Reliable Integration of Microchannel Coolers for Power Electronics

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Squiller ◽  
Sumeer Khanna ◽  
Serguei Dessiatoun ◽  
Raphael Mandel ◽  
Michael Ohadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Electronics ◽  
Thermal Management ◽  
Failure Mechanisms ◽  
Electronic System ◽  
Compound Semiconductor ◽  
Power Electronic ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Erosion Corrosion ◽  
Management Approaches ◽  
Volumetric Heat Generation

Power electronic modules are exhibiting ever increasing power density as a result of compound semiconductor devices being placed in packages of decreasing size. This has led, in turn, to higher volumetric heat generation, which is driving the development of advanced thermal management approaches, including integration of single and two-phase microchannel coolers into the power electronics package. Reliable integration and operation of these coolers is essential for maintaining the performance and reliability of the power electronic system as a whole. This paper will present models for the critical failure mechanisms in microchannel coolers, including erosion/corrosion and cooler fracture.

Optimization Study of a Silicon-Carbide Micro-Capillary Pumped Loop

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura J. Meyer ◽  
Leslie M. Phinney
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Management ◽  
High Power ◽  
Electronic Devices ◽  
Maximum Size ◽  
Power Electronic ◽  
Power Devices ◽  
Pressure Balance ◽  
Capillary Pumped Loop ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Bandgap Semiconductors

Wide bandgap semiconductors such as SiC and GaN are materials that are advantageous for high power electronic devices. High power devices generate large amounts of energy that must be removed, and traditional cooling methods are insufficient for maintaining the desired operating temperatures. Thus, thermal management methods for high power electronic devices need to be developed. A SiC micro-capillary pumped loop thermal management system is being evaluated to cool SiC high power devices. Mathematical models incorporating two-phase flow and capillary wicking have been developed to analyze capillary pumped loops or loop heat pipes. This investigation uses a model based on the methodology of Dickey and Peterson (1994). The model takes an energy balance on the condenser and evaporator regions, as well as a pressure balance across the meniscus. A parametric study has been performed on the micro-CPL to determine the best design for a p-i-n diode that is less than 1 cm square and which produces a heat flux at the junction of over 300 W/cm2. The micro-CPL will be limited to a maximum size of 6.5 cm2. The liquid and vapor line lengths, number of grooves, and groove dimensions are varied to determine optimal values. The results and trends of the optimization calculations are discussed.

Evaluation of Two-Phase Cold Plate for Cooling Electric Vehicle Power Electronics

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Wang ◽  
Patrick McCluskey ◽  
Avram Bar-Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Power Electronics ◽  
Electric Vehicle ◽  
Thermal Management ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Single Phase ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
System Level ◽  
Cold Plate ◽  
Two Phase

Rapid increases in the power ratings and continued miniaturization of semiconductor devices have pushed the heat flux of power electronics well beyond the range of conventional thermal management techniques, and thus maintaining the IGBT temperature below a specified limit has become a critical issue for thermal management of electric vehicle power electronics. Although two-phase cold plates have been identified as a very promising high flux cooling solution, they have received little attention for cooling of power electronics. In this work, a first-order analytical model and a system-level thermal simulation are used to compare single-phase and two-phase cold plate cooling for Toyota Prius motor inverter, consisting of 12 pairs of IGBT’s and diodes. Our results demonstrate that with the same cold plate geometry, R134a two-phase cooling can substantially reduce the maximum IGBT temperature, operate all the IGBT’s at very uniform temperatures, and lower the pumping power and flow rate in comparison to single-phase cold plate cooling. These results suggest that two-phase cold plate can be developed as a low-cost, small-volume, and high-performance cooling solution to improve system reliability and conversion efficiency for electric vehicle power electronics.

Experiment of a Novel Capillary-Pumped Loop With a Semi-Arc Porous Evaporator in 1U Simulation Cabinet

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hung-Wen Lin ◽  
Ming-Chieh Wu ◽  
Wei-Keng Lin
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Management ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Size Range ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Power Electronic ◽  
Capillary Pumped Loop ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Scale Down ◽  
Two Phase Heat Transfer ◽  
Transfer Device

The CPL is a high efficiency two-phase heat transfer device using the phase change of working fluid to transport heat from evaporator to condenser; it is a cyclic circulation pumped by capillary force. Since CPL does not need any other mechanical force such as pump, it might be used to do the thermal management of high power electronic component on spacecraft. This study presents a novel CPL with a semi-arc porous evaporator in 1U server on the ground with a horizontal position and scale down the whole device to the miniature size (range from mm to cm). This miniature-CPL is made of aluminum with the shape of evaporator and the porous structure using a semi-arc instead of square and cylinder structure. Testing results show that the miniature-CPL could remove heat 45W in steady state and keep the heat source temperature about 73°C.

Cooling Methods for High-Power Electronic Systems

2011 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrei Blinov ◽  
Dmitri Vinnikov ◽  
Tõnu Lehtla
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Management ◽  
High Power ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Electronic System ◽  
Electronic Systems ◽  
Power Electronic ◽  
Automotive Systems ◽  
Mass Size ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Cooling Methods

Cooling Methods for High-Power Electronic Systems Thermal management is a crucial step in the design of power electronic applications, especially railroad traction and automotive systems. Mass/size parameters, robustness and reliability of the power electronic system greatly depend on the cooling system type and performance. This paper presents an approximate parameter estimation of the thermal management system required as well as different commercially available cooling solutions. Advantages and drawbacks of different designs ranging from simple passive heatsinks to complex evaporative systems are discussed.

