Centralized Pipe And Wire Layout In Liquid-Cooled Power Converters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power conversion devices face challenges in efficiently cooling semiconductor elements due to limited space and increased power conversion capacity, requiring miniaturization and improved maintenance accessibility, especially in railway vehicle applications.
Innovation Solution
The power conversion device incorporates a radiator, air blower, pump, distribution, and gathering pipes with connectors on the bottom surface, allowing for compact design and easy maintenance by centralizing pipes and wires, and utilizing a staggered pattern for connectors to reduce space usage and facilitate detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the power conversion capacity is increased, then the cooling performance requirement is improved, but the device size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The power conversion device is divided into multiple independent power conversion circuits, each with its own semiconductor element and heat sink. This segmentation allows each unit to be cooled independently with optimized refrigerant flow, enabling high total power capacity while keeping individual component sizes compact and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple heat sinks are merged into a single integrated radiator structure that serves all power conversion circuits. The radiator combines cooling functions for multiple semiconductor elements into one unified component, reducing overall device volume while maintaining adequate cooling performance for high power conversion capacity.
2Temperature
If the liquid refrigerant flow rate is increased to secure cooling performance, then the cooling capability is improved, but the pressure loss and pipe diameter requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid refrigerant flow is segmented into multiple separate flow paths, one for each heat sink. This segmentation allows each flow path to operate at optimized flow rates, achieving necessary cooling performance for each semiconductor element while minimizing total pressure loss compared to a single high-flow path.
3Power
If the device is configured by a plurality of power conversion circuits, then the power conversion capacity is improved, but the number of pipes and wires increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple refrigerant pipes from individual heat sinks are merged into common supply and return lines that connect to the radiator. This merging reduces the total number of pipes required while maintaining independent cooling capability for each power conversion circuit, thereby reducing device complexity.
4Volume of moving object
If the mounting space is reduced for efficient cooling, then the cooling efficiency is improved, but the maintenance accessibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The power conversion device is segmented into modular power conversion circuits that can be independently accessed and maintained. Each module contains its semiconductor element and heat sink, allowing maintenance personnel to access and service individual units without disassembling the entire compact device, thus maintaining ease of repair despite reduced mounting space.
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 configuration enables miniaturization of the power conversion device, improves maintenance efficiency by allowing easy detachment and reattachment of components, and reduces the space required for cooling air passage, resulting in a compact and easily maintainable system suitable for railway vehicle installations.
Implementation Method 1
A liquid cooling heat sink in which a liquid refrigerant is supplied and circulated
Implementation Method 2
a common radiator, an air blower, and a circulation pump
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a power conversion device (100) including: a plurality of power units (200), each of which is provided with a power conversion circuit; a plurality of wires through which power is input and output with respect to the plurality of power units (200); a cooling device (300) that supplies a liquid refrigerant to the plurality of power units (200); and a plurality of pipes that connect the plurality of power units (200) and the cooling device (300), wherein a space (400) is provided in the center portion of the power conversion device (100) to gather the plurality of wires and the plurality of pipes, and a main circuit terminal that connect the plurality of wires to the plurality of power units (200), a plurality of power-unit-side pipe connectors that connect the plurality of pipes to the plurality of power units (200), and a plurality of cooling-device-side pipe connectors that connect the plurality of pipes to the cooling device (300) are disposed at positions abutting on the space (400).