Layered waterway structure and power assembly applicable thereto

Abstract

The present application provides a layered water channel structure and a power supply assembly thereof. The layered water channel structure includes a housing, a first water channel and a second water channel. The housing includes a first side and a second side opposite to each other, respectively adhering to a first circuit board assembly and a second circuit board assembly. The housing includes a first cavity and a second cavity, the first cavity is recessed from the first side to the second side, and is configured to accommodate a magnetic element of the first circuit board assembly, and the second cavity is recessed from the second side to the first side, and is configured to accommodate the second circuit board assembly. The first cavity and the second cavity are arranged in a staggered manner. The first water channel is arranged adjacent to the first side, located at the bottom of the second cavity, and is thermally connected to the first circuit board assembly and the second circuit board assembly. The second water channel is arranged adjacent to the second side, located at the bottom of the first cavity, and is thermally connected to the magnetic element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This case relates to the field of power electronics technology, specifically to a layered water channel structure and its applicable power supply assembly, which can improve heat dissipation efficiency and space utilization while ensuring electromagnetic compatibility performance. Background Technology

[0002] As the global electric vehicle industry evolves towards high-voltage platforms and ultra-fast charging technologies, the core design of on-board chargers (OBCs) has shifted towards high power density and high system integration. The current mainstream trend is to integrate the OBC, DC-DC converter, or power distribution unit into a single housing to achieve vehicle lightweighting and maximize space utilization. However, this highly integrated architecture results in critical electronic components, such as power modules, power semiconductor devices for the OBC and DC-DC converter, and magnetic components, being highly compressed into a small, enclosed space. This generates significant heat loads and complex electromagnetic interference issues, placing higher demands on heat dissipation structures and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) design.

[0003] Existing automotive power supply cooling structures are mainly divided into two types: planar water channels and three-dimensional water channels. In the planar water channel structure, the heat dissipation path only utilizes the bottom of the casing, resulting in low vertical space utilization and forcing internal components to be arranged in a single layer, leading to significant space waste. Furthermore, when large magnetic components and power devices are placed on the same PCB, the magnetic components often occupy the central area, causing the power devices to be far from the bottom water channels, making heat transfer difficult and resulting in excessive temperature rise. If a separate board design is used to solve this problem, it will significantly increase the number of connecting components and costs. Moreover, the heat dissipation area of ​​the planar water channel is limited by the bottom dimensions of the casing, making it difficult to further improve heat dissipation capacity within the constraints of the overall unit size.

[0004] Regarding the three-dimensional water channel structure, although attempts are made to utilize vertical space, vertical PCBs or aluminum substrates are often required, necessitating the mounting of power devices on the water channel sidewalls. This results in complex assembly directions (balancing vertical and lateral orientations), positioning difficulties, and an inability to achieve unidirectional assembly line operations, leading to low production efficiency. In terms of manufacturing processes, the complexity of the three-dimensional water channel structure further exacerbates the problem. Die-casting molds require three-dimensional core pulling, resulting in high mold opening costs. Water channel sealing often employs friction welding, which involves significant equipment investment and low welding efficiency per unit, further increasing manufacturing costs. Uneven pressure distribution when power devices are attached to the sidewalls easily leads to inconsistent contact thermal resistance and localized hot spots. The flow resistance and pressure from the complex flow channels also increase the demands on pump performance.

[0005] On the other hand, existing planar and three-dimensional waterway structures mostly adopt the design concept of "space as the main focus, heat dissipation as the priority, and EMC as a remedy". The structure itself lacks continuous shielding function and has problems with parasitic capacitance and shielding discontinuity. Usually, additional shielding covers need to be installed to deal with EMC problems. This not only increases material and assembly costs, but also fails to achieve synergistic optimization of space, heat dissipation and EMC from the structural source.

