A working condition simulation test device for a power module

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of power electronic equipment testing, and discloses a working condition simulation testing device for a power module, which comprises a wind guide structure, a positioning and bearing structure, a fan module, an electrical interface module and a control module. The power module is detachably installed through the positioning structure, so that the heat dissipation air duct of the power module is accurately connected with the air duct of the device; the fan module drives air flow under the adjustment of the control module to simulate heat dissipation conditions; the electrical interface module quickly builds a complete power testing link; and the transformer can be integrated to realize synchronous heat dissipation. The utility model overcomes the defect that the working condition simulation of the existing testing means is not real, provides a highly integrated, parameter-adjustable and convenient-to-operate testing platform, and significantly improves the accuracy and efficiency of power module temperature rise and aging testing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of power electronic equipment testing technology, and more specifically, to a power module operating condition simulation testing device. Background Technology

[0002] As power electronics technology advances towards higher power density, higher frequency, and smaller size, power modules, such as IGBT modules and SiC modules, as core components for energy conversion, are generating increasingly more heat. Heat dissipation performance has become a key factor restricting the reliability, lifespan, and overall equipment performance of power modules. Therefore, conducting independent temperature rise tests, full-load aging tests, and dynamic thermal performance evaluations on power modules after assembly and before installation into the complete system is a necessary step to ensure product quality.

[0003] Currently, power module testing typically employs the following methods: 1. Simple airflow testing: A simple airflow duct is constructed, and a fan directly blows or exhausts air onto the power module. This method cannot accurately reproduce the airflow structure, resistance characteristics, and flow field distribution of the power module in the final product. The test conditions differ significantly from real-world operating conditions, limiting the reference value of the test data. 2. Whole-system testing: The power module is installed into the entire system for testing. While this method provides realistic operating conditions, it suffers from long testing cycles, high costs, poor flexibility, and is not conducive to repeated and rapid testing of individual modules, severely impacting R&D and production efficiency. In particular, for power modules in SST solid-state transformers, for example, multiple modules integrated into a single physical unit may contain multiple heat sources, and in actual equipment, they typically share a complex system airflow. Existing testing methods struggle to simultaneously provide a unified, controllable, and realistically compliant cooling environment for these two or more power modules and the transformers that may be included in the system. Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for an integrated and easy-to-operate dedicated test fixture that can highly simulate operating conditions in order to solve the above-mentioned technical pain points. Utility Model Content

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a power module operating condition simulation test device, which can accurately and conveniently simulate the air-cooling heat dissipation conditions of the power module in the whole machine, and can simultaneously perform heat dissipation and testing on the front-end power module, the back-end power module and the transformer, thereby improving testing efficiency and accuracy.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0006] A power module operating condition simulation test device includes: an air guide structure having a main air duct inside and having an air inlet and an air outlet; a positioning and supporting structure connected to the air guide structure for detachably positioning and supporting the power module under test, and for ensuring fluid communication between the heat dissipation air duct of the power module and the air inlet of the main air duct; a fan module disposed within the air guide structure and fluidly communicating with the main air duct for driving cooling airflow through the heat dissipation air duct of the power module and the main air duct along a predetermined path; and an electrical interface module disposed within the air guide structure. The electrical interface module includes a power interface for electrical connection with the power module; the power interface includes a primary connector, which includes a plug and a socket, the plug being fixed on the left and right sides of the air guide structure, and the socket being fixed on the side wall of the power module facing the air guide structure; or the socket of the primary connector is fixed on the left and right sides of the air guide structure, and the plug is fixed on the side wall of the power module facing the air guide structure; and a control module, electrically connected to the fan module, is used to adjust the operating state of the fan module to change the airflow parameters flowing through the heat dissipation duct of the power module.

[0007] Furthermore, the positioning and bearing structure includes at least a pair of parallel guide rails and a positioning element for positioning the power module; the guide rails are used to support the power module.

[0008] The power module is guided along a straight line by a guide rail for coarse positioning; the positioning component performs fine adjustment after the power module is pushed into place, ensuring that the inlet of the power module's heat dissipation duct is strictly aligned with the air inlet of the main air duct. This avoids airflow leakage or increased wind resistance caused by misalignment, ensuring the consistency of test conditions.

