Cooling Rib Assembly Layout for Power Electronics Heat Dissipation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing coolers for power electronics face challenges in efficiently dissipating high heat losses from power semiconductors due to high thermal resistance and complex assembly processes that can lead to errors.

Innovation Solution

A one-piece, efficiently designed cooling fin arrangement with varying fin geometries and angles to enhance heat transfer, manufactured from a single sheet metal, ensuring consistent alignment and reduced assembly errors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If multiple separate cooling fin sections are assembled, then the cooling fin arrangement can be manufactured flexibly, but the assembly process becomes complex and error-prone

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing flexibilityVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separate cooling fin sections into a single integrated cooling fin arrangement that is pre-assembled with all sections firmly connected. This merging approach maintains manufacturing flexibility while eliminating assembly complexity during installation, as the entire cooling fin arrangement is inserted as one piece into the housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If cooling fin sections are firmly connected, then assembly errors are eliminated, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly accuracyVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling fin arrangement is segmented into multiple cooling fin sections that are firmly connected to one another in a predetermined configuration. This segmentation allows for optimized manufacturing of individual sections while ensuring reliable assembly through the firm connections between sections, reducing assembly errors without excessive manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Loss of energy

If cooling fin sections are arranged with varying geometries, then heat transfer efficiency is enhanced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat transfer efficiencyVSAvoidfin geometry precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Different cooling fin sections have different fin geometries optimized for their specific positions in the cooling channel. This local quality approach enhances heat transfer efficiency by adapting the fin structure to local thermal conditions, while the firm connections ensure consistent alignment and reduce manufacturing precision requirements during assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 provides quick and error-free assembly with enhanced heat transfer efficiency, addressing thermal resistance issues and ensuring uniform cooling across power semiconductors.

Implementation Method 1

The cooling channel and the cooling fin arrangement are designed to conduct the cooling fluid... the cooler according to the invention enables very efficient cooling of the power electronics

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Convection

Implementation Method 2

The material used for the cooling fin arrangement is preferably aluminum or another material with correspondingly high thermal conductivity

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP4409631B1Cooler for cooling power electronics
Publication Date: 2025.10.08 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP4409631B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4409631B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4409631B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a cooler (1) for cooling power electronics (101), comprising a housing (2) for installing the power electronics (101) and a cooling rib assembly (7) with a plurality of ribs (9) in a cooling channel (6) of the housing (2), wherein fluid can flow through the cooling rib assembly (7) along a longitudinal axis (30), the cooling rib assembly (7) has multiple cooling rib sections (71, 72, 73), adjacent cooling rib sections have different geometries of the ribs (9), and the cooling rib sections (71, 72, 72) are rigidly connected together.