Power module with cooling system for electronic cards

• US 10,383,260 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2018
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alstom Transport Technologies
• Original Assignee: Alstom Transport Technologies
• Inventors: Audemar, Christophe
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Courtney L
• Application Number:
  US15/901,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20180249591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3672 Foil-like cooling fins or heat sinks being part of lead-frames H01L23/49568
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/162 the devices being mounted on two or more different substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/062 Means for thermal insulation, e.g. for protection of parts
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20518 Unevenly distributed heat load, e.g. different sectors at different temperatures, localised cooling, hot spots
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/209 Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure H05K7/20909 takes precedence

Abstract

The application relates to a power module (10) including: pieces of electrical equipment (12), at least first (14) and second (16) electronic cards, and a cooling device (20), able to discharge the heat given off by the pieces of electrical equipment and electronic cards. The cooling devices include first (34) and second (36) surfaces thermally insulated from one another, the pieces of electrical equipment (12) being in thermal contact with the first surface and separated from the second surface. The first electronic card (14) is fastened to a piece of electrical equipment (12) and thermally connected to the second surface (36) of the cooling device by a heat sink (42). The second electronic card (16) is positioned close to the second surface (36), or in contact with the second surface.

Claims

1. A power module, comprising:

pieces of electrical equipment,

at least first and second electronic cards, and

a cooling device, able to discharge heat given off by said pieces of electrical equipment and electronic cards;

wherein;

the cooling devices include first and second surfaces thermally insulated from one another, the pieces of electrical equipment being in thermal contact with the first surface and separated from the second surface;

the first electronic card is fastened to a piece of electrical equipment, said first electronic card being thermally connected to the second surface of the cooling device by a heat sink; and

the second electronic card is positioned close to the second surface of the cooling device or in contact with said second surface.

2. The power module according to claim 1, wherein the first and second surfaces of the cooling device are substantially coplanar.

3. The power module according to claim 2, wherein the cooling device includes:

a cooling panel, a first face of said panel forming the first and second surfaces of the cooling device; and

ventilation fins, fastened to a second face of the cooling panel.

4. The power module according to claim 3, wherein each of the first and second surfaces is made from a thermally conducting material, the cooling panel further including a strip of thermally insulating material, separating said first and second surfaces.

5. The power module according to claim 3, wherein the cooling panel includes at least one slit separating the first and second surfaces, said first and second surfaces being connected to one another at the ends of said slit.

6. The power module according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink includes a strip of a thermally conducting material, first and second ends of said strip being in thermal contact, respectively with the first electronic card and with the second surface.

7. The power module according to claim 6, wherein a thermal contact between the first electronic card and the first end of the heat sink is provided by a layer of thermally conductive paste or foam.

8. The power module according to claim 1, including at least one thermally insulating wall positioned between the second electronic card and a piece of electrical equipment.

9. The power module according to claim 8, wherein a face of the thermally insulating wall, oriented toward the piece of electrical equipment, is covered by a layer of material deflecting infrared radiation.