Elevator Power Unit with Metal Substrate PCB Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power units for passenger transporting devices face challenges in achieving compactness and efficient heat dissipation, particularly in high-load applications like elevator motors, where separate heat sinks are often required.
Innovation Solution
The power semiconductors are surface mounted on a metal substrate printed circuit board (MSPCB) with a dielectric layer and a metal substrate, allowing for excellent heat dissipation without separate heat sinks, and the control circuit is on a separate PCB, arranged parallel to the MSPCB for a compact, flat design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If separate heat sinks are used for power semiconductors, then heat dissipation is improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the heat dissipation function with the PCB structure by using a metal substrate (aluminum or copper) as the base layer of the PCB. This integrates the structural support function and heat dissipation function into a single component, eliminating the need for separate heat sinks and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal substrate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support for the PCB, acts as a heat sink for power semiconductors, and serves as an electrical ground plane. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed and simplifies the overall device structure.
2Ease of manufacture
If power semiconductors are mounted on conventional PCBs, then ease of manufacture is improved, but heat dissipation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite PCB structure with a metal substrate (aluminum or copper) combined with dielectric layers and copper trace layers. This composite material approach maintains the manufacturability of standard PCB processes while dramatically improving heat dissipation capabilities through the high thermal conductivity of the metal substrate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the PCB substrate material from conventional organic materials to metal materials with high thermal conductivity. This parameter change enables the PCB to function as both a circuit carrier and an effective heat dissipation structure, maintaining ease of manufacture through adapted PCB fabrication processes.
3Volume of moving object
If compact design is achieved by integrating control and power circuits, then device volume is reduced, but heat dissipation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the control circuit PCB and power circuit PCB into a single compact assembly where the power PCB's metal substrate provides heat dissipation pathways that extend to external heat sinks. This integration reduces overall device volume while maintaining effective heat dissipation through the metal substrate's thermal conductivity and direct thermal coupling with external cooling structures.
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 solution provides a compact, efficient power unit with excellent heat dissipation capabilities, reducing the need for separate heat sinks and allowing for integration of control and power functions, while maintaining component protection and effective heat transfer through the metal substrate and housing.
Implementation Method 1
the metal substrate layer covered by a dielectric layer with good heat transferring characteristics
Implementation Method 2
a polymer layer with a thermally conductive filler is used which filler may for example be a metal filler or a boron nitride filler
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention refers to a power unit (10) of a passenger transporting device, comprising a control circuit (12) and a power circuit (14), whereby the power circuit (14) comprises several discrete surface mounted power semiconductors (40a, 40b, 40c) which are located on a metal substrate printed circuit board (MSPCB) (30). The MSPCB (30) has a metal substrate layer (34) covered by a dielectric layer (36) on which a circuit layer (38) with the power semiconductors (40a, 40b, 40c) is arranged. The control circuit (12) comprises a separate printed circuit board (PCB) (20) consisting of a circuit layer (24) with control circuit components (16, 18) located on a polymer- or glass substrate (22).