THERMAL VALIDATIONS OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURED NON-METALLIC HEAT SPREADING DEVICE FOR HOT SPOT MITIGATION IN POWER MODULES

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (1) ◽  
pp. 000398-000403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reece Whitt ◽  
David Huitink
Keyword(s):  
Power Electronics ◽  
Thermal Management ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Electronic System ◽  
Heat Sinks ◽  
Power Module ◽  
Custom Made ◽  
Cold Plates ◽  
Heat Spreading

Abstract As energy demands and power electronics density scale concurrently, reliability of such devices is being challenged. Inadequate thermal management can cause system-wide failures due to thermal run-away, thermal expansion induced stresses, interconnect fractures and many more. Conventional techniques used to cool devices consist of heavy, metallic systems such as cold plates and large heat sinks, which can significantly reduce the overall system power density. Moreover, the manufacturing of such components is expensive and often requires custom-made cold plates for improved integration with the electronic system. Although used as a standard practice, these metallic thermal management systems have the potential to intensify electro-magnetic interference (EMI) when coupling with high frequency switching power electronics, and the material density increases the weight of the system, which is detrimental in mobile applications. Lastly, cold plates and heat sinks can create non-uniform cooling profiles in the electronics due to the insufficient management of hot-spots. To combat these drawbacks, a new heat spreader design has been proposed which reduces weight and EMI effects while eliminating hot-spots through localized fluid impingement. This current study describes the methodology and construction of the experimental test setup to characterize the performance of the heat spreading device compared to an off-the-shelf cold plate. Through infrared imagining, the viability of two heated test sections are evaluated in their ability to replicate power module temperature profiles during operation.

Two-Phase Liquid Cooling for Thermal Management of IGBT Power Electronic Module

2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Wang ◽  
Patrick McCluskey ◽  
Avram Bar-Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Power Electronics ◽  
Thermal Management ◽  
Single Phase ◽  
Heat Dissipation ◽  
Heat Fluxes ◽  
System Level ◽  
Cooling Power ◽  
Cold Plate ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Cold Plates

Recent trends including rapid increases in the power ratings and continued miniaturization of semiconductor devices have pushed the heat dissipation of power electronics well beyond the range of conventional thermal management solutions, making control of device temperature a critical issue in the thermal packaging of power electronics. Although evaporative cooling is capable of removing very high heat fluxes, two-phase cold plates have received little attention for cooling power electronics modules. In this work, device-level analytical modeling and system-level thermal simulation are used to examine and compare single-phase and two-phase cold plates for a specified inverter module, consisting of 12 pairs of silicon insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) devices and diodes. For the conditions studied, an R134a-cooled, two-phase cold plate is found to substantially reduce the maximum IGBT temperature and spatial temperature variation, as well as reduce the pumping power and flow rate, in comparison to a conventional single-phase water-cooled cold plate. These results suggest that two-phase cold plates can be used to substantially improve the performance, reliability, and conversion efficiency of power electronics systems.

Reliable Power Electronics for Wind Turbines

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick McCluskey ◽  
Peter Hansen ◽  
Douglas DeVoto
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Power Electronics ◽  
Heat Removal ◽  
Electronic System ◽  
Power Electronic ◽  
Pulse Width Modulated ◽  
Power Extraction ◽  
Die Attach ◽  
Power Modules ◽  
Power Switches

Power electronics are used to minimize losses in converting the energy produced by the generator in a wind turbine, and to drive motors that control the pitch and yaw of the wind turbine to ensure maximum power extraction. The power electronic system is based on a series of three-phase pulse width modulated (PWM) power modules consisting of IGBT power switches and associated diodes that are soldered to a ceramic substrate and interconnected with wirebonds. The design of the packaging and cooling of the power electronics is crucial to enhancing the energy efficiency and the reliability of the electronics, which generate heat loads in the hundreds of watts/cm2, and are often placed in harsh and inaccessible offshore environments. Without adequate heat removal, the increase in device temperature will reduce the efficiency of power electronic devices leading to thermal runaway and eventual failure of the entire power electronic system. Furthermore, the increased temperatures can lead to failure of the packaging elements as well. This paper will provide an overview of the fundamental packaging level mechanisms that can cause failures in the power electronic system. These include wirebond and lead fatigue, die attach fatigue, substrate cracking, and lead bonding fatigue.

Assessing the Performance of Advanced Cooling Techniques on Thermal Management of Next-Generation Power Electronics

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Palash V. Acharya ◽  
Vaibhav Bahadur ◽  
Robert Hebner ◽  
Abdelhamid Ouroua ◽  
Shannon Strank
Keyword(s):  
Power Electronics ◽  
Thermal Management ◽  
Heat Dissipation ◽  
Jet Impingement ◽  
Heat Sinks ◽  
Junction Temperature ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Maximum Heat ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Electronics Packages

Abstract Rapid miniaturization alongwith increasing heat loads in power electronics devices like insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) have necessitated the need for advanced thermal management technologies in the packaging of these devices. This study quantifies the benefits of key advanced thermal management solutions for packaging of power electronics packages. Thermal resistance network modeling is used to estimate the maximum heat flux that can be dissipated by an IGBT package, while maintaining the junction temperature below 125 °C and 200 °C for silicon and silicon carbide (wide bandgap material) devices, respectively. While the model is completely analytical, it does address important complexities associated with heat flow in packages via the use of a sub-model to account for thermal spreading. The advanced cooling technologies evaluated in this study include the use of high thermal conductivity polymer heat sinks, double-sided heat sinking of packages, liquid cooling (single and two-phase), jet impingement and spray cooling. Additionally, combinations of these cooling technologies are evaluated as well. The heat dissipation achievable from these technologies is compared with that from an air cooled copper heat sink (baseline). The results of this study provide insights and a starting point for selecting thermal management technologies (or combinations) based on the heat dissipation requirements of power electronics packages.

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