Two-Phase Cold Plate With Segmented Enclosures For Power Electronics Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current power electronics systems require high-performance two-phase cooling to manage high heat flux from power devices, but existing techniques for cooling both power and passive devices simultaneously result in increased package volume and high pressure drop, necessitating a unified cooling approach that reduces pump power and package size.
Innovation Solution
A two-phase cold plate design featuring an outer enclosure with a fluid pathway and an inner enclosure with a vapor cavity, coupled by wicking structures that induce vaporization and facilitate vapor flow, allowing for efficient heat removal from both low and high heat generating devices with minimal pressure drop.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If two-phase cooling is used to manage high heat flux from power devices, then cooling performance is improved, but pressure drop increases and package volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into distinct functional zones: an outer enclosure with fluid pathways for single-phase cooling and an inner enclosure with vapor cavities for two-phase cooling. This segmentation allows different cooling mechanisms to operate in optimized regions, reducing overall pressure drop while maintaining high cooling performance for power devices.
Solution Approach 2:
Different cooling approaches are applied to different components based on their heat generation characteristics. Power devices requiring high heat flux management are positioned in the inner enclosure with two-phase cooling, while passive devices are cooled by single-phase cooling in the outer enclosure. This local quality optimization reduces the overall pressure drop of the system.
2Temperature
If separate cooling systems are used for power devices and passive devices, then each device is cooled effectively, but package volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges separate cooling systems into a unified two-phase cold plate structure where power devices and passive devices share a common cooling platform. The outer enclosure provides single-phase cooling for passive devices while the inner enclosure provides two-phase cooling for power devices, achieving effective cooling for both device types within a single integrated package.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold plate structure serves multiple cooling functions simultaneously: it provides single-phase cooling through outer enclosure fluid pathways and two-phase cooling through inner enclosure vapor cavities. This multi-functionality allows different device types with different cooling requirements to be cooled effectively within a single universal cooling system.
3Temperature
If porous coating is used for vaporization in two-phase cooling, then vaporization occurs, but pressure drop increases
Solution Approach 1:
Porous wicking structures are used within the inner enclosure to facilitate vaporization of the cooling fluid. These porous materials provide large surface area for phase change while maintaining capillary action that draws liquid coolant through the structure, enabling effective vaporization without requiring high pressure drops.
Solution Approach 2:
The porous wicking structures utilize capillary action to automatically draw liquid coolant through the vaporization zone without requiring external pumping pressure. This self-service mechanism reduces the pressure drop required to maintain two-phase cooling, as the capillary forces in the porous material provide the driving force for fluid circulation.
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 design enables efficient cooling of power electronics systems in a compact form factor with reduced pumping power, effectively managing heat flux from both low and high heat components by utilizing single-phase cooling for passive components and two-phase cooling for power components.
Implementation Method 1
one or more wicking structures disposed in the outer enclosure. The one or more wicking structures fluidly couple the fluid pathway of the outer enclosure with the vapor cavity of the inner enclosure
Implementation Method 2
the one or more wicking structures comprise a plurality of nucleation sites configured to induce vaporization of a cooling fluid
Implementation Method 3
two-phase cooling to manage high heat flux from power devices
Implementation Method 4
vaporization of a cooling fluid and facilitate vapor flow into the vapor cavity
Data Source
AI summary
A two-phase cold plate includes an outer enclosure having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet each fluidly coupled to a fluid pathway, an inner enclosure having a vapor cavity and a vapor outlet, and one or more wicking structures disposed in the outer enclosure. The one or more wicking structures fluidly couple the fluid pathway of the outer enclosure with the vapor cavity of the inner enclosure and the one or more wicking structures comprise a plurality of nucleation sites configured to induce vaporization of a cooling fluid and facilitate vapor flow into the vapor cavity of the inner enclosure.