Thermal management panel

Abstract

To provide a thermal management panel that efficiently cools heat-generating elements without enlarging the cooling system, thereby maintaining the heat-generating elements at an appropriate temperature.SOLUTION: A cooling panel 30 comprises a metal tube wrapped in molten metal, with a refrigerant flow path 50 inside a main panel body 40. Both the refrigerant flow path 50 and the main panel body 40 are formed to align with the positions of the elements 11, 12, 14 so that they can be closely fitted to a plurality of elements 11, 12, 14 of differing heights.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat management panel for dissipating heat from a circuit board or an electronic device on which heat-generating electronic components and devices are mounted, and particularly to a heat management panel in which a pipe forming a refrigerant flow path is manufactured by casting.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a circuit board such as an inverter mounts a large number of heat-generating elements. In order to satisfy the required performance and durability of such a circuit board, it is necessary to keep the temperature below the allowable temperature. When the temperature of the elements mounted on the circuit board becomes higher than the allowable temperature, not only the performance of the elements deteriorates, but excessive thermal stress is applied to the solder portion connecting the elements and the circuit board, causing disconnection.

[0003] For electrolytic capacitors, there is a definition called the 10°C·2-fold rule, which means that if the temperature drops by 10°C, the life is extended by 2 times, and conversely, if the temperature rises by 10°C, the life tends to be reduced to one-half. As countermeasures until now, from the perspective of circuit board design, it was necessary to select appropriate components to reduce losses and pattern the circuit board (arrangement and wiring of elements) considering heat generation.

[0004] Furthermore, as an active heat dissipation means, a method of closely attaching a water-cooling panel or an air-cooling heat sink to the heat-generating elements on the back or surface of the circuit board has been adopted. Among these, the most effective is the water-cooling panel. As the structure of the water-cooling panel, there are a method of providing a flow path in a box-shaped panel and a panel manufactured by a technique (casting) of winding a bent metal cooling pipe with molten metal (for example, see Patent Document 1). All of these have a flat cooling surface.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0006] The above cooling method has the following drawbacks. (1) Because numerous heat-generating components of varying sizes and shapes are arranged on the mounting surface of a circuit board, water cooling panels are typically only attached to the back surface of the circuit board where there are no such protrusions. However, cooling high-heat-generating components from the back surface via the circuit board results in poor cooling efficiency.

[0007] (2) On the other hand, in order to cool the elements from the front side of the circuit board, the tallest element is fitted in close contact with the water cooling panel, and for the other elements, a thermally conductive filler (gap filler) is interposed in the gap between the water cooling panel and the element to secure a heat transfer path. However, since the thermal conductivity of the thermally conductive filler is about 2 to 5 (W / mK), if the gap exceeds several millimeters, the thermal resistance increases and the cooling performance of the element deteriorates significantly. Also, using a large amount of thermally conductive filler leads to an increase in the weight of the electronic device, which is undesirable for inverters in electric vehicles, etc. Nevertheless, since the thermal conductivity of the thermally conductive filler is about 100 times greater than that of air (0.025 (W / mK)), thermally conductive filler is currently used in the gaps mentioned above.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a thermal management panel that can efficiently cool a heat-generating element without increasing the size of the cooling system, and can maintain the heat-generating element at an appropriate temperature. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention relates to a thermal management panel having a refrigerant flow path inside the panel body, formed by encasing a metal tube in molten metal. The panel body is To ensure close contact with a three-dimensional heat source and / or multiple heat sources of different heights, both the refrigerant flow path and the panel body are designed to conform to the shape and / or position of the heat source. It is formed in a shape having a top wall, side walls, and bottom wall that are formed integrally. , The refrigerant flow path formed by the metal tube has a serpentine shape, comprising a plurality of vertical flow paths extending from the top wall, bottom wall, and side wall of the panel body, respectively, and horizontal flow paths connecting the ends of the vertical flow paths, the refrigerant flow path is enclosed within the panel body, and the metal tube is integrally encased in the molten metal. This is a thermal management panel characterized by the following features.

[0010] According to the present invention, since both the refrigerant flow path and the panel body are molded to match the shape and / or position of the heat source, the refrigerant flow path is in close proximity to the heat source. Therefore, the heat source can be efficiently cooled by the refrigerant and maintained at an appropriate temperature. Furthermore, since the panel body is also molded to match the shape and position of the heat source, the volume of the panel body can be kept to the minimum necessary, making the cooling system smaller and lighter.

