Stacked Cooling Plates for Compact Double-Sided Electronics Cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electronic component cooling structures and vehicle driving devices face challenges in efficiently cooling multiple electronic components while maintaining a compact device size, as they often rely on single-sided cooling which limits cooling efficiency and requires increased device size with more components.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves a stacked configuration of multiple cooling plates with integrated cooling fluid flow paths, allowing cooling fluid to flow through each plate and cool electronic components placed on both sides of the plates, thereby doubling the cooling area and enhancing cooling efficiency in a space-saving manner.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single cooling plate is used to cool electronic components, then the device structure is simple, but the cooling area is limited and cannot efficiently cool multiple components

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling structure complexityVSAvoidcooling efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling system is divided into multiple cooling plates instead of using a single cooling plate. Each cooling plate can independently cool electronic components on its cooling surface, thereby increasing the total cooling area and improving cooling efficiency while maintaining relatively simple individual plate structures

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling plates are arranged in a stacked configuration along the vertical direction, transitioning from a single-plane cooling approach to a multi-layer three-dimensional cooling structure. This dimensional change allows electronic components to be cooled from multiple levels simultaneously, significantly increasing the cooling area without proportionally increasing the horizontal footprint

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Temperature

If the area of cooling plates is increased to cool more electronic components, then the cooling area is improved, but the device size increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling areaVSAvoiddevice footprint
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple cooling plates are stacked vertically to increase the total cooling area while maintaining a compact horizontal footprint. The cooling area is expanded in the vertical dimension rather than the horizontal dimension, allowing more electronic components to be cooled without significantly increasing the device's planar size

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling plates are nested in a stacked configuration where each plate is positioned above or below another, creating a compact vertical arrangement. This nesting approach allows multiple cooling surfaces to be contained within a small horizontal space, effectively increasing cooling area without proportionally increasing device footprint

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Temperature

If electronic components are disposed on both sides of cooling plates, then the cooling efficiency is enhanced, but the device structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling efficiencyVSAvoidcomponent arrangement complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Electronic components are arranged on both the upper and lower surfaces of each cooling plate, utilizing the vertical stacking dimension to double the component cooling capacity per plate. This bidirectional arrangement increases cooling efficiency without requiring additional horizontal space, and the modular plate structure keeps individual component placements relatively simple

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 configuration enhances the cooling efficiency of electronic components by doubling the cooling area compared to single-sided cooling, while also allowing for a more compact device design by optimizing the arrangement of cooling plates and electronic components.

Implementation Method 1

electronic components are cooled via the facing cooling plates

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

cooling fluid for cooling an electronic components flowing through the cooling fluid flow path

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP4546962A1Cooling structure for electronic component and vehicle driving device cross reference
Publication Date: 2025.04.30 AISIN CORP
  • EP4546962A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4546962A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4546962A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In an electronic component cooling structure in which a plurality of cooling plates (11, 12) each having a cooling fluid flow path (R) therein is disposed, cooling fluid for cooling an electronic components (15, 16, 21, 22, 66, T) flowing through the cooling fluid flow path (R), the electronic components (15, 16, 21, 22, 66, T) are disposed at both sides of each of the number of plurality plates (11, 12), the electronic components (15, 16, 21, 22, 66, T) facing the cooling plates (11, 12), and the electronic components (15, 16, 21, 22, 66, T) are cooled via the facing cooling plates (11, 12).