Power module and power conversion apparatus

Abstract

The application discloses a power module and a power conversion device, wherein the power module comprises a power module, a heat exchanger, a heat-conducting grease layer and a blocking structure; the heat exchanger exchanges heat with the power module, and there is a spacing space between the power module and the heat exchanger, and an opening is formed below the spacing space along the direction of gravity; the heat-conducting grease layer is arranged in the spacing space, and is used for conducting heat between the power module and the heat exchanger; the blocking structure is located below the heat-conducting grease layer along the direction of gravity, and is arranged at the opening; on a projection plane with the direction of gravity as a normal line, a projection contour of the blocking structure surrounds a projection of the heat-conducting grease layer, so that the blocking structure can be used for preventing the heat-conducting grease layer from flowing out of the spacing space from the opening. In the power module of the embodiment of the application, the blocking structure can block the heat-conducting grease layer, and can prevent the heat-conducting grease layer from separating from the opening under the influence of gravity and other factors during use, so that the heat exchange effect between the power module and the heat exchanger is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electrical equipment technology, and in particular to a power module and power conversion device. Background Technology

[0002] When power modules are used in products such as converters integrated into wind power systems, they often need to be integrated with heat exchangers of the form of air cooling or liquid cooling. The heat exchanger is used to dissipate heat or control the temperature of the power module. Thermal grease needs to be applied between the heat exchanger and the power module to conduct heat and improve the heat exchange effect.

[0003] In related technologies, thermal grease is bound by the mutual compression between the opposing surfaces of the power module and the heat sink. However, due to the influence of vibration, gravity, etc., the thermal grease may gradually shift, potentially detaching from the power module and the heat sink, resulting in poor heat exchange performance. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides a power module and power conversion device that reduces the possibility of thermal grease layer detaching from the power module and heat sink, thereby at least partially solving the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the power module provided in the first aspect of this application includes: Power module; A heat exchanger for heat exchange with the power module, wherein there is a space between the power module and the heat exchanger, and the space has an opening formed below along the direction of gravity; A thermal grease layer is disposed within the space, and the thermal grease layer is used to conduct heat between the power module and the heat exchanger; A blocking structure is located below the thermal grease layer along the direction of gravity, and the blocking structure is disposed at the opening; on a projection plane with the direction of gravity as the normal, the projection outline of the blocking structure surrounds the projection outline of the thermal grease layer, so that the blocking structure can be used to prevent the thermal grease layer from flowing out of the gap space from the opening.

[0006] Optionally, the blocking structure includes: A rigid barrier, at least a portion of the surface of which is in contact with the power module or the heat exchanger; Wherein, the rigid blocking member is fixedly connected to one of the power module and the heat exchanger; or, The rigid barrier is integrally formed in one of the power module and the heat exchanger.

[0007] Optionally, the power module or the heat exchanger is provided with a groove, the groove being at least partially located at the opening; the rigid blocking member is at least partially embedded in the groove.

[0008] Optionally, the rigid blocking member includes: The main body is located below the thermally conductive grease layer along the direction of gravity; A side baffle is provided protruding above the main body along the direction of gravity; the side baffle is provided on both opposite sides of the main body, and the side baffle is located on the periphery of the thermal grease layer.

[0009] Optionally, the rigid blocking member further includes: The enclosure portion is connected to the side of the side barrier portion away from the main body portion and is located above the main body portion along the direction of gravity. The main body, the side baffle, and the enclosure define an accommodating space, and the thermal grease layer is located within the accommodating space.

[0010] Optionally, the blocking structure further includes: A seal is disposed between the rigid barrier and the heat exchanger, the seal being used to seal the opening.

[0011] Optionally, the rigid blocking member is provided with a connecting portion, and the rigid blocking member is fixedly connected to the power module or the heat exchanger at the connecting portion; One of the rigid blocking member and the sealing member is provided with: A protrusion is formed on the side where the rigid barrier and the seal are close to each other; The protrusion and the connecting portion are spaced apart.

[0012] Optionally, the thermal grease layer includes multiple sub-thermal conductive layers, which are arranged in separate regions within the space between them.

[0013] Optionally, the power module further includes: The inner blocking element is located within the interval space and is configured to correspond one-to-one with the area where the sub-heat-conducting layer is located in the subdivided region; The inner blocking element is located at least partially below the corresponding sub-thermal conductive layer along the direction of gravity.

[0014] In the power module of this application embodiment, the blocking structure can block the thermal grease layer, preventing it from detaching from the opening under the influence of gravity and other factors during use, thereby ensuring the heat exchange effect between the power module and the heat exchanger.

