Automotive Power Module Cooling Channels and Clamping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for packaging and cooling of automotive power electronics components fail to effectively manage heat generated during electrical parameter modifications in inverter systems, leading to inefficiencies and potential overheating.
Innovation Solution
An integrated power module comprising a base case with inlet and outlet apertures, power cards with cooling channels, and a capacitor that provides clamping force to promote heat transfer through coolant circulation, allowing for direct contact and efficient thermal communication between components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If power cards are closely packaged to reduce space, then device complexity is reduced, but heat transfer efficiency deteriorates due to neighboring heat effects
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into individual cooling channels within each power card, allowing each card to be cooled independently. This segmentation enables closely packaged power cards to maintain effective heat transfer by providing dedicated coolant flow paths for each card, preventing neighboring heat effects from degrading overall cooling efficiency.
2Device complexity
If power cards are closely packaged to reduce space, then device complexity is reduced, but cooling efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cooling channels are nested within each power card structure, with channels positioned to cool different regions of the integrated circuits. This nested arrangement allows efficient cooling of closely packaged power cards by incorporating multiple cooling pathways within each card's internal structure, maintaining high cooling efficiency despite compact packaging.
3Reliability
If capacitor provides clamping force to urge power cards together, then electrical contact is improved, but stress on components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping force parameter is optimized to provide sufficient electrical contact between power cards and the base case while remaining below thresholds that would cause component stress or damage. This parameter change approach ensures reliable electrical connections are achieved without applying excessive stress to the power electronic components.
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 solution enables effective heat transfer and spatial isolation, reducing neighboring heat effects and maintaining low DC inductance, thus enhancing the cooling efficiency and reliability of power electronics in automotive systems.
Implementation Method 1
promote heat transfer from the integrated circuit through the substrate and base plate to the coolant and from an integrated circuit of an adjacent one of the power cards through the outer surface, a body of the bottom cover, through the inner surface, and to the coolant
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated power module includes a base case defining an internal manifold, and an interface surface comprising a plurality of inlet apertures and outlet apertures each in fluid communication with the internal manifold. The integrated power module also includes a plurality of power cards fastened to the base case and in direct contact with the interface surface. Each of the power cards has a bottom cover defining an inner surface and an outer surface, a base plate sealed with the bottom cover, a substrate secured on the base plate such that the base plate is between the substrate and bottom cover, and an integrated circuit disposed on the substrate. The inner surface and the base plate define a cooling channel configured to direct coolant from one of the inlet apertures, through the power card, and to one of the outlet apertures.