Graphite S-Cell Cold Plate for Compact Power Electronics Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Power electronic devices, particularly those using silicon-carbide, generate high heat flux due to their compact footprint, necessitating improved cooling solutions while maintaining a compact package size.
Innovation Solution
A cold plate with an S-cell made of graphite or graphite-composite material is used, featuring a body with a power device recess and bonded to the base wall, enhancing thermal conductivity and heat spreading by directing heat flux away from adjacent components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If power electronic devices are made compact with smaller footprint, then device integration is improved, but heat flux increases
Solution Approach 1:
The S-cell uses a composite structure combining graphite material (for heat spreading) with electrically insulating material (for electrical isolation). This composite approach allows the device to handle high heat flux from compact power electronics while maintaining electrical isolation, resolving the contradiction between small footprint and heat management.
Solution Approach 2:
The S-cell acts as an intermediary component between the power electronic device and the cold plate. It receives heat from the compact device, spreads it laterally through its graphite body, and conducts it to the cold plate, mediating the heat flux problem created by small device footprint.
2Temperature
If cooling performance is improved for high heat flux, then temperature control is improved, but package size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The S-cell has non-uniform thermal conductivity distribution - high conductivity in the lateral direction for heat spreading and high conductivity toward the cold plate for heat extraction. This local quality optimization allows effective cooling within a compact volume, improving temperature control without increasing package size.
Solution Approach 2:
The S-cell transitions heat management from a primarily vertical path to include significant lateral heat spreading. By utilizing the lateral dimension for heat distribution before vertical extraction, it achieves superior cooling performance within the same package volume.
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 effectively manages heat flux within a compact package, improving cooling performance and preventing overheating of power electronic devices in power electronics systems.
Implementation Method 1
The S-cell has a body that includes a graphite or graphite-composite material. The body defines a power device recess.
Implementation Method 2
The cold plate further includes a bond material bonding the S-cell to a base wall of the cavity.
Data Source
AI summary
Power electronics systems including power electronics device assemblies having cold plates are described. A cold plate includes an S-cell having a body with a graphite or graphite-composite material. The body defines a power device recess. The S-cell is disposed within a cavity of the cold plate. The cold plate further includes a bond material bonding the S-cell to a base wall of the cavity.