Rail-Mounted Switch Housing With Adjacent Cooling for Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electromechanical protective switching devices face challenges in efficient heat dissipation, which affects their switching capacity and reliability.
Innovation Solution
An electronically switching rail-mounted device with an insulating-material housing that incorporates a semiconductor-based power electronics unit and a cooling device, where the power electronics unit and cooling device are arranged in adjacent receiving spaces within the housing to facilitate efficient heat dissipation through direct contact and conduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a semiconductor-based power electronics unit is used for electronic switching, then switching capacity and reliability are improved, but heat generation increases requiring efficient cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The power electronics unit and cooling device are merged into a single integrated module where the cooling device is directly coupled to the power electronics unit. This integration ensures optimal thermal management while maintaining reliable electronic switching functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
A cooling device acts as an intermediary between the heat-generating power electronics unit and the surrounding environment. The cooling device absorbs and dissipates heat through dedicated cooling channels, preventing excessive temperature rise while preserving switching reliability.
2Loss of energy
If the power electronics unit and cooling device are arranged in adjacent receiving spaces with direct contact, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into distinct receiving spaces: a first receiving space for the power electronics unit and a second receiving space for the cooling device. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each component while maintaining their thermal coupling through direct contact between the adjacent spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
Despite the segmented housing structure, the power electronics unit and cooling device are merged through direct contact between their respective receiving spaces. This merging enables efficient heat transfer while the segmented housing provides structural organization and ease of assembly.
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 improved cooling efficiency, enhancing the switching capacity and reliability of the rail-mounted device by effectively dissipating heat generated by the power electronics unit.
Implementation Method 1
the power electronics unit and cooling device are arranged in adjacent receiving spaces within the housing to facilitate efficient heat dissipation through direct contact and conduction
Data Source
AI summary
An electronically switching rail-mounted device for a mounting or top hat rail with an insulating material housing having a front side, a fastening side opposite the front side, and first and second narrow and broad sides connecting the front and securing side. A controller with a power electronics system in a first receiving space formed in the insulating material housing configured to electronically interrupt an electrical line. A cooling unit in a second receiving space formed in the insulating material housing for cooling the power electronics system. The second receiving space having a first boundary surface directly adjacent to the first receiving space and a second boundary surface, different from the first boundary surface, formed by the securing side and/or one of the broad sides. The heat generated by the power electronics system is directly received by the cooling unit and discharged.