Integrated Flow Distributing Unit for Power Semiconductor Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for power semiconductors face challenges such as high manufacturing costs, temperature gradients, and increased flow resistance due to serial connection of cooling compartments, which affect the longevity and efficiency of the devices.
Innovation Solution
A flow distributing unit manufactured in a single piece with integrated inlet and outlet manifolds and flow cells, allowing for parallel connection of flow cells to reduce manufacturing complexity and improve temperature uniformity, while also incorporating meandering flow channels to enhance cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If cooling compartments are connected in serial manner, then the device structure is simple, but temperature gradient increases and flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling device is segmented into multiple independent flow cells that are connected in parallel between inlet and outlet manifolds. Each flow cell acts as an independent cooling compartment, allowing the fluid to flow through multiple cells simultaneously rather than sequentially. This segmentation maintains structural simplicity while eliminating temperature gradients by ensuring all cells receive fluid at the same inlet temperature.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a one-dimensional serial flow path to a two-dimensional parallel flow network. Multiple flow cells are arranged in parallel between inlet and outlet manifolds, creating a network topology that allows fluid to distribute across multiple paths simultaneously. This dimensional change enables uniform temperature distribution while maintaining simple manufacturing.
2Device complexity
If cooling compartments are connected in serial manner, then the device structure is simple, but flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling device is segmented into multiple independent flow cells connected in parallel. Each flow cell has its own flow path from inlet to outlet manifold, creating multiple parallel channels for fluid flow. This segmentation reduces total flow resistance by providing multiple simultaneous flow paths rather than a single serial path, while keeping the overall device structure simple through standardized modular cells.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple flow cells are merged into a single integrated structure with common inlet and outlet manifolds. The parallel connection of multiple flow cells through shared manifolds combines their individual flow paths into a unified system that achieves lower overall flow resistance compared to serial connection, while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through the shared manifold structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate parts are used for housing, manifolds and flow cells, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing, inlet manifold, outlet manifold, and flow cells are merged into a single integrated component manufactured as one piece. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate manufacturing and assembly of multiple parts, significantly reducing manufacturing cost and complexity. The integrated design maintains manufacturing flexibility by allowing the entire assembly to be produced using standard injection molding or other suitable processes in a single operation.
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 design reduces manufacturing costs, enables mass production, minimizes temperature gradients, and decreases flow resistance, thereby improving the longevity and efficiency of power semiconductor devices by ensuring uniform cooling and effective heat dissipation.
Implementation Method 1
Semiconductor devices generate heat during their operation, and this heat usually acts to degrade the operation of the semiconductor device. For power semiconductor devices it is necessary to be cooled during operation to maintain acceptable device performance, and for high power semiconductors liquid cooling is often applied.
Implementation Method 2
The distributor is adapted for distributing a flow of fluid over at least one surface to be cooled. Each flow cell comprising a cell inlet in fluid communication with the inlet manifold, a cell outlet in fluid communication with the outlet manifold, and a flow channel for guiding a flow of fluid from the cell inlet along the surface(s) to the cell outlet.
Data Source
AI summary
A distributor (1) for distributing a flow of cooling fluid over one or more surface(s) (3) to be cooled has a housing (13) that may be manufactured in a single piece together with inlet (8) and outlet (9) manifolds and a plurality of flow cells (26, 27, 28, 29). The flow cells (26, 27, 28, 29) may be connected in parallel between the manifolds (8, 9), and may be adapted to cool multiple surfaces (3) simultaneously. The present invention is also directed to a fluid-coolable unit comprising a distributor (1) for removing heat from an electronic circuit, such as integrated circuit or CPU.