[0006] In view of this, it is necessary to provide a layered water channel structure and its applicable power supply assembly, which can improve heat dissipation efficiency and space utilization while ensuring or improving electromagnetic compatibility performance, simplifying manufacturing processes and reducing overall costs. Through innovative structural design, the heat dissipation path and EMC shielding path can be arranged in a coordinated manner, thereby solving the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a layered water channel structure and its applicable power supply assembly. In a power supply assembly in which power circuit board assemblies, housing, and filter circuit board assemblies are stacked vertically, by designing the interior of the housing as a layered water channel structure, the space is physically divided into an upper first-side power cavity (containing power circuits and high-frequency switching noise sources) and a lower second-side filter cavity (containing filter circuits and sensitive weak signals). This achieves a layered and staggered arrangement in the vertical direction. Compared with the conventional single-layer layout of planar water channels, this solution divides the housing into two independent cavities through double-layer water channels. Under the condition of the same bottom area, it achieves vertical spatial layering and utilization, which can accommodate more functional modules or reduce the overall size of the machine, thus helping to improve space utilization. The casing can be made of die-cast aluminum in one piece. The upper and lower water channel structure is a planar layered layout. Compared with the complex three-dimensional flow channel structure of three-dimensional water channels, the mold design is greatly simplified and the mold opening cost is significantly reduced. It is equipped with a first water channel adjacent to the first side and a second water channel adjacent to the second side. The coolant flows through the layered water channels in a series manner with a single inlet and single outlet. It is connected to the casing through the water channel cover plate by brazing or sealing process to form a reliable cooling cycle. In terms of heat dissipation management, the power devices (such as power MOSFETs) of the power circuit board assembly are flatly attached to the surface of the first water channel and vertically fastened with screws to obtain the shortest thermal path and high heat dissipation efficiency. At the same time, the flat-attached structure avoids the problem of inconsistent contact thermal resistance caused by the vertical plate pressing installation to the side wall of the water channel in three-dimensional water channels. Large magnetic components are thermally connected to the side wall of the first water channel and the upper surface of the second water channel using the layered structure to achieve a multi-faceted cooling effect on three or four sides. Compared with traditional planar water channels (only bottom surface heat dissipation) and three-dimensional water channels (only side heat dissipation), the heat dissipation area is larger, the path is shorter, and the temperature is more uniform, significantly improving the heat dissipation capacity of magnetic components. The heat generated by the filter circuit board in the lower cavity can also be carried away through the heat-conducting medium connected to the bottom surface of the first water channel, achieving effective thermal management of the filter circuit board without adding additional heat sinks or heat dissipation measures. In terms of electromagnetic compatibility, the metal partitions of the first and second water channels, together with the casing walls, constitute a complete shielding structure (such as a Faraday cage). This structure achieves physical isolation and electrical shielding between the upper cavity (power circuits, high-frequency noise sources) and the lower cavity (filter circuits, sensitive signals), suppressing the propagation path of electromagnetic interference from the structural source. Therefore, this invention does not require an additional metal shielding cover, saving material costs while avoiding the space encroachment of the shielding cover on the internal space. Compared to the three-dimensional water channel, which occupies vertical space but requires additional structures such as vertical plates and shielding covers, this solution achieves higher net space utilization through structural simplification, realizing comprehensive optimization of space utilization.In terms of manufacturing and assembly processes, by abandoning the vertical circuit board design, all circuit boards (including the main board, control board, and filter board) can be installed in a conventional horizontal manner. There is no need to design and assemble vertical circuit boards; all assembly actions are in a single vertical direction (power transistors are locked downwards, filter boards are locked upwards), significantly simplifying assembly and improving production yield. In response to the industry trend towards highly integrated on-board chargers (OBCs), DC-DC converters, and high-voltage power distribution units (PDUs), the layered water channel structure of this project can be further expanded into a multi-layered or multi-cavity form to achieve coordinated heat dissipation and electromagnetic shielding between multiple modules. Of course, this power supply assembly can also be widely used in various integrated power assemblies, drive controllers, and high-efficiency liquid cooling equipment such as inductive charging, and is not limited to these applications.

[0008] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, this invention provides a layered water channel structure. The layered water channel structure includes a housing, a first water channel, and a second water channel. The housing includes a first side and a second side opposite to each other in a first direction, respectively assembled and attached to a first circuit board assembly and a second circuit board assembly. The housing includes a first cavity and a second cavity. The first cavity is recessed from the first side towards the second side and houses a magnetic element of the first circuit board assembly. The second cavity is recessed from the second side towards the first side and houses the second circuit board assembly. The first cavity and the second cavity are offset in the first direction of view. The first water channel is disposed adjacent to the first side, arranged along at least one edge of the first cavity, and located at the bottom of the second cavity, and is thermally connected to the first circuit board assembly and the second circuit board assembly. The second water channel is disposed adjacent to the second side, located at the bottom of the first cavity, and is thermally connected to the magnetic element.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first water channel includes a front first water channel and a rear first water channel, which are arranged along two opposite first and second side edges of the first cavity, respectively, and are connected in series through a second water channel, wherein the magnetic element is thermally connected to the front first water channel, the rear first water channel, and the second water channel.

[0010] In one embodiment, the layered water channel structure further includes an inlet and an outlet, which are disposed on the side wall of the casing and are respectively connected to the front first water channel and the rear first water channel. The second water channel is connected in series between the front first water channel and the rear first water channel. A coolant is allowed to enter the front first water channel through the inlet, return to the rear first water channel through the second water channel, and then be discharged from the outlet.

[0011] In one embodiment, the front first water channel and the rear first water channel are connected to the second water channel via a pair of connecting water channels. The pair of connecting water channels are arranged along the side wall of the first cavity and adjacent to the third side edge of the first cavity. The third side edge is connected between the first side edge and the second side edge. The magnetic element is thermally connected to the front first water channel, the rear first water channel, the pair of connecting water channels, and the second water channel.

[0012] In one embodiment, the layered waterway structure further includes a first waterway cover and a second waterway cover. The housing is integrally formed from a metal die-cast body. The first waterway cover is disposed adjacent to the first side to form a first waterway, wherein the second waterway cover is disposed at the bottom and sidewall of the first cavity to form a second waterway and the pair of communicating waterways.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first waterway cover and the second waterway cover are connected to the housing by brazing, friction stir welding, laser welding, arc welding or adhesive sealing processes to form the first waterway, the pair of connected waterways and the second waterway, respectively.

[0014] In one embodiment, the first waterway cover is a U-shaped flat plate, and the second waterway cover is an L-shaped bent plate.

[0015] In one embodiment, the first waterway and / or the second waterway are planar waterways, respectively arranged parallel to a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction, and the first waterway and the second waterway being staggered relative to each other in the view from the first direction and the second direction.

[0016] In one embodiment, a first circuit board assembly, a housing, and a second circuit board assembly are stacked along a first direction, with the first circuit board assembly spatially opposite a first side of the housing and the second circuit board assembly spatially opposite a second side of the housing.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first circuit board assembly includes a power circuit board and a control board, which are arranged parallel to a second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0018] In one embodiment, the power circuit board includes a plurality of power devices that are attached to and thermally connected to the first waterway cover.

[0019] In one embodiment, the second circuit board assembly includes an AC filter board, a DC filter board, and a low-voltage DC filter board.

[0020] In one embodiment, the second cavity includes a plurality of second sub-cavities, which are disposed on at least three side edges adjacent to the first cavity, are isolated from each other, and are respectively assembled to accommodate an AC filter board, a DC filter board and a low-voltage DC filter board.

[0021] In one embodiment, the first cavity and the second cavity are isolated from each other by the metal wall of the housing and the first and second water channels to form a shielding structure.

