Cooling circuit with a sufficiently accurately measured heat exchanger

• US 9,232,685 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Technology AG (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Habert, Mathieu, Apeldoorn, Oscar, Gradinger, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gafur, Razmeen
• Application Number:
  US14/025,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20140071629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 361676-678, 36167946-67954, 361688-723, 165 801- 805, 165/104.33, 165/185, 174 151- 153, 174 161- 163, 174/547, 174/548, 257712-722, 257/E23.088, 244/53, 24458-459, 454/184, 312/236
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2023/4025 Base discrete devices, e.g. presspack, disc-type transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2023/4031 Packaged discrete devices, e.g. to-3 housings, diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4006 with bolts or screws
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4012 for stacked arrangements of a plurality of semiconductor devices assemblies per se H01L25/00
• 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 23/467 by flowing gases, e.g. air H01L23/473 takes precedence
• 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

An exemplary power electronics module includes a first power electronics element that generates a first heat flow during operation of the power electronics module, a second power electronics element that generates a second heat flow during operation of the power electronics module. The first cooler is in thermal contact with the first power electronics element to receive at least part of the first heat flow. The second cooler is in thermal contact with the second power electronics element to receive at least part of the second heat flow. A heat exchanger is configured to transmit at least part of the first heat flow and the second heat flow to a primary cooling flow and transfer heat flow in a thermally efficient manner. A magnitude of the heat flow is less than a total magnitude that is formed from a maximum first heat flow and a maximum second heat flow.

Claims

1. A power electronics module, comprising:

a first power electronics element that generates a first heat flow during operation of the power electronics module;

a second power electronics element that contributes to the generation of a second heat flow during operation of the power electronics module; and

a secondary cooling circuit having a first cooler,

wherein the first cooler is in thermal contact with the first power electronics element to receive at least part of the first heat flow,

wherein the second cooler is in thermal contact with the second power electronics element to receive at least part of the second heat flow,

wherein the heat exchanger is configured to transfer at least part of the first heat flow and the second heat flow to a primary cooling flow during the operation of the power electronics module, and

wherein the heat exchanger is configured to be thermally efficient for transferring a heat flow such that the magnitude of said heat flow is less than a total magnitude that is formed from a maximum first heat flow and a maximum second heat flow.

2. The power electronics module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary cooling circuit is embodied as a cooling circuit in the form of a closed loop.

3. The power electronics module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first cooler is arranged in a fluid-transporting manner and in parallel with a second cooler in the secondary cooling circuit.

4. The power electronics module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the secondary cooling circuit is a thermosiphon cooling circuit, wherein the first cooler is a first evaporator, and the second cooler is a second evaporator, and wherein a heat exchanger includes a condenser for the purpose of liquefying a working medium of the secondary cooling circuit.

5. The power electronics module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the secondary cooling circuit is a thermosiphon cooling circuit, wherein the first cooler is a first evaporator, and the second cooler is a second evaporator, and wherein the heat exchanger includes a condenser for the purpose of liquefying a working medium of the secondary cooling circuit.

6. The power electronics module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second power electronics element is of a different type than the first power electronics element.

7. The power electronics module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first power electronics element and the second power electronics element are arranged and configured such that the maximum first heat flow occurs in a first operating state of the power electronics module, and the maximum second heat flow occurs in a second operating state of the power electronics module, which second operating state is offset with respect to time in relation to the first operating state.

8. The power electronics module as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first power electronics element and the second power electronics element are arranged and configured such that the maximum first heat flow occurs in a first operating state of the power electronics module, and the maximum second heat flow occurs in a second operating state of the power electronics module, which second operating state is offset with respect to time in relation to the first operating state.

9. The power electronics module as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first power electronics element and the second power electronics element are arranged and configured such that the maximum first heat flow occurs in a first operating state of the power electronics module, and the maximum second heat flow occurs in a second operating state of the power electronics module, which second operating state is offset with respect to time in relation to the first operating state.

10. The power electronics module as claimed in claim 7, wherein a magnitude of the first heat flow in the first operating state is greater than a magnitude of the first heat flow in the second operating state, and a magnitude of the second heat flow in the second operating state is greater than a magnitude of the second heat flow in the first operating state.

11. A converter comprising:

at least one power electronics module having;

a first power electronics element that generates a first heat flow during operation of the power electronics module;

a second power electronics element that contributes to the generation of a second heat flow during operation of the power electronics module; and

a secondary cooling circuit having a first cooler,

wherein the first cooler is in thermal contact with the first power electronics element to receive at least part of the first heat flow,

wherein the second cooler is in thermal contact with the second power electronics element to receive at least part of the second heat flow,

wherein the heat exchanger is configured to transfer at least part of the first heat flow and the second heat flow to a primary cooling flow during the operation of the power electronics module, and

wherein the heat exchanger is configured to be thermally efficient for transferring a heat flow such that the magnitude of said heat flow is less than a total magnitude that is formed from the maximum first heat flow and the maximum second heat flow.

12. The converter as claimed in claim 11, wherein the power electronics elements and the first cooler are arranged to form a stack, in which the power electronics elements and the first cooler and a second cooler are arranged in an alternating sequence, wherein the coolers contribute to the generation of the second heat flow.

13. The converter as claimed in claim 11, wherein the primary cooling flow is a liquid cooling flow with a water content, or said primary cooling flow is a gaseous cooling flow, such as an air flow.

14. The converter as claimed in claim 12, wherein the primary cooling flow is a liquid cooling flow with a water content, or said primary cooling flow is a gaseous cooling flow, such as an air flow.

15. The converter as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one power electronics module can be inserted into and withdrawn from the converter in a drawer-like manner, wherein a heat exchanger is arranged on this power electronics module.

16. The converter as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one power electronics module can be inserted into and withdrawn from the converter in a drawer-like manner, wherein a heat exchanger is arranged on this power electronics module.

17. The converter as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least one power electronics module can be inserted into and withdrawn from the converter in a drawer-like manner, wherein a heat exchanger is arranged on this power electronics module.

18. The converter as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least one power electronics module can be inserted into and withdrawn from the converter in a drawer-like manner, wherein a heat exchanger is arranged on this power electronics module.