JP4345862B2 - Cooler and power conversion device provided with the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooler for cooling an electronic component such as a semiconductor module, and a power conversion device including the cooler.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in power converters such as inverters and converters, there are power converters that include a plurality of semiconductor modules containing semiconductor elements and a cooler for cooling the semiconductor modules.
For example, in the power conversion device described in Patent Document 1, a pair of cooling tubes are arranged on both surfaces of the semiconductor module. The pair of cooling tubes are sandwiched between the presser plate and the leaf spring member from the outside so that the cooling tubes are in close contact with the semiconductor module.
However, the use of the presser plate and the leaf spring member increases the distance between the stacked semiconductor modules, which makes it difficult to reduce the size of the power converter.

  Therefore, in the power conversion device described in Patent Document 2, the intervals between the stacked semiconductor modules are reduced by alternately arranging the semiconductor modules and the cooling tubes. And the close contact with a semiconductor module and a cooling tube is aimed at by pressing the whole of these lamination bodies in the lamination direction.

  However, in this case, since the stacked body of the plurality of semiconductor modules and the plurality of cooling tubes is pressed by one pressing means, the pressing force between all the semiconductor modules and the cooling tubes is equalized. However, the plurality of semiconductor modules have uneven heat generation amounts, and it may be necessary to change the cooling efficiency for each semiconductor module. In such a case, it is inconvenient if the pressing force is uniform between all the semiconductor modules and the cooling tube. For example, when the pressing force is set in accordance with the semiconductor module having the largest heat generation amount, there is a problem that an extremely large pressing force must be applied as a whole.

  Further, the power conversion device of Patent Document 2 makes a difference in the flow rate of the cooling medium in each cooling tube according to the heat generation amount of the plurality of semiconductor modules, but the heat interference due to the heat generation of the adjacent semiconductor modules, In consideration of the distribution difference of the flow of the cooling medium, it is necessary to design a heat balance corresponding to a plurality of circuit control patterns, and there is a problem that the versatility is lacking.

  Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a configuration in which a high-pressure cooling medium is supplied to the cooling tube so that the cooling tube is expanded and the cooling tube is brought into close contact with the electronic component. However, in order to realize this configuration, it is necessary to design the entire circulation path for circulating the cooling medium with a high withstand voltage, which is practically difficult. Also, with this configuration, the pressing force of the cooling tube on all electronic components becomes uniform, and the same problem as described above occurs.

JP 2001-320005 A JP 2005-191082 A JP 2006-313848 A

  The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and an attempt is made to provide a cooler capable of preventing thermal interference and easily adjusting the cooling efficiency of an electronic component, and a power conversion device including the cooler. To do.

A first invention is a cooler for cooling an electronic component,
A cooling tube that is disposed in close contact with the electronic component and has a refrigerant flow path for circulating a cooling medium therein;
A cooling system comprising: a high-pressure tube disposed adjacent to a surface of the cooling tube opposite to the electronic component and capable of being filled with a high-pressure fluid having a pressure higher than that of the cooling medium. (Claim 1).

Next, the effects of the present invention will be described.
In the cooler, the cooling tube can be pressed against the electronic component by the pressure of the high-pressure fluid supplied to the high-pressure tube. That is, when the high-pressure tube supplied with the high-pressure fluid expands, a pressing force from the high-pressure tube toward the semiconductor module acts on the cooling tube. As a result, the cooling tube sufficiently follows the heat radiation surface of the electronic component, and the thermal resistance between the cooling tube and the electronic component can be reduced to improve the cooling efficiency.

In addition, even when the parallelism of the pair of heat dissipation surfaces of the electronic component is low or the heat dissipation surface is warped, the clearance generated between the electronic component and the cooling tube is caused by the cooling tube following this. Can be reduced. Therefore, the thermal resistance between the two can be reduced, and the amount of the heat transfer grease or the like can be reduced between the two.
Further, by adjusting the pressure of the high-pressure fluid supplied to the high-pressure tube, the pressing force of the cooling tube can be adjusted to ensure high cooling efficiency.

  In addition, since the high-pressure tube is disposed in close contact with the cooling tube, the high-pressure fluid flowing through the cooling tube becomes a thermal resistance, and a heating element (for example, another electronic component) different from the electronic component that is in close contact with the cooling tube. ) Can prevent the temperature of the cooling medium flowing through the cooling tube from increasing. Thereby, the thermal interference by heat generating bodies, such as another electronic component, with respect to the electronic component can be suppressed.

  As described above, according to the present invention, a cooler capable of preventing thermal interference and easily adjusting the cooling efficiency of electronic components can be provided.

A second invention is a cooler for cooling an electronic component,
A cooling tube that is disposed in close contact with the electronic component and has a refrigerant flow path for circulating a cooling medium therein;
The cooling tube is arranged adjacent to the surface opposite to the electronic component and encloses a thermo wax that expands and contracts depending on the temperature, and can be expanded and contracted in the stacking direction. And a pressurizing tube capable of being provided. (Claim 12)

Next, the effects of the present invention will be described.
In the cooler, the cooling tube can be pressed against the electronic component by the expansion of the thermo wax in the pressure tube. That is, when the temperature of the electronic component rises and the temperature of the cooling medium in the cooling tube increases, the thermowax in the pressurization tube disposed adjacent to the cooling tube rises in temperature and expands. As a result, a pressing force from the pressurizing tube toward the electronic component acts on the cooling tube. As a result, the cooling tube sufficiently follows the heat radiation surface of the electronic component, and the thermal resistance between the cooling tube and the electronic component can be reduced to improve the cooling efficiency. Thus, the cooling efficiency can be improved when the temperature of the electronic component rises and the necessity of cooling the electronic component is particularly increased.