[0022] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, this application also provides a power supply assembly. The power supply assembly includes a layered water channel structure, a first circuit board assembly, and a second circuit board assembly. The layered water channel structure includes a housing, a first water channel, and a second water channel. The housing includes a first side and a second side opposite to each other in a first direction, and a first cavity and a second cavity. The first cavity is recessed from the first side towards the second side, and the second cavity is recessed from the second side towards the first side. The first cavity and the second cavity are offset from each other in the first direction and are isolated from each other. The first water channel is disposed adjacent to the first side, arranged along at least one edge of the first cavity, and located at the bottom of the second cavity. The second water channel is disposed adjacent to the second side and located at the bottom of the first cavity. The first circuit board assembly is stacked on the first side along the first direction. The first circuit board assembly includes a magnetic element housed in the first cavity and thermally connected to the first and second water channels. The second circuit board assembly is stacked on the second side along the first direction. The second circuit board assembly is housed in the second cavity and thermally connected to the first water channel.

[0023] In one embodiment, the housing further includes a third cavity recessed from the first side toward the second side, which is configured to house a control board or an auxiliary board. In the first direction of view, the third cavity is offset from the first cavity and the first water channel, and the control board or auxiliary board is thermally connected to the first water channel.

[0024] In one embodiment, the second cavity includes a plurality of second sub-cavities, with at least three side edges adjacent to the first cavity and isolated from each other, and an auxiliary plate assembly is fitted into one of the plurality of second sub-cavities and thermally connected to the first water channel.

[0025] In one embodiment, the housing further includes a through hole communicating between the first side and the second side; the power assembly further includes a connector passing through the through hole and electrically connected between the first circuit board assembly and the second circuit board assembly.

[0026] In one embodiment, the power supply assembly further includes a first outer cover and a second outer cover, wherein the first outer cover is fixed to a first side and a first circuit board assembly is sealed between the first outer cover and the housing; wherein the second outer cover is fixed to a second side and a second circuit board assembly is sealed between the second outer cover and the housing.

[0027] The beneficial effects of this invention are that the embodiments provide a layered water channel structure and a power supply assembly suitable for it, enabling layered utilization of the internal space of the chassis within the same bottom area, improving the vertical space utilization rate, thereby accommodating more functional modules or reducing the overall size of the machine. In terms of heat dissipation performance, the power devices are flush with the water channel surface, providing the shortest heat dissipation path and extremely low thermal resistance, while the magnetic components, combined with the water channel sidewalls and bottom surface, achieve a multi-faceted cooling effect on three to four sides, significantly improving the heat dissipation area and temperature uniformity. Regarding electromagnetic compatibility performance, the water channel metal partitions and chassis walls form a natural Faraday cage shielding cavity, achieving physical isolation and electrical shielding between the power circuit and the filter circuit, suppressing interference from the structural source without requiring additional shielding, further optimizing the net space utilization rate. Furthermore, the layered water channel structure of this invention can be further extended to a multi-layer or multi-cavity form to achieve coordinated heat dissipation and electromagnetic partition shielding among multiple modules. Attached Figure Description

[0028] The following detailed description of the case and the schematic diagrams of the embodiments are intended to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the above content, and are not intended to limit the case.

[0029] Figure 1 This schematic diagram shows a three-dimensional structural view of the power supply assembly, which includes a layered waterway structure.

[0030] Figure 2 and Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the exploded view of the power supply assembly from different perspectives.

[0031] Figure 4 A schematic cross-sectional view of the power supply assembly of this case is shown.

[0032] Figure 5 The diagram schematically shows a top view of the power supply assembly in this case, omitting the power circuit board.

[0033] Figure 6 and Figure 7 The diagram illustrates the three-dimensional structure of the layered waterway in this case from different perspectives.

[0034] Figure 8 The diagram illustrates the exploded view of the layered waterway structure in this case. Detailed Implementation

[0035] Some typical embodiments embodying the features and advantages of this invention will be described in detail in the following description. It should be understood that this invention can have various variations in different ways, all of which do not depart from the scope of this invention, and the descriptions and drawings herein are for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting the invention. For example, if the following description of a first feature being disposed on or above a second feature indicates that it includes embodiments where the first and second features are in direct contact, and also includes embodiments where additional features may be disposed between the first and second features, so that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Furthermore, different embodiments in this disclosure may use repeated reference numerals and / or markings. These repetitions are for simplification and clarity and are not intended to limit the relationships between the various embodiments and / or the described appearance structures. Moreover, to facilitate the description of the relationship between one component or feature and another component(s) or feature(s) in the drawings, spatially related terms such as "upper," "lower," "top," "bottom," and similar terms may be used. In addition to the orientations shown in the accompanying drawings, spatially relevant terms are used to cover different orientations of the device in use or operation. The device may also be otherwise positioned (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or located in other orientations), and the descriptions of the spatially relevant terms used will be interpreted accordingly. Furthermore, when a component is referred to as "connected to" or "coupled to" another component, it may be directly connected to or coupled to the other component, or there may be intervening components. Although the numerical ranges and parameters of the broad scope of this disclosure are approximate, values ​​are stated as precisely as possible in specific examples. Additionally, it is understood that while terms such as "first," "second," etc., may be used in the claims to describe different components, these components should not be limited by these terms, and the components described accordingly in the embodiments are represented by different component symbols. These terms are used to distinguish different components. For example, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may be referred to as a first component without departing from the scope of the embodiments. The term "and / or" as thus used includes any or all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0036] Figure 1 This schematic diagram shows a three-dimensional structural view of the power supply assembly, which includes a layered waterway structure. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The diagram illustrates the exploded view of the power supply assembly from different perspectives. Figure 4 A schematic cross-sectional view of the power supply assembly of this case is shown. Figure 5 The diagram schematically shows a top view of the power supply assembly in this case, omitting the power circuit board. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The diagram illustrates the three-dimensional structure of the layered waterway in this case from different perspectives. Figure 8A schematic exploded view of the layered waterway structure in this case is shown. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figures 1 to 8 In this embodiment, the present invention provides a power assembly 2 including a layered water channel structure 1, which is applied, for example, to highly integrated vehicle "three-in-one" or multi-in-one power electronic systems such as on-board chargers (OBC), DC-DC converters (DC-DC converters), and high-voltage distribution units (PDUs), in order to synergistically optimize the space utilization, heat dissipation efficiency, and electromagnetic compatibility performance of the whole machine in an extremely compact enclosed space.

