Cooling structure and structure

Abstract

To provide a cooling structure and a structure which can be downsized and arranged in a relatively free position.SOLUTION: A cooling structure 100 has an outside packing material 30 with an entrance port 10 and an exit port 20 for a refrigerant. The outside packing material 30 includes: a metal layer; a resin layer provided in at least one surface of the metal layer; and a conductive site 50 conductive in a thickness direction of the cooling structure. The area around the conductive site is insulated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cooling structure and a structure.

Background Art

[0002] In fields such as electronic devices such as smartphones and personal computers, and battery modules mounted in electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, etc., technologies incorporating water-cooled coolers, heat pipes, etc. as heat dissipation measures are known. Also, in power semiconductor modules made of silicon carbide, etc., measures using cooling plates, heat sinks, etc. have been proposed for heat dissipation.

[0003] For example, vehicles equipped with motors such as hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles are equipped with drive means for driving the motors. The drive means is composed of a power module including a plurality of power semiconductors such as IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor), electronic components such as capacitors, and busbars for electrically joining these electronic components. When driving the motor, a large current may flow through the power semiconductors, capacitors, etc., and the busbars joining these electronic components. In this case, the drive means generates heat due to switching losses, resistance losses, etc., so it is desirable to efficiently cool the drive means. Also, it is desirable to efficiently cool the heat generated from the battery module mounted in the vehicle.

[0004] Examples of the cooling structure include a structure composed of a metal with high thermal conductivity having a core material of an aluminum cooling fin. However, because it is made of metal, it has weight, and since it is arranged on the cooled object by welding or the like, a certain thickness is required and it is difficult to make it thinner.

[0005] Therefore, from the viewpoint of weight reduction, a cooling structure has been proposed in which the outer casing and inner core are made of laminate material, which consists of a metal heat transfer layer laminated with a resin layer, and a refrigerant is circulated through a flow path partitioned by the inner core (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes that the heat exchanger is manufactured by heat-sealing laminate material having a heat-sealable layer, thereby achieving a sufficiently thin profile. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 describes that the heat exchanger can be easily modified in shape and size for the laminate material used as the outer casing and inner core, thereby increasing design flexibility and improving versatility. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-3132 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] While the heat exchanger described in Patent Document 1 is lightweight and easy to handle, its placement may be limited because the outer casing has a resin layer. In view of this situation, this disclosure relates to providing a cooling structure and a structure that are lightweight and offer a high degree of freedom in placement. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The means for solving the above problems include the following embodiments. <1> A cooling structure having an outer casing that provides a refrigerant inlet and outlet, The outer packaging material comprises a metal layer and a resin layer provided on at least one surface of the metal layer. A cooling structure having conductive portions that conduct electricity in the thickness direction of the cooling structure, and the area around the conductive portions is insulated. <2> The conductive part has an elastic structure. <1> The cooling structure described above. <3> At least a portion of the conductive part is made of metal. <1> or <2> The cooling structure described above. <4> The outer packaging material includes an inner core material that is placed inside the outer packaging material. <1> ~ <3> A cooling structure as described in any one of the items. <5> The inner core material has an uneven shape that divides the flow path of the refrigerant into multiple sections. <4> The cooling structure described above. <6> The inner core material comprises a metal layer and resin layers provided on both sides of the metal layer. <4> or <5> The cooling structure described above. <7> <1> ~ <6> A structure comprising a cooling structure described in any one of the above, and a cooling object provided on the cooling structure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, a cooling structure and a structure are provided that are lightweight and offer a high degree of freedom in their placement. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of a cooling structure 100 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is an exploded view of the cooling structure 100, broken down into its individual components. [Figure 3] This is a partial schematic perspective view of the inner core material 40 in one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a conductive portion 50. [Figure 5] This is a schematic perspective view of the core material 40 in another aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a schematic perspective view illustrating a modified cooling structure, showing the interior when the upper outer casing 30B is removed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below. However, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to the embodiments described below. In the embodiments described below, the components (including elemental steps, etc.) are not essential unless otherwise specified. The same applies to numerical values ​​and their ranges, and do not limit the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0012] When describing embodiments in this disclosure with reference to the drawings, the configuration of such embodiments is not limited to that shown in the drawings. Furthermore, the sizes of the components in each drawing are conceptual, and the relative relationships between the components are not limited thereto. In addition, components having substantially the same function are given the same reference numerals in all drawings, and redundant descriptions are omitted. In this disclosure, the term "layer" includes cases where, when observing the region in which the layer exists, it is formed not only over the entire region but also over only a portion of the region. In this disclosure, the term "lamination" refers to stacking layers, and two or more layers may be bonded together or detachable.

