Liquid-Cooling Plate Fin Layout for EV Power Module Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid-cooling coolers for electric vehicle power modules, such as IGBT and ADAS modules, are inadequate in meeting the increasing heat-dissipation requirements due to the growing number of chips and heat sources.
Innovation Solution
A liquid-cooling cooler design featuring a liquid-cooling plate with varying fin densities for heat source, upstream, and downstream fin regions, optimized to enhance heat dissipation and coolant flow rate, using materials like copper, copper alloy, aluminum, or aluminum alloy, and manufacturing methods like metal injection molding, forging, or stamping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If existing liquid-cooling coolers are used for EV power modules with increasing number of chips, then the structure remains simple and manufacturing is easy, but the heat-dissipation capability is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by dividing the cooling plate into multiple fin regions (first fin region, second fin region, third fin region) with different fin densities. The first fin region has a first fin density, the second fin region has a second fin density greater than the first, and the third fin region has a third fin density greater than the second. This gradient structure concentrates cooling resources in high-heat-density areas while maintaining adequate cooling in lower-heat areas, thereby improving overall heat-dissipation capability without uniformly increasing complexity across the entire device.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling plate is segmented into multiple distinct fin regions with different thermal management characteristics. Each region is independently designed with specific fin densities tailored to the local heat generation patterns of the power module chips. This segmentation allows the cooler to address the varying thermal loads of multiple chips simultaneously, enhancing total heat-dissipation capability while maintaining a structured, manageable design.
2Temperature
If fin density is increased uniformly across the cooling plate, then heat dissipation improves, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly increasing fin density across the entire cooling plate, the patent implements local quality by creating a gradient fin density distribution. The fin density varies by region: the first fin region has lower density, the second fin region has medium density, and the third fin region has highest density. This approach concentrates manufacturing complexity only where thermally required, improving heat dissipation efficiency while minimizing overall manufacturing burden and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by providing high fin density only in specific regions (second and third fin regions) where heat dissipation is most critical, rather than excessively increasing fin density uniformly across the entire plate. This selective approach achieves sufficient heat dissipation performance while avoiding the manufacturing complexity and cost associated with uniform high-density fin structures throughout.
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 design achieves uniform heat dissipation and rapid heat removal by leveraging higher fin densities for heat sources and optimized coolant flow, ensuring efficient heat management for electric vehicle power modules.
Implementation Method 1
The first heat dissipation surface is configured to be in contact with a coolant... The second heat dissipation surface is configured to be in contact with a plurality of heat sources
Implementation Method 2
a flow direction of the coolant... a counter flow direction of the coolant
Implementation Method 3
The fin regions are located on the first heat dissipation surface... optimized to enhance heat dissipation
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid-cooling cooler for an electric vehicle power module includes a liquid-cooling plate and a plurality of fin regions. A first rectangular region formed by outward extension of four sides of a projection of a heat source is defined as a heat source fin region among the plurality of fin regions. A second rectangular region extending outward from the heat source fin region in a counter flow direction of the coolant is defined as an upstream fin region. A third rectangular region extending outward from the heat source fin region in a flow direction of the coolant is defined as a downstream fin region. A fin density of the heat source fin region is greater than that of the downstream fin region, and the fin density of the downstream fin region is greater than or equal to that of the upstream fin region.