Power Module Manifold Cooling With Turbulent Fin Flow Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling apparatuses for power modules in electric vehicles suffer from low cooling efficiency and cooling imbalance, leading to performance degradation and reduced durability due to inefficient heat dissipation.
Innovation Solution
A cooling apparatus with a manifold cover and fin plate structure that creates a vertical turbulent flow of cooling fluid, utilizing inlet and outlet paths, cooling channels, and cooling fins to enhance fluidity and minimize flow rate loss, ensuring balanced cooling across multiple power modules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a simple tube or fin structure is used for cooling, then the device complexity is reduced, but the cooling efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling apparatus is divided into multiple cooling channel parts (first cooling channel part, second cooling channel part, etc.) that are disposed in parallel. Each cooling channel part has its own inlet and outlet paths, allowing independent cooling flow control for different power modules. This segmentation enables optimized cooling for each module while maintaining overall system efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The inlet path and outlet path are disposed to be spaced apart from each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction (width direction). This spatial arrangement in multiple dimensions creates more efficient flow paths and reduces interference between cooling streams, improving overall cooling effectiveness without increasing structural complexity.
2Device complexity
If power modules are cooled in sequence, then the device complexity is reduced, but the cooling balance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent cooling channel parts, each serving a specific power module. This allows simultaneous cooling of multiple power modules rather than sequential cooling, ensuring that all modules receive adequate cooling flow and maintaining thermal balance across the system.
Solution Approach 2:
Each cooling channel part is specifically designed and configured to match its corresponding power module's cooling requirements. The inlet and outlet paths are optimally positioned and sized for each local cooling need, ensuring that each power module receives appropriate cooling flow regardless of its position in the system.
3Reliability
If cooling fluid flow rate is increased, then the cooling efficiency is improved, but the pressure loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system divides the total cooling flow into multiple parallel cooling channel parts. This segmentation reduces the flow rate required in each individual channel while maintaining total cooling capacity, thereby reducing pressure losses in each channel compared to a single high-flow channel.
Solution Approach 2:
The inlet and outlet paths are positioned far apart in the width direction, creating longer and more efficient flow paths that reduce turbulence and pressure drops. This spatial arrangement allows for lower velocity flows while maintaining effective heat transfer.
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 apparatus improves cooling efficiency and balances cooling performance across power modules, stabilizing operation and maintaining performance by distributing cooling fluid effectively through impingement jet cooling and reducing pressure loss.
Implementation Method 1
a vertical turbulent flow of a cooling fluid, which is created by spraying the cooling fluid to a heat generation surface with cooling fins
Implementation Method 2
the cooling fluid flows between the cooling fins and then flows to the second channel
Implementation Method 3
the cooling fluid is used to cool the power module, or waste heat from the power module is used to heat a mobility vehicle
Data Source
AI summary
According to the present disclosure, a vertical turbulent flow of a cooling fluid, which is created by spraying the cooling fluid to a heat generation surface with cooling fins of a fin plate provided on a manifold cover, provides cooling efficiency, improves fluidity of the cooling fluid, and minimizes a loss of a flow rate. In addition, a cooling apparatus for a power module is introduced in which a difference in cooling performance occurs between cooling channel parts corresponding to power modules in the manifold cover, such that the power modules are cooled in a balanced manner, cooling imbalance is eliminated, the power module is stabilized, and the performance is maintained.