THERMAL PACKAGING OF A MOTOR CONTROLLER FOR AN AUXILIARY POWER UNIT

• US 20110286184A1
• Filed: 05/19/2010
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Pal, Debabrata
• Granted Patent: US 8,310,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/700
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20445 the coupling element being an additional piece, e.g. thermal standoff
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2089 for power electronics, e.g. for inverters for controlling motor

Abstract

A starter motor controller for an auxiliary power unit transfers thermal energy from low thermal capacity electric components to high thermal capacity electric components to control temperature without active cooling systems.

Claims

1. A motor starter controller for an auxiliary power unit (APU), the motor starter controller comprising:

a base plate including a first side and a second side formed of a thermally conductive material;

a heat producing electrical component mounted to a first side of the base plate, the heat producing electrical component having a first mass; and

a second electrical component including a second mass greater than the first mass, the second electrical component mounted to the second side of the base plate opposite the heat producing electrical component, the second electrical component absorbing a portion of heat produced by the heat producing electrical component mounted on the first side of the base plate.

2. The motor starter controller as recited in claim 1, wherein the heat producing electrical component comprises at least one insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT).

3. The motor starter controller as recited in claim 1, wherein the second electrical component comprises at least one inductor.

4. The motor starter controller as recited in claim 3, wherein the at least one inductor comprises a winding within a housing, with an encapsulating material partially surrounding the winding within the housing, the encapsulating material comprising a thermally conductive and electrically non-conductive material.

5. The motor starter controller as recited in claim 4, wherein the encapsulating material comprises a solid-liquid phase change material such that a portion of the encapsulating material changes from a solid to a liquid responsive to absorbing heat.

6. The motor starter controller as recited in claim 5, wherein the solid-liquid phase change material is microencapsulated to maintain separation of the solid-liquid phase change material and the encapsulating material in both a solid and liquid phase.

7. The motor starter controller as recited in claim 1, wherein the second electrical component is mounted to the second side of the base plate in substantially the same position as the heat producing electrical component is mounted to the first side of the base plate.

8. An auxiliary power unit comprising:

a gas turbine engine;

an electric motor for starting the gas turbine engine; and

a motor starter controller module for controlling operation of the electric motor, the motor controller including a base plate formed of a thermally conductive material, a heat producing electric component mounted to a first side of the base plate and a second electric component mounted to a second side opposite the heat producing component, the second electrical component absorbs heat produced by the heat generating electrical component through the base plate.

9. The auxiliary power unit as recited in claim 8, wherein the second electrical component comprise a mass greater than the first electrical component.

10. The auxiliary power unit as recited in claim 8, wherein the heat producing electrical component comprises at least one insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT).

11. The auxiliary power unit as recited in claim 8, wherein the second electrical component comprises at least one inductor.

12. The auxiliary power unit as recited in claim 11, wherein the at least one inductor comprises a winding within a housing, with an encapsulating material partially surrounding the winding within the housing, the encapsulating material comprising a thermally conductive and electrically non-conductive material.

13. The auxiliary power unit as recited in claim 12, wherein the encapsulating material comprises a solid-liquid phase change material such that a portion of the encapsulating material changes from a solid to a liquid responsive to absorbing heat.

14. The auxiliary power unit as recited in claim 13, wherein the solid-liquid phase change material is microencapsulated to maintain separation of the solid-liquid phase change material and the encapsulating material in both a solid and liquid phase.

15. The auxiliary power unit as recited in claim 8, wherein the second electrical component is mounted to the second side of the base plate in substantially the same position as the heat producing electrical component is mounted to the first side of the base plate.

16. A method of controlling thermal energy produced during operation of a motor controller comprising the steps of:

mounting a heat producing electrical device on a first side of thermally conductive support;

mounting a second electrical device proximate the heat producing electrical device on the thermally conductive support; and

absorbing a substantial portion of heat generated by the heat producing electrical device with the second electrical device.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the first electrical device comprises an integrated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) module and the second electrical component comprises an inductor.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the inductor includes a winding disposed within a housing and an encapsulating material disposed about the winding, the encapsulating material including a solid-liquid phase change material and the absorbing of heat comprises absorbing heat with the solid-liquid phase change material.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the second electrical component is mounted to a second side opposite the first side of the thermally conductive support.