Power module cooling system

• US 9,030,822 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2011
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lear Corporation
• Inventors: Sharaf, Nadir, Qin, Yu, Rathod, Reshma, Hampo, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAPE, ZACHARY
• Application Number:
  US13/209,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20130044434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,366 Days
• Field of Search: 36167946-67954, 361688-723, 165 804- 805, 165/104.33, 257/714, 174/15.1, 174547-548, 363/141
• US Class Current: 361/699
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 4/228 Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/44 Circuits or arrangements for compensating for electromagnetic interference in converters or inverters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/493 the static converters being arranged for operation in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

A cooling system is operable to facilitate cooling a power module or other electronic assembly. The cooling system may be configured to facilitate cooling a DC/AC inverter or other electronic assembly where two power modules may be arranged in an opposing relationship relative to a coolant passageway. The opposing relationship may be suitable to minimizing a packaging size and footprint required to facilitate interacting both power modules with the coolant flow.

Claims

1. A power module cooling system comprising:

a first power module having a first plurality of cooling fins;

a second power module having a second plurality of cooling fins;

a cold plate having a top side shaped to receive the first power module and a bottom side shaped to receive the second power module, the top side and the bottom side being spaced apart to define a fluid passageway into which the first and second plurality of cooling fins extend, the fluid passageway extending between first and second apertures included within respective first and second lateral sides of the cold plate, the first aperture for receiving fluid directed through the fluid passageway to the second aperture to facilitate cooling of the first and second plurality of cooling fins;

a first cooling manifold operable to exchange fluid with the first aperture and a second cooling manifold operable to exchange fluid with the second aperture; and

a first cooling manifold seal around an entire perimeter of the first aperture between the cold plate and the first cooling manifold and a second cooling manifold seal around an entire perimeter of the second aperture between the cold plate and the second cooling manifold, the first and second manifold seals being operable to prevent fluid from leaking out of the fluid passageway.

2. The power module cooling system of claim 1 further comprising a first power module seal around an entire perimeter of a top side of the fluid passageway between the cold plate and the first power module and a second power module seal around an entire perimeter of a bottom side of the fluid passageway between the cold plate and the second power module, the first and second power module seals being operable to prevent fluid from leaking out of the fluid passageway.

3. The power module cooling system of claim 2 further comprising a plurality of fastener apertures within the top side and the bottom side of the cold plate outboard of the fluid passageway and the first and second power module seals, the plurality of fastener apertures aligning with corresponding fastener apertures of the first and second power modules through which fasteners extend to secure the first power module and the second power module to the top side and the bottom side of the cold plate.

4. The power module cooling system of claim 3 wherein the fasteners apertures are operable with the fasteners to facilitate compressing the first power module against the first power module seal and the second power module against the second power module seal.

5. The power module cooling system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of fastener apertures within the first and second lateral sides of the cold plate, the plurality of fastener apertures aligning with corresponding fastener apertures of the first and second cooling manifolds through which fasteners extend to secure the first cooling manifold and the second cooling manifold to the first and second lateral sides of the cold plate.

6. The power module cooling system of claim 1 further comprising a capacitor having a height greater than a combined height of the first and second power modules and a width greater than the first power module, the capacitor having at least a first plurality of capacitor terminals connected to the first power module and a second plurality of capacitor terminals connected to the second power module.

7. The power module cooling system of claim 6 further comprising a clamp bracket used to position the capacitor relative to the first and second power modules being fastened to at least two of the cold plate, the first cooling manifold, and the second cooling manifold, the clamp bracket aligning the plurality of capacitor terminals with corresponding terminals of the first and second power modules.

8. The power module cooling system of claim 7 wherein the clamp bracket is not fastened to the capacitor.

9. The power module cooling system of claim 7 wherein the clamp bracket fastens to both of the cold plate and the first cooling manifold, wherein the second cooling manifold is shaped differently from the first cooling manifold such that the second cooling manifold cannot be fastened to the clamp bracket.

10. The power module cooling system of claim 1 wherein outboard ends of the first plurality of fins are position no more than 1 mm from outboard ends of the second plurality of fins.

11. The power module cooling system of claim 1 wherein outboard ends of the first plurality of fins are positioned no closer than 0.1 mm from outboard ends of the second plurality of fins.

12. A cooling system for use with a DC/AC inverter, the DC/AC inverter having a first power module comprised at least of a plurality of first switches controlled with a first driver and a physically separate second power module comprised at least of a plurality of second switches controlled with a second driver, wherein each one of the plurality of first switches is electrically connected in parallel with at least a corresponding one of the plurality of second switches, each of the first and second power modules including a plurality of outwardly extending cooling fins, the cooling system comprising:

a cold plate having a fluid passageway through which a cooling fluid flows in a longitudinal direction, the cold plate being configured to position the cooling fins of the first and second power modules in an opposing relationship within the fluid passageway to be cooled by the cooling fluid, wherein the cold plate includes opposed top and bottom apertures extending longitudinally across substantially the entire longitudinal direction, the cooling fins of the first and second power modules respectively extending through the opposed top and bottom apertures, and wherein the cold plate includes opposed left and right apertures at correspondingly opposed longitudinal ends, the left and right apertures being transverse to the top and bottom apertures, the right aperture receiving the cooling fluid and the left aperture expelling the cooling fluid, wherein the left and right apertures are smaller than the top and bottom apertures;

a left manifold configured to exchange the cooling fluid with the left aperture;

a right manifold configured to exchange the cooling fluid with the right aperture;

a capacitor having a first set of terminals electrically and mechanically connected to the first power module, a second set of terminals electrically and mechanically connected to the second power module, and a third set of terminals electrically and mechanically connected to an EMI filter; and

a clamp bracket configured to secure the capacitor relative to the first and second power module and the cold plate, the clamp bracket fastening at one portion to the cold plate and at another portion to at least one of the left manifold and the right manifold.

13. The cooling system of claim 12 wherein the opposing relationship is characterized by an outboard end of each cooling fin of the first power module being positioned no more than 1.0 mm from an outboard end of a correspondingly opposed one of the cooling fins of the second power module.

14. The cooling system of claim 12 wherein a height of the cold plate measured transversely to the longitudinal direction is less than a width of the cold plate measured in the longitudinal direction, and wherein a depth of the cold plate measured laterally to the longitudinal direction is greater than the height and less than the width.

15. A three-phase DC/AC inverter comprising:

a first power module having a first plurality of switches operable to invert a DC input to a three-phase AC output and a first plurality of cooling fins;

a separate second power module having a second plurality of switches matching the first plurality of switches and connected in parallel therewith, the second power module including a second plurality of cooling fins; and

a cold plate having a fluid passageway through which a cooling fluid flows in a longitudinal direction, the first plurality of cooling fins being positioned by the cold plate in an opposing manner to the second plurality of cooling fins in order to be cooled by the cooling fluid, the fluid passageway extending between first and second apertures included within respective first and second lateral sides of the cold plate, the first aperture for receiving fluid directed through the fluid passageway to the second aperture to facilitate cooling of the first and second plurality of cooling fins;

a first cooling manifold operable to exchange fluid with the first aperture and a second cooling manifold operable to exchange fluid with the second aperture; and

a plurality of fastener apertures within the first and second lateral sides of the cold plate, the plurality of fastener apertures aligning with corresponding fastener apertures of the first and second cooling manifolds to receive fasteners to secure the first cooling manifold and the second cooling manifold to the first and second lateral sides of the cold plate.