INVERTER POWER MODULE PACKAGING WITH COLD PLATE

• US 20170229378A1
• Filed: 02/20/2017
• Published: 08/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atieva, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atieva, Inc.
• Inventors: TANG, Yifan, JAN, James, TSAI, Benson
• Granted Patent: US 10,321,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: H01H 9/52 Cooling of switch parts cooling of contacts H01H1/62
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/112 Mixed assemblies
• 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 7/1432 specially adapted for power drive units or power converters
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20254 Cold plates transferring heat from heat source to coolant
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

A heat sink is provided. The heat sink includes a single-piece housing having a floor and two walls, the walls perpendicular to the floor and the walls are parallel to each other. The heat sink includes the housing having an inlet and an outlet. The housing is configured to attach power modules to an outer surface of the floor and to outer surfaces of the two walls. The housing is configured to cool the power modules in response to fluid flow into the inlet.

Claims

1. A heat sink comprising:

a single-piece housing having a floor and two walls, the walls perpendicular to the floor, the walls parallel to each other;

the housing having an inlet and an outlet; and

the housing configured to attach power modules to an outer surface of the floor and to outer surfaces of the two walls, the housing configured to cool the power modules in response to fluid flow into the inlet.

2. The heat sink of claim 1, further comprising:

a chamber internal to the floor and the two walls, the chamber in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet.

3. The heat sink of claim 1, further comprising:

a further outlet; and

a plurality of liquid flow guide separators internal to the floor and the two walls, the liquid flow guide separators configured to direct the fluid flow from the inlet, through the floor, through the two walls, to the outlet and the further outlet.

4. The heat sink of claim 1, further comprising:

pin fins extending into interiors of the floor and of the two walls, the pin fins configured to contact the fluid flow.

5. The heat sink of claim 1, further comprising:

an interior of the floor having a continuous fluid path from the inlet to interiors of the two walls; and

the interiors of the two walls having continuous fluid paths from the interior of the floor to the outlet.

6. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the floor and the outer surfaces of the two walls include cold plate covers.

7. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein the single-piece housing has a U-shaped cross-section formed by the floor and the two walls.

8. A power module package, comprising:

a first cold plate, with a first cold plate cover assembled thereto, and a first power module assembled to the first cold plate cover;

a second cold plate, with a second cold plate cover assembled thereto, and a second power module assembled to the second cold plate cover, the second cold plate extending perpendicularly from an edge of the first cold plate; and

a third cold plate, with a third cold plate cover assembled thereto, a third power module assembled to the third cold plate cover, the third cold plate extending perpendicularly from an edge of the second cold plate, the third cold plate parallel to the first cold plate; and

an inner nesting region of the power module package, bounded by the first cold plate, the second cold plate and the third cold plate, the power module package configured to cool the first power module, the second power module, the third power module and the inner nesting region of the power module package in response to a fluid flowing through the first cold plate, the second cold plate and the third cold plate.

9. The power module package of claim 8, further comprising:

each of the first cold plate cover, the second cold plate cover and the third cold plate cover having pin fins, the pin fins configured to immerse in the fluid.

10. The power module package of claim 8, further comprising:

each of the first power module, the second power module and the third power module having power devices facing the first cold plate cover, the second cold plate cover and the third cold plate cover, respectively.

11. The power module package of claim 8, further comprising:

a thermal conductive compound thermally coupling the first power module to the first cold plate cover, the second power module to the second cold plate cover, and the third power module to the third cold plate cover.

12. The power module package of claim 8, further comprising:

an inlet, centrally located at one end of the second cold plate, the inlet configured to flow the fluid into the second cold plate.

13. The power module package of claim 8, further comprising:

a first outlet, located at a juncture of the first cold plate and the second cold plate, the first outlet configured to flow the fluid out from the first cold plate; and

a second outlet, located at a juncture of the second cold plate and the third cold plate, the second outlet configured to flow the fluid out from the third cold plate.

14. The power module package of claim 8, further comprising:

separators attached to the first cold plate, the second cold plate and the third cold plate, the separators configured to guide the fluid through the first cold plate, the second cold plate and the third cold plate.

15. The power module package of claim 8, further comprising:

the first cold plate having an aperture that fluidly couples an interior of the first cold plate to an interior of the second cold plate; and

the third cold plate having a further aperture that fluidly couples an interior of the third cold plate to the interior of the second cold plate.

16. A power module package, comprising:

a driver module;

a heat sink with a U-shaped cross-section and a chambered interior, the driver module nesting in a hollow that is partially surrounded by the heat sink, the chambered interior configured for a fluid flow therethrough; and

a plurality of power modules attached to external surfaces of the heat sink.

17. The power module package of claim 16, wherein:

the U-shaped cross section of the heat sink is formed by a first cold plate, a second cold plate and a third cold plate, the second cold plate acting as a floor of the heat sink, the first cold plate and the third cold plate acting as walls of the heat sink; and

the driver module is supported on a bracket, the bracket extending inwardly from a member of the set consisting of;

the first cold plate, the second cold plate, and the third cold plate.

18. The power module package of claim 16, wherein:

the chambered interior includes a chamber inside a floor of the heat sink and further chambers inside two walls of the heat sink; and

the chambered interior configured for a fluid flow therethrough includes the fluid flow splitting from the chamber to the further chambers.

19. The power module package of claim 16, wherein:

the heat sink includes separators extending into the chambered interior; and

the heat sink includes pin fins extending into the chambered interior.

20. The power module package of claim 16, wherein the heat sink includes a plurality of cold plate covers, each cold plate cover of the plurality of cold plate covers having attached on one face a power module of the plurality of power modules and having on an opposed face a plurality of pin fins.

21. A method of cooling a three-sided power module, the method comprising:

providing a heat sink attached to a three-sided power module;

flowing a coolant into an inlet of the heat sink;

directing a primary flow of the coolant to cool a middle section of the three-sided power module;

splitting the primary flow into a first secondary flow and a second secondary flow;

directing the first secondary flow to cool a first side-section of the three-sided power module, wherein the first side-section is adjacent to the middle section and oriented at a first nonzero angle thereto, and the first secondary flow exits the first side-section via a first outlet; and

directing the second secondary flow to cool a second side-section of the three-sided power module, wherein the second side-section is adjacent to the middle section and oriented at a second nonzero angle thereto, and the second secondary flow exits the second side-section via a second outlet.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

cooling a driver module via the primary flow, the first secondary flow and the second secondary flow, the driver module coupled to the three-sided power module, the driver module nested in a hollow of the heat sink, the driver module partially surrounded by the three-sided power module.