Power electronic equipment

Abstract

Power electronic equipment comprises a power box body internally provided with a heating device, a heat dissipation box body fixed to one side of the power box body, and a two-phase flow heat dissipation device vertically arranged in the heat dissipation box body. The power box body is provided with a first side plate, the upper portion of the first side plate is provided with an inner concave portion, one side of the heat dissipation box body is provided with an opening, the opening side of the heat dissipation box body is attached to the outer side of the first side plate, the two-phase flow radiator comprises an evaporator, a condenser and a connecting cavity connecting the evaporator and the condenser, and the evaporator is attached to the outer surface of the lower portion of the first side plate. The condenser is located above the evaporator and arranged in the inner concave part, an air inlet is formed in the lower portion of the heat dissipation box body, and an air outlet is formed in the upper portion of the heat dissipation box body. The power electronic equipment is high in heat dissipation efficiency, compact in structure and capable of adapting to various installation angles and installation directions in the range from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction, and the application flexibility and scene adaptability of the power electronic equipment are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of power electronic equipment technology, and in particular to a power electronic equipment that employs a two-phase flow heat dissipation principle. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous increase in power density and voltage levels of power electronic equipment, its heat dissipation requirements are becoming increasingly stringent. Excellent heat dissipation performance is crucial for ensuring the output capacity and lifespan of power electronic equipment. Currently, most mainstream power electronic equipment adopts air-cooling solutions, which have drawbacks such as limited heat dissipation capacity and heavy heat sinks. To improve the heat dissipation efficiency of power electronic equipment, a two-phase flow heat dissipation structure is adopted. Two-phase flow heat dissipation relies on the phase change circulation of the internal working fluid for heat dissipation, and has a heat dissipation efficiency far exceeding that of traditional air cooling. However, two-phase flow heat dissipation depends on gravity-driven working fluid recirculation, requiring the condenser to be positioned higher than the evaporator, thus making it extremely sensitive to the installation angle and direction of the heat sink. An unreasonable installation method will lead to poor working fluid circulation, causing a sharp drop in heat dissipation efficiency or even failure. Therefore, existing power electronic equipment technology has strict requirements on installation angle and direction, and is not suitable for diverse installation scenarios.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide a power electronic device that can be installed at different angles and directions and has good adaptability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a power electronic device that can be installed at different angles and directions and has good adaptability, thereby solving the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] A power electronic device includes: a power housing with internal heating elements, a heat dissipation housing fixed to one side of the power housing, and a two-phase flow heat sink vertically disposed within the heat dissipation housing; the power housing has a first side plate with a recessed portion at its upper part, and one side of the heat dissipation housing is an open opening, the open opening side of the heat dissipation housing being attached to the outer side of the first side plate; the two-phase flow heat sink includes an evaporator, a condenser, and a connecting cavity connecting the evaporator and the condenser; the evaporator is attached to the lower outer surface of the first side plate, the condenser is located above the evaporator and disposed within the recessed portion, and the heat dissipation housing has an air inlet at its lower part and an air outlet at its upper part.

[0006] Preferably, the aforementioned concave portion is L-shaped.

[0007] Preferably, a door panel is provided on the opposite side of the first side panel of the power enclosure, and the condenser is inclined toward the door panel.

[0008] Preferably, an opening is provided at the middle position of the first side plate where the evaporator is attached, and the heating element passes through the opening and is attached to the inner surface of the evaporator.

[0009] Preferably, a sealing groove is provided at the position where the evaporator is attached to the first side plate, and a sealing strip is embedded in the sealing groove.

[0010] Preferably, a cooling fan is provided above the air inlet and below the evaporator of the aforementioned heat dissipation box.

[0011] Preferably, a power inductor is also provided inside the heat dissipation box, and the power inductor is distributed on both sides of the evaporator.

