Inverter Phase-Change Cooling for Transient Power Surges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional energy-converting systems for aircraft and similar applications face challenges in managing thermal overload during transitory regimes, leading to increased weight and bulk due to overdimensioned cooling systems, which are cumbersome and costly, especially in weight-sensitive environments like aircraft.
Innovation Solution
An energy-converting system utilizing a phase-change material with a melting point above 70°C, integrated into a mechanical holder, which melts during transitory power surges to absorb excess heat without melting in nominal regimes, thereby controlling transistor temperatures and reducing the need for excessive cooling system mass and volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cooling system is overdimensioned to handle transitory overload regimes, then the transistors are protected from thermal overload, but the system weight and volume increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies phase transition of paraffin material (solid-liquid transition) to absorb thermal energy during transitory overload regimes. The phase-change material is integrated into the holder structure, allowing it to melt and absorb excess heat when transistors experience thermal overload, then solidify again when cooling down, providing passive thermal management without requiring heavy active cooling systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful thermal energy that would otherwise damage transistors during overload into a beneficial cooling effect. The paraffin material absorbs the excess thermal energy through phase transition, transforming the harmful heat into useful latent heat storage, thereby protecting the transistors while avoiding the need for heavy conventional cooling systems.
2Reliability
If the cooling system is overdimensioned to handle transitory overload regimes, then the transistors are protected from thermal overload, but the system bulk and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cooling function with the holder structure by integrating the phase-change material directly into the holder. This combination eliminates the need for separate cooling components and simplifies the overall system architecture, providing thermal protection without increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The phase-change material provides self-regulating thermal management without requiring external control systems. The paraffin automatically absorbs heat when melting during overload and releases heat when solidifying during cooling, creating a passive, maintenance-free thermal protection system that reduces complexity.
3Temperature
If conventional cooling systems are used, then transistors are cooled continuously, but the system becomes heavier and more bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the phase transition properties of paraffin to provide thermal management with minimal volume. The phase-change material absorbs large amounts of thermal energy during melting at constant temperature, providing effective cooling during transitory overload without requiring the large volume of conventional heat sinks or cooling systems.
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 effectively manages thermal overload during transitory power surges without increasing the system's weight or bulk, ensuring transistor safety and reducing cooling system complexity, while maintaining efficiency and reliability in both nominal and transitory regimes.
Implementation Method 1
the holder comprising a phase-change material in a first state and able to pass through a second state, the energy-converting system being configured so that, at a preset ambient temperature, the phase-change material passes through the second state when the inverter is in the transitory regime and so that, at the preset ambient temperature, the phase-change material does not pass through the second state when the inverter is in the nominal regime
Implementation Method 2
the holder comprising a phase-change material that is able to melt... the phase-change material melts when the inverter is in the transitory regime... absorb excess heat
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes one or more electric motors, this system comprising a set of at least one load and an inverter comprising transistors, the inverter being intended to convert a DC voltage into an AC voltage that is intended to electrically power the set of at least one load, the inverter being able to be in a set of states comprising a nominal regime and a transitory regime wherein the set of at least one load draws, from the inverter, a power higher than a maximum power drawn from the inverter when the inverter is in nominal regime, the electrical-energy-converting system comprising means for cooling the transistors comprising a holder that is joined to at least one of the transistors of the inverter, the holder comprising a phase-change material that is able to melt, the system comprising one or more electric motors being configured so that, at a preset ambient temperature, the phase-change material melts when the inverter is in the transitory regime and so that, at this ambient temperature, the phase-change material does not melt when the inverter is in the nominal regime.