Battery Disconnect Cooling Channel for SiC Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery disconnect units for electric vehicles face challenges in efficiently cooling SiC-based semiconductor components due to high heat flux densities, leading to increased energy consumption, costs, and vehicle weight from complex cooling systems.
Innovation Solution
A battery disconnect unit incorporating a cooling device with a cooling channel through which a dielectric fluid flows over ceramic substrates holding power electronics components, allowing for direct heat dissipation without additional thermal resistances, and optionally featuring a flow structure to enhance turbulence and heat exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional cooling plates with water fins are used to cool SiC-based semiconductor components, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but pressure loss increases and pump capacity requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the cooling fluid from conventional water to dielectric fluid, fundamentally altering the thermal and electrical parameters of the cooling system. This enables direct cooling of semiconductor components without insulation barriers, improving heat transfer efficiency while reducing pump energy requirements due to the fluid's favorable thermal properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the water fin insulation layer from the cooling system. By removing this thermal barrier, the cooling plate can directly contact semiconductor components, eliminating the need for complex fin structures and high pump capacities while achieving effective cooling
2Temperature
If conventional cooling plates with water fins are used to cool SiC-based semiconductor components, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but system complexity and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the water fin structure from the cooling system. This simplification eliminates the need for complex fin geometries, internal channels, and associated manufacturing processes, resulting in a simpler, more cost-effective cooling plate design while maintaining superior cooling performance through direct fluid contact
Solution Approach 2:
By changing to dielectric fluid cooling, the patent eliminates the need for insulated water fin structures. This parameter change simplifies the overall system design, reducing manufacturing complexity and costs while achieving better thermal management through direct cooling contact
3Temperature
If conventional cooling plates with water fins are used to cool SiC-based semiconductor components, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but vehicle weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the heavy water fin structures from the cooling system. By removing these substantial metal components and replacing them with a simpler cooling plate design using dielectric fluid, the overall weight of the cooling system is significantly reduced while maintaining effective heat dissipation
Solution Approach 2:
The transition to dielectric fluid cooling changes the thermal contact parameters, eliminating the need for heavy insulated fin structures. This parameter change enables weight reduction while achieving superior cooling efficiency through direct fluid-to-component contact
4Reliability
If additional components such as limiting frames and casting compound are used to encapsulate chips, then protection against leakage currents is improved, but costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the need for limiting frames and casting compound encapsulation. By using dielectric fluid as both the cooling medium and electrical insulator, these additional protective components become unnecessary, reducing manufacturing steps and costs while maintaining reliability through the fluid's inherent dielectric properties
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 solution effectively dissipates heat from high-power components, reducing temperature differences and ensuring efficient cooling with lower energy consumption and costs, while minimizing vehicle weight.
Implementation Method 1
the dielectric fluid flows over the component via at least one ceramic substrate on the base plate of the cooling device
Implementation Method 2
heat dissipation without additional thermal resistances
Data Source
AI summary
A battery disconnect unit for disconnecting a battery arrangement from at least one consumer of a drive system. The battery disconnect unit includes a cooling device having a cooling channel, through which a dielectric fluid flows from a cooling channel inlet to a cooling channel outlet of the cooling channel. The cooling channel includes a base plate and at least one component of a power electronics system. The at least one component of the power electronics system is arranged in the cooling channel, and the dielectric fluid flows over the at least one component via at least one ceramic substrate on the base plate of the cooling device.