Sealed Welding Power Supply With Expandable Thermal Interface Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional welding-type power supplies manage heat through vented enclosures and fans, which allow environmental contaminants to enter and cause damage to internal circuitry, while also being inefficient in heat management due to low thermal interface efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of welding-type power supplies with expandable thermal interfaces that conduct heat from internal circuitry to an exterior surface using thermally conductive materials, eliminating vents and internal fans to prevent contamination and enhance heat dissipation through attachable heat dissipating devices like heat sinks or liquid cooling systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If vented enclosures and fans are used to cool internal circuitry, then heat dissipation is achieved, but environmental contaminants enter and damage internal circuitry
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the vented enclosure and internal fans from the power supply design, extracting the harmful cooling mechanism that allowed contaminant ingress. Heat dissipation is instead achieved through an external heat dissipation device coupled to the enclosure exterior, separating the cooling function from the sealed enclosure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a thermal interface material as an intermediary between the internal circuitry and the external heat dissipation device. This mediator conducts heat from the internal components to the external cooling device while maintaining the sealed enclosure that prevents contaminant ingress.
2Temperature
If conventional vented enclosures with fans are used, then heat is dissipated, but thermal interface efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a thermal interface material as a mediator that improves thermal coupling between the internal circuitry and the external heat dissipation device. This intermediary reduces thermal resistance at the interface, significantly improving heat transfer efficiency compared to conventional direct-air cooling methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a liquid cooling system as the external heat dissipation device, using fluid circulation to efficiently remove heat from the power supply. This hydraulic cooling approach provides superior thermal interface efficiency compared to air-based convection cooling.
3Temperature
If vents are provided in the enclosure, then air cooling is effective, but reliability decreases due to contaminant damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the vents from the enclosure design, eliminating the pathway for contaminants to enter while maintaining effective cooling through the external heat dissipation device. The sealed enclosure protects internal circuitry from environmental damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal interface material serves as an intermediary that enables efficient heat transfer from internal circuitry to the external cooling device without requiring physical vents or openings in the enclosure, thereby maintaining both cooling effectiveness and reliability.
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 solution effectively manages heat without allowing contaminants in, improving the reliability and efficiency of heat dissipation, even in highly efficient power supplies with reduced waste heat, by using thermally conductive interfaces and external heat dissipation systems.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal interface in thermal communication with the power conversion circuitry, the thermal interface comprising a thermally conductive material configured to conduct heat generated by the power conversion circuitry to an exterior surface outside of the enclosure
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed relating to welding-type power supplies. In some examples, the power supplies may have no vents, which may help prevent environmental contaminants from entering the power supplies. Instead, the power supplies include one or more thermal interfaces configured to conduct heat generated by internal circuitry of the power supply from the interior of the power supply to an exterior of the power supply. Additionally, the thermal interface(s) may be configured for attachment to one or more exterior heat dissipating devices.