Electrical Assembly with Dual-Sided Coolant Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical assemblies for inductors face limitations in heat dissipation, with air-cooled configurations being inefficient and liquid-cooled configurations providing only limited cooling, necessitating an improved cooling solution.
Innovation Solution
An electrical assembly with a housing featuring interconnected walls and a transition passage for coolant circulation, incorporating thermal interface material to enhance heat transfer between inductors and the housing, and dual-sided cooling through parallel channels and heat exchangers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If air-cooling is used for inductors, then the structure is simple, but heat dissipation efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies hydraulic cooling by circulating liquid coolant through channels formed in the housing walls. The housing includes first and second walls with inbound and outbound channels that guide coolant flow past the inductors, enabling efficient heat removal through liquid convection rather than air cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical enclosure for the inductors, contains integrated coolant channels for thermal management, and acts as a heat exchanger. The walls of the housing double as both structural support and cooling pathways, eliminating the need for separate cooling components.
2Temperature
If traditional liquid cooling with heat sink is used, then some heat dissipation is achieved, but cooling effectiveness is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the housing structure with the cooling system by forming coolant channels directly within the housing walls. The first and second walls each contain inbound and outbound channels that create a integrated cooling pathway, combining structural and thermal management functions into a single component.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling approach transitions from conventional point-contact heat sinks to distributed volumetric cooling. Coolant flows through channels embedded within the housing walls, providing thermal management across a larger surface area and multiple dimensions surrounding the inductors, rather than relying on a single external heat sink.
3Ease of manufacture
If gap exists between inductor and housing wall, then assembly is easier, but heat transfer efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces thermal interface material as an intermediary substance applied to the housing walls where they contact the inductors. This material fills gaps and air voids between the inductor surfaces and the housing, providing a thermally conductive pathway that maintains assembly flexibility while maximizing heat transfer efficiency.
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 achieves efficient heat dissipation by circulating coolant through dual-sided channels and using thermal interface material to manage heat transfer, reducing the need for oversized inductors and improving performance by maintaining heat within thermal specifications.
Implementation Method 1
the heat-generating component (e.g., inductor) is covered by a thermal interface material to fill the gap
Implementation Method 2
The first wall has a first inbound cavity for receiving a coolant from an inlet port
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
The first wall (12) has a first inbound cavity (22) for receiving a coolant from an inlet port (32). The first wall has a first outbound cavity (24) for directing the coolant from the inbound cavity to the input (20) of the transition passage (18). The second wall (14) has a second inbound cavity (26) for receiving a coolant from the output (30) of the transition passage (18). The second wall has a second outbound cavity (28) for directing the coolant from the inbound cavity to the outlet port (34). The transition passage (18) comprises a transverse hollow volume for interconnecting the first outbound cavity of the first wall to the second inbound cavity of a second wall. At least one heat-generating component (e.g., inductor (36)) in the interior of the housing (11) generates heat that is dissipated.