[0012] Preferably, the air inlet includes a first air inlet and a second air inlet, the first air inlet being disposed at the bottom of the heat dissipation box, and the second air inlet being disposed on both sides of the heat dissipation box near the power box; the air outlet includes a first air outlet and a second air outlet; the first air outlet is located on both sides of the top of the heat dissipation box, the height of the heat dissipation box is greater than the height of the power box but not greater than the height of the door panel, the second air outlet is disposed in the area of ​​the heat dissipation box above the top of the power box, and the air outlet direction of the second air outlet is towards the door panel.

[0013] Preferably, the outer surface of the evaporator is provided with heat dissipation fins, which are arranged vertically and parallel to each other.

[0014] Preferably, air guide plates are provided on both sides of the condenser to direct airflow to the condenser; mounting feet are provided at the bottom and back of the heat dissipation box; and the outer surface of the two-phase flow heat dissipation radiator has an electrophoretic layer, a spray coating, or an anodized layer.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: The power electronic device of the present invention adopts a two-phase flow heat sink, which utilizes the efficient heat transfer capability of the working fluid phase change. Its heat dissipation efficiency is much higher than that of the traditional air-cooling scheme, with good heat dissipation effect and high heat dissipation efficiency. The evaporator is directly attached to the lower outer surface of the first side plate, which has high heat conduction efficiency, allowing the heat of the heating devices in the power box to be quickly absorbed and dissipated.

[0016] The upper part of the first side plate is provided with a recessed part, the condenser is placed in the recessed part, and the evaporator is attached to the lower outer surface of the first side plate. The evaporator and the condenser are connected together through a connecting cavity so that when the condenser and the evaporator are not on the same plane, the cooling channels in the condenser and the evaporator are connected, and the internal working fluid is circulated.

[0017] The condenser is located above the evaporator and within the recessed portion. When the power electronic equipment is installed vertically (with the first side panel perpendicular to the ground), the condenser naturally sits above the evaporator. When the power electronic equipment is installed at an angle of 0 to 90 degrees towards the heat dissipation housing, the condenser always remains higher than the evaporator due to the spatial positioning effect of the recessed portion. Even when the power electronic equipment is placed horizontally (with the first side panel parallel to the ground and the power housing "laid down"), the power electronic equipment of this invention still ensures that the condenser is higher than the evaporator, meeting the stringent requirements of gravity-driven two-phase flow heat dissipation.

[0018] By embedding the condenser into the recessed part of the power unit, the structural space of the equipment is fully utilized, avoiding an additional increase in the size of the equipment. This achieves a high degree of integration between the heat dissipation system and the power unit, resulting in an extremely compact layout.

[0019] The power electronic device of the present invention fundamentally solves the fatal flaw of traditional two-phase flow heat sinks being sensitive to installation orientation, and provides a high heat dissipation efficiency, compact structure, and eliminates concerns about the decrease or failure of heat dissipation performance due to tilted installation. It can adapt to a variety of installation angles and directions from vertical to horizontal, greatly improving the application flexibility and scenario adaptability of power electronic devices. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The invention will be further illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the embodiments in the drawings do not constitute any limitation on the invention.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of a power electronic device according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a power enclosure for a power electronic device according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a two-phase flow heat sink for a power electronic device according to the present invention; Figure 4 This is a side view of a power electronic device according to the present invention; Figure 5 This is a rear view structural schematic diagram of a power electronic device according to the present invention; Figure 6 This is a rear view schematic diagram of the internal structure of a power electronic device according to the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a two-phase flow heat sink for a power electronic device according to the present invention, which is provided with heat dissipation fins. Figure 8 This is a rear view of the internal structure of a two-phase flow heat sink for a power electronic device of the present invention, when heat dissipation fins are provided. Figure 9This is a cross-sectional view of the condenser of a power electronic device of the present invention when it is tilted. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will be further described in conjunction with the following embodiments and accompanying drawings: A power electronic device, such as Figures 1 to 9 As shown, it includes: a power housing 11 with a heating element 10 inside, a heat dissipation housing 12 fixed to one side of the power housing 11, and a two-phase flow heat sink 13 vertically arranged in the heat dissipation housing 12; the power housing 11 is provided with a first side plate 14, the upper part of the first side plate 14 has a recess 15, one side of the heat dissipation housing 12 is an open opening 16, the open opening 16 of the heat dissipation housing 12 is attached to the outside of the first side plate 14, the two-phase flow heat sink 13 includes an evaporator 17, a condenser 18, and a connecting cavity 19 connecting the evaporator 17 and the condenser 18, the evaporator 17 is attached to the lower outer surface of the first side plate 14, the condenser 18 is located above the evaporator 17 and is arranged in the recess 15, the lower part of the heat dissipation housing 12 is provided with an air inlet 20 and the upper part is provided with an air outlet 21.