[0009] Furthermore, the guide rail is provided with positioning holes; the positioning element includes a positioning pin that mates with the positioning holes.

[0010] When the power module is pushed into the target position along the guide rail, the positioning pin can be inserted into the positioning hole of the guide rail to achieve precise positioning and limit, restricting the final position of the power module, while maintaining the air duct sealing.

[0011] Furthermore, the positioning and bearing structure also includes a bearing plate; the bearing plate is connected to the side of the air guide structure that is provided with an air inlet end; the guide rail is disposed on the bearing plate.

[0012] The load-bearing plate distributes the weight of the power module, preventing the air guide structure from being directly deformed by stress. At the same time, the load-bearing plate can be machined as an independent component, improving the manufacturability and modularity of the tooling.

[0013] Furthermore, the positioning and bearing structure also includes a support member, which supports and connects the air guide structure and the bearing plate.

[0014] The support components, which can be angle steel, gussets, or pillars, connect the sidewalls of the air guide structure and the load-bearing plate. The support components withstand the bending moment and vibration transmitted from the load-bearing plate, preventing fatigue and loosening at the connection points. This ensures that the alignment accuracy between the power module and the duct remains unchanged during long-term testing, maintaining the stability of airflow parameters.

[0015] Furthermore, the electrical interface module also includes a system interface for connecting to an external circuit, and the power interface and the system interface are connected by wires or busbars disposed inside the air guide structure.

[0016] Furthermore, the air guiding structure includes a hollow box; at least one air inlet is disposed on the side of the hollow box, and at least one air outlet is disposed on the side or top of the hollow box.

[0017] By placing the air inlet on the side and the air outlet on the top, cool air is drawn in from the side inlet, heated after flowing through the power module heat sink, and then naturally rises due to its lower density, exiting from the top outlet, thus reducing fan energy consumption. The enclosure structure also effectively evens airflow, preventing uneven heat dissipation caused by localized eddies.

[0018] Furthermore, the control module includes a switching power supply and a PWM control board integrated on the air guide structure. The switching power supply supplies power to the PWM control board and the fan module, and the PWM control board outputs a PWM signal to the fan module to achieve speed regulation.

[0019] The PWM control board adjusts the duty cycle of the output signal to change the fan motor voltage, thereby continuously regulating the speed. This allows the fixture to simulate air-cooling conditions under different loads, such as light load with low airflow and full load with high airflow.

[0020] Furthermore, a transformer is also installed inside the air guide structure, and the transformer is electrically connected to the power module through the electrical interface module.

[0021] By installing the transformer inside the airflow structure, and since the transformer is part of the power chain and its heat generation also needs to be dissipated, the cooling airflow continues to cool the transformer after passing through the power module, thus solving the heat dissipation problem of the heat-generating components in one go. This avoids the tediousness of step-by-step testing and obtains the thermal data of the entire system at once.

[0022] Furthermore, the transformer is located on a predetermined path of the cooling airflow driven by the fan module.

[0023] The heat generated by the transformer windings and core is carried away by the airflow in time, maintaining the transformer's operation within a safe temperature range, thereby ensuring the continuity and reliability of power link testing.

[0024] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: A main air duct is formed inside the air guide structure, ensuring directional airflow at the inlet and outlet; the positioning and support structure allows for the detachable installation of the power module, ensuring its heat dissipation duct is connected to the main air duct; based on fluid mechanics and heat conduction principles, the fan module drives the cooling airflow along a predetermined path through the power module's heat dissipation duct and the main air duct, carrying away heat; it can simultaneously perform heat dissipation and testing on the front-end power module, the back-end power module, and the transformer, improving testing efficiency and accuracy; the control module adjusts the fan speed to change airflow parameters, such as air volume and velocity, replicating the heat dissipation conditions under real operating conditions. This makes the data from temperature rise testing and full-load aging testing more accurate, solving the problems of unrealistic and inefficient simulation of operating conditions in existing testing methods. Through the integrated design of the air guide structure, positioning and support structure, fan module, electrical interface module, and control module, this invention provides a highly realistic and controllable testing environment, enabling precise control of the air-cooling heat dissipation conditions of the SST solid-state transformer power module during operation. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the main structure of the power module operating condition simulation test device provided by this utility model;

[0027] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the side view structure;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the working condition simulation test device of this utility model for simultaneously testing two power modules;

[0029] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A cross-sectional structural diagram.