[0011] In this invention, the refrigerant flow path can be positioned, for example, approximately in the center of the panel body in the thickness direction. This makes it possible to minimize the thickness of the panel body to be only slightly thicker than the refrigerant flow path, thereby maximizing heat absorption from the heat source and heat dissipation from the panel body.

[0012] In this invention, the refrigerant flow path is formed by a three-dimensional cooling pipe constructed by bending a single metal pipe into a predetermined shape. For example, the ends of a pipe can be aligned and arranged, and the pipe can be formed to extend in a spiral shape from both ends, creating a three-dimensional cooling pipe by bending the spiral-shaped pipe formed on a single plane. The refrigerant flow path is formed by a technique (casting) in which such a cooling pipe is encased in molten metal of the panel body.

[0013] Alternatively, the refrigerant flow path can be formed into a serpentine shape comprising multiple vertical flow paths extending in the planar direction of the panel body and horizontal flow paths connecting the ends of the vertical flow paths. Furthermore, by inclining at least a portion of the horizontal flow paths with respect to the plane of the panel body, a three-dimensional refrigerant flow path can be formed.

[0014] In this case, a serpentine-shaped cooling pipe can be manufactured by fitting the ends of U-shaped pipes together. In this configuration, if one U-shaped pipe is twisted relative to the other when fitting the ends of the U-shaped pipes together, that U-shaped pipe will become a three-dimensional cooling pipe that protrudes from the plane formed by the other U-shaped pipe.

[0015] It is desirable to interpose a thermally conductive sheet or thermally conductive filler between the heat source and the heat source. Since many components mounted on circuit boards have uneven surfaces, it is necessary to fill the gaps with thermally conductive sheets or thermally conductive fillers between them and the thermal management panel. Carbon sheets (expanded graphite sheets) are suitable as thermally conductive sheets. Carbon sheets are made by forming expanded graphite into a sheet, and they are flexible and cushioning, adhering closely to the contact surface and reducing contact thermal resistance. They can be used up to 400°C in air and up to 1000°C in a vacuum. Thicknesses range from 0.2 mm to several mm.

[0016] According to Patent Document 2, the thermal conductivity in the thickness direction is approximately 5 W / mK, the thermal conductivity in the plane direction is approximately 200 W / mK, and the applied pressure is 0.1 MPa (1 kg / cm²). 2 The contact thermal resistance at ) is approximately 1 × 10⁻¹⁰ when the thickness is 0.2 mm. -4 (m²K / W). By using carbon sheets, the contact thermal resistance can be reduced to, for example, 1 / 10 or less compared to when they are not used. The contact thermal resistance of carbon sheets is pressure-dependent, and 0.1 MPa (1 kg / cm²) is required to obtain the desired reduction in contact thermal resistance. 2 A pressing force of ) or greater is desirable. In this invention, in order to obtain such a pressing force, an elastic material such as urethane or rubber can be interposed between the top lid of the casing housing the circuit board and the thermal management panel.

[0017] The thermal conductive sheet is not limited to the carbon sheet described above; any sheet with high thermal conductivity in the thickness direction and low contact thermal resistance is even more preferable. For example, a carbon fiber thermal conductive sheet in which carbon fibers are oriented in the thickness direction of the sheet can be used. Alternatively, a thermal conductive sheet can be used in which oval-shaped boron nitride fillers are incorporated vertically in the thickness direction of the sheet.

[0018] Thermally conductive fillers are commercially available under names such as gap fillers, and their thermal conductivity is approximately 2-5 W / mK. Thermally conductive fillers are paste-like, flexible, and can fill gaps. Although thermally conductive fillers do not have high thermal conductivity, they are effective in reducing contact thermal resistance when filling gaps of a few millimeters or less. Specifically, thermal silicones can be used. Thermal silicones include paste-like, non-curing thermal greases and paste-like, curing but flexible thermal gap fillers. Silicone-free thermal greases based on hydrocarbon synthetic oils such as ester oils and polyalphaolefins can also be used.

[0019] Heat-generating elements mounted on circuit boards may have varying heights relative to the circuit board. The thermal management panel of the present invention can be fitted in close contact with both the tallest and shortest elements. Furthermore, some elements mounted on circuit boards are elongated, such as capacitors. Since the thermal management panel of the present invention can be fitted in close contact with the sides and top surfaces of capacitors, capacitors can be cooled efficiently.