[0023] The two-phase flow radiator 13 is a prior art device that utilizes the phase change of the working fluid (liquid to gas, and gas back to liquid) to efficiently transfer heat. The two-phase flow radiator 13 utilizes the heat absorbed and released during the phase change of the working fluid. When the power electronic device of this invention is operating, the liquid working fluid in the evaporator 17 absorbs the heat generated by the heating element 10 and boils into steam; the hot steam flows through the connecting cavity 19 to the condenser 18 under the action of pressure difference; the condenser 18 transfers the heat of the steam to the external environment (such as cooling air or liquid), and the steam condenses into liquid after dissipating heat; the condensed liquid working fluid returns to the evaporator 17 by gravity, completing the cycle. Because the condensed liquid working fluid relies on gravity to return to the evaporator 17, it is necessary to ensure that the evaporator 17 is lower than the condenser 18 during installation.

[0024] One side of the heat sink 12 has an open opening 16, which is attached to the outside of the first side plate 14, so that the heat sink 12 and the power housing 11 are isolated only by the first side plate 14. The absence of a sheet metal at the open opening 16 of the heat sink 12 not only saves material and makes the structure more compact, but also facilitates the direct and efficient absorption of heat generated by the heat-generating components 10 in the power housing 11 by the evaporator 17 inside the heat sink 12, thereby improving the overall heat dissipation efficiency.

[0025] The heat sink 12 has an air inlet 20 at the bottom and an air outlet 21 at the top. External cold air enters the heat sink 12 through the air inlet 20 at the bottom. The cold air absorbs heat from the heat sink cavity. Based on the principle of natural convection where hot air has a lower density and cold air has a higher density, the heated air rises naturally and flows out through the air outlet 21 at the top. This structure utilizes the two-phase flow heat sink 13 for heat dissipation while simultaneously achieving self-circulating air cooling. The two work together to further improve the overall heat dissipation efficiency of the power electronic equipment of this invention.

[0026] The power electronic device of the present invention employs a two-phase flow heat sink 13, which utilizes the efficient heat transfer capability of the working fluid phase change. Its heat dissipation efficiency is far higher than that of traditional air-cooling solutions, resulting in good heat dissipation effect and high heat dissipation efficiency. The evaporator 17 is directly attached to the lower outer surface of the first side plate 14, which has high heat conduction efficiency, allowing the heat of the heating device 10 inside the power box 11 to be quickly absorbed and dissipated.

[0027] The upper part of the first side plate 14 is provided with a recessed portion 15, the condenser 18 is disposed in the recessed portion 15, and the evaporator 17 is attached to the lower outer surface of the first side plate 14. The evaporator 17 and the condenser 18 are connected together through the connecting cavity 19 so that when the condenser 18 and the evaporator 17 are not on the same plane, the cooling channels in the condenser 18 and the evaporator 17 are connected, so as to realize the internal working fluid circulation.

[0028] The condenser 18 is located above the evaporator 17 and is disposed within the recess 15. When the power electronic device is installed vertically (the first side plate 14 is perpendicular to the ground), the condenser 18 is naturally located above the evaporator 17. When the power electronic device is installed at an angle of 0 to 90 degrees towards the heat sink 12, the condenser 18 always remains higher than the evaporator 17 due to the spatial positioning effect of the recess 15. Even when the power electronic device is placed horizontally (the first side plate 14 is parallel to the ground, and the power housing 11 is "laid down"), the power electronic device of the present invention still ensures that the condenser 18 is higher than the evaporator 17, meeting the stringent requirements of gravity-driven two-phase flow heat dissipation.