[0037] In this embodiment, the power supply assembly 2 includes a layered water channel structure 1, a first circuit board assembly 20, and a second circuit board assembly 30. The layered water channel structure 1 includes a housing 10, a first water channel 15, and a second water channel 16. The housing 10 includes a first side 11 (defined as the upper side) and a second side 12 (defined as the lower side) that are opposite to each other in a first direction (i.e., the vertical Z-axis direction). The first side 11 and the second side 12 are respectively assembled and attached to the first circuit board assembly 20 and the second circuit board assembly 30. In this embodiment, the main body of the housing 10 is integrally formed from a die-cast body of metal such as die-cast aluminum, and its internal structure adopts a unique double-layer cavity layout, thereby physically dividing the interior of the housing 10 in the vertical direction into a first cavity 13 located on the upper first side 11 and a second cavity 14 located on the lower second side 12.

[0038] In this embodiment, the first circuit board assembly 20, the housing 10, and the second circuit board assembly 30 are stacked along a first direction (i.e., the Z-axis direction). The first circuit board assembly 20 is spatially opposite to a first side 11 of the housing 10, and the second circuit board assembly 30 is spatially opposite to a second side 12 of the housing 10. In this embodiment, the first circuit board assembly 20 includes a power circuit board 22 and a control board 23, which are arranged parallel to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, i.e., parallel to the horizontal XY plane. The power circuit board 22 includes a plurality of power devices 24, which are thermally connected to the first water channel 15. The second circuit board assembly 30, stacked on the second side 12, includes an AC filter board 31, a DC filter board 33, and a low-voltage DC filter board 32.

[0039] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the first cavity 13 is recessed from the first side 11 toward the second side 12 (i.e., from top to bottom), while the second cavity 14 is recessed from the second side 12 toward the first side 11 (i.e., from bottom to top). The first cavity 13 and the second cavity 14 are offset in the first direction (i.e., the Z-axis direction) and are physically isolated from each other. It is worth noting that since the first side 11 of the housing 10 houses the power circuit board 22 of the first circuit board assembly 20, multiple power devices 24, and magnetic elements 21 housed within the first cavity 13, these core power conversion components primarily function as power circuits and high-frequency switching noise sources during system operation. Therefore, the first cavity 13, recessed from the first side 11 toward the second side 12, can be considered a power cavity in terms of its actual structure and function. Conversely, since the second side 12 of the housing 10 is centrally configured with a second circuit board assembly 30 containing an AC filter board 31, a DC filter board 33, and a low-voltage DC filter board 32, forming a complete EMC filtering network to handle filtering circuits and sensitive weak electrical signals, the second cavity 14 recessed from the second side 12 towards the first side 11 can be considered a filtering cavity in terms of its actual structure and function. By physically dividing the interior of the housing 10 into an upper power cavity on the first side 11 and a lower filtering cavity on the second side 12, and achieving a layered and staggered arrangement in the vertical direction, compared with the conventional single-layer layout of planar channels, this solution divides the housing into two independent cavities through double-layer channels. Under the condition of the same bottom area, it achieves vertical spatial layering and utilization, which can accommodate more functional modules or reduce the overall volume of the machine, thus helping to improve space utilization.

[0040] In this embodiment, the first waterway 15 and the second waterway 16 are planar waterways arranged in layers. The first waterway 15 is the upper waterway adjacent to the first side 11, and the second waterway 16 is the lower waterway adjacent to the second side 12. They are respectively arranged parallel to a second direction of the XY plane, which is perpendicular to the first direction. In terms of viewing from both the first and second directions, the first waterway 15 and the second waterway 16 are staggered. In this embodiment, the first waterway 15 is located adjacent to the first side 11, arranged along the first side edge L1, the second side edge L2, or the third side edge L3 of the first cavity 13, and located at the bottom 140 of the second cavity 14. The second waterway 16 is located adjacent to the second side 12, located at the bottom 130 of the first cavity 13.

[0041] In this embodiment, the first water channel 15 includes a front first water channel 151 and a rear first water channel 152, which are arranged along two opposite first side edges L1 and second side edges L2 of the first cavity 13, respectively, and are connected in series through a second water channel 16. The layered water channel structure 1 also includes an inlet 41 and an outlet 42, which are disposed on the side wall of the housing 10 and are respectively connected to the front first water channel 151 and the rear first water channel 152. The second water channel 16 is connected in series between the front first water channel 151 and the rear first water channel 152. In this embodiment, the front first water channel 151 and the rear first water channel 152 are connected to the second water channel 16 via a pair of connecting water channels 17. These connecting water channels 17 are arranged along the side wall 131 of the first cavity 13 and adjacent to the third side edge L3 of the first cavity 13. The third side edge L3 connects between the first side edge L1 and the second side edge L2. The magnetic element 21 is thermally connected to the front first water channel 151, the rear first water channel 152, the pair of connecting water channels 17, and the second water channel 16. In this embodiment, coolant (not shown) is allowed to enter the upper front first water channel 151 through the inlet 41, enter the lower second water channel 16 through the connecting water channel 17, and then return to the upper rear first water channel 152 through the connecting water channel 17, finally being discharged from the outlet 42. Figure 8 As shown, the water flows in direction F, passing through a series of tiered water channels in a single-inlet-single-outlet configuration, thereby achieving highly reliable cooling performance through fluid circulation.

