Cooling apparatus for power electronic components

• US 10,352,634 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liebherr-Components Biberach Gmbh (Liebherr-International AG)
• Original Assignee: Liebherr-Components Biberach Gmbh (Liebherr-International AG)
• Inventors: Schuster, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Russell, Devon
• Application Number:
  US15/032,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20160273853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 165 805, 165246, 165281, 165286
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/00 Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls ; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies F28D17/00, F28D19/00, F28D20/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 27/00 Control arrangements or safety devices specially adapted for heat-exchange or heat-transfer apparatus control arrangements in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/12 Elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel, e.g. with channels F28D1/02, F28D1/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/34 by measuring pressure or differential pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/44 Venturi tubes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A cooling apparatus for power electronic devices having at least one cooling body comprised of a cooling plate in contact with at least one power electronic component, and having a coolant line which leads through the cooling plate, wherein a device is provided for determining the flow quantity. The coolant line has a cross-sectional tapering in the cooling plate, with at least two measurement ports for connecting a differential pressure gauge for measuring a pressure difference at the two ports, wherein one is downstream of the cross-sectional tapering at the cooling plate. The flow determination device comprises an evaluation device for determining the flow quantity from the measured pressure difference. The cross-sectional tapering is configured as a venturi element, wherein the constriction is tapped after the tapering and the wide point is tapped before the tapering with a measurement port to determine the pressure difference adopted over the venturi nozzle.

Claims

1. A cooling apparatus for power electronic components comprising:

a plurality of cooling bodies each in a form of a cooling plate;

a flow determination device comprising an evaluation device for determining a flow quantity flowing through each cooling plate;

a common intake manifold connected to a plurality of coolant lines, each coolant line of the plurality of coolant lines leading through a respective cooling body of the plurality of cooling bodies, wherein a coolant is flowed through each of the plurality of coolant lines, and wherein each coolant line has a cross-sectional tapering inside the respective cooling plate;

a common measurement port arranged at the common intake manifold; and

a plurality of additional measurement ports, each additional measurement port arranged within a respective coolant line within a respective cooling plate at or directly downstream of the respective cross-sectional tapering,

wherein a differential pressure gauge is connectable to the common measurement port at the common intake manifold and to each additional measurement port to measure a pressure difference inside each respective cooling plate, and

wherein the evaluation device determines the flow quantity through each respective cooling body from respective pressure differences between the common intake manifold and each respective additional measurement port.

2. The cooling apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an outflow measurement port provided at an outflow collector coupled downstream of each cooling body, wherein a differential pressure between the common intake manifold and the outflow collector is determined by the differential pressure gauge, and wherein individual flow quantities through individual cooling bodies and a total flow quantity through all the cooling bodies is determined by the evaluation device from the pressure difference between the common intake manifold and the outflow collector as well as from pressure values at the individual cooling bodies.

3. The cooling apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the measurement ports are configured as releasable plug-in ports or screw-in ports.

4. The cooling apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the evaluation device is connectable via a bus to a higher-order control apparatus for controlling at least one operating parameter of the cooling apparatus.