COOLING APPARATUS FOR POWER ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

• US 20160273853A1
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Published: 09/22/2016
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,352,634 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 having at least one cooling body in the form of a cooling plate which is in contact with at least one power electronic component to be cooled and having a coolant line which is flowed through by a coolant and which leads through the cooling plate, wherein a flow determination device is provided for determining a flow quantity flowing through the cooling plate, wherein the coolant line in the cooling plate has a cross-sectional tapering and has two measurement ports for connecting a differential pressure gauge for measuring a pressure difference at the two measurement ports, with one of the measurement ports being arranged at or directly downstream of the cross-sectional tapering and with the flow determination device comprising an evaluation device for determining the flow quantity from the pressure difference.

2. The cooling apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional tapering is formed between the a first and a second measurement port in the form of a venturi element which forms a constriction which is adjoined by the an intake section and a drain section continuously varying in diameter upstream and downstream.

3. The cooling apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first measurement port is provided at the constriction of the venturi element and the second measurement port is arranged upstream of the intake section of the venturi element of the coolant line in the cooling plate directly upstream of the intake section.

4. The cooling apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein the venturi element forms an insert part which is inserted into the cooling plate and forms a part of the coolant line through the cooling plate in the cooling plate.

5. The cooling apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the differential pressure gauge comprises two pressure sensor elements which are connectable to the measurement ports and which are connectable to the evaluation device, wherein the evaluation device has a pressure difference determination device for determining the pressure difference from signals of the two pressure sensor elements.

6. The cooling apparatus in accordance with claim 5, wherein the pressure sensor elements are installed and fastened without interposition of a piping directly to the cooling plate or to a sensor holder rigidly fastened to the cooling plate.

7. The cooling apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling body forms one of a plurality of cooling bodies wherein the plurality of cooling bodies are connected to a common intake manifold and/or to a common outflow collector.

8. The cooling apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein the coolant line in each of the plurality of cooling bodies has a cross-sectional tapering and a respective measurement port is provided at or directly downstream of the cross-sectional tapering, wherein a further measurement port is provided at the intake manifold, wherein the differential pressure gauge is connectable to the measurement port at the intake manifold, on the one hand, and to the measurement ports at the cooling bodies, on the other hand, and the evaluation device determines the flow quantity through the respective cooling body from the pressure difference between the intake manifold and a respective cooling body.

9. The cooling apparatus in accordance with claim 8, wherein a measurement port is provided at the outflow collector, wherein a differential pressure between the intake manifold and the outflow collector is determined by the differential pressure gauge and individual flow quantities through individual cooling bodies, on the one hand, and total flow quantity through all the cooling bodies, on the other hand, is determined by the evaluation device from the pressure difference between the intake manifold and the outflow collector as well from the pressure values at the cooling bodies.

10. The cooling apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the at least one cooling body and/or of the coolant flowing through the at least one cooling body is provided, wherein the temperature sensor is attached to the cooling body and is connected to the evaluation device.

11. The cooling apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein the evaluation device is configured such that the flow quantity can be determined in dependence on the temperature determined by the temperature sensor.

12. The cooling apparatus in accordance with claim 10, wherein, on a use of a plurality of cooling bodies, at least one temperature sensor is associated with each of the cooling bodies.

13. The cooling apparatus in accordance with claim 9, wherein the measurement ports are configured as releasable plug-in ports or screw-in ports.

14. The cooling apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the evaluation device is connected to a plurality of differential pressure sensors to monitor a plurality of cooling bodies.

15. 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.

16. The cooling apparatus in accordance with claim 3, wherein the second measurement port arranged upstream of the intake section of the venturi element is in a section not yet tapered.