[0042] In this embodiment, the layered waterway structure 1 further includes a first waterway cover plate 150 and a second waterway cover plate 160. The housing 10 is integrally formed from a die-cast metal body. The first waterway cover plate 150 is disposed adjacent to the first side 11 to form a first waterway 15, while the second waterway cover plate 160 is disposed at the bottom 130 and side wall 131 of the first cavity 13 to form a second waterway 16 and the pair of communicating waterways 17. In this embodiment, the first waterway cover plate 150 and the second waterway cover plate 160 are connected to the housing 10 by brazing, friction stir welding, laser welding, arc welding, or adhesive sealing processes to respectively form the first waterway 15, the pair of communicating waterways 17, and the second waterway 16. The first waterway cover plate 150 is a U-shaped flat plate, and the second waterway cover plate 160 is an L-shaped bent plate. Compared to the complex three-dimensional flow channel structure of a three-dimensional waterway, the layered layout and cover sealing structure of the layered waterway structure 1 in this case greatly simplifies the mold design and significantly reduces the mold opening cost. Of course, this case is not limited to this.

[0043] In this embodiment, the power devices 24 (such as power MOSFETs) of the power circuit board 22 can be directly or through the thermal interface material T5 attached to the surface of the first water channel cover 150, achieving thermal connection with the first water channel 15. This allows the power devices 24 to obtain the shortest thermal path and high heat dissipation efficiency, with advantages such as short heat dissipation path, low thermal resistance, and high heat dissipation efficiency. In addition, the first circuit board assembly 20 includes magnetic elements 21 (such as PFC inductors or main transformers) housed in the first cavity 13 and thermally connected to the first water channel 15 and the second water channel 16. In this embodiment, the magnetic element 21 achieves thermal connection with the first side edge L1 of the first cavity 13 directly or through the thermal interface material T1, thereby achieving thermal connection with the connecting water channel 17 by contacting the third side edge L3 of the first cavity 13 directly or through the thermal interface material T4, achieving thermal connection with the second water channel 16 by contacting the bottom 130 of the first cavity 13 directly or through the thermal interface material T3, and achieving thermal connection with the rear first water channel 152 by contacting the second side edge L2 of the first cavity 13 directly or through the thermal interface material T2, thus achieving a multi-faceted cooling effect on three or four sides. Compared with traditional planar water channels (only bottom surface heat dissipation) and three-dimensional water channels (only side surface heat dissipation), the layered water channel structure 1 of this invention provides a larger heat dissipation area, shorter path, and more uniform temperature, which can significantly improve the heat dissipation capacity of the magnetic element 21. On the other hand, the second cavity 14 (filter cavity) located on the lower second side 12 includes multiple second sub-cavities 141, 142, and 143, which are adjacent to and isolated from the first side edge L1, second side edge L2, and third side edge L3 of the first cavity 13, respectively, to accommodate the AC filter board 31, the DC filter board 33, and the low-voltage DC filter board 32. In this embodiment, the second circuit board assembly 30 is housed in the second cavity 14 and thermally connected to the first water channel 15. The heat generated by the AC filter board 31, the DC filter board 33, and the low-voltage DC filter board 32 can be carried away by the thermal interface material T6 overlapping the bottom surface of the first water channel 15 (i.e., the bottom 140 of the second cavity 14). By making full use of the existing water channel resources, resource sharing and zero-additional-cost thermal management are achieved, significantly improving the heat dissipation effect.

[0044] Furthermore, it should be noted that in this embodiment, the first cavity 13 (i.e., the upper power cavity) and the second cavity 14 (i.e., the lower filter cavity) are completely isolated by the metal wall 100 integrally formed by the housing 10 and the metal walls of the first water channel 15 and the second water channel 16, together forming a complete shielding structure (such as a Faraday cage). This shielding structure helps to achieve natural shielding and physical isolation between the power circuit (high-frequency switching noise source) and the filter circuit (sensitive weak electrical signal), suppressing interference propagation from the structural source without the need for additional shielding covers. In other words, this embodiment further achieves the overall optimization of space utilization by simplifying the layered water channel structure 1 to create a power assembly 2 with a higher "net space utilization rate". In terms of manufacturing and assembly processes, the power assembly 2 of this embodiment installs the power circuit board 22, control board 23, AC filter board 31, DC filter board 33 and low-voltage DC filter board 32 in a conventional horizontal manner, eliminating the need to design and assemble vertical circuit boards, greatly simplifying assembly difficulty, reducing mold costs and improving production yield. In response to the industry trend towards highly integrated on-board chargers (OBC), DC-DC converters, and power distribution units (PDUs), the layered water channel structure 1 of this invention can be further expanded into a multi-layered or multi-cavity form to achieve coordinated heat dissipation and electromagnetic partitioning shielding among multiple modules. Of course, the power supply assembly 2 of this invention can also be widely used in various integrated power supplies, drive controllers, and high-efficiency liquid cooling equipment such as inductive charging systems, and is by no means limited to these applications.

[0045] In this embodiment, the second cavity 14, located on the second side 12 (i.e., the lower filter cavity) of the housing 10, has a highly integrated three-dimensional structure with electromagnetic partitioning and isolation functions. The second cavity 14 allows for further physical partitioning into multiple second sub-cavities 141, 142, and 143, which are spatially arranged around the recessed first cavity 13 and are respectively adjacent to the first side edge L1, second side edge L2, and third side edge L3 of the first cavity 13. In other words, the multiple second sub-cavities 141, 142, and 143 are physically isolated from each other by the metal wall 100 or partition of the housing 10, and are electrically shielded from the first cavity 13. They are assembled to accommodate the AC filter board 31, DC filter board 33, and low-voltage DC filter board 32 in the second circuit board assembly 30.

