 by bolts.

[0036] A channel for the flow of phase change material is provided in one side of the condenser substrate 51. This side constitutes the condenser section 53, and the direction of the condenser section 53 is perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the ventilation holes 52. The condenser section 53 also forms the sidewall of each ventilation hole 52. A cavity is provided inside the condenser section 53, which constitutes the channel for the flow of phase change material. The other side of the condenser substrate 51 is a solid structure, which only serves to strengthen the structure and facilitate installation. In other embodiments, a channel for the flow of phase change material can also be provided in this side, and part of the delivery pipe 6 can be connected to this side.

[0037] Structurally, the condenser section 53 is also a plate-shaped structure. The condenser section 53 is aligned with the evaporator 4 in the thickness direction. For ease of installation, the condenser section 53 can be slightly offset from the evaporator 4 in the length direction, but it is basically kept at approximately directly above the evaporator 4 so that the condensed phase change material can flow back to the evaporator 4 through the conveying pipe 6 under the action of gravity.

[0038] The upper air duct is located on the right side of the condenser section 53, and the lower air duct is located on the left side of the evaporator 4. This offset arrangement places the upper air duct on the horizontal side of the lower air duct. When air flows in the upper air duct, it can bypass the lower air duct and flow vertically. This vertical airflow primarily refers to the air within the mounting frame 3. To facilitate airflow, the bottom side plate 34 of the mounting frame 3 has an air inlet 38 for lower air intake, and the top side plate 33 has an air outlet 38 for upper air exhaust. The opening on the top side plate 33 through which the delivery pipe 6 passes can also serve as an air outlet, eliminating the need for a separate air outlet.

[0039] The side of the evaporator 4 facing away from the lower air duct is the component mounting surface 42 for installing heating elements. Components with high heat generation, such as semiconductor components 1 and resistor components 2, are installed on the component mounting surface 42, while other components are installed in the lower space within the mounting frame 3.

[0040] When in use, the semiconductor power module is installed in an electrical cabinet, and the existing fans in the cabinet are used for heat dissipation. Some fans are vertical fans used to blow air up and down, while others are horizontal fans used to blow air horizontally, especially back and forth.

[0041] A vertical fan is located directly above the upper air duct and draws air upwards. This upward airflow in the upper air duct creates a negative pressure below the condenser 5, forcing the air within the mounting frame 3 to also flow upwards. This upward-flowing air first passes through other components within the mounting frame 3, then continues upwards to the space between the condenser 5 and the upper side plate of the mounting frame 3. There, it merges with other air around the space before flowing upwards through the upper air duct, cooling the condenser 5. Of course, the vertically flowing air within the mounting frame 3 also passes through the semiconductor element 1 and the resistive element 2, cooling the side of these heat-generating components furthest from the evaporator 4.

[0042] The horizontal fan is located at the front of the mounting frame 3 and blows air into the lower air duct, creating a horizontal airflow in the lower air duct to cool the evaporator 4.

[0043] The hot air exhausted from the upper duct flows upward, while the hot air exhausted from the lower duct flows backward. This achieves three-dimensional heat dissipation even in limited space, making full use of the upper and rear spaces to achieve optimal heat dissipation efficiency.

[0044] In other embodiments, the semiconductor power module may be equipped with separate vertical and horizontal fans. In this embodiment, the vertical fan may be a suction fan fixedly installed on the upper side of the condenser 5, or a blower fixedly installed on the lower side of the condenser 5; the horizontal fan may be fixedly installed on the outer side of the front panel 31, the outer side of the rear panel 32, or in the lower air duct. In the embodiment where the horizontal fan is installed in the lower air duct, the length of the lower air duct is longer than the length of the evaporator 4, so that the horizontal fan can be installed in a section of the lower air duct that does not correspond to the evaporator 4.

[0045] Additionally, in the electrical cabinet, see Appendix Figure 6Two or more semiconductor power modules can be arranged at intervals along the left and right directions, and rectangular air duct baffles 8 are set up to be fixedly connected to the condensers 5 of each semiconductor power module to connect the semiconductor power modules together. At the same time, they can also share the fan module at the top of the electrical cabinet.

[0046] Under different thermal power modes, the semiconductor power module can selectively enable "phase change heat dissipation mode" or "phase change heat dissipation plus air cooling mode". When air cooling is required, it can also selectively enable only horizontal air cooling, only vertical air cooling, or both horizontal and vertical air cooling.

[0047] Specific embodiment 2 of the semiconductor power module provided by the present invention: This embodiment is based on embodiment 1. The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that the evaporator has a larger vertical dimension and occupies the entire internal space of the mounting frame. Semiconductor elements, resistor elements and other elements are all mounted on the evaporator.

