KR20230161646A - Power module cooling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is a power module cooling device, comprising: a housing portion having an inlet portion through which a refrigerant flows in and an outlet portion through which a refrigerant flows out, and a flow space formed therein to allow the refrigerant to flow; a cover portion on one side of which is in direct or indirect contact with at least one heating element, and on the other side of which is coupled to the housing to seal the flow space; and a heat exchange part formed of a plurality of fins protruding from the other surface and inserted into the flow space so that heat generated by the heating element can be transferred to the refrigerant, wherein the heat exchange part is configured to allow the heat generating element to be transferred to the refrigerant. Depending on the contact position or the heating position where heat is generated from the heating element, they may be formed at different heights based on the vertical cross section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows.

Description

Power module cooling apparatus {Power module cooling apparatus}

The present invention relates to a power module cooling device, and more specifically, to a cooling device for a motor control unit for an electric vehicle that can cool power semiconductors such as an inverter that supplies the motor of an electric vehicle.

In general, electric vehicles play a role as a next-generation means of transportation by ensuring quiet and environmentally friendly driving by driving a motor with battery power.

In order to solve the problem of overheating due to heat generation of component parts of existing electric vehicles, cooling devices including cooling modules consisting of radiators and cooling fans are applied to the driving motor, charger, inverter, and battery, which generate a lot of heat, to prevent overheating. It is being prevented.

The cooling system of electric vehicles is water-cooled, which cools by circulating low-temperature coolant using a cooling module consisting of a separate heat exchanger, a radiator, and a cooling fan, and a motor and fan are applied to each component to cool the air or wind from the main surface. It is classified into an air-cooled type that cools by forced suction, and the water-cooled type is usually applied.

The inverter of an electric vehicle is a type of power semiconductor that changes the DC power of the battery into AC power and supplies it to the motor of the electric vehicle. Since it is heated to a high temperature during operation, a separate heat dissipation module can be applied to the motor control unit where the inverter is installed. .

The heat dissipation module of the motor control unit for electric vehicles is a water-cooled heat dissipation structure that seals the cooling channel by welding a cooling plate with a power semiconductor installed on the opening of the heat dissipation module housing with a cooling channel formed inside, and then circulates refrigerant in the cooling channel. As a result, securing heat dissipation efficiency, that is, cooling performance, has emerged as an important technical task.

Conventional heat dissipation modules have the same length and structure of fins regardless of where the heating element or chip is mounted, resulting in a problem that creates an area where cooling is unnecessary. Additionally, as areas where cooling is unnecessary occur, cooling efficiency decreases depending on the flowing cooling fluid and time.

The idea of the present invention is to solve these problems, and to provide a power module cooling device that can minimize unnecessary cooling areas depending on the heating element, increase cooling performance, and ensure temperature uniformity of a plurality of heating elements. . However, these tasks are illustrative and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

A power module cooling device according to the technical idea of the present invention for solving the above problems includes: a housing portion having an inlet portion through which a refrigerant flows in and an outlet portion through which a refrigerant flows out, and a flow space formed therein so that the refrigerant can flow; a cover portion on one side of which is in direct or indirect contact with at least one heating element, and on the other side of which is coupled to the housing to seal the flow space; and a heat exchange part formed of a plurality of fins protruding from the other surface and inserted into the flow space so that heat generated by the heating element can be transferred to the refrigerant, wherein the heat exchange part is configured to allow the heat generating element to be transferred to the refrigerant. Depending on the contact position or the heating position where heat is generated from the heating element, they may be formed at different heights based on the vertical cross section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows.

According to the technical idea of the present invention, the heat exchange unit may be formed so that an extension line connecting the ends of the plurality of fins is inclined based on a vertical cross section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows.

According to the technical idea of the present invention, the extension line may be formed to be inclined from one end to the other end at an angle of 7 degrees to 17 degrees with respect to the cover part.

According to the technical idea of the present invention, in the heat exchange unit, a plurality of fins formed on the center line based on a vertical cross section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows may be formed to be longer than the plurality of fins formed on both side lines.

According to the technical idea of the present invention, the heat exchange unit may be formed to have at least one step structure from one end to the other end based on a vertical cross section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows.

According to the technical idea of the present invention, the heat exchange unit may be formed so that at least a portion of an extension line connecting the ends of the plurality of fins has a curved portion based on a vertical cross section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows.

According to the technical idea of the present invention, the housing part may be formed so that a bottom surface forming the bottom of the flow space corresponds to the height of the heat exchange part.

According to the technical idea of the present invention, the bottom surface of the housing part is formed to correspond to the heat exchange part formed according to the contact position where the heating element is in contact with the cover part or the heating position where heat is generated from the heating element, It may include a bottom portion that is detachable from the housing portion so as to selectively couple the bottom surface.

According to the technical idea of the present invention, a joint formed to surround the cover part may be further included.

According to the technical idea of the present invention, the joint may be joined to a protrusion formed on at least a portion of the housing by welding using a laser welding method.

According to some embodiments of the present invention made as described above, the length and structure of the fins are formed according to the position where the heating element or chip is mounted to minimize the area where cooling is unnecessary, and accordingly, the cooling fluid that flows and the time Cooling efficiency can be improved.

In addition, it is possible to implement a power module cooling device that can equalize the temperature at which a plurality of heating elements are cooled by allowing a larger amount of refrigerant to flow to the location where the heating element or chip is mounted. Of course, the scope of the present invention is not limited by this effect.

1 is a perspective view showing a power module cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing the AA′ section of the power module cooling device of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-section taken along line AA′ of the power module cooling device of FIG. 1.
4 to 7 are cross-sectional views showing power module cooling devices according to various embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 8 is an isotherm diagram showing temperature change when a power semiconductor is mounted in a conventional cooling device.
Figure 9 is an isotherm diagram showing temperature change when a power semiconductor is mounted on a power module cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 10 is a table showing the temperature change of heating elements mounted at different positions according to the angle of the extension line of the heat exchange part of the power module cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

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

The embodiments of the present invention are provided to more completely explain the present invention to those skilled in the art, and the following examples may be modified into various other forms, and the scope of the present invention is as follows. It is not limited to examples. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure more faithful and complete and to fully convey the spirit of the present invention to those skilled in the art. Additionally, the thickness and size of each layer in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience and clarity of explanation.

The terms used herein are used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the singular forms include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Additionally, when used herein, “comprise” and/or “comprising” means specifying the presence of stated features, numbers, steps, operations, members, elements and/or groups thereof. and does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other shapes, numbers, operations, members, elements and/or groups.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to drawings that schematically show ideal embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings, variations of the depicted shape may be expected, for example, depending on manufacturing technology and/or tolerances. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the specific shape of the area shown in this specification, but should include, for example, changes in shape resulting from manufacturing.

Hereinafter, a power module cooling device according to some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a power module cooling device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded cross-sectional view showing the A-A′ section of the power module cooling device 1000 of FIG. 1, and FIG. This is a cross-sectional view showing the line A-A′ in Figure 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the power module cooling device 1000 according to some embodiments of the present invention largely includes a housing portion 100, a cover portion 200, and a heat exchange portion 300. can do.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the housing portion 100 is formed with an inlet 110 through which the refrigerant flows in and an outlet 120 through which the refrigerant flows out, and has a flow space inside so that the refrigerant can flow. A) can be formed.

For example, the housing unit 100 may be an overall box-shaped cylindrical structure made of a thermally conductive material with an opening open on at least one side so that a flow space A in which the refrigerant circulates can be formed therein.

The housing portion 100 has a relatively three-dimensionally complex structure, and can be molded from a base material made of aluminum using a die casting method to reduce costs and be suitable for a complex structure.

More specifically, for example, the housing portion 100 includes a housing body and an inlet ( It may include a wall formed around the edge of the housing body so that the refrigerant flowing in from 110) can be circulated and discharged through the outlet 120.

However, the shape or manufacturing method of the housing portion 100 is not necessarily limited to the drawings, and in addition to the overall square box shape, a variety of three-dimensional solid bodies such as polygonal boxes, ring shapes, or cylindrical shapes can be manufactured by various methods. .

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, one side of the cover part 200 is in direct or indirect contact with at least one heating element (PM), and the other side is the housing part so as to seal the flow space (A). It can be combined with (100).

The cover portion 200 may be an overall plate-shaped structure made of a thermally conductive material. For example, the cover portion 200 may include a plate-shaped plate body with both an outer surface formed on one side and an inner surface formed on the other side being flat.

The inner surface of the plate body may be installed to cover the flow space (A) so as to be in thermal contact with the refrigerant, and a heat exchange part 300 protruding in the direction of the flow space (A) may be formed.

The outer surface of the plate body may be formed with a seating portion 210 on which at least one heating element (PM) can be seated.

The seating portion 210 may be formed to protrude from the outer surface of the plate body to prevent bending when the heating element (PM) generates heat. Therefore, when the heating element (PM) mounted on the seating portion 210 generates heat at a high temperature, the thickness of the plate body is relatively thin, which can induce a bending phenomenon in the plate body instead of the seating portion 210, which causes the seating portion ( Since the bending phenomenon of 210) can be suppressed as much as possible, poor contact or separation from the heating element (PM) can be prevented.

Meanwhile, the shape of the cover portion 200 is not necessarily limited to the drawing. In addition to the overall square plate shape, it can be manufactured by various methods in a variety of shapes such as polygonal plates, circular plates, and elliptical plates, and can be manufactured by various methods, such as copper, aluminum, Any metal material that can conduct heat, such as magnesium or steel, can be applied.

3 to 7 are cross-sectional views showing a power module cooling device 1000 according to various embodiments of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the heat exchange unit 300 is formed of a plurality of fins protruding from the other surface to be inserted into the flow space (A) so that heat generated from the heating element (PM) can be transferred to the refrigerant. You can.

Specifically, the heat exchange unit 300 may be formed with a plurality of fins formed in a cylindrical or polygonal pillar shape and protruding from the other surface of the cover unit 200. Thus, the heat generated from the heating element (PM) is transferred to the refrigerant through the cover part 200, and the plurality of fins increase the contact area with the refrigerant, thereby increasing cooling efficiency.

The heat exchange unit 300 has different configurations based on the vertical cross section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows, depending on the contact position where the heating element (PM) is in contact with the cover part 200 or the heating position where heat is generated from the heating element (PM). It can be formed to any height.

The heating element (PM) is configured differently depending on the motor control method, and for example, multiple chips such as diodes and IGBTs may be mounted on the top surface.

A heating element (PM) is a type of power semiconductor supplied to the motor of an electric vehicle, specifically, a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR), a triode AC switch (TRIAC), a diode AC (DIAC), and a GTO inverter (Gate Turn- It can include power semiconductor chips such as Off Thyrister (SSS), SSS (Silicon Symmetrical Switch), MCT (Mos-Controlled Thyristo), IGBT (Insulated gate bipolar transistor), and MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor). there is.

At this time, the chip (S) may be mounted in a structure eccentric in one direction rather than the center of the heating element (PM), a plurality of heating elements (PM) may be formed at different positions, and the The calorific value is different. Accordingly, the length of the heat exchange part 300 may be formed differently.

For example, the heat exchange unit 300 is configured so that the extension line (L) connecting the ends of the plurality of fins is inclined so that the plurality of fins are formed long at the position of the heating element (PM) based on the vertical cross-section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows. can be formed.

Specifically, the heating element (PM) is seated on the left side and the contact position is on the left side, or the heating element (PM) is seated in the center, but the chip (S) that generates the heat formed in the heating element (PM) is formed on the left side in the drawing. When the heat generation location is on the left side, as shown in FIG. 3, the fins formed on the left side of the heat exchange unit 300 may be formed to be longer than the fins formed on the right side.

Accordingly, the area in which the refrigerant contacts the fins formed on the left side is larger than the area in contact with the fins formed on the right side, so that more heat exchange can occur at the lower part of the heat generation position, that is, in the heat generation position. can have a higher cooling efficiency.

The heat exchange unit 300 may be formed so that the length of the plurality of fins decreases uniformly. For example, the plurality of fins may be formed with a length gradually decreasing from the fin formed on the left to the fin formed on the right. That is, the extension line L connecting the ends of the plurality of pins may be formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle θ with respect to the cover portion 200.

The extension line (L) is formed to be inclined from one end to the other end so that the angle with the cover portion 200 is 7 degrees to 17 degrees, so that when a plurality of heating elements (PM) are formed in the flow direction of the refrigerant, the first heating element The temperatures of (PM1), the second heating element (PM2), and the third heating element (PM3) can be equalized, and the cooling performance of the heating element (PM) can be improved.

The housing portion 100 may be formed so that the bottom surface 131 forming the bottom of the flow space A corresponds to the height of the heat exchanger 300. Specifically, when the plurality of fins of the heat exchange unit 300 are formed with the length from the fin formed on the left to the fin formed on the right gradually decreasing, the bottom surface 131a of the flow space A is formed by the plurality of fins. It can be formed corresponding to the length of .

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, as the extension line L connecting the ends of the plurality of pins is formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle θ, the bottom surface 131a has a predetermined angle with respect to the cover portion 200. It may be formed to be inclined with an angle (θ). Accordingly, the refrigerant can flow in a larger amount in the flow space (A) on the left side of the drawing, the temperature at which the plurality of heating elements (PM) is cooled can be uniformized, and cooling performance can be improved. there is.

As shown in FIG. 5(a), the heat exchange unit 300 may be formed to have at least one step structure from one end to the other end based on a vertical cross section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows. For example, the heat exchange unit 300 may have a plurality of fins formed on the left side longer than those formed on the right side. In this case, the position of the chip S formed on the heating element PM, that is, the heating temperature deviation, The length of the plurality of pins on the left side is formed to be long up to the position where it is the largest, and the length of the plurality of pins on the right side thereafter is formed shorter than the length of the plurality of pins on the left side, so that the plurality of pins on the left side and the plurality of pins on the right side are formed. may be formed with steps.

At this time, the bottom surface 131c of the flow space A may be formed to include a step portion corresponding to the length of the plurality of fins.

As shown in FIG. 6(a), the heat exchange unit 300 is formed so that at least a portion of the extension line L connecting the ends of the plurality of fins has a curved portion based on the vertical cross section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows. It can be.

For example, the heat exchange unit 300 may be formed with the length of the plurality of fins gradually decreasing from the fins formed on the left to the fins formed on the right. At this time, the length of the pin may be reduced so that the extension line connecting the end of the pin formed on the left side to the end of the pin formed on the right side has a curved portion. Alternatively, the length of the plurality of fins is uniformly reduced from the left side to the right side to the position where the heat generation temperature difference is greatest according to the heat generation position, and the length of the plurality of fins thereafter is such that the extension line of the end has a curved portion. It can be formed to have a reduced length.

At this time, the bottom surface 131d of the flow space A may be formed to include a curved portion corresponding to the length of the plurality of fins. Accordingly, the refrigerant flowing in the flow space A can flow from the left side to the right side without causing turbulence.

As shown in FIG. 4, the heat exchange unit 300 may have a plurality of fins formed on the center line of the heat exchanger 300 longer than the plurality of fins formed on both side lines based on a vertical cross section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows.

Specifically, when the heating element (PM) is seated at the center and the contact position is at the center, or when the chip (S) generating heat is formed at the center and the heat generation position is at the center, as shown in FIG. 4, the heat exchanger (300) ), the pins formed in the center may be formed longer than the pins formed in the left and right sides.

Accordingly, the area in which the refrigerant contacts the fins formed in the center is larger than the area in contact with the fins formed in the left and right sides, so that more heat exchange can occur at the lower part of the heating position, that is, Cooling efficiency at the heating location may have a higher effect.

The heat exchange unit 300 may be formed so that the length of the plurality of fins increases uniformly from the left or right side to the center. For example, the plurality of fins may be formed with a length gradually increasing from the fins formed on the left and right sides to the fins formed in the center. That is, the extension lines connecting the ends of the plurality of pins may be formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle (θ) from the center to both sides with respect to the cover portion 200.

At this time, the bottom surface 131b of the housing portion 100 may be formed to correspond to the heat exchanger 300. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a predetermined angle is formed from the center of the bottom surface 131b to both sides. It can be formed to be inclined with θ). Accordingly, the refrigerant can flow in a larger amount in the flow space (A) at the center of the drawing, the temperature at which the plurality of heating elements (PM) is cooled can be uniformized, and cooling performance can be improved. there is.

