Angled Cooler for Electric Drive Control Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing control apparatuses for electric vehicle drives, such as DC/AC inverters, face issues with high interference emissions, limited power density, and increased costs due to complex packaging and space-consuming designs, particularly when handling high currents and quick switching of power semiconductors.
Innovation Solution
The control apparatus features a cooler with multiple sections extending along angled main planes to improve heat dissipation and reduce interference, combined with a compact design that allows for increased power module integration and reduced lateral extension, using wide-bandgap semiconductors and a combined control and driver board to minimize filtering needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If combined interconnect devices are used to reduce production costs, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but interference emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The interconnect device is divided into a first section for driver activation and a second section for control, which are electrically separated. This segmentation allows the harmful interference from power modules to be isolated from the control circuits, reducing interference emissions while maintaining the cost benefits of combined interconnect devices.
Solution Approach 2:
A shield is introduced as an intermediary element between the power modules and the control circuits on the interconnect device. This shield acts as a barrier that blocks electromagnetic interference from reaching the control circuits, enabling the use of combined interconnect devices without suffering from high interference emissions.
2Power
If more power modules are attached to increase power density, then power output increases, but heat dissipation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cooler is designed with sections extending along angled main planes instead of a flat planar structure. This three-dimensional angular configuration increases the effective cooling surface area and improves heat dissipation capacity, enabling higher power density by accommodating more power modules without excessive heat buildup.
3Device complexity
If power modules are arranged adjacent to each other in a plane, then integration is simplified, but lateral space consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooler sections extend along angled main planes in three dimensions rather than arranging power modules in a simple planar grid. This angular three-dimensional arrangement allows power modules to be positioned more compactly, reducing the lateral footprint while maintaining integration simplicity through the modular cooler design.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If filtering is added to reduce interference emissions, then interference is reduced, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
A shield is used as a passive intermediary barrier to block electromagnetic interference physically before it reaches the control circuits. This approach reduces interference emissions more effectively than filtering alone, while adding minimal complexity compared to extensive filtering networks.
Solution Approach 2:
The interconnect device is segmented into separate driver and control sections with electrical isolation. This segmentation inherently reduces interference pathways, allowing for simpler filtering requirements compared to unsegmented designs where interference must be managed through complex filtering across the entire circuit.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration reduces interference emissions, lowers production costs, enhances power density, and optimizes integration in limited spaces, enabling higher power output and efficient heat management within existing installation spaces.
Implementation Method 1
a cooler (102) having at least three sections (102a-c), each of which extends along one of three main planes
Implementation Method 2
each of the at least three sections (102a-c) of the cooler extending along one of three main planes
Implementation Method 3
DC/AC inverters are used to supply electric machines such as electric motors with a multiphase alternating current. A direct current generated by a DC energy source, such as a battery, is converted to a multiphase alternating current.
Data Source
AI summary
A control apparatus for operating an electric drive for a vehicle may include one or more power modules, which have one or more power semiconductors; an intermediate circuit capacitor, which is connected in parallel to the power module(s); a cooler for dissipating heat generated by the power module(s); and an interconnect device for obtaining electrical contact to the power module(s), wherein the cooler extends over at least two main planes forming an angle to one another.