COOLING SYSTEMS FOR VARIABLE SPEED DRIVES AND INDUCTORS

• US 20080174393A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Hoover, Steve, Rogers, Kathleen S., Yanik, Mustafa Kemel, Schnetzka, Harold R., Jadric, Ivan
• Granted Patent: US 7,876,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 336/57
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/021 Inverters therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/025 Motor control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/12 Arrangements for reducing harmonics from ac input or output
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/123 Suppression of common mode voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2201/03 AC-DC converter stage controlled to provide a defined DC link voltage general aspects of plural converters in cascade H02M
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/08 with pulse width modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/50 Reduction of harmonics
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/093 using special filtering or amplification characteristics in the loop H03L7/087 - H03L7/091 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/095 using a lock detector H03L7/087 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20936 Liquid coolant with phase change
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

A plastic liquid cooled variable speed drive or inductor provided. The cooler provides lightweight, space conservative, corrosive free cooling to the components as well as provides a mounting area for modules. A cooler can be mounted to the core of an inductor to absorb heat generated by the core losses.

Claims

1. A power assembly for a variable speed drive system comprising:

a film capacitor;

at least one cooling device mounted on the film capacitor, the at least one cooling device operating as a heat sink for the film capacitor and being configured to circulate a cooling fluid through the at least one cooling device;

at least one electrical component mounted on the at least one cooling device, the at least one electrical component being cooled by the circulating cooling fluid in the at least one cooling device; and

wherein the at least one cooling device comprises a plastic material.

2. The power assembly of claim 1 wherein the film capacitor comprises mounting fasteners to mount additional components and to mount the power system in an enclosure.

3. The power assembly of claim 1 wherein the cooling device is plastic.

4. The power assembly of claim 1 wherein the cooling device operates at a continuous use temperature of approximately 100 degrees centigrade.

5. The power assembly of claim 1 wherein the fluid directed through the cooler is refrigerant, glycol or water.

6. The power assembly of claim 1 wherein the base is manufactured by an injection molding process, a casting process or a machined process.

7. The power assembly of claim 1 wherein the plastic material meets the UL746A-E standard.

8. The power assembly of claim 1 wherein a plurality of electronic components are mounted to the cooler.

9. The power assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one cooling device mounted on the film capacitor is secured to the film capacitor with at least one fastener.

10. The power assembly of claim 9 wherein the at least one fastener is a screw.

12. The inductor of claim 8 wherein the coil includes layers of thermally conductive, electrically insulating material.

13. The inductor of claim 8 wherein the core includes air gaps filled with thermal conductors.

14. The inductor of claim 8 wherein the cooling device is plastic.

15. The inductor of claim 8 wherein the cooling device operates at a continuous use temperature of approximately 200 degrees centigrade.

16. The inductor of claim 8 wherein the fluid directed through the cooler is refrigerant, glycol or water.

17. The inductor of claim 8 wherein the base is manufactured by an injection molding process, a casting process or a machined process.

18. The inductor of claim 8 wherein the coil includes layers of thermally conductive, electrically insulating material.

19. The inductor of claim 8 wherein the core includes air gaps filled with thermal conductors.

20. The inductor of claim 16 wherein the thermal conductors are ceramic.

11. An inductor comprising:

a core having at least one core leg;

a coil being in thermal communication with at least one core leg;

a cooling device mounted on the core and being in thermal communication with the core, the cooling device operating as a heat sink for the core; and

wherein the cooling device is configured to circulate a cooling fluid through the cooling device to absorb heat generated by the core.