[0046] In this embodiment, the second sub-cavity 141 is disposed adjacent to the first side edge L1 of the first cavity 13 and is used to accommodate the AC filter board 31; the second sub-cavity 142 is disposed adjacent to the third side edge L3 and is used to accommodate the low-voltage DC filter board 32; and the second sub-cavity 143 is disposed adjacent to the second side edge L2 and is used to accommodate the DC filter board 33. Of course, this embodiment is not limited to this specific correspondence; the configuration relationship between each sub-cavity and the internal filter circuit board can be flexibly configured or further subdivided into lower-level cavities according to product functional requirements and actual high and low voltage wiring routes, expanding into cavities with different functional modules. This embodiment is not limited to this.

[0047] By further subdividing the lower second cavity 14 into multiple independent and isolated second sub-cavities 141, 142, and 143 in a three-dimensional partitioned layout, not only can the vertical space around the first cavity 13 (power cavity) be fully and maximized, thus significantly improving the net space utilization of the whole machine under the same bottom area conditions, but more importantly, the metal walls between each sub-cavity act as natural electromagnetic shielding barriers, physically and electrically isolating different functional modules such as AC end filtering, DC high-voltage end filtering, and low-voltage DC end filtering. This effectively blocks the radiation and crosstalk of high-frequency switching electromagnetic interference between each filter board, significantly reducing the EMC design difficulty of the vehicle-mounted highly integrated power supply system from the structural source. Furthermore, since the second sub-cavities 141, 142, and 143 are adjacent to the side edge of the first cavity 13, the heat generated by the AC filter plate 31, DC filter plate 33, and low-voltage DC filter plate 32 inside them can be efficiently connected to the bottom surface of the adjacent first water channel 15 through the thermal interface material and quickly carried away by the coolant inside. Without increasing the cost of additional structures and materials, excellent resource-sharing thermal management and efficient cooling performance are achieved.

[0048] To further enhance the spatial integration of the first side 11 (upper layer) of the housing 10, in this embodiment, the housing 10 also includes a third cavity 18. The third cavity 18 is recessed from the first side 11 toward the second side 12 and is configured to accommodate the control board 23. In the first direction (i.e., the Z-axis direction), the third cavity 18 is offset from the first cavity 13 and the first water channel 15, thereby optimizing the staggered layout inside the housing 10 and avoiding component stacking. With this configuration, the control board 23 can be attached adjacent to and thermally connected to the side edge of the first water channel 15 to directly utilize the coolant flowing through the first water channel 15 for efficient heat dissipation.

[0049] On the other hand, in this embodiment, the power supply assembly 2 also includes the auxiliary board 50, and the spatial configuration of the auxiliary board 50 can be flexibly adjusted according to wiring and system integration requirements, expanding into various functional boards. In this embodiment, the auxiliary board 50 is, for example, assembled and housed in another second sub-cavity 144. The auxiliary board 50 housed in the second sub-cavity 144 can also be connected upwards to the first water channel 15 through a thermal interface material, thereby directly transferring the heat generated during operation to the first water channel 15 and carrying it away by the coolant. In other embodiments, the auxiliary board 50 can also be assembled and housed in the third cavity 18. Of course, this invention is not limited to this. Through the above-mentioned diverse arrangement flexibility, whether the auxiliary board 50 is arranged in the third cavity 18 on the first side 11 (upper layer) or in the second sub-cavity 144 on the second side 12 (lower layer), it can be ensured that it achieves thermal connection with the first water channel 15.

[0050] As can be seen from the above, the layered water channel structure 1 in this case, by further subdividing the lower second cavity 14 into multiple independent and isolated second sub-cavities 141, 142, 143, and 144, and the three-dimensional partitioned layout of the upper staggered third cavity 18, can not only fully and maximize the use of the vertical space around the first cavity 13 (power cavity), thus significantly improving the net space utilization of the whole machine under the same bottom area, but also effectively avoid component stacking, greatly improving the modularity and space optimization efficiency of the overall vehicle integrated power system. More importantly, the metal walls 100 between each sub-cavity act as natural electromagnetic shielding barriers, physically and electrically isolating different functional modules such as AC end filtering, DC high-voltage end filtering, and low-voltage DC end filtering, effectively blocking the radiation and crosstalk of high-frequency switching electromagnetic interference between each filter board, and significantly reducing the EMC design difficulty of the vehicle highly integrated power system from the structural source. Furthermore, since the second sub-cavities 141, 142, 143, and 144 are adjacent to the side edge of the first cavity 13, the heat generated by the AC filter plate 31, DC filter plate 33, low-voltage DC filter plate 32, and auxiliary plate 50 inside them can be efficiently connected to the bottom surface of the adjacent first water channel 15 (i.e., the bottom 140 of the second cavity 14) through the thermal interface material and quickly carried away by the coolant inside. Without increasing the cost of additional structures and materials, excellent resource-sharing thermal management and efficient cooling performance are achieved.

