Power Converter Cooling Layout for Capacitor Heat Dissipation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power converters for electric vehicles face challenges in effectively dissipating heat from capacitor elements, leading to increased temperatures that can accelerate deterioration, while also increasing volume and manufacturing costs due to complex cooling mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A power converter design with a cooling module featuring a first cooling surface facing a heat dissipation portion, a second cooling surface facing a DC terminal or capacitor terminal, and a third cooling surface intersecting both, efficiently cooling the capacitor module without a separate cooling mechanism within the capacitor module.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a dedicated cooling mechanism is added to the capacitor module, then the temperature of the capacitor element is reduced, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cooling function for both the semiconductor module and capacitor module into a single shared cooling module. The cooling module includes a first cooling plate facing the semiconductor module's heat dissipation portion and a second cooling plate facing the capacitor module's capacitor element, allowing one cooling system to serve multiple heat-generating components simultaneously, thereby avoiding the need for separate cooling mechanisms for each component.
2Temperature
If the cooling module is designed with separate cooling plates for semiconductor and capacitor modules, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but the volume of the power converter increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the width direction (dimensional space) to arrange the first and second cooling plates side by side within the cooling module. This dimensional arrangement allows both cooling functions to be integrated without significantly increasing the overall volume in the height or length directions, effectively using unused spatial dimensions to accommodate multiple cooling functions.
3Temperature
If the third cooling surface is added to extend in an intersecting direction, then cooling coverage is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling module is segmented into three distinct cooling surfaces: a first cooling surface for the semiconductor module, a second cooling surface for the capacitor module, and a third cooling surface extending in an intersecting direction. This segmentation allows each surface to be optimized for its specific cooling target while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that can be manufactured using standard fabrication processes.
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 effective heat dissipation, reduces the size and manufacturing costs, and minimizes the impact of high temperatures on capacitor elements, enhancing the reliability and efficiency of the power converter.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling module having a first cooling surface provided to face the heat dissipation portion, a second cooling surface provided to face the DC terminal or the capacitor terminal, and a third cooling surface extending in a direction intersecting each of the first cooling surface and the second cooling surface
Implementation Method 2
the third cooling surface being configured to cool the capacitor module
Data Source
AI summary
A power converter includes a semiconductor module with a switching element, a DC terminal, and an AC terminal, and includes a capacitor module with a capacitor terminal coupled to the DC terminal of the semiconductor module. The power converter includes a cooling module. The cooling module has a first cooling surface provided to face the heat dissipation portion, and has a second cooling surface provided to face the DC terminal or the capacitor terminal. The cooling module has a third cooling surface extending in a direction intersecting each of the first cooling surface and the second cooling surface, the third cooling surface being configured to cool the capacitor module.