Reactor Plate Bus Bar Orientation for Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reactor designs using plate bus bars for windings face challenges in heat dissipation, leading to increased size and mounting space due to the need for wider bus bars and larger heat dissipation areas.
Innovation Solution
A reactor design where the plate bus bar's winding axis passes through a middle leg portion of the core, with the main surface parallel to the winding axis, and is thermally connected to a heat sink via an insulating layer, allowing for efficient heat dissipation without increasing the reactor's size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the width of the plate bus bar is increased to improve heat dissipation, then the heat dissipation area is increased, but the volume of the reactor is increased and the mounting space is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the orientation of the plate bus bar from having its main surface vertical to the winding axis to having it parallel to the winding axis. This dimensional reorientation allows the bus bar to be thermally connected to the heat sink via an insulating layer without projecting from the core portion, thereby improving heat dissipation while maintaining compact reactor volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an insulating layer as an intermediary between the plate bus bar and the heat sink. This insulating layer enables thermal connection for heat dissipation while electrically isolating the bus bar, allowing effective heat transfer without increasing reactor volume or requiring the bus bar to project outward.
2Temperature
If the plate bus bar is thermally connected to the heat sink via heat dissipation sheets, then heat dissipation is improved, but the plate bus bar must project from the core portion increasing the reactor size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reorients the plate bus bar so its main surface is parallel to the winding axis rather than vertical to it. This allows the bus bar to be positioned within the core portion's bounding box and thermally connected to the heat sink through the insulating layer without projecting outward, thus reducing temperature while maintaining compact reactor dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent nests the thermal connection structure within the existing reactor geometry. The plate bus bar is positioned and oriented such that its heat dissipation path through the insulating layer to the heat sink is contained within the reactor's overall envelope, eliminating the need for external projection and reducing the reactor's length.
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 design effectively suppresses temperature increase and enables downsizing of the reactor and the associated power converter, maintaining effective heat dissipation without expanding the mounting space.
Implementation Method 1
the plate bus bar is thermally connected to the heat sink via an insulating layer
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized and highly heat-dissipative reactor and a DC-DC converter using the reactor. A reactor according to the present invention includes a plate bus bar, a core, and a heat sink. The core includes a middle leg portion. The heat sink cools the plate bus bar. The plate bus bar is formed such that a winding axis of a winding including the plate bus bar passes through the middle leg portion. A main surface of the plate bus bar is disposed in parallel with a direction of the winding axis and thermally connected to the heat sink via an insulating layer.