[0020] In the present invention, the metal pipe can be made of the same material as the molten metal. For example, aluminum can be used as the material. Although it is also possible to configure the metal cooling pipe with, for example, stainless steel and configure the panel body with aluminum, since the thermal conductivity of stainless steel is considerably lower than that of aluminum, it is desirable to configure the cooling pipe with aluminum as well. In this case, casting is performed by setting an aluminum cooling pipe in a mold and injecting molten aluminum into the mold while holding or flowing cooling water in the cooling pipe.

Advantages of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, since both the refrigerant flow path and the panel body are shaped according to the shape and / or position of the heat source, the refrigerant flow path is close to the heat source. Therefore, without increasing the size of the cooling system, the heat source can be efficiently cooled by the refrigerant, and the heat source can be maintained at an appropriate temperature.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a side view showing a state where the heat management panel of the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a circuit board. [Figure 2] It is a plan view showing a state where the heat management panel of the first embodiment is mounted on a circuit board. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional view showing the heat management panel of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a plan view showing a U-shaped pipe which is a component of the cooling pipe in a modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a plan view showing a cooling pipe formed by connecting the U-shaped pipes shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 6] It is a side view showing a state where the heat management panel of the second embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a circuit board.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] 1. First Embodiment (1) Configuration of the thermal management panel A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In Figure 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a circuit board. Elements (heat sources) 11, 12, and 14 are mounted on the circuit board 10. Element 11 is taller than the circuit board 10, while elements 12 and 14 are the same height as the circuit board 10 and are shorter than element 11. Thermal management panels (hereinafter abbreviated as "cooling panels") 30 are attached to elements 11, 12, and 14 via thermal conductive sheets 21 and 22.

[0024] The cooling panel 30 is constructed by forming a refrigerant flow path 50 inside a panel body 40 that is cast from metal. The panel body 40 is roughly square in plan view, and a stepped portion 41 is formed on one side. As a result, the stepped portion 41 is in close contact with the lower element 12,14 via a thermal conductive sheet 22, while the portion other than the stepped portion 41 is in close contact with the higher element 11 via a thermal conductive sheet 21. The refrigerant flow path 50 is located approximately in the center of the panel body 40 in the thickness direction.

[0025] The refrigerant flow path 50 comprises a plurality of parallel vertical flow paths 51 extending vertically in Figure 2, and semicircular horizontal flow paths 52 connecting the ends of the vertical flow paths, forming a serpentine shape that reciprocates in a zigzag pattern. Such a refrigerant flow path 50 is formed by casting a cooling pipe, which is made by bending a single pipe.

[0026] An inlet 53 and an outlet 54 are provided at the ends of the vertical flow channels 51 at both ends. A refrigerant such as water is supplied to the inlet 53 from a pump (not shown), passes through the refrigerant flow channel 50, and is discharged from the outlet 54. The panel body 40 is cooled by the refrigerant, and the heat generated by the elements 11, 12, and 14 is absorbed by the panel body 40 via the thermal conductive sheets 21 and 22. Although not shown in the diagram, an elastic material such as rubber or urethane is interposed between the cooling panel 30 and the top cover of the casing that houses the circuit board 10, thereby applying a pressure of approximately 0.1 MPa to the thermal conductive sheets 21 and 22.

[0027] The cooling panel 30 with the above configuration is formed by casting. Specifically, a cooling pipe, which is formed by bending a single pipe into the serpentine shape shown in Figure 2, is set in the mold, the mold is closed, and molten metal is injected into the mold from the gate. In this way, the cooling panel 30 having the refrigerant flow path 50 shown in Figure 3 is formed.

[0028] Here, the metal that constitutes the panel body 40 is preferably one that has high thermal conductivity, is lightweight, and has a coefficient of thermal expansion close to that of the cooling pipes. Copper and aluminum are suitable in terms of high thermal conductivity. However, it is not limited to such materials, and other materials may also be used. From the viewpoint of weight reduction, aluminum is optimal. When aluminum is selected as the material for the metal that constitutes the panel body 40 and the cooling pipes, casting is performed with water contained in or flowing through the cooling pipes.

[0029] There are no special constraints on the dimensions of the cooling panel 30, but from a manufacturing standpoint, it is easily possible to produce panels with planar dimensions ranging from a few centimeters square to several tens of centimeters square. In terms of planar shape, it is possible to match the heat source to which it is to be applied, such as square, rectangular, or circular. The cooling panel 30 is provided with stepped sections 41 so that it can be in close contact with multiple heat sources of different heights. Since the flatness and parallelism with the heat source are important for the panel surface that is in contact with the heat source, machining such as cutting and polishing may be performed after casting as needed. From the standpoint of heat transfer performance, it is desirable that the thickness of the panel body 40 interposed between the heat source elements 11, 12, and 14 and the tube be thin.