[0029] By embedding the condenser 18 into the recessed part 15 of the power housing 11, the structural space of the equipment itself is fully utilized, avoiding an additional increase in the size of the equipment. This achieves a high degree of integration between the heat dissipation system and the power unit, resulting in an extremely compact layout.

[0030] The power electronic device of the present invention fundamentally solves the fatal flaw of the traditional two-phase flow heat sink 13 being sensitive to the installation orientation, and provides a high heat dissipation efficiency, compact structure, and no need to worry about the problem of reduced heat dissipation efficiency or failure due to tilted installation. It can adapt to a variety of installation angles and directions from vertical to horizontal, greatly improving the application flexibility and scenario adaptability of the power electronic device.

[0031] Specifically, the heat dissipation structure described in this invention is particularly suitable for power electronic devices with stringent requirements for power density and installation flexibility, such as existing photovoltaic inverters, energy storage converters, and frequency converters.

[0032] Better, such as Figure 1 , Figures 4 to 6 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the recessed portion 15 is L-shaped. The L-shaped recessed portion 15 is more compatible with the common square condenser module shape, providing more ample and fitting space for the condenser 18 without significantly increasing the overall projected area of ​​the power housing 11. The L-shaped corner structure has better bending and torsional stiffness in mechanics, thus better bearing the weight of the condenser 18 and the vibrations and impacts that may occur during transportation and use, improving the mechanical reliability and stability of the power electronic device of the present invention. In addition, the L-shaped structure can be formed in one piece by sheet metal bending process, which is simple to process, low in cost, and has a strong and reliable structure.

[0033] Better, such as Figure 1 , Figures 4 to 6 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, a door panel 22 is provided on the opposite side of the first side plate 14 of the power box 11, and the condenser 18 is inclined toward the door panel 22.

[0034] By tilting the condenser 18, compared to a vertical placement, the contact area between the condenser 18 and the incoming cold air is increased, thus extending the contact time between them. With the same amount of cold air and the same time frame, the cold air can remove more heat from the condenser 18, resulting in higher heat dissipation efficiency and better heat dissipation. Furthermore, the tilted placement of the condenser 18 allows for the placement of a larger condenser 18 within the same space, thereby improving heat dissipation capacity without increasing the volume of the heat dissipation enclosure 12, resulting in a more compact overall structure.

[0035] Better, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 9 As shown, an opening 23 is provided at the middle position of the evaporator 17 attached to the first side plate 14, and the heating element 10 passes through the opening 23 and is attached to the inner surface of the evaporator 17.

[0036] By opening a hole 23 in the first side plate 14, the heating element 10 can pass directly through and fit tightly against the inner surface of the evaporator 17, thus constructing the shortest and most direct heat conduction path from the heat source to the cooling medium. This eliminates the multi-layer interface thermal resistance present in traditional installation methods to the greatest extent, thereby achieving extremely high heat conduction efficiency. This ensures that the heat of the heating element 10 can be absorbed by the evaporator 17 instantaneously and in large quantities, fundamentally improving the peak heat dissipation capacity and response speed of the power electronic device of the present invention.

[0037] Better, such as Figure 3 As shown, a sealing groove 24 is provided at the position where the evaporator 17 is attached to the first side plate 14, and a sealing strip 25 is embedded in the sealing groove 24.

[0038] By providing a sealing groove 24 with embedded sealing strips 25 at the attachment position of the evaporator 17 and the first side plate 14, physical isolation at the junction of the power housing 11 and the heat sink housing 12 can be ensured. This prevents external dust, moisture, and other contaminants from entering the interior of the power housing 11 through the assembly gap, ensuring the electrical safety and reliability of the internal heat-generating components 10 and circuits, and further improving the protection level of the power housing 11. Furthermore, this ensures the sealing of the heat dissipation air ducts within the heat sink housing 12, ensuring that all cooling airflow flows through the condenser 18 along the designed path for effective heat exchange, avoiding airflow short-circuiting and reduced heat dissipation efficiency due to air leakage, thereby improving the overall efficiency and stability of the heat dissipation system.

