Inverter Power Module Cold Plate Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Power modules in electric and hybrid vehicles face packaging constraints and reliability issues due to the challenges of liquid cooling, including leakage risks that can cause electrical short circuits, making air cooling a more viable but less efficient option.
Innovation Solution
A heat sink with a U-shaped cross-section and chambered interior is designed to attach power modules to its external surfaces, utilizing fluid flow through multiple cold plates with pin fins for enhanced cooling, allowing for efficient liquid cooling while minimizing the risk of leakage and electrical interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If liquid cooling is used to cool power modules, then cooling efficiency is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to leakage risks and electrical short circuit dangers
Solution Approach 1:
The power module package is divided into multiple independent cold plates (first cold plate, second cold plate, third cold plate), each cooling a specific power module. This segmentation isolates potential leakage risks to individual segments rather than the entire system, improving reliability while maintaining liquid cooling efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold plates are arranged in a nested configuration where the second cold plate extends perpendicularly from the first cold plate, and the third cold plate extends perpendicularly from the second cold plate. This nested structure maximizes space utilization and cooling surface area within the packaging constraints while maintaining structural integrity.
2Reliability
If air cooling is used to avoid liquid leakage risks, then reliability is improved, but cooling efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs liquid cooling through cold plates with internal fluid channels instead of air cooling. The hydraulic system provides superior heat transfer efficiency due to the higher specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity of liquid coolant compared to air, while the enclosed cold plate structure minimizes leakage risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold plates are constructed as thin-walled structures with internal fluid passages, providing large surface area for heat transfer while maintaining compact dimensions. The rigid yet thin-walled design allows efficient thermal coupling with power modules while minimizing material usage and packaging space.
3Temperature
If multiple hoses and couplers are used for liquid cooling, then cooling coverage is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to increased leakage points
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cold plates are merged into a single integrated assembly where the second cold plate extends from the first and the third cold plate extends from the second, forming a continuous structural unit. This merging eliminates the need for multiple external hoses and flexible couplers, reducing leakage points while maintaining comprehensive cooling coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold plate assembly serves multiple functions: it provides liquid cooling pathways, structural support for mounting power modules, and acts as a thermal management system for the entire inverter. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate cooling components and connections.
4Volume of moving object
If cold plates extend perpendicularly from each other, then space utilization is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The perpendicular cold plates are manufactured as separate segments (first cold plate, second cold plate, third cold plate) that can be independently fabricated using standard machining processes. This segmentation simplifies manufacturing of each individual component while achieving complex three-dimensional cooling geometry when assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold plates are designed to nest together in a perpendicular arrangement, with each plate extending from the previous one. This nested configuration maximizes space utilization within the inverter housing while maintaining relatively simple individual component geometries that are easy to manufacture.
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 cools power modules and additional electronics within a compact package, improving reliability and efficiency by ensuring consistent fluid flow and increased surface area contact, thus addressing the limitations of traditional cooling methods.
Implementation Method 1
The housing is configured to cool the power modules in response to fluid flow into the inlet
Implementation Method 2
attach power modules to an outer surface of the floor and to outer surfaces of the two walls
Implementation Method 3
utilizing fluid flow through multiple cold plates with pin fins for enhanced cooling
Implementation Method 4
cold plates with pin fins for enhanced cooling
Data Source
AI summary
A heat sink is provided. The heat sink includes a single-piece housing having a floor and two walls, the walls perpendicular to the floor and the walls are parallel to each other. The heat sink includes the housing having an inlet and an outlet. The housing is configured to attach power modules to an outer surface of the floor and to outer surfaces of the two walls. The housing is configured to cool the power modules in response to fluid flow into the inlet.