Electrical Module Cooling With Segmented Closed-Loop Media Channel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling methods for electrical modules, such as air cooling and liquid cooling, struggle to effectively dissipate heat at high power densities due to complexity, cost, and maintenance issues, while pulsating heat pipes require precise geometric structures for efficient operation.
Innovation Solution
An electrical module with a cooling apparatus featuring an annularly closed elongated media channel divided into alternating hot and cold segments, utilizing thermally driven fluid transport through flow-directing elements to establish a self-sustaining, single-phase media flow for efficient heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If liquid cooling is used to cool electrical modules with high power density, then heat dissipation capability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The media channel is segmented into alternating hot segments (in thermal contact with electrical components) and cold segments (in thermal contact with cooling elements), creating a structured thermal management system that improves heat dissipation while maintaining simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling apparatus is integrated directly into the module housing, merging the cooling system with the structural housing to eliminate separate cooling components and reduce overall device complexity
2Temperature
If conventional heat pipes are used for heat dissipation, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Different segments of the media channel have different thermal characteristics (hot vs. cold segments), allowing localized heat management without requiring precise geometric structures throughout the entire channel
Solution Approach 2:
The thermally driven fluid transport system automatically circulates the working medium without external control, using the temperature differences between hot and cold segments to self-regulate the cooling process
3Device complexity
If air cooling is used for electrical modules, then device complexity is reduced, but heat dissipation capability becomes insufficient for high power densities
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a fluid working medium circulating through the media channel to transfer heat, providing liquid-cooling-level heat dissipation capability while maintaining a simpler integrated structure compared to external liquid 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
The solution enables effective heat removal with low equipment complexity, reducing the need for precise geometric structures and active drives, thus simplifying production and maintenance, while maintaining high efficiency in dissipating heat from high-power electrical components.
Implementation Method 1
The media channel is filled with a fluid working medium having a thermal expansion coefficient of at least 200·10−6 K−1
Implementation Method 2
thermally driven transport of the fluid working medium (M) by local heat input (Qin)
Implementation Method 3
hot segments (W) that are in each case arranged in the region of the at least one electrical component (35) and are thermally coupled thereto
Implementation Method 4
enable heat to be removed from the electrical component (35) by means of local heat input (Qin) into the fluid working medium (M)
Implementation Method 5
cold segments (K) that are in each case arranged in the region of an assigned cooling element (37) and are thermally coupled thereto
Implementation Method 6
enable heat to be removed from the fluid working medium (M) by means of heat input into the cooling element (37)
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of the teachings herein include an electrical module with an electrical component and a cooling apparatus to remove heat from the electrical component. An example includes: an annularly closed media channel to circulate a working medium in a closed circuit, the channel wall divided into a plurality of alternating hot segments and cold segments; a transition region formed between each pair of adjacent hot segments and cold segments; and at least one flow-directing element arranged in at least a subset of the transition regions defining a preferred direction for thermally driven transport of the fluid working medium by local heat input. Each of the plurality of hot segments is arranged approximate the electrical component and thermally coupled thereto to enable heat removal from the electrical component using local heat input into the fluid working medium via the respective hot segment of the channel wall.