[0039] Better, such as Figure 1 , Figure 6 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, a cooling fan 26 is installed above the air inlet 20 of the heat sink 12 and below the evaporator 17.

[0040] Positioning the cooling fan 26 above the air inlet 20 and below the evaporator 17 efficiently forces external cold air into the evaporator 17 and blows it directly onto the evaporator 17, enhancing the basic convective cooling effect on the evaporator 17 and providing a lower starting temperature for the entire two-phase flow heat dissipation cycle. The cooling fan 26 creates a stable and powerful bottom-up directional airflow within the heat dissipation housing 12, ensuring sufficient cooling airflow through the evaporator 17 and condenser 18 even under harsh operating conditions such as high equipment load or high ambient temperature, thereby greatly improving the forced cooling capacity and environmental adaptability of the entire heat dissipation system.

[0041] Better, such as Figure 8 As shown, a power inductor 27 is also provided inside the heat dissipation box 12, and the power inductor 27 is distributed on both sides of the evaporator 17.

[0042] By placing the power inductor 27 inside the heat sink 12 and distributing it on both sides of the evaporator 17, the unused space inside the heat sink 12 is fully utilized, significantly improving the space utilization and integration of the heat sink 12. At the same time, the heat generated by the power inductor 27 during operation can be efficiently dissipated directly by the cooling airflow flowing through the evaporator 17, which not only optimizes the allocation of heat dissipation resources, but also avoids designing a separate heat dissipation path for the inductor inside the power sink 11, simplifying the overall structural layout.

[0043] Better, such as Figure 1 , Figures 4 to 6 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the air inlet 20 includes a first air inlet 28 and a second air inlet 29. The first air inlet 28 is located at the bottom of the heat dissipation box 12, and the second air inlet 29 is located on both sides of the heat dissipation box 12 near the power box 11. The air outlet 21 includes a first air outlet 30 and a second air outlet 31. The first air outlet 30 is located on both sides of the top of the heat dissipation box 12. The height of the heat dissipation box 12 is greater than the height of the power box 11 but not greater than the height of the door panel 22. The second air outlet 31 is located in the area of ​​the heat dissipation box 12 that is higher than the top of the power box 11. The air outlet direction of the second air outlet 31 is towards the door panel 22.

[0044] By setting the bottom first air inlet 28 and the side second air inlet 29, a multi-path high-efficiency air intake system is formed, which increases the flow of cold air and eliminates heat dissipation dead zones. At the same time, the top two first air outlets 30 and the second air outlets 31 facing the door panel 22 are combined to form a three-dimensional exhaust channel, which not only utilizes the principle of natural rise of hot air, but also actively guides the high-temperature airflow to the open area in front of the equipment, effectively preventing hot air from circulating inside the equipment or causing heat damage to the cables behind. The height of the heat dissipation box 12 is greater than the height of the power box 11 but not greater than the height of the door panel 22. This ensures sufficient heat dissipation space while maintaining a compact overall structure, so that the heat dissipation box 12 and the power box 11 are perfectly integrated, achieving the best balance between heat dissipation efficiency and space utilization, and the appearance is compact and beautiful.

[0045] Better, such as Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, heat dissipation fins 32 are provided on the outer surface of the evaporator 17, and the heat dissipation fins 32 are arranged vertically and parallel.

[0046] Vertical parallel heat dissipation fins 32 are provided on the outer surface of the evaporator 17, which greatly increases the effective contact area between the evaporator 17 and the air inside the heat dissipation box 12, enhances the passive heat dissipation capacity of the evaporator 17, and improves the heat dissipation efficiency. At the same time, the direction of the vertical fins is completely consistent with the natural upward flow direction of hot air in the heat dissipation duct, which can minimize the air flow resistance and guide the airflow to flow smoothly and efficiently upward along the fin surface. This avoids the airflow obstruction and turbulence that may be caused by the horizontal fins, and also effectively prevents heat from accumulating locally, achieving dual high-efficiency cooling of the evaporator 17 itself and the air flowing through it.