[0048] Specific embodiment 3 of the semiconductor power module provided by the present invention: This embodiment is based on Embodiment 1. The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that in this embodiment, the evaporator is installed in the middle space of the mounting frame, the condenser is installed in the upper space of the mounting frame, and other components are still installed in the lower space of the mounting frame.

[0049] Specific embodiment 4 of the semiconductor power module provided by the present invention: This embodiment is based on embodiment 1. The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that the evaporator itself is a cylindrical structure and the inner hole of the evaporator forms a downdraft duct.

[0050] Specific embodiment 5 of the semiconductor power module provided by the present invention: This embodiment is based on embodiment 1. The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that the condenser in this embodiment is a plate structure and the condenser is fixedly connected to a U-shaped enclosure. The condenser and the enclosure together form an upper air duct.

[0051] Specific embodiment 6 of the semiconductor power module provided by the present invention: This embodiment is based on embodiment 1. The difference between this embodiment and embodiment 1 is that in this embodiment, the upper air duct is located directly above the lower air duct, and the air in the mounting frame can flow upward from bottom to top and from both sides of the lower air duct.

[0052] Specific embodiment 7 of the semiconductor power module provided by the present invention: This embodiment is based on Embodiment 1, but differs in that the evaporator's air duct extends vertically and the condenser's air duct extends horizontally. To ensure better airflow, a vertical fan is installed below the evaporator's air duct and directs the airflow upwards.

[0053] Specific embodiments of the phase change heat sink provided by the present invention: The phase change heat sink is the same as the phase change heat sink in the above-described embodiment of the semiconductor power module, and will not be described in detail again.

[0054] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still make modifications to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments without creative effort, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A phase change radiator, characterized in that, It includes an evaporator, a condenser, and a delivery pipe. The condenser is located above the evaporator. The delivery pipe connects the evaporator and the condenser to allow the phase change material to flow between the evaporator and the condenser. The evaporator and the condenser are respectively equipped with air ducts for heat dissipation by air cooling. The channels for the flow of the phase change material in the evaporator and the condenser are located in the side walls of the corresponding air duct cavities. The extension directions of the air ducts of the evaporator and the condenser are perpendicular to each other. The side of the evaporator away from the corresponding air duct is the element mounting surface for installing the heating element.

2. The phase change heat sink according to claim 1, characterized in that, The evaporator's air duct extends horizontally, while the condenser's air duct extends vertically, with the airflow in the condenser's air duct flowing vertically upwards during use.

3. The phase change heat sink according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The ducts corresponding to the evaporator and / or condenser are provided with fins that are connected to the evaporator and / or condenser, and the extension direction of the fins is parallel to the extension direction of the corresponding duct.

4. The phase change heat sink according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The condenser's air duct is located on the horizontal side of the evaporator's air duct, so that when in use, the air below the evaporator can flow upward from one side of the evaporator into the condenser's air duct, allowing other components below the evaporator to dissipate heat.

5. The phase change heat sink according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The condenser includes a condenser body with vertical ventilation holes, which together form the air duct of the condenser.

6. The phase change heat sink according to claim 5, characterized in that, The ventilation holes are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the evaporator's air duct. A channel for the flow of phase change material is provided in one side of the condenser substrate. The direction of the side is perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the ventilation holes, and the side also forms the sidewall of each ventilation hole.

7. The phase change heat sink according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The evaporator has a plate-shaped structure, and the air duct of the evaporator is formed by the evaporator and the side plate of the air duct.

8. The phase change heat sink according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the phase change... The radiator also includes a mounting frame, which includes at least a front side plate, a rear side plate, a top side plate, and a bottom side plate that can form a square. The evaporator is located inside the mounting frame, and the condenser is located above the top side plate of the mounting frame. A mounting bracket for mounting the condenser is fixedly installed on the top side plate, and an opening for the delivery pipe to pass through is also provided on the top side plate. The mounting frame is also provided with ventilation openings for the air duct of the evaporator to enter and exit.

9. The phase change heat sink according to claim 8, characterized in that, The evaporator is installed in the upper space of the mounting frame. The bottom side plate of the mounting frame has an air inlet for air to enter from the bottom, and the top side plate of the mounting frame has an air outlet for air to exit from the top. In use, the air entering the mounting frame through the air inlet can pass through the components in the lower space of the mounting frame and flow upward through the air outlet before entering the air duct of the condenser.

10. A semiconductor power module, comprising semiconductor elements, characterized in that, It also includes the phase change heat sink according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein the semiconductor element is mounted on the element mounting surface of the evaporator.

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