[0051] In this embodiment, the housing 10 further includes a through hole 19, connecting the first side 11 and the second side 12, that is, vertically penetrating the upper and lower layers of the housing 10 to realize signal interconnection or power transmission between the upper and lower layers. In this embodiment, the power assembly 2 also includes a connector 60. The connector 60 is, for example, a board-to-board connector, a busbar, a flexible circuit board, or a connecting harness, etc., an electrical interconnection component. In this embodiment, the connector 60 passes through the through hole 19, and its two ends are electrically connected between the first circuit board assembly 20 and the second circuit board assembly 30, respectively. Through the vertical penetration of the through hole 19 and the connector 60, the power assembly 2 of this embodiment can establish the shortest electrical interconnection path between the upper power cavity and the lower filter cavity without damaging the sealed flow channels inside the first channel 15 and the second channel 16. This internal direct interconnection design not only completely eliminates the cumbersome external wiring harnesses and external connection components required in traditional vehicle power supply units, greatly simplifying the assembly process and reducing material costs, but also effectively shortens the transmission loop of high-frequency or high-voltage current, thereby reducing parasitic inductance and parasitic capacitance on the line and further optimizing the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) protection performance of the whole machine.

[0052] In this embodiment, the power assembly 2 further includes a first outer cover 70 and a second outer cover 80. In this embodiment, the first outer cover 70 is fixed to the first side 11, and the first circuit board assembly 20 is sealed between the first outer cover 70 and the housing 10 (i.e., sealed within the upper cavity defined by the first side 11 and the first outer cover 70). In this embodiment, the second outer cover 80 is fixed to the second side 12, and the second circuit board assembly 30 is sealed between the second outer cover 80 and the housing 10 (i.e., sealed within the lower cavity defined by the second side 12 and the second outer cover 80). Furthermore, sealing gaskets or sealant can be further provided between the mating surfaces of the first outer cover 70 and the first side 11 of the housing 10, and between the second outer cover 80 and the second side 12 of the housing 10, to achieve a highly reliable environmental protection sealing effect, ensuring that the internal electronic components of the power assembly 2 are protected from external environmental corrosion and meet the stringent protection requirements of automotive environments. In other embodiments, the first outer cover 70 and the second outer cover 80 are made of conductive metal materials (such as die-cast aluminum alloy or stamped steel). When they are respectively fixed to both sides of the housing 10 and overlapped with the metal wall 100 integrally formed with the housing 10 for conduction, the first outer cover 70 and the second outer cover 80 can further improve the overall internal shielding structure, forming a fully enclosed Faraday cage, which comprehensively blocks the external radiation of internal switching noise and prevents external electromagnetic interference from interfering with the internal circuitry. Of course, this invention is not limited to this, and will not be elaborated further.

[0053] In summary, this invention provides a layered water channel structure and its applicable power supply assembly. In a power supply assembly where power circuit board assemblies, housing, and filter circuit board assemblies are stacked vertically, by designing the interior of the housing as a layered water channel structure, the space is physically divided into an upper first-side power cavity and a lower second-side filter cavity. This achieves a layered, staggered arrangement in the vertical direction. Compared to the conventional single-layer layout of a planar water channel, this solution divides the housing into two independent cavities through a double-layer water channel. Under the same floor area, it achieves vertical space utilization through layering, allowing for the accommodation of more functional modules or a reduction in overall size, thus improving space utilization. The casing can be made of die-cast aluminum in one piece. The upper and lower water channel structure is a planar layered layout. Compared with the complex three-dimensional flow channel structure of three-dimensional water channels, the mold design is greatly simplified, and the mold opening cost is significantly reduced. It is equipped with a first water channel adjacent to the first side and a second water channel adjacent to the second side. The coolant flows through the layered water channels in a series manner with a single inlet and single outlet. It is connected to the casing through the water channel cover plate by brazing or sealing process to form a reliable cooling cycle. In terms of heat dissipation management, the power devices of the power circuit board assembly are flatly attached to the surface of the first water channel and vertically fastened with screws to obtain the shortest thermal path and high heat dissipation efficiency. At the same time, the flat-attached structure avoids the problem of inconsistent contact thermal resistance caused by the vertical plate pressing installation to the side wall of the water channel in three-dimensional water channels. Large magnetic components are thermally connected to the side wall of the first water channel and the upper surface of the second water channel using a layered structure to achieve a multi-faceted cooling effect on three or four sides. Compared with traditional planar water channels (only bottom surface heat dissipation) and three-dimensional water channels (only side heat dissipation), the heat dissipation area is larger, the path is shorter, and the temperature is more uniform, significantly improving the heat dissipation capacity of magnetic components. The heat generated by the filter circuit board in the lower cavity can also be carried away through the heat-conducting medium connected to the bottom surface of the first water channel, achieving effective thermal management of the filter circuit board without adding additional heat sinks or heat dissipation measures. In terms of electromagnetic compatibility, the metal partitions of the first and second water channels, together with the casing walls, form a complete shielding structure. This structure achieves physical isolation and electrical shielding between the upper cavity (power circuits, high-frequency noise sources) and the lower cavity (filter circuits, sensitive signals), suppressing the propagation path of electromagnetic interference from the structural source. Therefore, this invention does not require an additional metal shielding cover, saving material costs and avoiding the space encroachment of the shielding cover on the internal space. Compared to the three-dimensional water channel, which occupies vertical space but requires additional structures such as vertical panels and shielding covers, this solution achieves a higher "net space utilization rate" through structural simplification, realizing the overall optimal use of space. In terms of manufacturing and assembly processes, the abandonment of the vertical circuit board design allows all circuit boards to be installed in a conventional horizontal manner, eliminating the need to design and assemble vertical circuit boards. All assembly actions are in a single vertical direction (power transistors are locked downwards and filter boards are locked upwards), which greatly simplifies the assembly difficulty and improves the production yield.In response to the industry trend towards highly integrated on-board chargers (OBCs), DC-DC converters, and power distribution units (PDUs), the layered water cooling structure of this invention can be further expanded into a multi-layered or multi-cavity form to achieve coordinated heat dissipation and electromagnetic shielding among multiple modules. Of course, this power supply assembly can also be widely used in various integrated power assemblies, drive controllers, and high-efficiency liquid cooling equipment such as inductive charging systems, and is not limited to these applications.

