Capacitor Assembly Terminal Heat Bridge Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric capacitors with metallized plastic film coils face challenges in heat dissipation, particularly when housed in a way that impedes heat discharge, leading to high internal temperatures on both sides, with the lower side often reaching temperatures 15°C higher than the upper side, risking capacitor damage.
Innovation Solution
The capacitor assembly incorporates dual terminals with heat-absorbing and heat-dissipating parts that form 'heat bridges' between the capacitor sides and a cooling device, using thermally conductive, electrically insulating materials to efficiently dissipate heat from both sides to the cooling device, minimizing additional installation space and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a housing is used to contain the capacitor, then the capacitor is protected and structurally supported, but heat dissipation is impeded leading to high internal temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal is segmented into distinct functional parts: a heat-absorbing part that contacts the capacitor and a heat-dissipating part that contacts the cooling device. This segmentation allows the terminal to simultaneously provide electrical connection, heat absorption from the capacitor, and heat dissipation to the cooling device, resolving the contradiction between protection and heat dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal is designed to perform multiple functions: electrical connection, mechanical support, and heat transfer. By making the terminal multi-functional, the invention eliminates the need for separate cooling components while effectively dissipating heat, thus maintaining capacitor protection without compromising thermal management.
2Device complexity
If cooling is applied only to the upper side of the capacitor, then the cooling structure is simple, but the lower side reaches temperatures 15°C higher than the upper side
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling capability is distributed to both terminals of the capacitor, with each terminal having its own heat-absorbing and heat-dissipating parts. This local quality approach ensures that heat is dissipated from both the upper and lower sides of the capacitor uniformly, preventing localized overheating while maintaining relatively simple cooling structure.
3Temperature
If additional cooling components are added to cool both sides of the capacitor, then heat dissipation is improved, but costs and installation space increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling function is merged with the existing terminal structure. The terminal combines electrical connection and cooling functions into a single integrated component, eliminating the need for separate cooling components. This merging approach improves heat dissipation efficiency while avoiding significant increases in installation space and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides electrical connection and thermal management. By making the terminal universal, the invention achieves effective cooling of both capacitor sides without adding dedicated cooling components, thus avoiding increased costs and installation space requirements.
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 ensures uniform cooling of both sides of the capacitor, preventing damage from high temperatures and maintaining efficient operation without significant increases in cost or space requirements, effectively managing heat dissipation through the use of integrated heat-absorbing and dissipating components.
Implementation Method 1
The first heat-absorbing part is in thermal contact with the first side of the capacitor
Implementation Method 2
The first heat-dissipating part is in thermal contact with the cooling device
Data Source
AI summary
A capacitor assembly has a capacitor, a first terminal, a cooling device and a housing which contains the capacitor. The first terminal has a first heat absorbing part and a first heat dissipating part. The first terminal dissipates heat from a first side of the capacitor to the cooling device via the first heat absorbing part and the first heat dissipating part. The first side of the capacitor faces away from the cooling device.