Dual-Sided Water Jacket Package for High-Density Power Module Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Power electronics assemblies in high-power density applications face significant thermal management challenges due to compact packaging, which affects reliability and efficiency in electric vehicles and other systems.
Innovation Solution
A modular power electronics package with a frame forming a cooling fluid channel between sidewalls, where power electronics modules are disposed to expose their substrates to the channel, allowing a single stream of cooling fluid to flow continuously over multiple modules for efficient heat removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If compact packaging is used to increase power density, then power density is improved, but thermal management becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional single-sided cooling to dual-sided cooling by utilizing both sidewalls of the frame for cooling fluid channels. This dimensional expansion allows heat dissipation from both sides of the power electronics modules simultaneously, effectively doubling the cooling surface area and resolving the thermal management challenge while maintaining compact packaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple cooling functions into a single integrated frame structure that houses power electronics modules on both sides. The frame itself becomes the cooling channel structure, combining structural support and thermal management functions, thereby improving heat dissipation efficiency without increasing overall system size.
2Temperature
If multiple cooling channels are used to cool multiple modules, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The single cooling fluid channel in the frame serves multiple power electronics modules on both sidewalls simultaneously. This universal cooling approach allows one continuous cooling path to perform the function of what would traditionally require multiple separate cooling channels, reducing structural complexity while maintaining effective heat dissipation across all modules.
3Device complexity
If traditional single-sided cooling is used, then device complexity is reduced, but heat dissipation efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cooling function by creating separate cooling zones on each sidewall of the frame while maintaining a continuous cooling fluid path. This segmentation allows independent thermal management for modules on each side, improving overall heat dissipation efficiency without requiring completely separate cooling systems that would increase complexity.
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 configuration enhances heat dissipation efficiency, maintaining acceptable operating temperatures for high-power density applications by utilizing a continuous cooling fluid path over multiple power electronics modules without bifurcation, thereby improving reliability and power density.
Implementation Method 1
a single stream of cooling fluid to flow continuously over multiple modules for efficient heat removal
Implementation Method 2
a surface of a substrate in the first power electronics module being exposed to an interior of the frame through the at least one opening
Data Source
AI summary
A package includes a frame having a cooling fluid channel therethrough. The frame has at least one opening in a first sidewall alongside the cooling fluid channel and at least one opening in a second sidewall alongside the cooling fluid channel. A first power electronics module covers the at least one opening in the first sidewall with a surface of a substrate in the first power electronics module being exposed to the cooling fluid channel in the frame through the at least one opening in the first sidewall, and a second power electronics module covers the at least one opening in the second sidewall with a surface of a substrate in the second electronics module being exposed to the cooling fluid channel in the frame through the at least one opening in the second sidewall.