[0054] This case may be modified in various ways by those skilled in the art, but none of them shall be free from the protection sought by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A layered waterway structure, characterized in that, Include: A housing includes a first side and a second side opposite to each other in a first direction, which are respectively assembled and attached to a first circuit board assembly and a second circuit board assembly. The housing includes a first cavity and a second cavity. The first cavity is recessed from the first side toward the second side and is assembled to house a magnetic element of the first circuit board assembly. The second cavity is recessed from the second side toward the first side and is assembled to house the second circuit board assembly. The first cavity and the second cavity are offset in the viewing direction in the first direction. A first waterway, disposed adjacent to the first side, arranged along at least one side edge of the first cavity, and located at the bottom of the second cavity, is assembled and thermally connected to the first circuit board assembly and the second circuit board assembly; and A second waterway is disposed adjacent to the second side and located at the bottom of the first cavity, and is assembled and thermally connected to the magnetic element.

2. The layered waterway structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first waterway includes a front first waterway and a rear first waterway, arranged along two opposite first and second side edges of the first cavity, respectively, and connected in series through the second waterway, wherein the magnetic element is thermally connected to the front first waterway, the rear first waterway, and the second waterway.

3. The layered water channel structure as described in claim 2, wherein the layered water channel structure further includes an inlet and an outlet, disposed on one side wall of the housing and respectively connected to the front first water channel and the rear first water channel, the second water channel being connected in series between the front first water channel and the rear first water channel, wherein a coolant is allowed to enter the front first water channel through the inlet, return to the rear first water channel through the second water channel, and then be discharged through the outlet.

4. The layered waterway structure as described in claim 2, wherein the front first waterway and the rear first waterway are connected to the second waterway via a pair of connecting waterways, the pair of connecting waterways being disposed along the sidewall of the first cavity and adjacent to the third side edge of the first cavity, the third side edge being connected between the first side edge and the second side edge, wherein the magnetic element is thermally connected to the front first waterway, the rear first waterway, the pair of connecting waterways, and the second waterway.

5. The layered waterway structure as described in claim 4, wherein the layered waterway structure further includes a first waterway cover plate and a second waterway cover plate, the housing is integrally formed from a metal die-cast body, the first waterway cover plate is disposed adjacent to the first side to form the first waterway, and the second waterway cover plate is disposed at the bottom and the side wall of the first cavity to form the second waterway and the pair of communicating waterways.

6. The layered waterway structure as described in claim 5, wherein the first waterway cover plate and the second waterway cover plate are connected to the housing by brazing, friction stir welding, laser welding, arc welding or adhesive sealing process to form the first waterway, the pair of interconnected waterways and the second waterway respectively.

7. The layered waterway structure as described in claim 5, wherein the first waterway cover is a U-shaped flat plate and the second waterway cover is an L-shaped bent plate.

8. The layered waterway structure as described in claim 1, wherein the first waterway and / or the second waterway are planar waterways, respectively arranged parallel to a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction, and the first waterway and the second waterway being staggered relative to each other in the viewing direction of the first direction and the second direction.

9. The layered waterway structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first circuit board assembly, the housing, and the second circuit board assembly are stacked along the first direction, the first circuit board assembly is spatially opposite to the first side of the housing, and the second circuit board assembly is spatially opposite to the second side of the housing.

10. The layered waterway structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first circuit board assembly includes a power circuit board and a control board, the power circuit board and the control board being arranged parallel to a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction.

11. The layered waterway structure of claim 10, wherein the power circuit board includes a plurality of power devices thermally connected to the first waterway.

12. The layered waterway structure as described in claim 9, wherein the second circuit board assembly includes an AC filter board, a DC filter board, and a low-voltage DC filter board.

13. The layered waterway structure as described in claim 12, wherein the second cavity includes a plurality of second sub-cavities, which are disposed adjacent to at least three side edges of the first cavity, are isolated from each other, and are respectively assembled to accommodate the AC filter board, the DC filter board and the low-voltage DC filter board.

14. The layered waterway structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first cavity and the second cavity are isolated from each other by the metal wall of the housing and the first waterway and the second waterway to form a shielding structure.

15. A power supply assembly, characterized in that, Include: The layered waterway structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 14; A first circuit board assembly, stacked along the first direction on the first side, wherein the first circuit board assembly includes a magnetic element housed in the first cavity and thermally connected to the first water channel and the second water channel; and A second circuit board assembly is stacked on the second side along the first direction, wherein the second circuit board assembly is housed in the second cavity and thermally connected to the first water channel.

16. The power assembly of claim 15, wherein the housing further includes a third cavity recessed from the first side toward the second side, configured to house a control board or an auxiliary board, wherein, in the view along the first direction, the third cavity is offset from the first cavity and the first water channel, and the control board or the auxiliary board is thermally connected to the first water channel.

17. The power assembly of claim 15, wherein the second cavity includes a plurality of second sub-cavities disposed adjacent to at least three side edges of the first cavity and isolated from each other, and an auxiliary plate assembly is disposed in one of the plurality of second sub-cavities and thermally connected to the first water channel.

18. The power assembly of claim 15, wherein the housing further includes a through hole communicating between the first side and the second side; the power assembly further includes a connector passing through the through hole and electrically connected between the first circuit board assembly and the second circuit board assembly.

19. The power assembly of claim 15, wherein the power assembly further comprises a first outer cover and a second outer cover, wherein the first outer cover is fixed to the first side and the first circuit board assembly is sealed between the first outer cover and the housing; wherein the second outer cover is fixed to the second side and the second circuit board assembly is sealed between the second outer cover and the housing.

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