Electrical device with a cooling channel between compartments

• US 10,165,711 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marici Holdings The Netherlands B.V.
• Original Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Pallasmaa, Aaro, Hyytia, Jaakko
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Zachary M
• Application Number:
  US14/928,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20160128229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 363141, 36167946-67954, 361688-723
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20163 the components being isolated from air flow, e.g. hollow heat sinks, wind tunnels or funnels
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20409 Outer radiating structures on heat dissipating housings, e.g. fins integrated with the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20918 the components being isolated from air flow, e.g. hollow heat sinks, wind tunnels or funnels

Abstract

An electrical device comprising electrical components, the electrical components of the electrical device being arranged in at least two separate compartments (1, 2) having walls, wherein the at least two compartments are substantially closed and arranged at a distance from each other and the walls of the at least two compartments are arranged to form walls of a cooling channel (7) between the compartments (1, 2).

Claims

1. An electrical device comprising electrical components, the electrical components of the electrical device being arranged in at least two separate compartments having walls,

wherein the at least two compartments are closed and arranged at a distance from each other and a first wall of one compartment and a second wall of another compartment are arranged to form walls of a cooling channel between the compartments,

wherein the electrical components arranged in the at least two separate compartments are electrically interconnected with electrical conductors, and the device comprises at least one conduit between the at least two separate compartments adapted to hold the electrical conductors, and

wherein the at least one conduit is at least partly disposed within the cooling channel, one end of the conduit being connected to the first wall and another end of the conduit being connected to the second wall.

2. An electrical device according to claim 1, wherein first compartment of the at least two separate compartments is adapted to hold printed circuit board installations, such as control circuits of the electrical device, and wherein the second compartment of the at least two separate compartments is adapted to hold high loss and high temperature withstanding components, such as output chokes of the electrical device.

3. An electrical device according to claim 2, wherein the cooling channel comprises means for providing forced cooling.

4. An electrical device according to claim 2, wherein the device comprises a back side and a front side, and wherein one of the at least two separate compartments is arranged in the back side of the device and another of the at least two compartments is arranged in the front side of the device, and the cooling channel is arranged to be substantially vertical when the electrical device is in its mounting position.

5. An electrical device according to claim 2, wherein the wall of at least one of the separate compartment forming the cooling channel comprises corrugated pattern to increase the surface area of the wall of the compartment in the cooling channel.

6. An electrical device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one conduit is adapted to produce a substantially closed channel between the two compartments such that the conduit opens at its first end to the first compartment and in the second end to the second compartment.

7. An electrical device according to claim 2, wherein the device is an inverter, and preferably a wall-mounted inverter.

8. An electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling channel comprises means for providing forced cooling.

9. An electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the electrical components arranged in the at least two separate compartments are arranged to be cooled by the cooling channel.

10. An electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a back side and a front side, and wherein one of the at least two separate compartments is arranged in the back side of the device and another of the at least two compartments is arranged in the front side of the device, and the cooling channel is arranged to be vertical when the electrical device is in its mounting position.

11. An electrical device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the separate compartments comprises semiconductor switch components which are thermally connected to cooling ribs located in the cooling channel.

12. An electrical device according to claim 11, wherein the cooling ribs are directly formed to the outer surface of the at least one of the separate compartments.

13. An electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the wall of at least one of the separate compartment forming the cooling channel comprises corrugated pattern to increase the surface area of the wall of the compartment in the cooling channel.

14. An electrical device according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the at least one conduits are integrated to one of the at least two separate compartments and thereby arranged as an integral part of the one of the at least two separate compartments.

15. An electrical device according to claim 14, wherein the one or more of the integrated conduits of the one of the at least two separate compartments comprises means for supporting the other of the two separated compartments of the device.

16. An electrical device according to claim 15, wherein the means for supporting the other of the two separated compartments of the device comprises fixing means for connecting said other compartment of the device to the free ends of the integrated conduits.

17. An electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one conduit is adapted to produce a closed channel between the two compartments such that the conduit opens at its first end to the first compartment and in the second end to the second compartment.

18. An electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the device is an inverter, and preferably a wall-mounted inverter.

19. An electrical device according to claim 1, wherein the conduit is adapted to hold a plurality of the electrical conductors.