Thermosyphon cooling apparatus with isolation of cooled components

• US 10,178,803 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Dixit, Abhinav, Singhal, Atul, Woolard, David Glenn, Malik, Tarun
• Primary Examiner(s): Dravininkas, Adam B
• Application Number:
  US15/068,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20170265329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/03 with plate-like or laminated conduits stacked plates having one or more openings therein to form tubular heat-exchange passages F28F3/086
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 1/05366 Assemblies of conduits connected to common headers, e.g. core type radiators
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0233 the conduits having a particular shape, e.g. non-circular cross-section, annular F28D15/0241, F28D15/0266 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0266 with separate evaporating and condensing chambers connected by at least one conduit; Loop-type heat pipes; with multiple or common evaporating or condensing chambers F28D15/043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0275 Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/427 Cooling by change of state, e.g. use of heat pipes by liquefied gas H01L23/445
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/861 Diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20136 Forced ventilation, e.g. by fans H05K7/202 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20309 Evaporators
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20318 Condensers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20327 Accessories for moving fluid, for connecting fluid conduits, for distributing fluid or for preventing leakage, e.g. pumps, tanks or manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20936 Liquid coolant with phase change

Abstract

An apparatus includes at least one evaporator having a surface configured for mounting of a power electronic device thereon, a condenser fluidically coupled to the at least one evaporator by at least two coolant conduits that electrically insulate the at least one evaporator from the condenser, and a dielectric coolant contained in a thermosyphon loop comprising the at least one evaporator, the condenser and the at least two coolant conduits. The at least one evaporator may include at least two evaporators fluidically coupled by at least one coupler that electrically insulates the at least two evaporators from one another. The at least one evaporator may be housed within an enclosure, and the condenser may be positioned within the enclosure or outside of the enclosure.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an enclosure;

a cooling system comprising;

at least three evaporators disposed in the enclosure and having respective surfaces configured for mounting of a power electronic device thereon, the evaporators fluidically coupled in series by respective electrically insulating couplers between adjacent ones of the evaporators;

a condenser positioned in and/or external to the enclosure;

at least two electrically insulating conduits coupling the evaporators and the condenser in a thermosyphon loop; and

a dielectric coolant contained in the thermosyphon loop.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the evaporators comprises:

an inlet;

an input manifold coupled to the inlet;

a plurality of parallel coolant channels coupled to the input manifold;

an output manifold coupled to the plurality of parallel coolant channels; and

an outlet coupled to the output manifold.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the condenser comprises:

an inlet;

an input manifold coupled to the inlet;

a plurality of hollow plates coupled to the input manifold;

an output manifold coupled to the plurality of hollow plates; and

an outlet coupled to the output manifold.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least two electrically insulating conduits comprise flexible tubing.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of power electronic devices, wherein each of the evaporators has at least one of the power electronic devices mounted thereon.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a blower attached to the enclosure and configured to generate an airflow that passes over the condenser.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the evaporators are positioned within the enclosure and wherein the condenser is positioned external to the enclosure.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the evaporators are vertically aligned such that-a first one of the evaporators overlies a second one of the evaporators.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein an inlet of the first one of the evaporators overlies an outlet of the second one of the evaporators, and wherein one of the electrically insulating couplers provides a direct vertical fluid path between the inlet and the outlet.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least three evaporators having respective surfaces configured for mounting of a power electronic device thereon and fluidically coupled in series by respective electrically insulating couplers between adjacent ones of the evaporators;

a condenser fluidically coupled to the evaporators by at least two-coolant conduits that electrically insulate the evaporators from the condenser; and

a dielectric coolant contained in a thermosyphon loop comprising the evaporators, the condenser and the at least two coolant conduits.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, farther comprising:

an enclosure containing the evaporators; and

respective power electronic devices mounted on respective ones of the evaporators.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the condenser is positioned within the enclosure.

13. A rectifier apparatus comprising:

an enclosure;

a cooling system at least partially disposed in the enclosure and comprising;

at least three evaporators fluidically coupled in series by respective electrically insulating couplers between respective adjacent ones of the evaporators;

a condenser;

at least two electrically insulating conduits coupling the evaporators and the condenser in a thermosyphon loop; and

a dielectric coolant contained in the thermosyphon loop; and

a plurality of diodes electrically coupled to form a rectifier, respective groups of the diodes mounted on respective ones of the evaporators.

14. The rectifier apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a blower attached to the enclosure and configured to generate an airflow that passes over the condenser.

15. The rectifier apparatus of claim 13, wherein the evaporators comprise four evaporators fluidically coupled in series by three electrically insulating couplers, wherein the plurality of diodes comprises four groups of diodes and wherein respective groups of the four groups of diodes are mounted on respective ones of the four evaporators.

16. The rectifier apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least two electrically insulating conduits comprise a first electrically insulating conduit coupling a first one of the four evaporators to an inlet of the condenser and a second electrically insulating conduit coupling a second one of the four evaporators to an outlet of the condenser.

17. The rectifier apparatus of claim 13, wherein the condenser comprises a plurality of parallel hollow plates.