Cooling structure of power semiconductor device and inverter

• US 7,876,563 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Shiba, Kenjiro
• Primary Examiner(s): PAPE, ZACHARY
• Application Number:
  US12/161,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20100238629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 361698-700, 174/15.1, 257714-715, 165 804- 805, 165/104.33, 363/141
• US Class Current: 361/699
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

A cooling structure of a power semiconductor device includes a cooling water passage and a plurality of fins. The cooling water for cooling the power semiconductor device flows through the cooling water passage. The plurality of fins are provided on a path of the cooling water passage and set up with a spacing therebetween in a direction orthogonal to a flow direction of the cooling water. The plurality of fins promote heat exchange between the power semiconductor device and the cooling water. The plurality of fins have ends facing the upstream side of a cooling water flow. The end of at least one fin among the plurality of fins is arranged so as to be displaced to a more upstream side of the cooling water flow than the ends of the fins adjacent to both sides of the at least one fin. By such a configuration, there is provided a cooling structure of a power semiconductor device and an inverter with excellent cooling efficiency.

Claims

1. A cooling structure of a power semiconductor device, comprising:

a cooling water passage that is formed opposite to a mounting surface where the power semiconductor device is mounted, a cooling water for cooling said power semiconductor device flowing through the cooling water passage; and

a plurality of fins provided on a path of said cooling water passage and set up with a spacing therebetween in a direction orthogonal to a flow direction of the cooling water to promote heat exchange between said power semiconductor device and the cooling water,

said plurality of fins having ends facing an upstream side of a cooling water flow, and

said end of at least one fin among said plurality of fins being arranged so as to be displaced to a more upstream side of the cooling water flow than said ends of the fins adjacent to both sides of said fin,

wherein

said cooling water passage is formed at a position between a pair of inner walls that are arranged on both sides of said plurality of fins and face each other,

said cooling water passage meanders on said mounting surface, and

at a straight portion of said cooling water passage extending straight, said ends are arranged so as to be displaced from a downstream side to the upstream side of the cooling water flow as a distance from each of said pair of inner walls increases.

2. The cooling structure of a power semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein

said ends are arranged such that positions where the cooling water flowing through said cooling water passage and said ends collide with each other are displaced between said plurality of fins in the flow direction of the cooling water, and

a pressure loss of the cooling water flow generated due to the collision between the cooling water and said ends is reduced.

3. The cooling structure of a power semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein

said cooling water passage is provided with a blocking member that blocks the cooling water flow in a part of a cross section of said cooling water passage, and said ends are arranged adjacently to said blocking member on a more downstream side of the cooling water flow than said blocking member.

4. The cooling structure of a power semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein

said ends are arranged so as to be increasingly displaced from the downstream side to the upstream side of the cooling water flow as the distance from each of said pair of inner walls increases.

5. The cooling structure of a power semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising additional fins, said additional fins having ends facing the upstream side of the cooling water flow, wherein said ends of said additional fins are arranged so a to be alternately displaced to the upstream side and the downstream side of the cooling water flow in the direction in which said additional fins are lined up.

6. The cooling structure of a power semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein said ends of said additional fins that are arranged so as to be displaced to the upstream side of the cooling water flow are displaced in the flow direction of the cooling water, and said ends of said additional fins that are arranged so as to be displaced to the downstream side of the cooling water flow are displaced in the flow direction of the cooling water.

7. The cooling structure of a power semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising additional fins at a curved portion of said cooling water passage extending in a curve, ends of said additional fins are arranged so as to be displaced from the downstream side to the upstream side of the cooling water flow toward the direction from an inner circumferential side to an outer circumferential side of said curved portion.

8. An inverter having the cooling structure of a power semiconductor device as recited in claim 1, and mounted on a vehicle.