PCB Cutout with Coolant Container for Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of printed circuit boards with integrated cooling channels for heat dissipation is costly and complex, particularly for high-power electronic components like power semiconductors.
Innovation Solution
A printed circuit board design featuring a cutout or recess on one surface with a coolant container that allows direct contact between the cooling liquid and the board, reducing material thickness in the cutout region for enhanced heat transfer, and includes a sealant and protective layers to prevent coolant leakage and ensure electrical insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling channels are integrated into the interior of the printed circuit board, then heat dissipation is improved, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the cooling function from the printed circuit board interior and separates it into an independent coolant container. The PCB receives cooling liquid through openings or recesses on its surface, rather than requiring channels embedded within the board structure. This extraction eliminates the need for complex internal channel fabrication while maintaining effective heat dissipation from electronic components.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is segmented into distinct functional modules: the printed circuit board handles electrical connections and component mounting, while a separate coolant container handles thermal management. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies manufacturing, as the PCB does not require integrated cooling channels.
2Temperature
If cooling channels are integrated into the printed circuit board, then heat dissipation is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the cooling function from the PCB interior, the invention eliminates expensive manufacturing processes required for creating internal channels, such as laser drilling, chemical etching, or injection molding of complex 3D channel structures. The simplified PCB design with surface openings can be manufactured using standard PCB fabrication techniques, significantly reducing production costs.
3Temperature
If material thickness is reduced in the cutout region, then heat transfer to cooling liquid is improved, but structural strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The PCB exhibits local quality variation: the region around the cutout or recess has reduced material thickness to maximize heat transfer efficiency, while other regions maintain full thickness to preserve structural strength. This localized thinning is strategically applied only where thermal management is critical, allowing the board to optimize both thermal and mechanical performance simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutout or recess acts as an intermediary structure that bridges the electronic component and the coolant. By creating a recessed area with reduced thickness, the design provides a thermal pathway that enhances heat transfer to the cooling liquid while the surrounding full-thickness PCB material maintains overall structural integrity.
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 effectively dissipates heat from high-power electronic components by minimizing thermal resistance and protecting the board from aggressive coolants, while maintaining electrical insulation and mechanical integrity.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling liquid contained in the coolant container can make direct contact with the printed circuit board and thereby effectively dissipate heat from the printed circuit board
Implementation Method 2
The material thickness of the printed circuit board is reduced in the region of the cutout or recess, such that heat emitted by the electronic component can readily be transferred into the cooling liquid
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an electronic device comprising a printed circuit board (14) and comprising an electronic component (16) arranged on a first surface (15) of the printed circuit board (14). The printed circuit board (14) has a cutout (23) extending from a second surface (24) of the printed circuit board (14), said second surface being situated opposite the first surface (15), in the direction of the electronic component (16). The electronic device comprises a coolant container (25), which has an opening closed by the second surface (24) of the printed circuit board (14). The invention additionally relates to a method for producing such an electronic device.