Liquid-Cooled Power Module Layout for High-Density Converters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current power converters, such as inverters and rectifiers, are large and heavy, limiting their power density and making them inefficient for applications requiring high power density, such as electric vehicles and industrial machinery.
Innovation Solution
The development of packaged power modules, including switch and diode modules, which utilize a power stack sandwiched between a die substrate and a die clip, with thermal and electrical connections, and embedded bus bars for cooling, to enhance power density and reduce volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If traditional power converters are used, then they can perform power conversion functions, but they are large and heavy with low power density
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into integrated power modules where switch modules and diode modules are combined in a single converter housing. The bus bars serve dual purposes as both electrical connectors and heat sinks, merging electrical and thermal management functions. This integration reduces the overall volume by eliminating separate components and interconnections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a nested structure where power stacks (containing multiple transistors) are arranged vertically within the converter housing. The bus bars are positioned to contact both electrical terminals and thermal surfaces of the power stacks, creating a compact nested arrangement that maximizes power density while minimizing volume.
2Power
If traditional power converters are used, then they can perform power conversion functions, but they are heavy limiting their efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines electrical conduction and heat dissipation functions into the same bus bar structures. By making the bus bars serve both as electrical connectors and thermal management components, the design eliminates the need for separate heavy cooling structures, thereby reducing overall weight while maintaining high power density.
3Power
If power density is increased to meet 100 kW/L target, then thermal management becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges electrical current transmission and heat dissipation into the same bus bar structures. The bus bars are thermally connected to the power stacks at multiple points, allowing them to serve as heat sinks that conduct heat away from the high-power components. This integrated approach enables effective thermal management even at high power densities by utilizing the existing electrical conductors for dual purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The bus bars act as intermediary elements that facilitate both electrical and thermal energy transfer. They are positioned to make thermal contact with the power stacks, serving as a mediator that conducts heat from the high-power components to the cooling system, thereby enabling thermal management in compact high-power-density designs.
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
These packaged modules achieve higher power density, enabling the same continuous current transmission with fewer transistors and improved thermal management, meeting or exceeding the 100 kW/L power density target set by the 2017 EETT Roadmap.
Implementation Method 1
The first and second cooling fluids are directed to absorb heat from the first and second power semiconductors, respectively
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus with a device having a metal structure, a metal element, a metal pedestal, and a transistor. Each of the metal structure, the metal element, and the metal pedestal may include first and second surfaces, which are substantially flat and opposite facing. The transistor may include first and second terminals, which may include first and second surfaces, respectively, that are substantially flat and opposite facing. The first surface of the metal pedestal may be electrically connected to the second surface of the metal element. The first and second surfaces of the first and second terminals, respectively, may be electrically connected to the first and second surfaces, respectively, of the metal structure and the metal pedestal, respectively. The second surface of the metal structure can be electrically and thermally connected to a bus bar.