Thermal Management Assembly for Circumferential Motor Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat sinks and cooling structures are inadequate for managing high heat flux in electronic assemblies, particularly those with insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), leading to thermal management challenges and increased packaging size due to additional bonding layers and thermal resistance.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management assembly featuring a cooling jacket with a manifold and a thermal compensation base layer, integrated with a cooling manifold through a printed circuit board, utilizing electrically insulated posts with cooling channels to form a fluid flow path that connects a fluid inlet to an outlet, effectively removing heat from switching semiconductor devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional heat sinks are used to cool electronic assemblies, then cooling function is provided, but packaging size increases and thermal resistance increases due to additional bonding layers and thermal matching materials
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling structure is merged with the motor housing by forming the cooling channels directly within the motor housing structure. The motor housing serves dual functions as both structural enclosure and thermal management component, eliminating the need for separate heat sinks and bonding layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor housing is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: structural support, electromagnetic shielding, and thermal management. The integrated cooling channels within the motor housing allow it to serve as both a mechanical housing and a cooling system, reducing overall packaging size.
2Temperature
If conventional heat sinks with bonding layers are used, then thermal management is provided, but thermal resistance increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling structure is merged with the motor housing by forming the cooling channels directly within the motor housing structure. This integration eliminates multiple bonding layers and thermal matching materials that introduce thermal resistance, creating a direct thermal path from electronic components to cooling fluid.
Solution Approach 2:
The problematic bonding layers and thermal matching materials are extracted/removed from the thermal path. By forming cooling channels directly in the motor housing, the design eliminates the intermediate thermal interface materials that substantially increase thermal resistance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate power electronic devices and gate drive devices are used in packaged power conversion assembly, then functional requirements are met, but package size becomes large and parasitic inductance increases
Solution Approach 1:
Power electronic devices and gate drive devices are merged into a single integrated module mounted on the motor housing. This consolidation reduces the overall package size while maintaining all necessary power conversion functions, and simultaneously reduces parasitic inductance by minimizing current loop areas.
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 enables efficient heat removal from electronic assemblies, reducing packaging size and parasitic inductance while maintaining components within a suitable operating temperature range, particularly beneficial for high-power applications like electric vehicle inverters.
Implementation Method 1
The at least one jacket manifold has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet defining a fluid flow area therebetween... The cooling channel in at least a first electrically insulated post fluidly connects the fluid inlet to the cooling manifold to form an inward fluid path and the cooling channel in at least a second electrically insulated post fluidly connects the cooling manifold to the fluid outlet to form an outward fluid path
Implementation Method 2
The thermal compensation base layer is configured to thermally connect the cooling jacket and one or more devices on the printed circuit board
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic assembly includes a PCB coupled to a mounting surface of a cooling jacket circumferentially mounted on a motor and a thermal management assembly (TMA) thermally connected to the PCB. One or more switching semiconductor devices are disposed on a first surface of the PCB proximate to the motor. The TMA includes the cooling jacket, at least one jacket manifold formed through the cooling jacket, a thermal compensation base layer thermally coupled to the cooling jacket and the one or more switching semiconductor devices, and a cooling manifold disposed through the PCB to form a fluid flow path. The at least one jacket manifold has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. Two or more electrically insulated posts, each having a cooling channel, are disposed between the at least one jacket manifold and the cooling manifold and form a fluid circuit between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet.