Liquid-Cooled Power Electronics Layout With Wet-Dry Isolation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid-cooled power electronics units require separate low-voltage circuits for controlling high-voltage power semiconductors, leading to increased complexity and size, and lack effective galvanic and fluidic separation.
Innovation Solution
A compact liquid-cooled power electronics unit with a planar circuit board that fluidically and electrically separates the high-voltage and low-voltage circuits, where high-voltage semiconductors are cooled by a dielectric liquid on one side and the low-voltage circuit is on the other, with a potential-separating signal link for control and a metal plate for heat distribution and stabilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If liquid cooling of high-voltage power semiconductors is implemented, then cooling efficiency is improved, but the low-voltage circuit must be provided as a separate unit increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the low-voltage control circuit with the high-voltage power semiconductor unit by integrating it into the same housing and circuit board structure. The circuit board contains both high-voltage power semiconductors and low-voltage control circuits, allowing them to be cooled together by the liquid cooling system while maintaining functional integration, thus reducing device complexity while preserving cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the circuit board into distinct regions: a wet side with wet space for high-voltage power semiconductors and cooling liquid, and a dry side for the low-voltage control circuit. This segmentation allows the low-voltage circuit to be protected from the cooling liquid while still being part of the integrated unit, resolving the contradiction between integration and protection
2Reliability
If separate units are used for high-voltage and low-voltage circuits, then galvanic separation is achieved, but the overall unit size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the third dimension (depth/layering) to achieve separation. The circuit board has a wet side and a dry side separated by the board thickness, with the wet space containing high-voltage components and cooling liquid on one side, and the low-voltage control circuit on the other side. This vertical segmentation maintains galvanic separation while keeping the overall footprint compact
Solution Approach 2:
The low-voltage control circuit is nested within the same housing and structural framework as the high-voltage power semiconductors. The circuit board integrates both circuits in a nested arrangement where the low-voltage circuit resides on the dry side while being structurally contained within the same unit as the high-voltage components, achieving compact integration with maintained separation
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 design achieves galvanic and fluidic separation while maintaining a compact form factor, improving heat management and mechanical stability, and allowing for efficient control of high-voltage semiconductors with reduced complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a wet side with a wet space for carrying a dielectric cooling liquid... wherein all the high-voltage power semiconductors or the entire high-voltage circuit are/is arranged on the wet side of the circuit board body or in the wet space. The high-voltage power semiconductors are cooled by the cooling liquid
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid-cooled power electronics unit includes a planar circuit board body having conductor tracks, a wet side with a wet space for carrying a dielectric cooling liquid, and a fluidically, separated dry side, wherein at least two high-voltage power semiconductors are arranged on the circuit board body on the wet side within the wet space, the high-voltage power semiconductors being cooled by the cooling liquid, and an electronic low-voltage circuit is arranged on the dry side of the circuit board body.