[0047] Better, such as Figures 4 to 6 , Figure 8 As shown, air guide plates 33 are provided on both sides of the condenser 18 to guide airflow to the condenser 18; mounting feet 34 are provided at the bottom and back of the heat dissipation box 12; the outer surface of the two-phase flow heat sink 13 has an electrophoretic layer, a spray coating, or an anodized layer. The heat dissipation fins 32 can be arranged in two rows, one above the other.

[0048] The air guide plate 33 can effectively constrain and concentrate the airflow, allowing it to penetrate the condenser 18 evenly, significantly improving heat exchange efficiency and eliminating heat dissipation dead zones.

[0049] The heat sink 12 is equipped with mounting feet 34 at its bottom and back. When the heat sink 12 and the power housing 11 are installed side by side vertically, they can be supported by the mounting feet 34 at the bottom of the heat sink 12. When the power housing 11 is tilted towards the heat sink 12, making the first side panel 14 horizontal, the heat sink 12 is located below the power housing 11 and can be supported by the mounting feet 34 at the back of the heat sink 12 (i.e., the side facing the ground in this installation posture). The bottom and back mounting feet 34 provide a variety of flexible and stable installation methods for the equipment, enhancing the product's adaptability to different application scenarios.

[0050] The electrophoretic layer, spray coating, or anodized layer on the surface of the two-phase flow radiator 13 can effectively prevent corrosion, ensure that the two-phase flow radiator 13 can work in complex environments, has good reliability, and extend the service life of the two-phase flow radiator 13.

[0051] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the essence and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A power electronic device, characterized in that, The device includes: a power housing with internal heating elements, a heat dissipation housing fixed to one side of the power housing, and a two-phase flow heat sink vertically disposed within the heat dissipation housing; the power housing has a first side plate with a recessed portion at its upper part, and one side of the heat dissipation housing is open, with the open side of the heat dissipation housing attached to the outer side of the first side plate; the two-phase flow heat sink includes an evaporator, a condenser, and a connecting cavity connecting the evaporator and the condenser; the evaporator is attached to the lower outer surface of the first side plate, and the condenser is located above the evaporator and disposed within the recessed portion; the heat dissipation housing has an air inlet at its lower part and an air outlet at its upper part.

2. The power electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The concave portion is L-shaped.

3. A power electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A door panel is provided on the opposite side of the first side plate of the power enclosure, and the condenser is inclined toward the door panel.

4. A power electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: An opening is provided at the middle position of the first side plate where the evaporator is attached, and the heating element passes through the opening and is attached to the inner surface of the evaporator.

5. A power electronic device according to claim 4, characterized in that: A sealing groove is provided at the position where the evaporator is attached to the first side plate, and a sealing strip is embedded in the sealing groove.

6. A power electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A cooling fan is installed above the air inlet and below the evaporator of the heat dissipation box.

7. A power electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat dissipation box is also equipped with power inductors, which are distributed on both sides of the evaporator.

8. A power electronic device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The air inlet includes a first air inlet and a second air inlet. The first air inlet is located at the bottom of the heat dissipation box, and the second air inlet is located on both sides of the heat dissipation box near the power box. The air outlet includes a first air outlet and a second air outlet; the first air outlet is located on both sides of the top of the heat dissipation box, the height of the heat dissipation box is greater than the height of the power box but not greater than the height of the door panel, the second air outlet is located in the top area of ​​the heat dissipation box that is higher than the top of the power box, and the air outlet direction of the second air outlet is towards the door panel.

9. A power electronic device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The outer surface of the evaporator is provided with heat dissipation fins, which are arranged vertically and parallel to each other.

10. A power electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The condenser has air guide plates on both sides to direct airflow into the condenser; the bottom and back of the heat sink are respectively provided with mounting feet; the outer surface of the two-phase flow heat sink has an electrophoretic layer, a spray coating, or an anodized layer.

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