Contactor Mounting Post with Cold Plate Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional contactor mounting arrangements in power distribution systems often inadequately dissipate heat, leading to increased contactor temperatures and reduced service life due to insufficient heat transfer to the ambient environment.
Innovation Solution
A mounting arrangement for electrical contactors that includes a post connected to a cold plate with coolant channels and an electrically insulating body, allowing for effective heat transfer and electrical isolation, which enhances thermal communication and reduces operating temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional natural convection is used for heat dissipation, then the structure is simple, but heat dissipation efficiency is insufficient leading to increased contactor temperature
Solution Approach 1:
A cold plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the contactor post and the cooling system. The cold plate provides a dedicated thermal pathway that actively conducts heat away from the contactor, resolving the insufficient heat dissipation of conventional natural convection while maintaining structural simplicity through the intermediary cooling mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a liquid cooling system with coolant channels flowing through the cold plate. This hydraulic cooling approach replaces inadequate natural convection with forced convection through coolant circulation, significantly improving heat dissipation efficiency and reducing contactor operating temperature.
2Loss of energy
If a cold plate with coolant channels is added to improve heat dissipation, then heat dissipation efficiency increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting structure is merged with the cold plate assembly, integrating structural support and thermal management functions into a single unified component. This consolidation improves heat dissipation efficiency while minimizing the increase in device complexity by combining multiple functions rather than adding separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold plate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural mounting support for the contactor, acts as a thermal conductor to transfer heat from the post, and serves as a heat exchanger with integrated coolant channels. This multi-functionality improves heat dissipation efficiency without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Temperature
If the cold plate is made electrically conductive for thermal communication, then thermal communication improves, but electrical isolation between post and cold plate becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
An electrically insulating material is introduced as an intermediary between the conductive cold plate and the electrical post. This intermediary layer maintains effective thermal communication while providing necessary electrical isolation, resolving the conflict between thermal conductivity and electrical insulation requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting arrangement uses composite material construction where the cold plate is made of electrically conductive material for thermal communication, while an electrically insulating material is used for the isolation layer. This composite approach enables both thermal efficiency and electrical safety to coexist in the same assembly.
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
The solution effectively reduces contactor operating temperatures, increases current capacity, and improves reliability by efficiently dissipating heat through thermal communication with a cold plate and coolant channels.
Implementation Method 1
a cold plate overlaying the panel, extends about the post, and is in thermal communication with the post to transfer heat between the cold plate and post
Implementation Method 2
The cold plate can have an inlet, an outlet, and can define within its interior a coolant channel
Implementation Method 3
The electrically insulating body can electrically isolate the cold plate from the post. The cold plate can be in thermal communication with the post through the electrically insulating body
Implementation Method 4
current carrying-components typically generate heat due to resistive heating of current-carrying components
Data Source
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AI summary
A mounting arrangement for an electrical contactor includes a panel (112) and a post (102). The post has a first end (114) and a second end (118) protruding from the panel. The first end of the post is arranged to electrically communicate with an electrical contactor (24). The second end of the post is arranged to connect to an electrical bus bar. A cold plate overlays the panel, extends about the post, and is in thermal communication with the post to transfer heat between the cold plate and post.