Segmented Cold Plate Assembly for Electrical Cabinets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cold plate assemblies for electrical cabinets are costly due to copper materials and have size constraints, making it difficult to reduce the height of power electronic devices, and are not suitable for power electronic devices with non-sealed substrate structures.
Innovation Solution
A cold plate assembly comprising a main body part with a channel for liquid cooling medium circulation, an accommodation groove for a sealing part, and a mounting part for power electronic devices, where the main body part is made of inexpensive materials like aluminum or plastic, and the mounting part can be made of copper with a plate-like structure, suitable for both sealed and unsealed substrate structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the cold plate is made of copper to improve heat dissipation performance, then the cooling efficiency is improved, but the cost increases and the height reduction becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cold plate assembly is divided into multiple parts: a cold plate body made of inexpensive materials (aluminum or plastic) and a separate mounting part made of copper. This segmentation allows the copper to be used only where high thermal conductivity is critical (at the mounting interface with the power electronic device), while the main body can use cheaper materials, thus reducing overall cost while maintaining cooling efficiency.
2Temperature
If the cold plate is made of copper to improve heat dissipation performance, then the cooling efficiency is improved, but the height of the electronic devices cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the cold plate into a main body and a mounting part, the design allows for optimized height. The mounting part containing the copper can be made thin and compact, while the main body can be minimized in height, enabling overall height reduction of the electronic devices while preserving the thermal performance at the critical interface.
3Reliability
If a sealing ring is used to form a seal between the cold plate and the power electronic device, then the sealing performance is improved, but the structure becomes unsuitable for devices with non-sealed substrate structures
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting part is designed with a universal structure that can accommodate both sealed and non-sealed substrate structures. The mounting part can be selectively equipped with or without a sealing ring depending on the specific application requirements, making the cold plate assembly adaptable to different power electronic device types while maintaining reliable sealing when needed.
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 reduces the overall cost and height constraints of the cold plate assembly while enabling effective heat transfer for power electronic devices with both sealed and unsealed substrate structures, improving cooling efficiency and adaptability.
Implementation Method 1
heat generated by the power electronic device is transferred from a bottom of the substrate, through the cold plate 13, and to a liquid cooling medium flowing through a channel in the cold plate 13
Implementation Method 2
a channel for the inflow, circulation, and outflow of a liquid cooling medium
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a cold plate assembly for an electrical cabinet, including: a main body part, a sealing part, and a mounting part. The main body part is provided with a channel for the circulation of a liquid cooling medium and an accommodation groove located on a first upper surface of the main body part. The sealing part is disposed in the accommodation groove and the mounting part is located above the sealing part. A lower surface of the mounting part faces the main body part, and a second upper surface of the mounting part is configured to mount an electronic device to be cooled.