Power Conversion Device Branching Refrigerant Flow Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor devices face challenges in uniformly cooling circuit element portions due to temperature gradients in refrigerant flow channels, especially when multiple elements are arrayed along the channel, leading to variations in cooling performance across phases of motors.
Innovation Solution
A power conversion device design featuring branching refrigerant flow channels for each phase of motors, with high side arm and low side arm elements disposed side by side and positioned to optimize refrigerant flow, ensuring uniform cooling by maintaining temperature differences across elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple circuit element portions are arrayed along the refrigerant flow channel to increase cooling capacity, then the cooling coverage is improved, but the temperature gradient of the refrigerant increases between upstream and downstream sides, causing non-uniform cooling performance
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerant flow channel is divided into multiple independent flow channels, each serving a specific phase group. This segmentation prevents the temperature gradient from accumulating across all elements and ensures each phase group receives refrigerant at a controlled temperature, resolving the contradiction between increasing cooling capacity and maintaining uniform cooling performance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If circuit element portions of different phases are arrayed along the refrigerant flow channel, then all phases can be cooled, but the cooling performance varies among different phases due to temperature gradient
Solution Approach 1:
Each phase group is assigned to a dedicated flow channel with optimized refrigerant flow characteristics. This local optimization ensures that each phase group receives appropriate cooling according to its specific thermal load and position, achieving uniform cooling performance across all phases while maintaining the ability to cool all phase groups simultaneously.
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 suppresses temperature gradients and ensures uniform cooling performance across all phases of the motors, enhancing the efficiency of heat dissipation and reducing variations in cooling performance.
Implementation Method 1
heat exchange between a refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow channel and the circuit element portion
Implementation Method 2
a refrigerant circulates through the flow channel and a plurality of branching flow channels
Data Source
AI summary
A refrigerant flow channel includes a first flow channel extending in a first direction and a plurality of first branching flow channels extending in a second direction by branching from the first flow channel. Three element arrays corresponding to a first motor for driving and three element arrays corresponding to a second motor for power generation are respectively disposed side by side in the first direction on a mounting surface. The element array of the first motor in each phase and the element array of the second motor in each phase face each other in the second direction, and are disposed at positions overlapping the first branching flow channel in a plan view. The element array of the first motor is located on an upstream side of the first branching flow channel with respect to the element array of the second motor.