[0030] Aluminum, copper, and stainless steel are commonly used as pipe materials, but the material is not limited to these. Metals that are compatible with the coolant and suitable for bending (plastic deformation) are preferred. From the standpoint of the heat transfer performance of the cooling panel 30, the longer the total length of the cooling pipes 60 within the cooling panel 30, the better. Therefore, the cooling pipes are bent within the cooling panel 30 with the smallest possible curvature. Generally, the melting point of the cooling pipes used is higher than that of the metal they are cast into, but it is also possible to use the same material.

[0031] For example, the combination of aluminum cooling pipes and an aluminum panel body 40 has the advantage of achieving both high heat transfer performance and lightweight construction. In such cases, the melting of the aluminum cooling pipes can be avoided by pre-filling the aluminum cooling pipes with water or other fluids before casting molten aluminum into the mold.

[0032] The diameter and wall thickness of the cooling pipes are determined considering the possible bending radius. Since the cooling pipes, except for the sections connected to the inlet 53 and outlet 54, need to be cast into the cooling panel 30, they are bent three-dimensionally to match the stepped sections 41 of the cooling panel 30. From the viewpoint of heat transfer performance, it is desirable that the wall thickness of the panel body 40 interposed between the heat source and the cooling pipes be thin. Therefore, it is desirable that the three-dimensional routing of the cooling pipes be assembled with high precision to match the stepped sections 41 of the cooling panel 30.

[0033] (2) Effects In the cooling panel 30 of the first embodiment described above, a refrigerant such as water is injected from the inlet 53 and discharged from the outlet 54 through the serpentine-shaped refrigerant flow path 50. During this process, the heat generated by elements 11, 12, and 14 is absorbed by the panel body 40, and the heat absorbed by the panel body 40 is dissipated by the refrigerant.

[0034] In the cooling panel 30 described above, both the refrigerant flow path 50 and the panel body 40 are molded to match the positions of the elements 11, 12, and 14 so that they can be closely fitted to the elements 11, 12, and 14, which are of different heights. As a result, the refrigerant flow path 50 is close to the elements 11, 12, and 14. Therefore, the elements 11, 12, and 14 can be efficiently cooled by the refrigerant and maintained at an appropriate temperature. Furthermore, since the panel body 40 is also molded to match the positions of the elements 11, 12, and 14, the volume of the panel body 40 can be kept to the minimum necessary, and the cooling system can be miniaturized.

[0035] In particular, in the above embodiment, since the refrigerant flow path 50 is positioned approximately in the center in the thickness direction of the panel body 40, the thickness of the panel body 40 can be minimized, and heat absorption from elements 11, 12, and 14 and heat dissipation from the panel body 40 can be maximized.

[0036] (3) Example of changes The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible as follows. i) The cross-sectional shape of the refrigerant flow path 50 is not limited to a circle; it can be any shape such as a rectangle, oval, or ellipse.

[0037] ii) It is possible that element 12 and element 14 have different heights. For example, if element 14 is taller than element 12, the pipe should be bent using the following procedure when forming it into a serpentine shape. Note that a single pipe should be bent sequentially from the inlet 53 to the outlet 54 in Figure 2.

[0038] As shown in Figure 2, when the pipe enters region P of the vertical channel 51, it is bent upward (towards the front of the page), then downward (towards the back of the page) and returned to a horizontal position. When it leaves region P and enters region P again, the pipe is bent downward, then upward and returned to a horizontal position. In this way, a cooling pipe is obtained that floats parallel to the element 14. Then, a mold is made following the shape of the cooling pipe, and the cooling pipe is cast into it, so that the panel body 40 is in close contact with the element 14.

[0039] iii) In the first embodiment described above, a single pipe is bent to form a serpentine shape, but a serpentine-shaped cooling pipe can be manufactured by connecting U-shaped pipes as follows.