[0030] Reference numerals: 1-Duct housing, 101-Air inlet, 102-Air outlet, 2-Pre-stage power module, 3-Post-stage power module, 4-Transformer, 5-DC centrifugal fan, 6-Guide rail, 7-Positioning pin, 8-Primary connector, 9-Support component, 10-Switching power supply, 11-PWM control board, 12-Heat sink, 13-Transformer mounting bracket; 14-Carrier plate. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0032] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0033] It should be noted that the directional terms such as "upper," "middle," "lower," "inner," and "outer" used below are defined based on the accompanying drawings in the instruction manual.

[0034] like Figures 1-4 As shown, this embodiment provides a power module operating condition simulation test device with a compact structure and complete functions.

[0035] The working condition simulation test device in this embodiment includes an air guide structure, a positioning and load-bearing structure, a fan module, an electrical interface module, and a control module.

[0036] The core of the air guiding structure is a duct shell 1, which is a box-shaped structure with four sides and a top, i.e., a hollow box. The bottom is not closed, allowing the transformer 4 to enter the duct shell 1. Two rectangular air inlets are provided on each of the two parallel left and right sides of the duct shell 1. These air inlets serve as the air inlet end 101 of the main air duct of the air guiding structure, completely corresponding to the air duct outlet of the power module. In some embodiments, an air inlet mesh plate is fixed to the outside of the air inlet with screws to prevent foreign objects from accidentally entering the main air duct. However, in this embodiment, the air inlet end 101 is not equipped with an air inlet mesh plate. A circular through hole is provided on the top of the duct shell 1, serving as the air outlet end 102 of the main air duct. In this embodiment, there are two air outlet ends 102, meaning there are two circular through holes on the top of the duct shell 1. Correspondingly, there are two fan modules, each corresponding to one of the two circular through holes.

[0037] The positioning and bearing structure includes a bearing plate 14, a guide rail 6, a positioning component, and a support component 9.

[0038] There are multiple support plates 14, which are sequentially spliced ​​together. Some are distributed on the left and right sides of the duct shell 1, and some are distributed at the bottom of the duct shell 1. They not only support the duct shell 1, but also seal the bottom of the duct shell 1, forming a sealed space inside the duct shell 1 where only the air inlet end 101 and the air outlet end 102 are connected to the outside. Of course, before installing the duct shell 1, the transformer 4 is first hoisted to the target position on the support plate 14, and then the duct shell 1 is placed over the transformer 4 and rests on the support plate 14. The lower ends of the left and right sides of the duct shell 1 rest on the support plate 14, and the lower ends of the front and rear sides of the duct shell 1 cover the outside of the support plate 14, at the same horizontal height as the lower end of the support plate 14, resting on the ground.

[0039] On the top of the support plates 14 located on the left and right sides of the duct housing 1, two parallel and spaced guide rails 6 are respectively installed. The guide rails 6 can be welded to the support plates 14 or connected by bolts for easy removal. In this embodiment, the guide rails 6 are L-shaped steel materials, including a horizontal part and a vertical part. The horizontal part is fixed to the support plate 14 and is used to support the power module, while the vertical part is used to limit the displacement of the power module.

[0040] The guide rail 6 is provided with positioning holes, the positions of which are determined according to the size of the power module. A positioning plate can be provided on the end of the power module facing away from the air duct housing 1. The positioning plate has through holes for alignment with the positioning holes. When the power module is installed on the guide rail 6 and its air duct is perfectly aligned with the air inlet 101 of the air duct housing 1 in three-dimensional space, the through holes on the positioning plate and the positioning holes on the guide rail 6 are exactly coaxial. At this time, the positioning pin 7 or the latch, which serves as a positioning element, is inserted into the positioning hole and the through hole of the positioning plate to complete the positioning and fixing of the power module.

[0041] In some embodiments, guide bearings are distributed on the guide rail 6 to guide the power module placed on the guide rail 6 to move along the guide rail 6.