[0015] Other features and advantages of this application will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] To gain a more complete understanding of this application and its beneficial effects, the following description will be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals in the following description denote the same parts.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the power module provided in the first embodiment of this application; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Exploded view of the power module shown; Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the projection outline of the power module on the projection plane; Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the power module provided in the second embodiment of this application; Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the medium power module; Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the power module provided in the third embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This is an exploded view of the power module provided in the fourth embodiment of this application; Figure 8 yes Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the fit between the central sealing element and the rigid blocking element; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram showing the cooperation relationship between the sealing element and the rigid blocking element in the power module provided in the fifth embodiment of this application; Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the structure of the power module provided in the sixth embodiment of this application.

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 100, power module; 100a, space; 100b, opening; 100c, groove; 110. Power module; 120. Heat exchanger; 130. Thermal grease layer; 130a. Projected outline of thermal grease layer; 131. Sub-thermal grease layer; 140. Blocking structure; 140a. Projected outline of the blocking structure; 141. Rigid blocking component; 141a. Main body; 141b. Side blocking component; 141c. Enclosing component; 141d. Connecting component; 141e. Fixing hole; 142. Sealing component; 142a. Protrusion; 150. Internal blocking component; s, projection plane. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the protection scope of this application.

[0021] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the power module 100 provided in this application includes: a power module 110, a heat exchanger 120, a thermal grease layer 130, and a barrier structure 140.

[0022] The power module 110 is an electronic component used in the circuit. Its specific type is not limited here. For example, the power module 110 can be an insulated gate transistor module, an integrated gate commutated thyristor module, etc.

[0023] The heat exchanger 120 is used for heat exchange with the power module 110. Specifically, it can be a radiator of the form of air cooling, liquid cooling, etc., or it can be a device that provides a channel for refrigerant to pass through, controlling the temperature of the power module 110 by exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the power module 110. This application does not limit this. As an example, the accompanying drawings of this application mainly illustrate some specific solutions when the heat exchanger 120 is a cooling fan. The power module 110 is fixed to the cooling fan by a threaded connection or other connection method.

[0024] Reference Figure 2 As shown, a space 100a exists between the power module 110 and the heat exchanger 120. This space 100a can be used to place a thermal grease layer 130, i.e., the thermal grease layer 130 is disposed within the space 100a. The thermal grease layer 130 is used to conduct heat between the power module 110 and the heat exchanger 120. As an example, the thermal grease layer 130 is, for example, thermally conductive silicone grease located between the power module 110 and the heat exchanger 120. Similar to related art solutions, due to the presence of the thermal grease layer 130, a gap exists between the power module 110 and the heat exchanger 120, and the space 100a has an opening 100b formed at least downward along the direction of gravity.

[0025] Reference Figure 2 As shown, the blocking structure 140 is located below the thermal grease layer 130 along the direction of gravity. The blocking structure 140 is positioned at the opening 100b. Specifically, refer to... Figure 3 As shown, the blocking structure 140 is disposed on the path of the thermal grease layer 130 as it moves out of the space 100a along the direction of gravity. That is, on the projection plane s with the direction of gravity as the normal, the projection contour 140a of the blocking structure surrounds the projection contour 130a of the thermal grease layer, so that the blocking structure 140 can be used to prevent the thermal grease layer 130 from flowing out of the space 100a from the opening 100b.

[0026] It should be noted that the projection contour 140a of the blocking structure mentioned in this application surrounds the projection contour 130a of the thermal grease layer. This can mean that the projection contour 140a of the blocking structure is located outside the projection contour 130a of the thermal grease layer; or that the projection contour 140a of the blocking structure overlaps with the projection contour 130a of the thermal grease layer; or that a portion of the projection contour of the blocking structure 140 is located outside a portion of the projection contour of the thermal grease layer 130, and another portion of the projection contour of the blocking structure 140 overlaps with another portion of the projection contour of the thermal grease layer 130. This arrangement ensures that the blocking structure 140 sufficiently blocks the thermal grease layer 130, preventing the thermal grease layer 130 from moving out of the gap space 100a.

[0027] By adopting the above scheme, the blocking structure 140 can block the thermal grease layer 130, and prevent the thermal grease layer 130 from detaching from the opening 100b due to high-frequency vibration and other factors under the influence of gravity, thereby ensuring the heat exchange effect between the power module 110 and the heat exchanger 120.