[0040] Figure 5 is a plan view showing the cooling pipe 60 that forms the refrigerant flow path 50. The cooling pipe 60 is made by connecting U-shaped pipes 61 as shown in Figure 4. An expanded section 63 is formed at one end of the U-shaped pipe 61, which has a larger outer diameter than the other parts. The inner diameter of the expanded section 63 is set to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the other end 62 of the U-shaped pipe 61. The other end 62 of the other U-shaped pipe 61 is then press-fitted into the expanded section 63, creating a strong and liquid-tight connection between them. By connecting the U-shaped pipes 61 one after another in this manner, a serpentine-shaped cooling pipe 60 is created. The expanded section 63 is formed by, for example, an expansion process using a rolling-type expansion tool, and therefore has a thinner wall thickness than the other parts. Furthermore, forming a tapered section on the outer circumference of the edge of the other end 62 makes insertion into the expanded section 63 easier.

[0041] Furthermore, straight pipes 64 and 65 are connected to the U-shaped pipes 61 at both ends that are connected to the refrigerant inlets and outlets 53 and 54. In this case, an expanded section 63 is formed at the end of pipe 64, and the other end 62 is formed at the end of pipe 65.

[0042] Here, in the cooling piping 60 shown in Figure 5, all pipes 61 are arranged in the same plane, but in order to form a refrigerant flow path 50 that matches the panel body 40 having a stepped portion 41 as shown in Figure 1, the cooling piping 60 is assembled as follows. That is, in Figure 5, the U-shaped pipes 61 and pipes 64 are connected in order from left to right, and at the part indicated by arrow A, the U-shaped pipe 61 is twisted at a predetermined angle (for example, 45° toward the back of the paper) and the U-shaped pipe 61 is Pipe expansion section The other end 62 of the U-shaped pipe 61 is press-fitted into 63.

[0043] Next, at the point indicated by arrow B, the other end 62 of pipe 65 is pressed into the expanded section 63 of the U-shaped pipe 61 while the U-shaped pipe 61 is twisted at a predetermined angle (for example, 45° towards the front of the page in Figure 4). As a result, the rightmost U-shaped pipe 61, the right-hand portion of the U-shaped pipe 61 connected to it, and pipe 65 are positioned horizontally.

[0044] The cooling pipes 60 manufactured in this manner are set in the mold, the mold is closed, and molten metal is injected into the mold from the gate. In this way, as shown in Figure 1, a cooling panel 30 is formed which has vertical channels 51 positioned at a clockwise inclined position and vertical channels 51 positioned horizontally alongside the said vertical channels 51.

[0045] According to the above modification example, since the U-shaped pipes 61 are connected to form a serpentine-shaped cooling pipe 60, a three-dimensional cooling pipe 60 can be easily formed by connecting the U-shaped pipes 61 in a twisted state at the connection points. When bending a single pipe to form a serpentine shape, dimensional inaccuracies are likely to occur due to the springback of the material, but the above modification example provides sufficient dimensional accuracy.

[0046] iv) In the above modified example, an expanded section 63 is formed at one end of the U-shaped pipe 61, and the other end 62 of the other U-shaped pipe 61 is press-fitted into the expanded section 63 to connect the two. However, any method of connection can be adopted. For example, an annular projection can be formed at one end of the U-shaped pipe 61, and a ring can be connected to the other end, with the annular projection press-fitted into the ring. Alternatively, the outer circumference of one end of the U-shaped pipe 61 can be cut to form a smaller diameter section, and the inner circumference of the other end can be cut to form a larger diameter section. hole Forms a part, and this large diameter hole The U-shaped pipes 61 may be connected to each other by press-fitting a small-diameter section into the larger section. Alternatively, the ends of the U-shaped pipes 61 may be welded together.

[0047] v) In the above modified example, U-shaped pipes 61 are joined together, but the vertical channel 51 and the horizontal channel 52 can be formed as separate parts, and the two can be connected at the expanded section 63 and the other end 62 to form a serpentine shape.

[0048] 2. Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 6. In the following description, components equivalent to those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions will be omitted. As shown in Figure 6, a capacitor 13 is mounted on the circuit board 10 along with elements 12 and 14 (not shown). The capacitor 13 is cylindrical, and the cooling panel (thermal management panel) 70 is positioned to sandwich the capacitor 13.

[0049] The cooling panel 70 is constructed by forming a coolant flow path 90 inside a metal panel body 80, such as aluminum. The panel body 80 consists of side wall portions 81 and 82 facing the side of the condenser 13, a top wall portion 83 facing the top surface of the condenser 13, and a bottom wall portion 84 extending laterally from the lower edge of one of the side wall portions 82.

