Power Converter Cooling Structure With External Flow Path
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The size reduction of cooling structures in power conversion devices is limited by the arrangement of cooling liquid flow paths within the housing, and the need for sealing structures to prevent fluid leakage increases the housing size, while heat dissipation from heat-generating components remains a challenge.
Innovation Solution
A cooling structure with a flow path outside the housing and a heat transport member, such as a heat pipe, that transports heat from electronic components to a working fluid outside the housing, eliminating the need for internal flow paths and reducing the risk of fluid leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the flow path of cooling liquid is arranged inside the housing, then heat dissipation can be achieved, but the housing size increases and component layout flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling flow path is extracted from the housing interior and relocated to the exterior. The heat transport member (heat pipe) extends from inside the housing to outside, where the flow path is formed in the housing exterior or adjacent structure. This extraction eliminates the space occupation of the flow path within the housing, reducing housing size while maintaining heat dissipation functionality.
2Ease of manufacture
If the flow path is formed by die-casting, then manufacturing is simplified, but sealing structures are required to prevent fluid leakage which increases housing size
Solution Approach 1:
The flow path is extracted from the housing interior and formed in the housing exterior or adjacent structure. This relocation eliminates the need for complex sealing structures within the housing, as the flow path no longer intersects with the housing interior space. The die-casting process can still be used for manufacturing the integrated housing and flow path structure.
3Temperature
If multiple heat-generating components are cooled individually, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but the number of cooling paths and housing size increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple heat-generating components are thermally connected to a common heat transport member (heat pipe). The heat pipe integrates multiple heat input locations from different electronic components into a single heat transport path that exits the housing. This merging approach maintains efficient heat dissipation for multiple components while using only one cooling path, reducing system complexity.
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 configuration allows for a reduction in housing size, improves component layout flexibility, and reduces the risk of fluid leakage, while effectively dissipating heat from electronic components.
Implementation Method 1
The heat transport member has a high-temperature portion and a low-temperature portion. The high-temperature portion is thermally connected to each of the plurality of electronic components in the interior of the housing. The low-temperature portion is thermally connected to the working fluid in the flow path interior which is outside the housing.
Implementation Method 2
a flow path, and a heat transport member. The flow path is disposed outside the housing and around the housing, and has a flow path interior through which a working fluid flows
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling structure includes a housing of a power conversion device, a flow path, and a heat transport member. The housing has a plurality of electronic components as a cooling target disposed therein. The flow path is disposed outside the housing and around the housing, and has a flow path interior through which a working fluid flows being spatially separated from an interior of the housing. The heat transport member is disposed from the interior of the housing to the flow path interior of the flow path, has a high-temperature portion thermally connected to each of the plurality of electronic components in the interior of the housing, and a low-temperature portion thermally connected to the working fluid in the flow path interior which is outside the housing, and forms a heat transport path which transports heat from each of the plurality of electronic components to the working fluid.