Cooling Device Cover Stiffness via Segmented Frame and Fin Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling devices for heat-generating components like IGBTs face a trade-off between maintaining sufficient stiffness to handle internal pressure from cooling media and achieving high heat transfer efficiency, where increasing the plate thickness of the top wall to ensure stiffness reduces heat transfer rates.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device design with thinner cover bodies that are stiffened by being fixed to a projection portion and having fin members welded or brazed to the inner face, allowing for improved heat transfer and reduced thickness without compromising structural integrity or sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the plate thickness of the top wall is increased to ensure stiffness against internal pressure, then structural integrity is improved, but heat transfer rate deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cover portion is segmented into a frame body and separate cover bodies that cover the openings. This segmentation allows the cover bodies to be made thinner while the frame body provides structural support, resolving the contradiction between thickness and heat transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling device uses a composite structure combining the frame body with cover bodies made of materials having different thermal conductivity. The cover bodies can be made of materials with higher thermal conductivity to compensate for their reduced thickness, maintaining heat transfer efficiency while reducing overall thickness.
2Temperature
If the plate thickness of the top wall is reduced to improve heat transfer efficiency, then heat transfer rate is improved, but structural stiffness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the cover portion into frame body and cover bodies, the cover bodies can be optimized for heat transfer with reduced thickness, while the frame body maintains structural stiffness and pressure resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The structural support function is shifted from the cover bodies to the frame body, allowing the cover bodies to focus on heat transfer functionality with reduced thickness in the pressure-bearing dimension.
3Reliability
If sealing members like O-rings are used to ensure sealing, then sealing reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The frame body and cover bodies are merged into an integrally formed unit, eliminating the need for separate sealing members. The integral structure itself provides the sealing function, reducing component count and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is extracted from separate sealing members (O-rings) and integrated into the structure of the frame body and cover bodies themselves, eliminating the need for additional sealing components.
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
Enhances heat transfer efficiency by maintaining structural integrity and reducing thickness, while eliminating the need for sealing members like O-rings, thus lowering costs and simplifying assembly.
Implementation Method 1
heat generated by the IGBT component or the like is transferred through the top wall of the case to the fins. The fins are cooled (heat is exchanged) by a cooling medium such as water or the like flowing through the fluid channels
Implementation Method 2
The fins are cooled (heat is exchanged) by a cooling medium such as water or the like flowing through the fluid channels
Data Source
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AI summary
A cooling device with which thicknesses of cover portions may be reduced. According to a first aspect of the present invention, the cooling device is equipped with a frame-shaped frame portion, cover portions, a supply port, a discharge port, and projection portions. The cover portions cover openings in the frame portion. The supply port is provided in the frame portion and supplies a cooling medium into the frame portion. The discharge port is provided in the frame portion and discharges the cooling medium in the frame portion to an exterior of the frame portion. The projection portions are projected from inner side faces of the frame portion and form a fluid channel along which the cooling medium flows in the frame portion. The cover portions are fixed to the projection portions.