[0013] <Cooling structure> The cooling structure of the present disclosure is a cooling structure having an outer casing material provided with a coolant inlet and outlet, wherein the outer casing material has a metal layer and a resin layer provided on at least one surface of the metal layer, has conductive portions that conduct in the thickness direction of the cooling structure, and the periphery of the conductive portions is insulated.

[0014] In the use of the conventional cooling structure described in Patent Document 1, if it is desired to conduct electricity between objects to be cooled located on both sides of the cooling structure, the cooling structure must be positioned to avoid areas where electricity is required, because the outer casing material has a resin layer. Alternatively, electrical wiring must be routed around the cooling structure. In contrast, the cooling structure of the present disclosure can be positioned even in areas where electricity is required, thus increasing the degree of freedom in placement. Furthermore, the cooling structure of the present disclosure is lightweight because it uses an outer casing material composed of a metal layer and a resin layer.

[0015] The position of the conduction part in the cooling structure is not particularly limited. The number of conduction parts in the cooling structure is not particularly limited. For example, it may be designed to arrange the conduction parts in the cooling structure according to the location where conduction is required, or the conduction parts may be provided in the cooling structure in advance, and the position of the planned conduction part of the structure to be cooled, etc., may be arranged to match the position of the conduction part. In the latter case, when a plurality of conduction parts are provided in the cooling structure, the cooling structure will have a higher degree of freedom in the arrangement position.

[0016] Hereinafter, the cooling structure of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the aspects described in the drawings.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of a cooling structure 100 according to one aspect of the present disclosure. The cooling structure 100 shown in FIG. 1 has a refrigerant inlet 10 and an outlet 20, and is entirely covered with an outer wrapping material 30. The cooling structure 100 has a conduction part 50 that conducts in the thickness direction.

[0018] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the cooling structure 100 of FIG. 1 separated into components. The outer wrapping material 30 is composed of an upper outer wrapping material 30A and a lower outer wrapping material 30B. In the present disclosure, the terms "upper" and "lower" are used in accordance with the up and down directions in the drawings, but the up and down directions may be reversed.

[0019] The upper outer wrapping material 30A is provided with holes for passing through the joint pipes as the refrigerant inlet 10 and the joint pipes as the outlet 20. And, from the viewpoint of fixing the joint pipes and assembly property, it is preferable that the joint pipe of the refrigerant inlet 10 is provided as a part of the header part 12, and the joint pipe of the outlet 20 is provided as a part of the footer part 22. The joint pipe of the refrigerant inlet 10 may be integrally formed with the header part 12, and the joint pipe of the outlet 20 may be integrally formed with the footer part 22.

[0020] In the cooling structure 100 shown in Figures 1 and 2, the joint pipes extend outward in the thickness direction of the cooling structure 100, but the orientation of the joint pipes is not limited to this. For example, the joint pipes may extend outward in the surface direction of the cooling structure 100. Also, the orientation of the joint pipes at the inlet 10 and the outlet 20 may be different.

[0021] An inner core material 40 is placed inside the outer packaging material 30. The inner core material 40 divides the flow path of the refrigerant from the header section 12 to the footer section 22 into multiple sections. The outer packaging material 30A and the lower outer packaging material 30B are then closed and sealed. Since the outer packaging material 30A and the outer packaging material 30B have resin layers, the outer packaging material 30B and the outer packaging material 30A can be sealed by fusing the resin layers.

[0022] Figure 3 is a partial schematic perspective view of the core material 40 in one aspect of the present disclosure. The core material 40 has an uneven shape that divides the refrigerant flow path into multiple sections, and has a plurality of protrusions 42 and a plurality of recesses 44.

[0023] Holes for forming conductive portions 50 are provided in the outer packaging materials 30A, 30B and the inner core material 40. When these components are assembled, through holes are formed for arranging the conductive portions 50. Preferably, at least a portion of the conductive portions 50 is made of metal. If the conductive portions 50 that penetrate in the thickness direction are made of metal, it is possible to increase the strength of the cooling structure 100 in the thickness direction.