Also, when the parallelism of the pair of heat dissipation surfaces of the electronic component is low or the heat dissipation surface is warped, the cooling tube follows this, so that the gap between the electronic component and the cooling tube is reduced. Occurrence can be suppressed.
Further, since the pressurizing tube is arranged in close contact with the cooling tube, the thermowax filled therein becomes a thermal resistance, and a heating element (for example, other than the electronic component that adheres to the cooling tube). The temperature rise of the cooling medium flowing through the cooling tube can be suppressed by the electronic component). Thereby, the thermal interference by heat generating bodies, such as another electronic component, with respect to the electronic component can be suppressed.

  As described above, according to the present invention, a cooler capable of preventing thermal interference and easily adjusting the cooling efficiency of electronic components can be provided.

As a reference invention, a cooler for cooling electronic components,
A cooling tube that is disposed in close contact with the electronic component and has a refrigerant flow path for circulating a cooling medium therein;
A pressure member made of a shape memory alloy having a spring property that is arranged adjacent to a surface of the cooling tube opposite to the electronic component and expands and contracts depending on temperature is provided. There is a cooler .

Next, the effects of the present invention will be described.
The cooler is formed by closely attaching a pressure member made of the shape memory alloy to a surface of the cooling tube opposite to the electronic component. Therefore, the cooling tube can be pressed against the electronic component by the expansion of the pressure member. That is, when the temperature of the electronic component rises and the temperature of the cooling medium in the cooling tube increases, the pressure member, which is a shape memory alloy disposed adjacent to the cooling tube, rises in temperature and expands in the stacking direction. Can be. As a result, a pressing force toward the electronic component side acts on the cooling tube from the pressure member. As a result, the cooling tube sufficiently follows the heat radiation surface of the electronic component, and the thermal resistance between the cooling tube and the electronic component can be reduced to improve the cooling efficiency. Thus, the cooling efficiency can be improved when the temperature of the electronic component rises and the necessity of cooling the electronic component is particularly increased.

Also, when the parallelism of the pair of heat dissipation surfaces of the electronic component is low or the heat dissipation surface is warped, the cooling tube follows this, so that the gap between the electronic component and the cooling tube is reduced. Occurrence can be suppressed.
In addition, since the pressurizing member is disposed in close contact with the cooling tube, by providing a space inside the pressurizing member, the space becomes a thermal resistance, and an electronic component that is in close contact with the cooling tube Can prevent the temperature of the cooling medium flowing through the cooling tube from increasing due to another heating element (for example, another electronic component). Thereby, the thermal interference by heat generating bodies, such as another electronic component, with respect to the electronic component can be suppressed.

  As described above, according to the present invention, a cooler capable of preventing thermal interference and easily adjusting the cooling efficiency of electronic components can be provided.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a power conversion device including a plurality of semiconductor modules each including a semiconductor element.
As it means for cooling the semiconductor module, in the power conversion apparatus characterized by comprising a cooling device according to the first or second aspect of the present invention (Claim 15).
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the power converter device which can adjust the cooling efficiency of a semiconductor module while preventing a thermal interference can be provided.

In the first invention (Invention 1) or the second invention (Invention 12), the high-pressure tube or the pressure tube is made of, for example, a metal plate such as aluminum, and the internal space is formed by brazing or the like. It can be configured such that it can be sealed. The high-pressure tube or the pressurized tube is configured to be able to expand and deform by the pressure of the high-pressure fluid on the contact surface with the cooling tube.
In addition, examples of the electronic component include a semiconductor module including a semiconductor element that is a component of the power conversion device. However, the cooler of the present invention is not limited to this, and various electronic components such as a reactor, for example. It can correspond to.

In addition, it is preferable that the cooling tube can be disposed in close contact with both surfaces of the electronic component.
In this case, the electronic component can be cooled from both sides, and a cooler with excellent cooling efficiency can be obtained.

In addition, the pair of cooling tubes disposed in close contact with both surfaces of the electronic component may be configured by a part of a U-shaped tube continuously formed via a folded portion (Claim 3).
In this case, since the pair of cooling tubes is constituted by an integral part, a cooler excellent in assembling workability can be obtained.

Further, the pair of cooling tubes arranged in close contact with both surfaces of the electronic component may be constituted by a part of the annular tube formed in an annular shape (Claim 4).
Also in this case, since the pair of cooling tubes is constituted by an integral part, a cooler excellent in assembling workability can be obtained. Further, the structural strength of the pair of cooling tubes can be improved.

Preferably, the pair of high-pressure tubes arranged in close contact with the pair of cooling tubes is respectively constituted by a part of a U-shaped tube formed continuously via a folded portion. ).
In this case, since the pair of high-pressure tubes is constituted by an integral part, a cooler excellent in assembling workability can be obtained.

In addition, the pair of high-pressure tubes arranged in close contact with the pair of cooling tubes may be respectively constituted by a part of the annular tube formed in an annular shape (Claim 6).
Also in this case, since the pair of high-pressure tubes is constituted by an integral part, a cooler excellent in assembling workability can be obtained. Moreover, the structural strength of the pair of high-pressure tubes can be improved.

The cooler includes a plurality of the cooling tubes that are in close contact with the plurality of electronic components, and the high pressure tubes that are in close contact with the cooling tubes that are in close contact with the plurality of electronic components are mutually connected. It is preferable that high-pressure fluids having different pressures can be introduced (claim 7).
In this case, even if there is variation in the parallelism or warping amount of the heat dissipation surface among the plurality of electronic components, the pressure of the cooling tube against the electronic components can be adjusted individually. The pressing force can be set according to the degree of parallelism and the amount of warpage. Thereby, the cooling efficiency of the plurality of electronic components can be effectively improved.

  Also, when there is a difference in calorific value between the multiple electronic components or when there is a large temperature difference between adjacent electronic components, the pressure of the high-pressure fluid in each high-pressure tube is set individually as appropriate. Thus, the applied pressure between the electronic component and the cooling tube can be set individually. As a result, the stress caused by the thermal expansion of each electronic component can be moderated appropriately.