As shown in FIG. 5(b), the heat exchange unit 300 may be formed to have a stepped structure from the center to both sides based on a vertical cross section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows. For example, the heat exchange unit 300 may have a plurality of fins formed in the central portion longer than the plurality of fins formed in the left and right portions. In this case, the position of the chip S formed in the heating element PM, that is, the heat generation The length of the central plurality of fins is formed to be long up to the position where the temperature difference is greatest, and the length of the left and right plurality of fins formed on both sides is shorter than the length of the central plurality of fins, so that the central plurality of fins and the The plurality of pins on the left and right sides may be formed with steps.

At this time, the bottom surface 131c of the flow space A may be formed to include a step portion corresponding to the length of the plurality of fins.

As shown in FIG. 6(a), the heat exchange unit 300 is formed to have a curved portion extending from the fin formed at the center to the ends of the fins formed on both sides based on the vertical cross section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows. You can.

For example, the fins formed in the center of the heat exchange unit 300 may be formed to be longer than the fins formed in the left and right sides. At this time, the plurality of fins may be formed with a length gradually decreasing from the fin formed on the left to the fin formed on the right. At this time, the length of the plurality of fins may be formed to have a curved portion and decrease from the left side to the right side to the position where the heating temperature difference is greatest.

At this time, the bottom surface 131d of the flow space A may include a curved portion having a low center and high both sides corresponding to the length of the plurality of fins. Accordingly, the refrigerant flowing in the flow space A can flow from the center to both sides without causing turbulence.

The shape of the heat exchange unit 300 and the bottom surface 131 is not necessarily limited to the drawing, and is located at a contact position where the heating element (PM) contacts the cover part 200 or a heating position where heat is generated from the heating element (PM). Accordingly, it can be formed in various forms.

The housing portion 100 may include a bottom portion 130.

The bottom portion 130 has a bottom surface 131 to correspond to the heat exchange portion 300 formed according to the contact position where the heating element (PM) is in contact with the cover portion 200 or the heating position where heat is generated from the heating element (PM). ) is formed, and may be detachable from the housing portion 100 so that the bottom surface 131 can be selectively coupled.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the heating element (PM) is seated on the left side and the contact position is on the left side, or the heating element (PM) is seated in the center, but the chip (S) that generates heat formed in the heating element (PM) When formed on the left side in this drawing, the heat exchange part 300a can be used in which the fins formed on the left side are longer than the fins formed on the right side.

The bottom portion 130a is coupled to the inside of the housing portion 100 and the heat exchange portion 300a is coupled to the housing portion 100 so that the refrigerant can flow through the heat exchange portion 300a in the flow space A. The space in which the heat exchanger 300a is not inserted can be filled between the heat exchanger 300a and the housing 100 so that the heat exchanger 300a is not inserted.

In addition, when the heating element (PM) is seated at the center and the contact position is at the center and the heating location is at the center, a heat exchange unit (300b) in which fins formed at the center are formed longer than fins formed at both sides can be used.

The bottom portion (130b) is coupled to the inside of the housing portion (100) and the heat exchange portion (300b) is coupled to the housing portion (100) so that the refrigerant can flow through the heat exchange portion (300b) in the flow space (A). The space in which the heat exchange part 300b is not inserted can be filled between the heat exchange part 300b and the housing part 100.

That is, various types of heat exchange part 300 and bottom part 130 can be selectively used depending on the contact position of the heating element (PM) or the heating position where heat is generated from the heating element (PM), and the housing part ( 100 is formed to accommodate both the heat exchange part 300 and the bottom part 130 of various shapes, making it easy to manufacture the housing part 100 and reducing costs.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the power module cooling device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a joint 400.

The joint 400 may include a welding portion and a sealing portion for coupling the housing portion 100 and the cover portion 200.

The joint portion 400 may be formed to at least partially surround the edge portion of the cover portion 200.

The joint 400 is made of engineering plastic (EP), a high-performance plastic material that has excellent strength and elasticity and can withstand high temperature conditions, and is formed by the coolant whose temperature rises during the cooling process of the heating element (PM). Deformation and damage can be prevented.

The joint 400 may be formed of a transparent plastic material with a transmission layer that transmits the laser beam. Specifically, the joint portion 400 formed around the cover portion 200 is formed by melting the protrusion formed on the housing portion 100 and the surface in contact with the protrusion through a laser beam irradiated from a laser welding device to form a cover portion. It can be conjugated with (200).