[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a conductive portion 50. In Figure 4(A), the conductive portion 50 has an insulating layer 58 arranged around a central material 52 made of metal. The shape of the central material 52 is not limited to a cylinder, but may be a prism, cone, pyramid, etc.

[0025] In Figure 4(B), the conductive portion 50 has an insulating layer 58 arranged around a cylindrical central material 53 made of metal. The conductive portion 50 in Figure 4(B) has a hollow axial center.

[0026] Both the central member 52 in Figure 4(A) and the central member 53 in Figure 4(B) are adjusted in height so that they penetrate the cooling structure in the thickness direction.

[0027] The conductive portion 50 may have an elastic structure. If the conductive portion 50 has an elastic structure, even if at least one of the cooling structure and the object being cooled expands or contracts due to heating and cooling, the conductive portion 50 will remain in contact with the object being cooled, and conductivity in the thickness direction of the cooling structure can be maintained. Furthermore, even in the case of deformation other than expansion and contraction, such as deformation of the cooling structure due to external forces, conductivity in the thickness direction of the cooling structure can be maintained. An example of a conductive portion 50 having an elastic structure is shown in Figures 4(C) and (D).

[0028] In Figure 4(C), the conductive portion 50 has a spring-shaped central member 54 made of metal placed inside the hollow interior of a cylindrical insulating layer 58.

[0029] Figure 4(D) shows a cylindrical central member 53, as shown in Figure 4(B), with a metal spring-like member 55 attached to it. The spring-like member 55 may be integrally formed with the cylindrical central member 53, or a spring-like member may be attached to the cylindrical central member 53.

[0030] If the conductive portion 50 has spring properties as shown in Figures 4(C) and (D), the placement of a thermal interface material (TIM) between the conductive portion 50 and the object to be cooled may be omitted. If the conductive portion 50 does not have spring properties as shown in Figures 4(A) and (B), it is preferable to place a TIM between the conductive portion 50 and the object to be cooled. Any known TIM can be used as appropriate, and it may be in the form of a sheet, grease, or anything else.

[0031] The conductive portion 50 may be formed together with other components, or it may be inserted and positioned later.

[0032] Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of the core material 40 in another embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the core material 40 may be separated into two or more sections in the longitudinal direction. In this case, conductive sections 50 may be provided at the separation points of the core material 40. Alternatively, conductive sections 50 may be provided at locations other than the separation points of the core material 40.

[0033] The outer packaging material 30 comprises a metal layer and a resin layer provided on at least one side of the metal layer. Providing a resin layer on the inside of the outer packaging material 30 helps to suppress corrosion caused by the refrigerant. Providing a resin layer on the outside of the outer packaging material 30 makes it possible to provide insulation. It is preferable that the outer packaging material 30 has resin layers on both sides of the metal layer. The materials of the lower outer packaging material 30A and the upper outer packaging material 30B may be the same or different.

[0034] Examples of metal layers include aluminum foil, stainless steel foil, nickel foil, plated copper foil, and clad metal of nickel foil and copper foil. From the viewpoint of thermal conductivity and cost, aluminum foil is preferred.

[0035] The thickness of the metal layer is preferably 4 μm or more, and more preferably 8 μm or more. Furthermore, the thickness of the metal layer is preferably 300 μm or less, and more preferably 150 μm or less.

[0036] The resin layer is preferably composed of a heat-sealable resin. Examples of such resins include polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, modified resins thereof, fluororesins, polyester resins such as PET resin, and vinyl chloride resin.

[0037] The thickness of the resin layer is preferably 4 μm or more, and more preferably 8 μm or more. The thickness of the metal layer is preferably 300 μm or less, and more preferably 150 μm or less.

[0038] The metal layer and the resin layer may be laminated together to form a laminate material. Other layers may or may not be provided between the metal layer and the inner resin layer.

[0039] A coating layer may be provided on the outermost layer of the laminate material. By providing a coating layer on the outer packaging material 30, corrosion of the metal layer is prevented, and damage due to external and internal pressure tends to be prevented. Furthermore, when an insulating resin is used for the coating layer, it tends to provide effects such as preventing short circuits and leakage currents to the object being cooled. Furthermore, when a conductive resin is used for the coating layer, it tends to provide an antistatic effect to the object being cooled.