The cooler includes a plurality of cooling tubes that are in close contact with the plurality of electronic components, and the high-pressure tube is interposed between the cooling tubes that are in close contact with the adjacent electronic components. (Claim 8).
Also in this case, it is possible to provide a power converter that can prevent thermal interference and easily adjust the cooling efficiency of the electronic component.

In addition, the cooler may include a series of the high-pressure tubes arranged in a meandering manner so as to come into contact with the plurality of cooling tubes that are in close contact with the plurality of electronic components. .
Also in this case, it is possible to provide a power converter that can prevent thermal interference and easily adjust the cooling efficiency of the electronic component.

Moreover, it is preferable that the said cooler has a pressure adjustment means which adjusts the supply pressure of a high pressure fluid with respect to the said high pressure tube.
In this case, for example, even after the cooler is assembled to a power conversion device or the like, the supply pressure of the high-pressure fluid can be adjusted as appropriate to adjust the cooling efficiency of each electronic component.
For example, when a semiconductor module (electronic component) having a low parallelism of the heat dissipation surface or a semiconductor module (electronic component) having a large amount of warpage is stacked when the power converter is assembled, a cooling tube is provided on these heat dissipation surfaces. The high pressure resistant tube presses the cooling tube so as to follow, so that the amount of heat transfer grease applied between the semiconductor module (electronic component) and the cooling tube can be suppressed. Furthermore, the machining accuracy of the semiconductor module (electronic component) can be relaxed.
Thus, management of various conditions in the heat dissipation design can be relaxed.
Further, for example, when the thermal expansion of the semiconductor module (electronic component) occurs during operation of the power conversion device, it is possible to adjust the pressure between the semiconductor module and the cooling tube correspondingly. .

The high-pressure fluid is preferably air (claim 11).
In this case, the thermal resistance in the high-pressure tube is increased, and the thermal interference of the electronic component can be more effectively prevented.
Note that the high-pressure fluid can be, for example, other gas or liquid such as oil or water in addition to air.

Next, in the second invention (invention 12), the pressurizing tube is provided with a buffer part for escaping the thermowax expanded more than necessary, and the buffer part is provided in the pressurizing tube. It is preferable to have a return mechanism for returning the thermowax in the buffer portion into the pressure tube when the thermowax is contracted.
In this case, when the thermowax expands more than necessary due to abnormal heating or the like, it is possible to prevent problems such as bursting of the pressure tube. Moreover, since the said buffer part has the said return mechanism, when the thermowax in a pressurization tube shrink | contracts, the thermowax in a buffer part can be smoothly returned in a pressurization tube again. That is, it is possible to smoothly return the thermowax that has been cooled in the buffer portion and has decreased fluidity into the pressure tube.

Moreover, it is preferable that the said pressurization tube is provided with the diaphragm part for making the widening and shrinkage | contraction width of this pressurization tube easy.
In this case, the pressure tube can be easily and reliably expanded and contracted by expansion and contraction of the thermowax.

Example 1
A cooler according to an embodiment of the present invention and a power conversion device including the same will be described with reference to FIG.
The cooler 1 of this example is a cooler for cooling the semiconductor module 2 as an electronic component.
The cooler 1 is disposed in close contact with the semiconductor module 2 and has a cooling tube 3 having a coolant channel for circulating a cooling medium therein, and is adjacent to a surface of the cooling tube 3 opposite to the semiconductor module 2. And a high-pressure tube 5 that can be filled with a high-pressure fluid.

The cooling tube 3 can be disposed in close contact with both surfaces of the semiconductor module 2.
The cooler 1 has a plurality of cooling tubes 3 that are in close contact with the plurality of semiconductor modules 2. The high-pressure tube 5 that is in close contact with the cooling tube 3 that is in close contact with each of the plurality of semiconductor modules 2 is configured to be able to introduce high-pressure fluids having different pressures.

The power conversion device 4 includes a plurality of semiconductor modules 2 containing semiconductor elements such as IGBTs, and includes the cooler 1 as means for cooling the semiconductor modules 2.
In the power conversion device 4, the cooling tubes 3 are disposed in close contact with both surfaces of the semiconductor module 2, and the high-pressure tubes 5 are disposed in close contact with the surfaces of the respective cooling tubes 3 opposite to the semiconductor module 2. A plurality of semiconductor cooling units 15 constituted by the semiconductor module 2, the pair of cooling tubes 3, and the pair of high-pressure tubes 5 arranged in this manner are stacked in a state where the high-pressure tubes 5 are in surface contact with each other.

And the some cooling tube 3 has the connection part 14 which connects the adjacent cooling tube 3 and the refrigerant | coolant flow path 31 in the end. The cooling tube 3 disposed at one end in the stacking direction is provided with a refrigerant introduction pipe 131 that introduces a cooling medium into the cooler 1 and a refrigerant discharge pipe 132 that discharges the cooling medium from the cooler 1.
In addition, a corrugated fin 32 is provided in the refrigerant flow path 31 of each cooling tube 3.
The cooling tube 3 and the high-pressure tube 5 are configured by joining press-formed aluminum plates by brazing or the like.

Examples of the cooling medium to be circulated in the refrigerant flow path 31 include natural refrigerants such as water and ammonia, water mixed with ethylene glycol antifreeze, fluorocarbon refrigerants such as fluorinate, chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants such as HCFC123 and HFC134a, Alcohol refrigerants such as methanol and alcohol, ketone refrigerants such as acetone, and the like can be used.
Air (compressed air) is used as the high-pressure fluid.

  And when the said cooling medium flows through the refrigerant | coolant flow path 31 of the cooling tube 3, it heat-exchanges with the semiconductor module 2 closely_contact | adhered to the cooling tube 3, and the semiconductor module 2 is cooled. In addition, the high-pressure fluid is introduced into the high-pressure tube 5, whereby the high-pressure tube 5 expands, presses the cooling tube 3 disposed adjacent thereto, and increases the degree of adhesion to the semiconductor module 2. Thereby, it is comprised so that the heat resistance between the semiconductor module 2 and the cooling tube 3 can be reduced and heat exchange efficiency can be improved.

