Thermally Conductive Support With Integrated Cooling Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Plastic mounts used for securing electrical components in power converters have low thermal conductivity, limiting their ability to dissipate heat effectively.
Innovation Solution
A holder with a plastic or glass body featuring through-openings and metal elements, forming a closed cooling channel, utilizing principles of heat pipes for enhanced thermal conductivity and electrical insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If plastic mounts are used for securing electrical components, then electrical insulation is provided, but thermal conductivity is low and heat dissipation is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The holder combines a plastic body (providing electrical insulation) with metal elements (providing thermal conduction paths). This composite structure allows simultaneous achievement of electrical insulation and improved heat dissipation, as the metal elements conduct heat away from the mounted components while the plastic body maintains electrical isolation.
2Temperature
If inorganic particles are added to polymers to improve thermal conductivity, then thermal conductivity increases, but the contact area between particles is minimized requiring rod-shaped or flat structures
Solution Approach 1:
The metal elements act as intermediary thermal conduction paths between the heat-generating components and the heat sink. Instead of relying on complex particle arrangements within the polymer, the metal elements provide direct, efficient thermal conduction pathways while the plastic body maintains its insulating properties.
3Temperature
If heat pipe principles are used with through-openings and metal elements, then thermal conductivity is enhanced, but the holder structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple functions into a single integrated holder structure: mechanical support, electrical insulation, and heat dissipation. The through-openings and metal elements are integrated into the plastic body to create a unified component that simultaneously provides structural support, electrical isolation, and thermal management.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder is designed as a multi-functional component that performs mechanical support, electrical insulation, and thermal conduction simultaneously. The metal elements serve dual purposes of providing thermal pathways and potentially serving as mounting surfaces, while the plastic body provides both structural support and electrical insulation.
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 holder effectively dissipates heat from components like busbars and capacitors, ensuring mechanical stability, electrical insulation, and reducing the size of transformers, thereby increasing the service life and performance of power converters.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing principles of heat pipes for enhanced thermal conductivity and electrical insulation
Implementation Method 2
The holder effectively dissipates heat from components like busbars and capacitors
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
The invention relates to a mount (1), having a first surface (11) for connection to a heat source (3) and a second surface (12) for connection to a heat sink (4). To improve thermal conductivity in an electrically insulating mount, according to the invention the first surface (11) and/or the second surface (12) are/is formed by a metal element (13), wherein: the mount also has a body (2) made of plastic, glass or ceramic; the body (2) is arranged so as to abut against the metal element (13) of the first surface (11) and against the metal element (13) of the second surface (12); the body (2) has a through-opening or through-openings (21), which extend from the region of the first surface (11) to the region of the second surface (12); the mount (1) has grooves (22) in the region of the first surface (11) and in the region of the second surface (12) if there is more than one through-opening (21), which grooves extend over two of the through-openings (21); the metal elements (13) are arranged on the body (2) such that an enclosed cooling channel (23) is formed by the through-openings (21), the grooves (22) and the metal elements (13). The invention also relates to a method for producing a mount of this kind. The invention further relates to a converter (100) having at least one mount (1) of this kind.