[0040] The same resin as the resin layer described above can be used for the coating layer. The coating layer may be made of the same material as the resin layer, or of a different material. From the viewpoint of heat-sealing the resin layer of the outer packaging material 30 and the inner core material 40, and not heat-sealing the coating layer, it is preferable to use a coating layer with a higher melting point than the resin layer, and it is even more preferable to use a resin with a melting point 10°C or higher. The thickness of the coating layer is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to set it to be about the same thickness as the resin layer, or thinner than the resin layer.

[0041] The thickness of the outer packaging material 20 is not particularly limited. From the viewpoint of strength and thermal conductivity, the thickness of the outer packaging material 20 is preferably 8 μm or more, more preferably 10 μm or more, and even more preferably 12 μm or more. From the viewpoint of thinning and deformability, the thickness of the outer packaging material 20 is preferably 300 μm or less, more preferably 250 μm or less, and even more preferably 200 μm or less. From this viewpoint, the thickness of the outer packaging material 20 is preferably 8 μm to 300 μm, more preferably 10 μm to 250 μm, and even more preferably 12 μm to 200 μm.

[0042] The laminate material may be manufactured by laminating a resin film onto a metal foil or metal plate. The resin film may be stretched or unstretched. Adhesive may be used for lamination.

[0043] The material of the inner core material 40 is not particularly limited and may be resin, metal, etc., or it may be a laminate material in which a metal layer and a resin layer are laminated. The inner core material 40 may have a metal layer and resin layers provided on both sides of the metal layer. If the surface of the inner core material 40 is made of resin, it is possible to fuse it with the outer packaging material 30. In addition, if the surface of the inner core material 40 is made of resin, the occurrence of corrosion by refrigerant is more easily suppressed.

[0044] The metal layer of the inner core material 40 can preferably be the same as the metal layer of the outer packaging material 30. The metal layer of the laminate material used as the inner core material 40 may be made of the same material as the metal layer of the laminate material used as the outer packaging material 30, or it may be made of a different material.

[0045] The resin layer of the laminate material used as the inner core material 40 can preferably be the same as the resin layer of the laminate material used as the outer packaging material 30. From the viewpoint of heat-sealing the inner core material 40 to the outer packaging material 30, it is preferable that the resin layer of the laminate material used as the inner core material 40 and the resin layer of the laminate material used as the outer packaging material 30 are made of the same material.

[0046] The laminate material for the inner core 40 may be manufactured by attaching a resin film to a metal foil or metal plate. The resin film may be a stretched film or an unstretched film. Adhesive may be used for attachment.

[0047] The uneven shape of the inner core material 40 may be formed into a corrugated shape by pressing, pleating, or the like. In addition to a corrugated shape, it may also be an embossed shape in which recesses and protrusions are dispersed in a staggered pattern or the like.

[0048] The press working may be discontinuous or continuous. Examples of discontinuous press working include forming methods using upper and lower plates, while examples of continuous press working include roll forming. Examples of roll forming include corrugating.

[0049] In the forming method using an upper plate and a lower plate, recesses and protrusions are formed on both the upper and lower plates in an alternating pattern. Each recess on the upper plate corresponds to each protrusion on the lower plate, and each protrusion on the upper plate corresponds to each recess on the lower plate, so that the recesses and protrusions of the upper and lower plates interlock. By sandwiching the core material before processing between the upper and lower plates and pressing it, the core material can be formed into a corrugated sheet shape.

[0050] The corrugated processing method can be performed using a pair of corrugated rolls. Each corrugated roll has a surface on its outer circumference with alternating recesses and protrusions in the direction of rotation. Each recess on one corrugated roll corresponds to each protrusion on the other corrugated roll, and each protrusion on one corrugated roll corresponds to each recess on the other corrugated roll, so that the recesses and protrusions of the pair of corrugated rolls interlock. By rotating the core material before processing while sandwiching it between the pair of corrugated rolls, the core material can be passed between the pair of corrugated rolls and formed into a corrugated sheet shape.

[0051] In roll forming, embossing can be performed using a pair of embossing rolls. For example, an embossing roll can be used in which recesses and protrusions are arranged alternately on its outer surface along the rotational and axial directions. Furthermore, the pair of embossing rolls are positioned so that the recesses of one roll correspond to the protrusions of the other roll, and the protrusions of the other roll correspond to the recesses of the other roll, so that the recesses and protrusions of the pair of embossing rolls interlock. The core material to be processed is then sandwiched between the pair of embossing rolls and rotated, causing the core laminate material to pass between the two rolls and create the embossed surface. This makes it possible to produce an embossed core material with recesses and protrusions dispersed in a staggered pattern or similar.

[0052] In continuous press working, the core material with its embossed surface is cut to a predetermined length using a shear knife (shear cutting blade) or the like, positioned downstream of the processing device, to form the core material 40. Continuous press working can be performed continuously using a roll-to-roll method, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0053] If the inner core material 40 is made of resin, an uneven shape may be formed by vacuum molding.

[0054] The cross-sectional shape of the refrigerant flow path partitioned by the uneven shape of the inner core material 40 may be a semicircle; a semiellipse; a polygon such as a triangle, square, or pentagon; an irregular shape; or a combination thereof. Multiple protrusions and indentations may be arranged regularly or irregularly. An example of an irregular arrangement is one in which the periods of the protrusions and indentations are not uniform. In the case of a regular arrangement, the periods of the concave parts and the convex parts may be the same or different.

[0055] If the cross-sectional shape of the refrigerant flow path is uniform, it is preferable from the viewpoint of production efficiency to process the inner core material by continuous press working; if it is not uniform, it is preferable to process the inner core material by discontinuous press working.

[0056] The refrigerant flows through the multiple channels partitioned by the uneven shape of the inner core material 40. The type of refrigerant is not particularly limited. Examples of refrigerants include liquids such as water and organic solvents, and gases such as air. The water used as a refrigerant may contain components such as antifreeze.

[0057] Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a modified cooling structure, showing the interior when the upper outer packaging material 30B is removed. In the cooling structure 100 shown in Figures 1 and 2, the refrigerant inlet 40 and outlet 20 are provided at their respective ends (front and rear ends) in the longitudinal direction. In contrast, in the cooling structure 110 shown in Figure 6, both the inlet 40 and outlet 20 are provided at one end. In the cooling structure 110 shown in Figure 6, the header section 12 is provided with joint pipes for the inlet 40 and outlet 20.

[0058] In the cooling structure 110 shown in Figure 6, as indicated by the arrow F in the figure, the refrigerant flowing from the inlet 40 of the header section 12 makes a U-turn in the footer section 22, reverses direction, and returns to the outlet 20 of the header section 12.

[0059] In Figure 6, the refrigerant is shown to make one return cycle in the longitudinal direction, but it may also be made to make one and a half return cycles. In this case, an inlet 40 may be provided in the header section 12 and an outlet 20 in the footer section 22. The number of return cycles for the refrigerant may be increased even further. When the refrigerant is to be moved back and forth along its length, it is preferable to provide a partition between the forward flow path and the return flow path.

[0060] In yet another form, there may be not just one inlet 40 and multiple outlets 20.

[0061] The cooling structure of this disclosure can be widely used for cooling heat-generating elements and is effective, for example, for cooling battery modules and power semiconductor modules installed in electronic devices such as smartphones and personal computers, electric vehicles, and hybrid vehicles.

[0062] <Structure> The structure of the present disclosure comprises the aforementioned cooling structure of the present disclosure and a cooling object provided on the cooling structure. Examples of objects to be cooled include heat-generating components such as electronic devices like smartphones and personal computers, battery modules and power semiconductor modules installed in electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles. The object to be cooled may be provided on either the outer packaging material 30B side or the outer packaging material 30A side of the cooling structure 100, or it may be provided on both sides. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 10 Refrigerant inlet 20 Refrigerant outlet 30, 30A, 30B outer packaging material 40 Inner core material 42 Convex part 44 recess 50 Continuity part 52, 53, 54 Center material 55 Spring-like member 58 Insulating layer 100, 110 cooling structure

Claims

1. A cooling structure having an outer casing that provides a refrigerant inlet and outlet, The outer packaging material comprises a metal layer and a resin layer provided on at least one surface of the metal layer. A cooling structure having conductive portions that conduct electricity in the thickness direction of the cooling structure, and the area around the conductive portions is insulated.

2. The cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein the conductive portion has an elastic structure.

3. The cooling structure according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the conductive portion is made of metal.

4. The cooling structure according to claim 1, further comprising an inner core material disposed inside the outer packaging material.

5. The cooling structure according to claim 4, wherein the inner core material has an uneven shape that divides the flow path of the refrigerant into multiple sections.

6. The cooling structure according to claim 4, wherein the inner core material comprises a metal layer and resin layers provided on both sides of the metal layer.

7. A structure comprising a cooling structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and a cooling object provided on the cooling structure.

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