Further, the semiconductor module 2 has an electrode terminal (not shown) through which a controlled current enters and exits, and a control terminal 21 connected to a control circuit board 42 that controls the semiconductor element.
Further, the components of the power conversion device 4 are housed inside the housing 41. The high pressure tubes 5 disposed at both ends in the stacking direction are in close contact with the inner wall surface 411 of the housing 41. Further, the refrigerant inlet 131 and the refrigerant outlet 132 protrude from the housing 41.

  The high-pressure tube 5 is supplied with a high-pressure fluid at a predetermined pressure during the manufacturing process of the power conversion device 4. And the entrance / exit of the high pressure tube 5 is sealed in the state filled with the high pressure fluid.

Next, the function and effect of this example will be described.
In the cooler 1, the cooling tube 3 can be pressed against the semiconductor module 2 by the pressure of the high-pressure fluid supplied to the high-pressure tube 5. That is, when the high-pressure tube 5 supplied with the high-pressure fluid expands, a pressing force toward the semiconductor module 2 from the high-pressure tube 5 acts on the cooling tube 3. As a result, the cooling tube 3 sufficiently follows the heat radiation surface 24 of the semiconductor module 2, and the thermal resistance between the cooling tube 3 and the semiconductor module 2 can be reduced to improve the cooling efficiency.

In addition, when the parallelism of the pair of heat radiation surfaces 24 of the semiconductor module 2 is low or the heat radiation surface 24 is warped, the cooling tube 3 follows this, so that the semiconductor module 2 and the cooling tube 3 Can be reduced. Therefore, the thermal resistance between the two can be reduced, and the amount of heat transfer grease or the like can be reduced between them.
Further, by adjusting the pressure of the high-pressure fluid supplied to the high-pressure tube 5, the pressing force of the cooling tube 3 is adjusted according to individual differences such as the parallelism and the amount of warp of the heat radiation surface 24 of the semiconductor module 2. Cooling efficiency can be ensured.

  Further, since the high-pressure tube 5 is disposed in close contact with the cooling tube 3, the high-pressure fluid flowing through the cooling tube 3 becomes thermal resistance, and the cooling is performed by the semiconductor module 2 different from the semiconductor module 2 that is in close contact with the cooling tube 3. It can suppress that the temperature rise of the cooling medium which flows through the tube 3 arises. Thereby, the thermal interference by heat generating bodies, such as another semiconductor module 2, with respect to the said semiconductor module 2 can be suppressed. That is, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of thermal interference between adjacent semiconductor modules 2.

  Moreover, each high pressure tube 5 is comprised so that the high pressure fluid of a mutually different pressure can be introduce | transduced. For this reason, even if there is a variation in the parallelism or warping amount of the heat radiation surface 24 among the plurality of semiconductor modules 2, the pressing force of the cooling tube 3 against the semiconductor module 2 can be adjusted individually. The pressing force can be set according to the parallelism and the amount of warpage of the heat radiating surface 24. Thereby, the cooling efficiency of the plurality of semiconductor modules 2 can be effectively improved.

  Also, when there is a difference in the amount of heat generated between the plurality of semiconductor modules 2 or when there is a large temperature difference between adjacent semiconductor modules 2, the pressure of the high-pressure fluid in each high-pressure tube 5 is appropriately set individually. The pressure applied between the semiconductor module 2 and the cooling tube 3 can be set individually. As a result, the stress caused by the thermal expansion of each semiconductor module 2 can be moderated appropriately.

  Further, unlike the case where the plurality of semiconductor modules 2 and the plurality of cooling tubes 3 are pressed together in the stacking direction, the position change of the semiconductor module 2 when the cooling tubes 3 are pressed against the semiconductor module 2 is small. Therefore, there is an advantage that the positional deviation of the control terminal 21 of the semiconductor module 2 is small and it is difficult to affect the connectivity with the control circuit board 42.

  Moreover, by using air as the high-pressure fluid introduced into the high-pressure tube 5, the thermal resistance in the high-pressure tube 5 is increased, and the thermal interference of the semiconductor module 2 can be more effectively prevented.

  As described above, according to this example, it is possible to provide a cooler and a power converter that can prevent thermal interference and easily adjust the cooling efficiency of the semiconductor module.

(Example 2)
In this example, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, a pair of cooling tubes 3 arranged in close contact with both surfaces of the semiconductor module 2 is formed by a part of the U-shaped tube 30 continuously formed via the folded portion 33. Each example is configured.
Further, the pair of high-pressure tubes 5 arranged in close contact with the pair of cooling tubes 3 is respectively constituted by a part of the U-shaped tube 50 formed continuously via the folded portion 53.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the U-shaped tube 30 constituting the cooling tube 3 is provided with a refrigerant inlet 331 and a refrigerant outlet 332 in the folded portion 33. Thus, the cooling medium w introduced from the refrigerant inlet 331 is branched and circulated to the refrigerant flow paths 31 of the two cooling tubes 3, and then merged and discharged at the refrigerant outlet 332.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the U-shaped tube 50 constituting the high-pressure tube 5 is provided with a high-pressure fluid inlet / outlet 531 at the folded portion 53. Thereby, the high pressure fluid can be introduced from the high pressure fluid inlet / outlet 531 common to the two high pressure tubes 5. Further, as a method for sealing so that the high-pressure fluid does not escape from the high-pressure tube 5, for example, there is a method of providing a check valve at the high-pressure fluid inlet / outlet 531 or caulking the high-pressure fluid inlet / outlet 531 after introducing the high-pressure fluid. .

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the U-shaped tube 30 of the cooling tube 3 is disposed in contact with the inside of the U-shaped tube 50 of the high-pressure tube 5 so that the folded portions 33 and 53 overlap each other. At this time, the refrigerant inlet 331 and the refrigerant outlet 332 provided in the U-shaped tube 30 of the cooling tube 3 do not interfere with the folded portion 53 of the U-shaped tube 50 of the high-pressure tube 5. The width | variety of the folding | returning part 53 is smaller than the other part.

  The semiconductor cooling unit 15 constituted by the semiconductor module 2, the U-shaped tube 30 of the cooling tube 3 and the U-shaped tube 50 of the high pressure resistant tube 5 shown in FIG. Laminated on the inside. Thereby, when the high-pressure fluid a is introduced into the high-pressure tube 5, the high-pressure tube 5 expands toward the cooling tube 3, and the cooling tube 3 is pressed against the semiconductor module 2. In addition, the outline shown with the broken line in FIG. 5 represents a state when the high-pressure tube 5 is expanded.

The refrigerant inlet 331 and the refrigerant outlet 332 provided in the U-shaped tube 30 of each cooling tube 3 are connected to a refrigerant supply header and a refrigerant discharge header (not shown), respectively. The refrigerant supply header and the refrigerant discharge header are connected to a refrigerant introduction pipe 131 and a refrigerant discharge pipe 132 (see FIG. 1) of the cooler 1, respectively.
Others are the same as in the first embodiment.

In the case of this example, the pair of cooling tubes 3 and the pair of high-pressure tubes 5 are respectively constituted by integral parts (U-shaped tubes 30 and 50), and thus cooling with excellent assembly workability. A container 1 can be obtained.
In addition, the same effects as those of the first embodiment are obtained.

(Example 3)
In this example, as shown in FIG. 6, the U-shaped tube 30 of the cooling tube 3 and the U-shaped tube 50 of the high-pressure tube 5 are overlapped so that the folded portions 33 and 53 are arranged on the opposite side. This is an example.
In this case, the width of the folded portion 53 in the U-shaped tube 50 of the high-pressure tube 5 does not need to be particularly small and has a width equivalent to that of other portions.
Others have the same configuration as that of the second embodiment, and the same operational effects can be obtained.

(Example 4)
In this example, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, fins 32 are provided in the refrigerant flow path 31 of the cooling tube 3, and a protruding surface 54 is provided on the surface of the high-pressure tube 5 on the cooling tube 3 side.
Further, the folded portion 33 of the U-shaped tube 30 of the cooling tube 3 is provided with a shielding portion 333 that divides the refrigerant flow path 31 between the refrigerant inlet 331 and the refrigerant outlet 332.

As a result, the cooling medium w introduced from the refrigerant inlet 331 branches and flows into the pair of cooling tubes 3, and circulates substantially evenly throughout the refrigerant flow paths 31 of the respective cooling tubes 3 along the fins 32. Then, the cooling medium w is discharged from the refrigerant outlet 332.
Here, the fin 32 is formed at a position substantially corresponding to the semiconductor element 23 incorporated in the semiconductor module 2, and in this portion, the cooling medium w is sufficiently connected to the semiconductor element 23 that is a heat generation source via the fin 32. It is configured to be able to exchange heat.

Further, the protruding surface 54 provided on the high-pressure tube 5 is formed at a position substantially corresponding to the semiconductor element 23 built in the semiconductor module 2. As a result, the pressing force of the high-pressure tube 5 acts greatly on the cooling tube 3 particularly at the position where the semiconductor element 23 is disposed, and the degree of adhesion between the semiconductor module 2 and the cooling tube 3 is improved. Can be made.
Others have the same configuration as that of the second embodiment, and the same operational effects can be obtained.
It should be noted that, in place of the projection surface 54, this portion is particularly easily deformed, or a projecting surface is provided on the surface of the semiconductor module corresponding to this portion or a warp is provided. The effect of this can be obtained.

(Example 5)
In this example, as shown in FIG. 10, the pair of cooling tubes 3 arranged in close contact with both surfaces of the semiconductor module 2 are each configured by a part of an annular tube 300 formed in an annular shape.
In other words, the pair of cooling tubes 3 are connected to each other by the folded-back portions 33 at both ends thereof.
Others are the same as in the second embodiment.

Also in the case of this example, the pair of cooling tubes 3 are constituted by an integral part (annular tube 300), so that a cooler excellent in assembly workability can be obtained. Further, the structural strength of the pair of cooling tubes 3 can be improved.
In addition, the same effects as those of the second embodiment are obtained.

(Example 6)
In this example, as shown in FIG. 11, the refrigerant inlet 331 is provided in one folded portion 33 of the annular tube 300, and the refrigerant outlet 332 is provided in the other folded portion 33.
In addition, the refrigerant inlet 331 and the refrigerant outlet 332 are arranged at substantially diagonal positions of the annular tube 300.
Others have the same configuration as that of the fifth embodiment, and the same operational effects can be obtained.

  In addition, in the structure of the said Example 5, 6, a pair of high pressure tube 5 closely_contact | adhered to a pair of cooling tube 3 can each be comprised by a part of annular tube formed cyclically | annularly.

(Example 7)
This example is an example of the cooler 1 having the pressure adjusting means 61 for adjusting the supply pressure of the high-pressure fluid with respect to the high-pressure tube 5 and the power conversion apparatus 4 including the same as shown in FIGS.
The power conversion device 4 of this example includes a plurality of semiconductor cooling units 15 including the semiconductor module 2, the pair of cooling tubes 3, and the pair of high-pressure tubes 5 described in the third embodiment. It is accommodated in the body 41.

And the pressure adjustment means 61 which adjusts the supply pressure of a high pressure fluid with respect to the high pressure tube 5 in each semiconductor cooling unit 15 is provided, respectively.
That is, the high-pressure tube 5 in each semiconductor cooling unit 15 is configured to be able to introduce high-pressure fluids having different pressures (P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7). These pressures are set so that these temperatures (T1, T2,..., Tn) fall within a predetermined temperature range while monitoring the temperature of each semiconductor module 2 as shown in FIG. . That is, based on the monitored temperature information, the controller 420 controls the pressure supplied to the high pressure tube 5 that presses the cooling tube 3 that is in close contact with each semiconductor module 2. Further, while controlling the pressure itself, control is performed so that a predetermined pressure is applied.
The temperature detection of the semiconductor module 2 can be performed by, for example, a temperature detector such as a thermistor built in the semiconductor module 2.

13 and 14, the semiconductor module 2 is a so-called 2-in-1 type semiconductor module in which two semiconductor elements 201 such as IGBTs and two diodes 202 are incorporated. The semiconductor module 2 has a control terminal 21 and an electrode terminal 22. The cooling tube 3 is in close contact with both surfaces of the semiconductor module 2 so as to cover the main body 20 of the semiconductor module 2. The refrigerant inlet 331 and the refrigerant outlet 332 provided in the cooling tube 3 are connected to a refrigerant supply header 141 and a refrigerant discharge header 142, respectively.
Others are the same as in the first embodiment.

In this example, since the cooler 1 has the pressure adjusting means 61, for example, even after the cooler 1 is assembled to the power converter 4, the supply pressure of the high-pressure fluid is appropriately adjusted to Variations in cooling efficiency due to individual differences such as the parallelism and the amount of warp of the heat radiating surface 24 can be suppressed.
As a result, when the power conversion device 4 is assembled, the amount of heat transfer grease applied between the semiconductor module 2 and the cooling tube 3 can be reduced, and the parallelism and warpage of the heat radiation surface 24 of the semiconductor module 2 can be reduced. The management of various conditions in the heat radiation design can be relaxed, for example, the machining accuracy such as quantity can be relaxed.

  Further, when the semiconductor module 2 is thermally expanded during the operation of the power conversion device 4, the pressure between the semiconductor module 2 and the cooling tube 3 can be adjusted accordingly. That is, when the semiconductor module 2 expands, the supply pressure of the high-pressure fluid is decreased, and when the semiconductor module 2 contracts, the supply pressure of the high-pressure fluid is increased, thereby reducing the pressure between the semiconductor module 2 and the cooling tube 3. It can also be kept within a predetermined range.

  In addition, when there is a difference in calorific value between the plurality of semiconductor modules 2 or when there is a large temperature difference between adjacent semiconductor modules 2, the pressure of the high-pressure fluid in each high-pressure tube 5 is set individually as appropriate. Thus, the pressure force between the semiconductor module 2 and the cooling tube 3 can be set individually. As a result, the stress caused by the thermal expansion of each semiconductor module 2 can be moderated appropriately.

Moreover, each high pressure tube 5 is comprised so that the high pressure fluid of a mutually different pressure can be introduce | transduced. For this reason, even if there is a variation in the parallelism or warping amount of the heat radiation surface 24 among the plurality of semiconductor modules 2, the pressing force of the cooling tube 3 against the semiconductor module 2 can be adjusted individually. The pressing force can be set according to the parallelism and the amount of warpage of the heat radiating surface 24. Thereby, the cooling efficiency of the plurality of semiconductor modules 2 can be effectively improved.
In addition, the same effects as those of the first embodiment are obtained.

(Example 8)
In this example, as shown in FIG. 15, a cooler 1 having a series of high-pressure tubes 5 arranged in a meandering manner so as to come into contact with a plurality of cooling tubes 3 in close contact with a plurality of semiconductor modules 2, and It is an example of the power converter device 4 provided.
In the cooler 1 of this example, since the high-pressure tube 5 is formed in series, the pressure adjusting means 61 is one, and the same pressure is applied to all the cooling tubes 3. Become.

Therefore, the temperature P of all the semiconductor modules 2 is monitored, and the pressure P of the high-pressure fluid supplied to the high-pressure tube 5 is adjusted while comprehensively judging in the control unit 420 so that these temperatures do not rise too much. To do.
Others are the same as in Example 7.

Also in the case of this example, it is possible to provide a power conversion device that can prevent thermal interference and easily adjust the cooling efficiency of the semiconductor module.
In addition, the same effects as those of the first embodiment are obtained.

Example 9
This example is an example of the power conversion device 4 in which one high-pressure tube 5 is inserted and disposed between the cooling tubes 3 that are in close contact with the adjacent semiconductor modules 2 as shown in FIG.
That is, in the power conversion device 4 shown in the first embodiment (FIG. 1), the two-layer high-pressure tube 5 is arranged between the cooling tubes 3. The power conversion device 4 of this example is in the replaced state.

And the power converter device 4 of this example is "the semiconductor cooling unit 15 comprised by the semiconductor module 2, the pair of cooling tube 3 which clamps this, and a pair of high pressure tube 5 which clamps this", "Semiconductor It can be obtained by alternately laminating the semiconductor cooling unit 150 ”constituted by the module 2 and the pair of cooling tubes 3 sandwiching the module 2.
Others are the same as in the first embodiment.

In the case of this example, a smaller cooler 1 and a power conversion device 4 including the cooler 1 can be obtained.
In addition, the same effects as those of the first embodiment are obtained.

(Example 10)
In this example, as shown in FIGS. 17 to 22, a cooler configured such that the cooling tube 3 can be pressed against the semiconductor module 2 by a pressure tube 6 enclosing a thermowax 61 that expands and contracts according to temperature. It is an example of 1.
That is, the cooler 1 of this example includes a cooling tube 3 disposed in close contact with the semiconductor module 2 and a pressure tube 6 disposed adjacent to the surface of the cooling tube 3 opposite to the semiconductor module 2. And have. The pressurizing tube 6 is configured so that a thermowax 61 is enclosed therein and can be expanded and contracted in the stacking direction.

