Wavy Heat Exchanger Channels for Two-Phase Electronics Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat exchangers for power electronics devices struggle to maintain optimal operating temperatures under varying load conditions while minimizing pressure drop and enhancing thermal integration, which affects system efficiency and reliability.
Innovation Solution
The heat exchanger features enhanced fluid pathways with wavy shapes, notches, and increasing cross-sectional areas, along with wavy plates and perforations, to promote boiling and reduce pressure drop, utilizing liquid refrigerant from an HVAC system for efficient thermal energy transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional heat exchanger channels are used, then the structure is simple, but thermal energy transfer capacity is insufficient and pressure drop is high under two-phase flow conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies wavy channel configurations instead of straight channels. The wavy geometry creates curvature in the fluid flow path, which enhances turbulence and promotes nucleate boiling. This increases thermal energy transfer capacity while the wavy pattern is integrated into the plate structure, maintaining manufacturing feasibility through stamping or rolling processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger channels are segmented into multiple sections with varying cross-sectional areas. The channel cross-section increases from inlet to outlet, creating segmented zones that optimize two-phase flow distribution. This segmentation reduces pressure drop by preventing flow maldistribution and ensures efficient thermal energy transfer throughout the channel length.
2Productivity
If heat exchanger capacity is increased, then thermal energy transfer improves, but pressure drop increases under two-phase flow conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality variations in the channel design, including wavy sections with specific wavelengths and amplitudes, and cross-sectional area variations along the channel length. These local modifications optimize two-phase flow characteristics at different positions, enhancing heat transfer capacity while controlling pressure drop through strategically placed geometric features rather than uniform design changes.
3Reliability
If power electronics devices are integrated with heat exchanger, then thermal integration improves, but maintaining optimal temperatures under varying load conditions becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger design incorporates dynamic flow distribution through wavy channels and variable cross-sectional areas that adapt to varying heat loads. The two-phase flow regime naturally adjusts to different thermal conditions, and the wavy channel geometry promotes consistent nucleate boiling across a range of operating conditions, enabling the system to maintain optimal temperatures under varying power electronics load conditions.
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 enhances thermal energy transfer capacity and reduces pressure drop, maintaining optimal operating temperatures and improving system efficiency and reliability by promoting nucleate boiling and turbulence.
Implementation Method 1
heat exchanger configured to transfer thermal energy from the one or more power electronics devices into a flow of fluid passing through the one or more fluid pathways
Implementation Method 2
transfer thermal energy from the one or more power electronics devices into a flow of fluid passing through the one or more fluid pathways
Implementation Method 3
one or more internal enhancements and channel configurations to enhance thermal energy transfer by promoting boiling of the flow of fluid
Implementation Method 4
promoting boiling of the flow of fluid
Implementation Method 5
reduce the pressure drop in the pathways under a two-phase flow condition
Implementation Method 6
reduce the pressure drop in the pathways under a two-phase flow condition
Data Source
AI summary
A power electronics assembly includes one or more power electronics devices, and a heat exchanger to which the one or more power electronics devices are mounted. The heat exchanger includes an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold, and one or more fluid pathways extending connecting the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold, the heat exchanger configured to transfer thermal energy from the one or more power electronics devices into a flow of fluid passing through the one or more fluid pathways. Thee one or more fluid pathways include one or more internal enhancements and channel configurations to enhance thermal energy transfer by promoting boiling of the flow of fluid and to reduce the pressure drop in the pathways under a two-phase flow condition. The flow of fluid is a flow of liquid refrigerant diverted from a condenser of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.