[0042] The support member 9 can be a diagonal brace, with one end connected to the side of the duct housing 1 and the other end connected to the bearing plate 14. The connection method can be welding or bolting.

[0043] The fan module is the core power source driving the airflow. In this embodiment, a DC centrifugal fan 5 is selected as the fan module. The fan is installed on the top of the duct housing 1, with the fan's air intake facing downwards, directly above the transformer 4. At the same time, the duct outlet of the power module faces the side of the transformer 4. That is, the air inlet 101 of the duct housing 1 faces the side of the transformer 4.

[0044] The transformer 4 is fixed to the central area inside the duct housing 1 by a dedicated transformer mounting bracket 13. In this embodiment, the transformer mounting bracket 13 is actually fixed to the support plate 14. The transformer 4 is installed or rests on the transformer mounting bracket 13. During installation or placement, ensure that the winding axis of the transformer 4 is parallel to the main airflow direction to maximize its heat dissipation surface area and contact with the airflow, achieving efficient cooling.

[0045] The switching power supply 10 and the PWM control board 11 are mounted on the top of the air duct housing 1, located on one side of the fan.

[0046] The input of the switching power supply 10 can be connected to the mains power via a power cord with a plug, while the output provides a stable 48VDC voltage, which directly powers the DC centrifugal fan 5 on one hand and the PWM control board 11 on the other.

[0047] The PWM control board 11 integrates a PWM signal generator circuit, a MOSFET driver circuit, an optocoupler-isolated input interface, and a temperature sensor interface. Its core function is to generate an adjustable PWM signal, which is output to the speed control terminal of the DC centrifugal fan 5 via wires. By changing the duty cycle of the PWM signal, the average input voltage of the fan can be linearly controlled, thereby achieving stepless speed regulation.

[0048] The electrical interface module includes a power interface and a system interface. The power interface includes a primary connector 8, which comprises a plug and a socket. The plug is fixed to the left and right sides of the air duct housing 1 of the air guide structure, and the socket is fixed to the side wall of the power module facing the air duct housing 1. Alternatively, the socket of the primary connector 8 is fixed to the left and right sides of the air duct housing 1 of the air guide structure, and the plug is fixed to the side wall of the power module facing the air duct housing 1.

[0049] In some embodiments, the system interface may use a secondary connector of the same series as the primary connector 8. Its socket portion is fixed to the outer wall of the duct housing 1 and is used to connect an external power supply and load.

[0050] Inside the duct housing 1, silicone flexible wires or copper busbars are used to reliably connect the corresponding terminals of the socket portion of the primary connector 8, the input and output leads of the transformer 4, and the terminals of the secondary connector according to a predetermined power topology, thereby forming a complete and testable power electrical link inside the device.

[0051] The power module in this embodiment includes a pre-stage power module 2 and a post-stage power module 3.

[0052] The workflow of the power module operating condition simulation test device is as follows:

[0053] The pre-amplifier power module 2 and the post-amplifier power module 3 are respectively placed on the guide rails 6 on the left and right sides of the air duct shell 1 of the air guide structure, and the pre-amplifier power module 2 and the post-amplifier power module 3 are fixed to the guide rails 6 using positioning components.

[0054] Connect the positive and negative terminals of the external DC power supply to the input terminals of the secondary connector. Connect the electronic load to the output terminals of the secondary connector. Connect the external control signal source, such as a PLC, to the PWM control board 11 through the control signal interface. For example, input a 0-5V analog voltage signal to the PWM control board 11, where 0V corresponds to the minimum fan speed and 5V corresponds to the maximum fan speed.

[0055] Turn on the external DC power supply and electronic load to apply the preset power to the front-end power module 2, the rear-end power module 3, and the transformer 4. Set an initial wind speed using an external signal source. At this time, the switching power supply 10 operates, the PWM control board 11 is powered on, and outputs the set PWM signal to drive the DC centrifugal fan 5 to start rotating.

