Annular Cooler With Segmented Headers For Uniform Semiconductor Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional coolers for semiconductor elements in electric vehicle inverters often cause uneven cooling due to temperature rise of the coolant, leading to inefficient heat dissipation and potential damage from high temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A cooler with an annular shape featuring an outer-peripheral-side header region, an inner-peripheral-side header region, and a fin region, where the refrigerant flows through the fin region between these headers, ensuring uniform pressure and flow resistance, thereby minimizing temperature differences across multiple cooling targets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If coolant flows through a single flow path in conventional coolers, then the structure is simple, but the cooling becomes uneven due to temperature rise of the coolant
Solution Approach 1:
The flow path is segmented into multiple independent regions: an outer-peripheral-side flow path region and an inner-peripheral-side flow path region. Each region has its own header and fin sections, allowing separate coolant flow control. This segmentation enables independent optimization of cooling for different semiconductor element groups, preventing uneven cooling caused by single-path temperature rise.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow path structure transitions from a conventional linear arrangement to a two-dimensional annular configuration. The outer-peripheral-side and inner-peripheral-side flow paths are arranged concentrically, creating a radial cooling pattern that better matches the heat distribution of semiconductor elements mounted on the cooler surface.
2Loss of energy
If coolant temperature rises due to heat absorption, then heat dissipation function is achieved, but cooling effect decreases and becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the flow path into outer and inner peripheral regions with separate headers, the coolant flow is distributed across multiple parallel channels. This allows heat to be extracted more uniformly from different areas of the semiconductor elements, preventing localized overheating while maintaining overall heat dissipation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooler provides different cooling characteristics to different regions: the outer-peripheral-side flow path cools semiconductor elements at the periphery, while the inner-peripheral-side flow path cools elements near the center. Each region's cooling performance is optimized independently based on its specific heat generation characteristics.
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 ensures uniform cooling of multiple semiconductor modules, reducing the risk of uneven cooling and maintaining the semiconductor elements within a safe temperature range, enhancing the reliability and efficiency of the cooling process.
Implementation Method 1
a flow path of a refrigerant, the flow path including: an outer-peripheral-side header region... an inner-peripheral-side header region... and a fin region serving as the separation region in which a fin is disposed
Implementation Method 2
the fin region serving as the separation region in which a fin is disposed
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a cooler that is less likely to cause an uneven degree of cooling during cooling of multiple cooling targets. The cooler is thus provided inside with a flow path of a refrigerant, the flow path including: an outer-peripheral-side header region that is provided on an outer peripheral side of an annular shape and extends in a circumferential direction of the annular shape; an inner-peripheral-side header region that is provided on an inner peripheral side of the annular shape across a separation region from the outer-peripheral-side header region and extends in the circumferential direction; and a fin region serving as the separation region in which a fin is disposed.