As shown in FIGS. 17 to 19, the pressure tube 6 is integrated with the cooling tube 3, and a pair of cooling tubes 3 are formed on both surfaces of the pressure tube 6 in the stacking direction.
The pressurizing tube 6 is provided with a diaphragm portion 62 for facilitating its widening and contraction. The diaphragm portion 62 is provided at an end portion in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the pressurizing tube 6 and, as shown in FIG. 22, the deformation causes the width in the thickness direction of the pressurizing tube 6 to be expanded or reduced. Can be.

The pressurizing tube 6 is provided with a buffer part 63 for releasing the thermowax 61 expanded more than necessary. Further, the buffer unit 63 includes a return mechanism 64 for returning the thermowax 61 in the buffer unit 63 into the pressurizing tube 6 when the thermowax 61 in the pressurizing tube 6 contracts. The return mechanism 64 includes a piston 641 that can slide in the buffer portion 63 and a coil spring 642 that presses the piston 641.
The thermowax 61 is, for example, a waxy solid made from a fatty acid or the like adjusted so that the fluidity changes suddenly and changes in volume at a predetermined temperature (for example, 60 to 65 ° C.) It can be composed of a semi-solid resin.
Others are the same as in the first embodiment.

Next, the function and effect of this example will be described.
In the cooler 1, the cooling tube 3 can be pressed against the semiconductor module 2 by the expansion of the thermowax 61 in the pressurizing tube 6. That is, when the temperature of the semiconductor module 2 rises and the temperature of the cooling medium in the cooling tube 3 increases, the thermowax 61 in the pressure tube 6 disposed adjacent to the cooling tube 3 rises in temperature and expands. Thereby, as shown to FIG. 22 (B), the pressurization tube 6 is widened in the thickness direction. At this time, the diaphragm 62 provided in the pressure tube 6 is deformed, so that the pressure tube 6 is easily widened.

Therefore, a pressing force directed toward the semiconductor module 2 from the pressurizing tube 6 is applied to the cooling tube 3. As a result, the cooling tube 3 sufficiently follows the heat radiation surface of the semiconductor module 2, and the thermal resistance between the cooling tube 3 and the semiconductor module 2 can be reduced to improve the cooling efficiency.

Thus, the cooling efficiency can be improved when the temperature of the semiconductor module 2 rises and the necessity for cooling it increases.
Note that when the temperature of the semiconductor module 2 is lowered, the temperature of the thermowax 61 is decreased, so that the thermowax 61 contracts, and as shown in FIG. Reduce to.

Further, when the parallelism of the pair of heat radiation surfaces of the semiconductor module 2 is low or the heat radiation surfaces are warped, the cooling tube 3 follows this, so that the semiconductor module 2 and the cooling tube 3 Generation | occurrence | production of the clearance gap between them can be suppressed.
Further, since the pressure tube 6 is disposed in close contact with the cooling tube 3, the thermowax 61 filled therein becomes a thermal resistance, and a heating element different from the semiconductor module 2 that is in close contact with the cooling tube 3. An increase in the temperature of the cooling medium flowing through the cooling tube 3 can be suppressed by the (semiconductor module 2 disposed on the opposite side surface of the cooling tube 3). Thereby, the thermal interference by the other semiconductor module 2 with respect to the semiconductor module 2 can be suppressed.

Moreover, since the pressurizing tube 6 is provided with the buffer part 63, when the thermowax 61 expands more than necessary due to abnormal heating or the like, it is possible to prevent problems such as the pressurizing tube 6 bursting. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 21, since the buffer part 63 has the return mechanism 64, when the thermowax 61 in the pressurization tube 6 contracts, the thermowax 61 in the buffer part 63 is again put in the pressurization tube 6. It can be returned smoothly. That is, it is possible to smoothly return the thermowax 61 that has been cooled in the buffer unit 61 and has decreased fluidity into the pressure tube 6.

As described above, according to this example, it is possible to provide a cooler capable of preventing thermal interference and easily adjusting the cooling efficiency of the semiconductor module 2.
In addition, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

( Reference example )
In this example, as shown in FIG. 23, instead of the pressurizing tube 61 enclosing the thermowax 61 shown in the tenth embodiment, pressurization made of a shape memory alloy having a spring property that expands and contracts according to temperature. It is an example of the cooler 1 using the member 7. FIG. In FIG. 23, the illustration of the cooling tubes 3 disposed on both surfaces of the pressure member 7 is omitted.
The pressure member 7 is a tubular tube disposed between the pair of cooling tubes 3 as in the tenth embodiment, and a diaphragm portion 72 is provided at an end portion in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the pressure member 7. Is provided. The diaphragm portion 72 is formed on a corrugated shape as shown in FIG. 23A at low temperatures, and extends substantially linearly as shown in FIG. 23B at high temperatures.

Thereby, the pressurizing member 7 is configured to be able to change the pressing force of the cooling tube 3 to the semiconductor module 2 according to the temperature by contracting at a low temperature and expanding at a high temperature.
Others are the same as in Example 10.

  The cooler 1 of this example is formed by closely attaching a pressure member 7 made of a shape memory alloy to a surface of the cooling tube 3 opposite to the semiconductor module 2. Therefore, the cooling tube 3 can be pressed against the semiconductor module 2 by the expansion of the pressure member 7. That is, when the temperature of the semiconductor module 2 rises and the temperature of the cooling medium in the cooling tube 3 increases, the pressure member 7 that is a shape memory alloy disposed adjacent to the cooling tube 3 rises in temperature, and the stacking direction Can be expanded. As a result, a pressing force directed toward the semiconductor module 2 from the pressure member 7 acts on the cooling tube 3. As a result, the cooling tube 3 sufficiently follows the heat radiation surface of the semiconductor module 2, and the thermal resistance between the cooling tube 3 and the semiconductor module 2 can be reduced to improve the cooling efficiency. Thus, the cooling efficiency can be improved when the temperature of the semiconductor module 2 rises and the necessity for cooling it increases.