[0056] The DC centrifugal fan 5 rotates at high speed, creating a negative pressure inside the duct housing 1. Under the pressure difference, cold air from the environment is drawn in from the air inlets 101 on both sides of the duct housing 1. During this process, the drawn-in cold air immediately penetrates the heat sinks 12 in the cooling ducts of the front-stage power module 2 and the rear-stage power module 3, respectively. Forced convection heat exchange occurs between the air and the large heat dissipation surface area, rapidly carrying away the heat generated by the IGBTs and diodes in the power modules, while the air itself is heated. The two streams of hot air flowing out of the power modules converge in the middle of the duct housing 1 and are blown towards the transformer 4. The airflow passes over the windings and core surface of the transformer, cooling them and carrying away the heat generated by iron and copper losses. The air, having collected all the heat, is finally drawn in by the DC centrifugal fan 5, forming a concentrated airflow, which is then discharged at high speed from the top outlet 102 to the outside of the device. The heat sink 12 is a toothed heat sink.

[0057] During testing, the output of the PWM control board 11 was adjusted in real time by changing the external control signal, thereby altering the speed and airflow of the DC centrifugal fan 5. This is equivalent to reproducing the different heat dissipation conditions encountered by the power module in the entire unit: for example, a lower fan speed can be set when simulating light load conditions; the highest fan speed needs to be set when simulating full load or overload conditions. By analyzing the temperature rise curves, steady-state temperature, and other key thermal parameters of the power module and transformer 4 under different simulated conditions, the rationality of its heat dissipation design and whether its performance meets the standards can be comprehensively and accurately evaluated.

[0058] It should be noted that in this specification, relational terms such as first and second are used only to distinguish one entity from several other entities, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities.

[0059] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0060] This article uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this utility model. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this utility model. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made to this utility model without departing from the principles of this utility model, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A power module operating condition simulation test device, characterized in that, include: The air guiding structure has a main air duct inside and has an air inlet and an air outlet. The positioning and bearing structure is connected to the air guide structure and is used to detachably position and bear the power module under test, and to make the heat dissipation air duct of the power module fluidly connected to the air inlet end of the main air duct. A fan module is disposed within the air guide structure and is in fluid communication with the main air duct, and is used to drive the cooling airflow to flow through the heat dissipation air duct of the power module and the main air duct along a predetermined path; An electrical interface module is disposed on the air guide structure. The electrical interface module includes a power interface for electrical connection with the power module. The power interface includes a primary connector, which includes a plug and a socket. The plug is fixed on the left and right sides of the air guide structure, and the socket is fixed on the side wall of the power module facing the air guide structure. Alternatively, the socket of the primary connector is fixed on the left and right sides of the air guide structure, and the plug is fixed on the side wall of the power module facing the air guide structure. The control module, electrically connected to the fan module, is used to adjust the operating state of the fan module to change the airflow parameters flowing through the heat dissipation duct of the power module.

2. The power module operating condition simulation test device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning and bearing structure includes at least one pair of parallel guide rails and a positioning element for positioning the power module; the guide rails are used to support the power module.

3. The power module operating condition simulation test device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The guide rail is provided with a positioning hole; the positioning component includes a positioning pin that mates with the positioning hole.

4. The power module operating condition simulation test device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The positioning and bearing structure also includes a bearing plate; the bearing plate is connected to the side of the air guide structure that has an air inlet end; the guide rail is disposed on the bearing plate.

5. The power module operating condition simulation test device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The positioning and bearing structure also includes a support member, which supports and connects the air guide structure and the bearing plate.

6. The power module operating condition simulation test device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electrical interface module also includes a system interface for connecting to an external circuit. The power interface and the system interface are connected by wires or conductors disposed inside the air guide structure.

7. The power module operating condition simulation test device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air guiding structure includes a hollow box; at least one air inlet is disposed on the side of the hollow box, and at least one air outlet is disposed on the side or top of the hollow box.

8. The power module operating condition simulation test device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control module includes a switching power supply and a PWM control board integrated on the air guide structure. The switching power supply supplies power to the PWM control board and the fan module. The PWM control board outputs a PWM signal to the fan module to achieve speed regulation.

9. A power module operating condition simulation test device according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The air guide structure also contains a transformer, which is electrically connected to the power module through the electrical interface module.

10. The power module operating condition simulation test device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The transformer is located on a predetermined path of the cooling airflow driven by the fan module.

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