[0028] Furthermore, the blocking structure 140 prevents the thermal grease layer 130 from shifting at the opening 100b. For example, it is provided at the outer edge of the opening 100b, or it extends only partially from the opening 100b into the space 100a. It occupies less space in the space 100a, which is beneficial for arranging a sufficient amount of thermal grease layer 130 in the space 100a.

[0029] As a specific plan, refer to Figure 2As shown, the blocking structure 140 includes a rigid blocking member 141. The rigid blocking member 141 is made of materials with weak deformation capacity, such as metal or plastic, or generally considered to have no significant deformation. At least a portion of the surface of the rigid blocking member 141 is in contact with the power module 110 or the heat exchanger 120, thus sealing the assembly gap. The rigid blocking member 141 can seal the opening 100b through a mechanical seal, thereby reducing the possibility of the thermal grease layer 130 moving out of the gap space 100a. More specifically, the opening 100b can be sealed by having different surfaces of the rigid blocking member 141 respectively attached to the power module 110 and the heat exchanger 120.

[0030] The relative positions of the rigid blocking member 141, the power module 110, and the heat exchanger 120 are fixed to stably block the thermal grease layer 130.

[0031] As an optional option, refer to Figure 2 As shown, the rigid blocking member 141 can be fixedly connected to one of the power module 110 and the heat exchanger 120 by means of welding, threaded connection, etc. For example, the rigid blocking member 141 is fixed to the power module 110 by screws. After the power module 110 is fixedly installed on the heat exchanger 120, the rigid blocking member 141 is also fixedly connected to the heat exchanger 120.

[0032] As another alternative, refer to Figure 4 As shown, the rigid blocking member 141 is integrally formed in one of the power module 110 and the heat exchanger 120. For example, the rigid blocking member 141 is protrudingly formed on the surface of the power module 110 near the heat exchanger 120. After the power module 110 is fixedly installed on the heat exchanger 120, the rigid blocking member 141 is simultaneously fixedly connected with the heat exchanger 120.

[0033] In some designs, a recess 100c may be provided at the power module 110 or the heat exchanger 120, with the recess 100c at least partially located at the opening 100b. A rigid stop 141 is at least partially embedded within the recess 100c, and by embedding the rigid stop 141 into the recess 100c, the thermal grease layer 130 is positioned above the rigid stop 141, preventing the thermal grease layer 130 from moving out of the gap space 100a from the opening 100b.

[0034] Reference Figure 4As shown, taking the rigid barrier 141 integrally formed on the surface of the power module 110 near the heat exchanger 120 as an example, the groove 100c is formed on the surface of the heat exchanger 120, and the thermal grease layer 130 is located between the adjacent surfaces of the power module 110 and the heat exchanger 120, and is located above the rigid barrier 141. The engagement of the rigid barrier 141 and the groove 100c prevents the thermal grease from moving out of the gap space 100a from the opening 100b, and also enhances the connection strength between the power module 110 and the heat exchanger 120.

[0035] The shape of the rigid stop 141 can be specifically set as needed. See, for example... Figure 5 or Figure 6 As shown, the rigid blocking member 141 includes a body portion 141a and a side blocking portion 141b.

[0036] The main body 141a is located below the thermal grease layer 130 along the direction of gravity. The side baffles 141b protrude above the main body 141a along the direction of gravity, and are located on opposite sides of the main body 141a, surrounding the thermal grease layer 130. The main body 141a can block the thermal grease layer 130 from below. If the thermal grease layer 130 tends to move towards the sides of the main body 141a due to being blocked by it, the side baffles 141b further block the thermal grease layer 130, preventing it from overflowing from the sides of the main body 141a, thereby further reducing the possibility of the thermal grease layer 130 moving out of the gap space 100a.

[0037] In further plans, refer to Figure 5 As shown, an enclosure portion 141c can also be provided on the rigid barrier 141. This enclosure portion 141c is connected to the side of the side baffle 141b away from the main body 141a and is located above the main body 141a in the direction of gravity. The main body 141a, the side baffle 141b, and the enclosure portion 141c define an accommodating space, within which the thermal grease layer 130 is located. That is, the arrangement range of the thermal grease layer 130 can be defined by the main body 141a, the side baffle 141b, and the enclosure portion 141c. In scenarios where the heat exchanger 120 and the power module 110 are not placed vertically but installed at an angle, the possibility of the thermal grease layer 130 moving out of the partition space 100a from other areas can be reduced.