[0050] The refrigerant flow path 90 is composed of multiple vertical flow paths 91 extending in the direction towards the back of the paper in Figure 6, and horizontal flow paths 92 connecting the ends of the vertical flow paths 91. The side walls 81, top wall 83, side walls 82, and bottom wall 84 each have a serpentine shape that reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper. Refrigerant inlets 93 and outlets 94 are provided in the vertical flow paths 91 at both ends.

[0051] The lower wall portion 84 is in contact with elements 12 and 14 via a thermally conductive sheet 22. The side walls 81 and 82 and the top wall portion 83 are in contact with the capacitor 13 via a thermally conductive filler 23. Since the outer surface of the capacitor 13 is a cylindrical curved surface, the inner surfaces of the side walls 81 and 82 are also cylindrical surfaces with a gap to match. From the viewpoint of thermal conductivity, the smaller this gap is, the better, so the gap is determined considering the accuracy of the casting. If necessary, machining such as cutting and polishing is performed after casting. To accommodate this shape relationship, the conductive filler 23 is filled to fill the gap between the outer surface of the capacitor 13 and the inner surfaces of the side walls 81 and 82, thereby enhancing the heat absorption effect from the capacitor 13.

[0052] In the cooling panel 70 of the second embodiment described above, a refrigerant such as water is injected from the inlet 93 and discharged from the outlet 94 through the serpentine-shaped refrigerant flow path 90. During this process, the heat generated by the elements 12, 14 and the capacitor 13 is absorbed by the panel body 80, and the heat absorbed by the panel body 80 is dissipated by the refrigerant.

[0053] In the cooling panel 70 described above, both the refrigerant flow path 90 and the panel body 80 are molded to match the shape of the vertically elongated condenser 13, so the refrigerant flow path 90 is close to the condenser 13. Therefore, the condenser 13 can be efficiently cooled by the refrigerant, and the condenser 13 can be maintained at an appropriate temperature. In addition, since the panel body 80 is also molded to match the shape of the condenser 13, the volume of the panel body 80 can be kept to the minimum necessary, and the cooling system can be miniaturized.

[0054] In the above modification example, the height of element 14 can be made higher than that of element 12. In that case, the lower wall portion 84 of the panel body 80 is molded to sink downwards parallel to the direction from element 14 to element 12, and the vertical channel 91 is molded to conform to the shape of the lower wall portion 84. [Industrial applicability]

[0055] This invention can be used in the field of thermal management for heat-generating electronic components and electronic devices mounted on circuit boards such as those used in electric vehicles, robot inverters, and game consoles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10...Circuit board, 11,12,14...Component, 13...Capacitor, 21,22...Thermal conductive sheet, 23...Thermal conductive filler, 30,70...Cooling panel (panel for thermal management), 40,80...Panel body, 41-stage section, 50,90...Refrigerant flow path, 51,91...Vertical flow path, 52,92...Horizontal flow path, 53,93...Inlet, 54,94...Outlet, 60...Cooling piping, 61...U-shaped pipe, 62...Other end, 63...Expanded section, 64,65...Pipe, Side wall sections 81,82, Top wall section 83, Bottom wall section 84.

Claims

1. In a thermal management panel having a refrigerant flow path inside the panel body, in which a metal tube is encased in molten metal, The panel body is formed in such a way that both the refrigerant flow path and the panel body are integrally formed to match the shape and / or position of the heat source, having a top wall, side walls, and a bottom wall, so that it can be closely attached to a heat source with a three-dimensional shape and / or multiple heat sources of different heights. The refrigerant flow path formed by the aforementioned metal pipe has a serpentine shape, comprising a plurality of vertical flow paths extending from the top wall, bottom wall, and side wall of the panel body, respectively, and horizontal flow paths connecting the ends of the vertical flow paths. The refrigerant flow path is enclosed within the panel body, and the metal tube is integrally encased in the molten metal. Thermal management panel.

2. The refrigerant flow path is characterized by being located approximately in the center of the thickness direction of the panel body. A thermal management panel according to claim 1.

3. The refrigerant flow path is characterized by being a three-dimensional flow path formed by bending a single metal pipe into a predetermined shape. A thermal management panel according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The longitudinal channel is formed by fitting together the ends of U-shaped pipes equipped with the transverse channel. A thermal management panel according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A heat-conductive sheet or heat-conductive filler is interposed between the heat source and the other party. A thermal management panel according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The panel body has a three-dimensional shape and is characterized by being in close contact with the side and top surfaces of the heat source. A thermal management panel according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The aforementioned metal tube is characterized by being made of the same material as the molten metal. A thermal management panel according to claim 1 or 2.

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