Cooling apparatus for power semiconductors

• US 6,493,227 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2001
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Danfoss Drives A/S (Danfoss A/S)
• Original Assignee: Danfoss Drives A/S (Danfoss A/S)
• Inventors: Kappel, Lars, Nielsen, Jesper Soebygaard
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMPSON, GREGORY D
• Application Number:
  US09/996,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20020064028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 622/592, 165/80.3, 165/185, 165/361, 165/509, 165/514, 174/16.3, 257/722, 257/718-719, 361/688-690, 361/694-697, 361/703-710, 361/715, 363/141, 363/144
• US Class Current: 361/703
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20918 the components being isolated from air flow, e.g. hollow heat sinks, wind tunnels or funnels

Abstract

A cooling apparatus for power semiconductors, which apparatus is essentially box-shaped, has two extruded cooling sections (14, 15) joined to each other. One of the cooling profiles (14) forms a first heat-conducting side wall (16), and the other cooling profile (15) forms a second heat-conducting side wall (17), opposite the first side wall (16), of the cooling apparatus (1). The side walls (16, 17) have cooling partitions (18, 19) formed on the inner sides of the latter, which cooling partitions bound cooling channels through which a cooling fluid can be conducted. Power semiconductors (4, 5) are to be attached to the outer sides of the side walls (16, 17) in a heat-conducting manner. In order to achieve the largest possible cooling surface of the cooling apparatus, the cooling partitions (18) formed on the first side wall (16) project between the cooling partitions (19) formed on the second side wall (17).

Claims

1. Cooling apparatus for power semiconductors, which apparatus is essentially box-shaped and displays two extruded cooling sections joined to each other, of which one cooling section forms a first heat-conducting side wall and the other cooling section forms a second heat-conducting side wall, opposite the first side wall, of the cooling apparatus;

in this, the side walls display cooling partitions formed on the inner sides of the latter, which cooling partitions bound cooling channels through which cooling fluid can be conducted;

the cooling partitions formed on the first side wall project between the cooling partitions formed on the second side wall;

the first side wall displays a smaller cross section than the second side wall; and

power semiconductors are to be attached to the outer side of the second side wall in a heat-conducting manner;

wherein power semiconductors with lower waste heat are to be attached to the outer side of the first side wall and power semiconductors with higher waste heat are to be attached to the outer side of the second side wall, and that the cross sections of all of the cooling partitions formed on the inner sides of the side walls increase from the first towards the second side walls.

2. Cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the edge regions, facing away from the first side wall, of the cooling partitions formed on the first side wall are pressed into grooves in the second side wall.

3. Cooling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the edge regions, facing away from the first side wall, of the cooling partitions formed on the first side wall form a bulb.

4. Cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the front sides, facing away from the second side wall, of the cooling partitions formed on the second side wall display depressions, in which projections formed on the inner side of the first side wall are held fixed.

5. Cooling apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the projections are shorter than the depressions are deep.

6. Cooling apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the projections are pressed fixedly into the depressions accompanied by reciprocal cold welding.

7. Cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cooling partitions are provided with cooling ribs.

8. Cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two outer cooling partitions of the cooling partitions formed on the second side wall form two additional side walls of the cooling apparatus.