Further, when the parallelism of the pair of heat radiation surfaces of the semiconductor module 2 is low or the heat radiation surface is warped, the cooling tube 3 follows this, so that the space between the semiconductor module 2 and the cooling tube is reduced. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of gaps in
In addition, since the pressure member 7 is disposed in close contact with the cooling tube 3, a semiconductor module that is in close contact with the cooling tube 3 is provided with a space 70 in the pressure member 7 so that the space becomes a thermal resistance. It is possible to suppress an increase in the temperature of the cooling medium flowing through the cooling tube 3 by a heating element different from 2 (semiconductor module 2 disposed on the opposite side surface of the cooling tube 3). Thereby, the thermal interference by the other semiconductor module 2 with respect to the semiconductor module 2 can be suppressed.
In addition, the same effects as those of the tenth embodiment can be obtained.

Sectional explanatory drawing of the cooler in Example 1, and a power converter device provided with the same. The perspective view of the semiconductor cooling unit in Example 2. FIG. The perspective view of the cooling tube in Example 2. FIG. The perspective view of the high pressure tube in Example 2. FIG. Sectional explanatory drawing which shows the state which laminated | stacked the semiconductor cooling unit in Example 2. FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a semiconductor cooling unit in Embodiment 3. The perspective view of the cooling tube in Example 4. FIG. The perspective view of the high pressure tube in Example 4. FIG. Sectional explanatory drawing of the semiconductor cooling unit in Example 4. FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a semiconductor cooling unit in Embodiment 5. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a semiconductor cooling unit in Embodiment 6. Explanatory drawing of the power converter device in Example 7. FIG. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional explanatory view taken along line AA in FIG. 12. Sectional explanatory drawing of the semiconductor cooling unit in Example 7. FIG. Explanatory drawing of the power converter device in Example 8. FIG. Sectional explanatory drawing of the cooler in Example 9, and a power converter device provided with the same. Explanatory drawing of the power converter device in Example 10. FIG. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional explanatory view taken along line BB in FIG. 17. CC sectional view explanatory drawing of FIG. D arrow explanatory drawing of FIG. FIG. 21 is an explanatory cross-sectional view taken along line EE in FIG. 20. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional explanatory diagram of a part of a pressurized tube and a cooling tube in Example 10. The cross-sectional explanatory drawing of a part of pressure member in a reference example .

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cooler 2 Semiconductor module 3 Cooling tube 31 Refrigerant flow path 4 Power converter 5 High pressure tube 6 Pressure tube 61 Thermowax 7 Pressure member

Claims (15)

A cooler for cooling electronic components,
A cooling tube that is disposed in close contact with the electronic component and has a refrigerant flow path for circulating a cooling medium therein;
A cooling system comprising: a high-pressure tube disposed adjacent to a surface of the cooling tube opposite to the electronic component and capable of being filled with a high-pressure fluid having a pressure higher than that of the cooling medium. vessel.   The cooler according to claim 1, wherein the cooling tube is configured so that the cooling tube can be disposed in close contact with both surfaces of the electronic component.   In Claim 2, A pair of said cooling tube arrange | positioned closely on both surfaces of the said electronic component is each comprised by a part of U-shaped tube formed continuously via the folding | turning part, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. Cooler.   3. The cooler according to claim 2, wherein the pair of cooling tubes arranged in close contact with both surfaces of the electronic component is configured by a part of the annular tube formed in an annular shape.   5. The pair of high-pressure tubes arranged in close contact with the pair of cooling tubes according to claim 2, each configured by a part of a U-shaped tube continuously formed via a folded portion. The cooler characterized by being made.   The pair of high-pressure tubes arranged in close contact with the pair of cooling tubes according to any one of claims 2 to 4, each being constituted by a part of an annular tube formed in an annular shape. Cooler.   7. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the cooler includes a plurality of cooling tubes that are in close contact with the plurality of electronic components, and the cooling tubes that are in close contact with the plurality of electronic components. The above-described high-pressure tube that is in close contact with each other is configured to be able to introduce high-pressure fluids having different pressures from each other.   8. The cooler according to claim 1, wherein the cooler includes a plurality of the cooling tubes that are in close contact with the plurality of electronic components, and the high pressure tube is in close contact with the adjacent electronic components. A cooler, wherein the cooler is interposed between cooling tubes. In any one of claims 1～4,7 and 8, the cooler, a series of the disposed to meander in contact for a plurality of the cooling tube in close contact with the plurality of said electronic components A cooler having a high-pressure tube.   10. The cooler according to claim 1, wherein the cooler includes pressure adjusting means for adjusting a supply pressure of a high-pressure fluid to the high-pressure tube.   The cooler according to claim 1, wherein the high-pressure fluid is air. A cooler for cooling electronic components,
A cooling tube that is disposed in close contact with the electronic component and has a refrigerant flow path for circulating a cooling medium therein;
The cooling tube is arranged adjacent to the surface opposite to the electronic component and encloses a thermo wax that expands and contracts depending on the temperature, and can be expanded and contracted in the stacking direction. A cooler characterized by having a pressurizing tube.   The pressure tube according to claim 12, wherein the pressurizing tube is provided with a buffer part for releasing the thermowax that has been expanded more than necessary, and the buffer part is formed when the thermowax in the pressurization tube contracts. A cooler having a return mechanism for returning the thermowax in the buffer part into the pressure tube.   14. The cooler according to claim 12, wherein the pressurizing tube is provided with a diaphragm portion for facilitating the expansion and contraction of the pressurizing tube. In a power conversion device having a plurality of semiconductor modules containing semiconductor elements,
A power converter comprising the cooler according to any one of claims 1 to 14 as means for cooling the semiconductor module.

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