[0038] In some embodiments, refer to Figure 7As shown, the barrier structure 140 also includes a seal 142. The seal 142 can be made of a material with elastic deformation capabilities, such as rubber. It is disposed between the rigid barrier 141 and the heat exchanger 120 and can be used to seal the opening 100b. After the barrier is fixed to the power module 110 and the heat exchanger 120, pressure can be applied to the seal 142 through the barrier to make the surface of the seal 142 fully fit with the barrier and the heat exchanger 120, further preventing the thermal grease layer 130 from leaking from the opening 100b to the outside of the space 100a.

[0039] It is understandable that, when the seal 142 is provided, the rigid blocking member 141 does not need to be a structure that blocks the thermal grease layer 130, but can be a fixing structure for the seal 142, locking the seal 142 at the opening 100b, so that the seal 142 can be a structure that mainly performs the function of blocking the thermal grease layer 130.

[0040] As a specific plan, refer to Figure 6 As shown, the rigid blocking member 141 has a connecting portion 141d, at which the rigid blocking member 141 is fixedly connected to the power module 110 or the heat exchanger 120. The connection method is, for example, welding or threaded connection. The connection portion 141d ensures that the contact between the seal 142 and the heat exchanger 120 and the rigid blocking member 141 is tighter near the connection portion 141d. Correspondingly, the pressure on the seal 142 is relatively smaller at positions away from the connection portion 141d.

[0041] In this application, one of the rigid stopper 141 and the seal 142 may be provided with a protrusion 142a, which protrudes from the side of the rigid stopper 141 and the seal 142 that are close to each other. For example, see reference Figure 8 As shown, the protrusion 142a protrudes from the surface of the seal 142 near the rigid stop 141; or, refer to Figure 9 As shown, the protrusion 142a protrudes from the surface of the rigid barrier 141 near the seal 142 and contacts the seal 142. The protrusion 142a and the connecting portion 141d are spaced apart. During the process of the rigid protrusion applying pressure to the seal 142, due to the arrangement of the protrusion 142a, the pressure on the seal 142 at the position corresponding to the protrusion 142a increases, making the position of the seal 142 corresponding to the protrusion 142a fit more closely with the heat exchanger 120 and the rigid barrier 141. Thus, the seal 142 can fully fit with the heat exchanger 120 and the barrier structure 140 at positions relatively close to the connecting portion 141d and relatively far from the connecting portion 141d, which is beneficial to improving the sealing performance of the seal 142.

[0042] As a specific plan, refer to Figure 6As shown, the rigid blocking member 141 is provided with at least two connecting portions 141d, and the protrusion 142a is located between two adjacent connecting portions 141d. That is, at least a part of the sealing member 142 is located between two adjacent connecting portions 141d. The arrangement of the protrusion 142a makes the sealing member 142 more evenly subjected to the force provided by the rigid blocking member 141.

[0043] As a specific plan, refer to Figure 7 As shown, the connecting part 141d is provided with a fixing hole 141e. The rigid blocking member 141 is fixedly connected to the power module 110 or the heat exchanger 120 at the fixing hole 141e. For example, a screw can be inserted into the fixing hole 141e, and a hole corresponding to the fixing hole 141e can be provided on the power module 110 or the heat exchanger 120. One of the hole and the fixing hole 141e is a threaded hole. After the screw is screwed into the threaded hole, the rigid blocking member 141 is fixed on the power module 110 or the heat exchanger 120.

[0044] As an optional option, refer to Figure 6 As shown, the aforementioned side baffle 141b can be reused as a connecting part 141d, that is, the rigid blocking member 141 can be fixedly connected to the power module 110 or the heat exchanger 120 at the side baffle 141b.

[0045] For the power module 110, since it is powered on in the circuit, the heat generated by some of the integrated components is different. This makes the heat generated at different parts of the power module 110 different during use, and the heat exchange requirements will also be different.

[0046] In some embodiments of this application, reference is made to Figure 10 As shown, the thermal grease layer 130 may include multiple sub-thermal conductive layers 131. The multiple sub-thermal conductive layers 131 are arranged in the same layer with intervals in different areas within the space 100a. Specifically, for example, multiple thermal conductive greases can be arranged in different areas between the power module 110 and the heat exchanger 120. The thermal conductive grease in each area is a sub-thermal conductive layer 131. This arrangement can be used to set sub-thermal conductive layers 131 in areas of the power module 110 where the heat generation is large, and not set sub-thermal conductive layers 131 in other areas; or more sub-thermal conductive layers 131 can be set in areas of the power module 110 where the heat generation is large, and fewer sub-thermal conductive layers 131 can be set in other areas, so that the spatial arrangement of the sub-thermal conductive layers 131 matches the heat generation area of ​​the power module 110.

