KR20200077207A - Heat exchanger for cooling electic element - Google Patents

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention discloses a heat exchanger for cooling an electric element, which includes a cooling flow path therein, and a heat exchange medium flows through the cooling flow path. The electric element is disposed on an upper surface of the cooling flow path, and the cooling flow path has a thickness from the upper surface to the flow path greater than the thickness from a side surface of the cooling flow path to the flow path. Therefore, cooling efficiency can be improved by increasing a heat transfer area.

Description

Heat exchanger for cooling electric elements{HEAT EXCHANGER FOR COOLING ELECTIC ELEMENT}

The embodiment relates to a heat exchanger for cooling an electric element.

Recently, as part of countermeasures against environmental problems, vehicles that exclude or reduce the use of fossil fuels, such as electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, have been released.

Such a vehicle is driven by an electric motor, and electricity required for driving the electric motor is supplied from a battery mounted on the vehicle. In addition, electricity supplied to the electric motor is controlled by a power control unit (PCU).

The PCU includes electric elements such as a condenser and a converter, and these electric elements generate heat when energized. Therefore, in order to maintain the optimal input/output characteristics of the electric element, a cooling device capable of cooling the electric element must be separately provided.

Conventionally, a contact heat exchanger is mainly used as a cooling device for an electric element. In this case, a copper plate or a heat spread can be added between the heat exchanger and the PCU for heat spreading, but the copper plate cannot be brazed with the heat exchanger to apply thermal grease. There is a problem of reducing cooling efficiency by increasing, and the heat diffusion portion has a problem of increasing the product size due to the hassle of injecting the working fluid and the thickness more than necessary.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2018-0077461 (2018.07.09., heat exchanger for cooling electrical elements)

An embodiment provides a heat exchanger for cooling an electric element with improved cooling efficiency in a contact heat exchanger.

The problem to be solved in the embodiment is not limited to this, and it will be said that the object or effect that can be grasped from the solution means or embodiment of the problem described below is also included.

The heat exchanger for cooling an electric element according to an aspect of the present invention includes a cooling flow path portion in which a flow path through which a heat exchange medium flows is formed, an electric element is disposed on the upper surface of the cooling flow path portion, and the cooling flow path portion is disposed from the upper surface. The thickness to the flow path may be greater than the thickness from the side surface of the cooling flow path portion to the flow path.

The cooling passage part may be stacked in multiple stages, and the cooling passage part may have a thickness from the lower surface to the passage of the cooling passage part greater than the thickness from the side surface to the passage.

The cooling flow path part may include a tube having the flow path.

The tube may be integrally formed from the flow path to the upper surface.

The tube may have a thickness from the top surface to the flow path of 0.35 mm to 2.35 mm.

It may include a bonding layer interposed between the cooling flow path portion and the electrical element.

The bonding layer may include thermal grease.

The heat exchanger for cooling an electric element according to an embodiment may increase the heat transfer area in which heat of the electric element comes into contact with the heat exchange medium by thickening the wall of the cooling flow path in the direction facing the electric element, thereby cooling efficiency This can be improved.

The various and beneficial advantages and effects of the present invention are not limited to the above, and will be more readily understood in the course of describing specific embodiments of the present invention.

1 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger for cooling an electric device according to an embodiment of the present invention,
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling flow path of Figure 1,
3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the cooling flow path part of FIG. 2,
FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the maximum temperature of the electric device according to the thickness of the upper wall of the cooling channel part of FIG.
5 is a cross-sectional view of another cooling channel part of FIG. 1,
6 is a modified example of FIG. 2,
7 is a modified example of FIG. 5.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

However, the technical idea of the present invention is not limited to some embodiments described, but may be implemented in various different forms, and within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention, one or more of its components between embodiments may be selectively selected. It can be used by bonding and substitution.

In addition, terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the embodiments of the present invention, unless explicitly defined and described, can be generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. It can be interpreted as a meaning, and terms that are commonly used, such as a dictionary-defined term, may interpret the meaning in consideration of the contextual meaning of the related technology.

In addition, the terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are for describing the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

In the present specification, a singular form may also include a plural form unless specifically stated in the phrase, and is combined with A, B, C when described as “at least one (or more than one) of A and B, C”. It can contain one or more of all possible combinations.

In addition, in describing the components of the embodiments of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used.

These terms are only for distinguishing the component from other components, and the term is not limited to the nature, order, or order of the component.

And, when a component is described as being'connected','coupled' or'connected' to another component, the component is not only directly connected to, coupled to, or connected to the other component, but also to the component It may also include a case of'connected','coupled' or'connected' due to another component between the other components.

In addition, when described as being formed or disposed in the “upper (upper) or lower (lower)” of each component, the upper (upper) or lower (lower) is one as well as when the two components are in direct contact with each other. It also includes a case in which another component described above is formed or disposed between two components. In addition, when expressed as “up (up) or down (down)”, it may include the meaning of the downward direction as well as the upward direction based on one component.

1 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger for cooling an electric device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a cooling flow path part of FIG. 1.

1 and 2, the heat exchanger for cooling an electric device according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a cooling flow path part 100, and may further include a pair of header tanks 310 and 320. have.

A flow path 110 through which the heat exchange medium flows may be formed inside the cooling flow path 100. The heat exchange medium may include cooling water, but is not limited thereto.

Inner fins (not shown) may be disposed in the flow path 110 to increase cooling efficiency.

The electric element 1 may be disposed on the top surface 100a of the cooling passage 100.

The cooling flow path 100 may have an upper wall thickness T1 from the top surface 100a to the flow path 110 greater than a sidewall thickness T2 from the side surface 100b of the cooling flow path 100 to the flow path 110. have.

Therefore, as will be described later, after the heat generated in the electric element 1 passes through the upper wall of the cooling passage 100, the heat transfer area that comes into contact with the heat exchange medium increases, while the sidewalls of the cooling passage 100 are unnecessary. Since it does not have to be made thick, it has the advantage of cost reduction and product size improvement.

The cooling flow path part 100 may be formed of one tube. That is, the flow path 110 may be formed in the tube, and the tube may be integrally formed from the flow path 110 to the top surface 100a. Therefore, a bonding layer such as a thermal grease does not exist between the upper surface 100a and the flow path 110, so that the problem of increasing thermal resistance can be improved.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a heat sink (not shown) may be added to form the upper and/or lower walls of the cooling channel 100 thicker than the side walls.

A bonding layer 200 may be interposed between the cooling flow path 100 and the electric element 1. Therefore, the contact area between the cooling channel part 100 and the electric element 1 increases, so that the cooling efficiency can be improved. The bonding layer 200 may include thermal grease.

The pair of header tanks 310 and 320 may include a first header tank 310 and a second header tank 320.

The first header tank 310 may include an inlet 310a through which the heat exchange medium is introduced, and the second header tank 320 may include an outlet 320a through which the heat exchange medium is discharged. The cooling flow path 100 may have both ends in the longitudinal direction connected to the first header tank 310 and the second header tank 320. Therefore, the heat exchange medium introduced through the inlet 310a may be discharged through the outlet 320a through the first header tank 310, the cooling flow path 100, and the second header tank 320 in sequence.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cooling passage portion of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the maximum temperature of the electric device according to the thickness of the upper wall of the cooling passage portion of FIG. 3.

3 and 4, the heat generated in the electric element 1 may be transferred to the cooling flow path portion 100 through the contact area A1 between the electric element 1 and the cooling flow path portion 100, In the process of passing through the wall of the cooling passage 100, it may be diffused in the flow direction of the heat exchange medium. Therefore, the heat transfer area (A2) in which heat generated from the electric element (1) comes into contact with the heat exchange medium may be larger than the contact area (A1) between the electric element (1) and the cooling flow path part (100), and the cooling flow path part ( 100).

The boundary line of the heat transfer region B through which the heat generated from the electric element 1 passes through the wall of the cooling flow path part 100 is indicated by a dotted line on the drawing. The contact area (A1) between the electric element (1) and the cooling passage portion (100) may be the top surface of the heat transfer area (B), and the heat transfer area (A2) in which heat generated in the electric element (1) comes into contact with the heat exchange medium ) May be the lower surface of the heat transfer region B.

The contact area A1 between the electrical element 1 and the cooling passage 100 may be calculated by multiplying the horizontal length B1 and the vertical length C1 of the contact area A1. The heat transfer area A2 may be calculated by multiplying the heat transfer area A2 by the horizontal length B2 and the vertical length C2.

The horizontal length B2 and the vertical length C2 of the heat transfer area A2 may be calculated by Equations 1 and 2 below.

[Equation 1]

B2 = B1 + T1 * 2tan θ

[Equation 2]

C2 = C1 + T1 * 2tan θ

In Equations 1 and 2, T1 may be a thickness of an upper wall from the upper surface 100a of the cooling flow path 100 to the flow path 110, and θ is a boundary of the heat transfer region B, where the cooling flow path 100 It may be an angle formed with the top surface (100a) of the. Assuming that the cooling flow path 100 is made of an isotropic material, for example, aluminum (Al), the angle θ that the boundary line of the heat transfer region B forms with the upper surface 100a of the cooling flow path 100 is It may be 45°.

The ratio η of the heat transfer area A2 to the contact area A1 may exhibit the most efficient heat transfer performance in a range satisfying 1.15 to 2.12 as shown in FIG. 4. That is, the upper wall thickness T1 from the upper surface 100a of the cooling flow path 100 to the flow path 110 may be 0.35 mm to 2.35 mm. If the thickness (T1) is 0.35mm or more, the minimum strength for maintaining shape, etc. can be secured, and when the thickness (T1) is 2.35mm or less, the minimum heat transfer area required for cooling the electric element (1) can be secured. Meanwhile, the problem that the size of the heat exchanger becomes larger than necessary can be improved.

5 is a cross-sectional view of another cooling flow path part of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 5, the electric element 1 may be disposed on the top surface 100a of the cooling flow path 100 as well as beneath the bottom surface 100c of the cooling flow path 100.

In this case, the lower wall thickness T3 from the lower surface 100c of the cooling flow path 100 to the flow path 110 is the side wall thickness T2 from the side surface 100b of the cooling flow path 100 to the flow path 110. Can be greater.

The cooling flow path part 100 of FIG. 2 is the cooling flow path part 100 disposed on the top or bottom layer of the plurality of cooling flow path parts 100 of FIG. 1, while the cooling flow path part 100 of FIG. 5 is shown in FIG. It may be a cooling passage portion 100 disposed in the middle layer of the plurality of cooling passage portion 100. That is, when the electric element 1 is only in contact with the upper surface 100a of the cooling flow path portion 100, it is desirable to increase only the thickness of the upper wall of the cooling flow path portion 100, whereas the electric element 1 is the cooling flow path portion In the case of contacting the upper surface 100a and the lower surface 100c of the (100), it may be desirable to increase the thickness of the lower wall as well as the upper wall of the cooling channel 100.

FIG. 6 is a modification of FIG. 2, and FIG. 7 is a modification of FIG. 5.

6 and 7, the cooling flow path part 100 may be manufactured by bonding a pair of bent plates, and an inner fin 120 may be disposed in the flow path 110. On the other hand, the cooling flow path 100 of FIGS. 2 and 5 may be made of a tube extrudate. However, it is not necessarily limited to this.

The upper and/or lower wall thickness of the cooling channel 100 may be larger than the side wall thickness.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but those skilled in the art can add, change, delete or add components within the scope of the present invention. By this, the present invention can be variously modified and changed, and it will be said that it is also included within the scope of the present invention.

1: Electrical element 100: Cooling flow path
100a: top 100b: side
100c: When 110: Euro
120: inner pin 200: bonding layer
310: first header tank 310a: inlet
320: second header tank 320a: outlet

Claims (7)

It includes a cooling flow path in which a flow path through which the heat exchange medium flows is formed,
An electric element is disposed on an upper surface of the cooling passage part,
The cooling flow path portion heat exchanger for cooling an electric element, wherein the thickness from the upper surface to the flow path is greater than the thickness from the side surface to the flow path of the cooling flow path portion.
According to claim 1,
The cooling passage portion is stacked in multiple stages,
The cooling flow path portion is a heat exchanger for cooling an electric element, wherein a thickness from the lower surface of the cooling flow path portion to the flow path is greater than a thickness from the side surface to the flow path.
According to claim 1,
The cooling passage portion,
A heat exchanger for cooling an electric device including a tube having the flow path.
According to claim 3,
The tube is a heat exchanger for cooling an electric element formed integrally from the flow path to the upper surface.
According to claim 4,
The tube is a heat exchanger for cooling the electric element having a thickness from the upper surface to the flow path of 0.35mm to 2.35mm.
According to claim 1,
A heat exchanger for cooling an electric element including a bonding layer interposed between the cooling flow path portion and the electric element.
The method of claim 6,
The bonding layer is a heat exchanger for cooling an electric device comprising a thermal grease.

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