[0047] Accordingly, refer to Figure 10 As shown, the power module 100 may further include an inner blocking member 150. The inner blocking member 150 is located within the spacing space 100a and is disposed in a one-to-one correspondence with the region where the sub-heat-conducting layer 131 is located. The inner blocking member 150 is at least partially located below the corresponding sub-heat-conducting layer 131 along the direction of gravity.

[0048] This configuration utilizes the inner blocking element 150 to prevent the sub-heat-conducting layer 131 from moving down to the area where the adjacent sub-heat-conducting layer 131 is located. On the one hand, it can ensure the heat conduction effect of the sub-heat-conducting layer 131 on the corresponding area of ​​the power module 110. On the other hand, it can prevent the sub-heat-conducting layers 131 in different height areas from merging into a whole. It can limit the weight of each sub-heat-conducting layer 131, thereby reducing the possibility of the sub-heat-conducting layer 131 shifting under the influence of high-frequency vibration and its own weight. In addition, it can reduce the possibility of the thermal grease layer 130 moving out of the gap space 100a from the opening 100b.

[0049] Based on the use of the power module 100, some embodiments of this application also provide a power conversion device, including the power module 100 described above. The power conversion device has the beneficial effects of the power module 100 due to the integration of the power module 100, which will not be described in detail here.

[0050] The power conversion device is an electronic device that integrates a power module 100. As a specific example, the power conversion device may be a converter, an inverter, etc., and this application does not limit it.

[0051] In the description of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0052] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have different focuses. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions in other embodiments.

[0053] The embodiments, implementation methods, and related technical features of this application can be combined and substituted for each other without conflict.

[0054] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application in any way. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of this application without departing from the scope of the technical solution of this application shall still fall within the scope of the technical solution of this application.

Claims

1. A power module, characterized in that, include: Power module; A heat exchanger for heat exchange with the power module, wherein there is a space between the power module and the heat exchanger, and the space has an opening formed below along the direction of gravity; A thermal grease layer is disposed within the space, and the thermal grease layer is used to conduct heat between the power module and the heat exchanger; A blocking structure is located below the thermal grease layer along the direction of gravity, and the blocking structure is disposed at the opening; On a projection plane with the direction of gravity as the normal, the projection profile of the blocking structure surrounds the projection profile of the thermal grease layer, so that the blocking structure can be used to prevent the thermal grease layer from flowing out of the gap space from the opening.

2. The power module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The blocking structure includes: A rigid barrier, at least a portion of the surface of which is in contact with the power module or the heat exchanger; Wherein, the rigid blocking member is fixedly connected to one of the power module and the heat exchanger; or, The rigid barrier is integrally formed in one of the power module and the heat exchanger.

3. The power module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The power module or the heat exchanger is provided with a groove, and the groove is at least partially located at the opening; the rigid blocking member is at least partially embedded in the groove.

4. The power module according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rigid blocking element includes: The main body is located below the thermally conductive grease layer along the direction of gravity; A side baffle is provided protruding above the main body along the direction of gravity; the side baffle is provided on both opposite sides of the main body, and the side baffle is located on the periphery of the thermal grease layer.

5. The power module according to claim 4, characterized in that, The rigid blocking element also includes: The enclosure portion is connected to the side of the side barrier portion away from the main body portion and is located above the main body portion along the direction of gravity. The main body, the side baffle, and the enclosure define an accommodating space, and the thermal grease layer is located within the accommodating space.

6. The power module according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, The barrier structure also includes: A seal is disposed between the rigid barrier and the heat exchanger, the seal being used to seal the opening.

7. The power module according to claim 6, characterized in that, The rigid blocking member is provided with a connecting part, and the rigid blocking member is fixedly connected to the power module or the heat exchanger at the connecting part; One of the rigid blocking member and the sealing member is provided with: A protrusion is formed on the side where the rigid barrier and the seal are close to each other; The protrusion and the connecting portion are spaced apart.

8. The power module according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, The thermal grease layer includes multiple sub-thermal conductive layers, which are arranged in separate areas within the space between them.

9. The power module according to claim 8, characterized in that, The power module also includes: The inner blocking element is located within the interval space and is configured to correspond one-to-one with the area where the sub-heat-conducting layer is located in the subdivided region; The inner blocking element is located at least partially below the corresponding sub-thermal conductive layer along the direction of gravity.

10. A power conversion device, characterized in that, Includes the power module as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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