At this time, it may be desirable to press between the housing 100 and the cover 200 at a predetermined pressure using a compression device so that the cover 200 and the protrusion can be bonded.

Additionally, the joint 400 may include a sealing member formed around the welded portion to prevent leakage of the refrigerant due to voids generated in the process of forming the welded portion. Accordingly, after welding the housing portion 100 and the cover portion 200, the sealing member made of adhesive is formed on the formed welded portion to improve sealing properties to prevent refrigerant leakage and improve cooling performance. You can.

The sealing member may be made of a polymeric adhesive material that can be combined with a volatile organic solvent and hardened after volatilization or heating. However, it is not necessarily limited thereto, and a wide variety of adhesive materials may be applied.

Figure 8 is an isotherm diagram showing the temperature change when a power semiconductor is mounted on a conventional cooling device, and Figure 9 is an isotherm diagram showing the temperature change when a power semiconductor is mounted on a power module cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is an isotherm diagram, and FIG. 10 is a table showing the temperature change of the heating element (PM) mounted at different positions according to the angle of the extension line (L) of the heat exchange unit 200 of FIG. 9.

As shown in FIG. 8, when the heating position of the chip S formed on the heating element PM is formed on the left side of the drawing, the heating position appears at the highest temperature, and the temperature increases radially around the heating position. appears to be decreasing.

In addition, the temperature distribution of the refrigerant (C) shows that the temperature is highest around the heating position, but there is no change in temperature in the lower right part, which is the part furthest from the heating position. In other words, the part close to the heating position is an affected area where the temperature increases and requires cooling performance, and the part far from the heating position is an unaffected area with no temperature change and does not require cooling performance.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 9, unnecessary parts are removed so that the flow of refrigerant can be concentrated in the part requiring cooling in the power module cooling device 1000, and the heat exchanger 300 is tilted at a predetermined angle θ. It was formed so that the temperature change depending on the location was simulated computerically.

At this time, the heating element (PM) is in a state in which the first heating element (PM1), the second heating element (PM2), and the third heating element (PM3) are seated in that order from the inlet part 110 to the outlet part 120, as shown in FIG. The heat generation location is 8.4mm to the left of the center. The height of the basic pin (D1) is 11.3mm, and the height of the minimum pin (D2) is 8mm, 4.6mm, and 1.2mm, respectively. Depending on the height of each minimum pin (D2), the angle of the extension line (L) of the pin is The maximum temperatures of the first heating element (PM1), the second heating element (PM2), and the third heating element (PM3) were simulated at 5 degrees, 10 degrees, and 15 degrees, respectively.

Based on the experiment, when the height of the fins of the heat exchanger 300 is 11.3 mm, the highest temperatures of the first heating element (PM1), the second heating element (PM2), and the third heating element (PM3) are 118.26°C and 121.2°C, respectively. , it was found to be 123.3℃.

When the predetermined angle θ at which the extension line L connecting the ends of the plurality of fins of the heat exchange unit 300 is inclined is 5 degrees, the temperatures of the heating elements PM1, PM2, and PM3 are 118.06°C, 120.8°C, respectively. It was found to be 122.6°C, and compared to the above experimental standard, the temperature showed a slight decrease of -0.17%, -0.33%, and -0.57%.

Under the same conditions, when the predetermined angle (θ) is 10 degrees, the temperature of the heating elements (PM1, PM2, PM3) is 116.6℃, 119.08℃, and 120.87℃, respectively, which is -1.40% and -1.75% compared to the above experimental standard. %, -1.97%, and when the predetermined angle (θ) is 15 degrees, the temperature of the heating elements (PM1, PM2, PM3) is 115.06℃, 117.1℃, and 118.8℃, respectively, which is higher than the above experimental standard. It can be seen that the temperature is decreasing by showing -2.71%, -3.38%, and -3.65%.

As shown in the experiment, the rate at which the temperature decreases increases as the refrigerant (C) flows from the first heating element (PM1) to the third heating element (PM3), thereby effectively increasing cooling performance, and the cooling performance in the third heating element (PM3) As the cooling performance appears to be remarkable, it appears to have a high effect on the temperature uniformity of the first heating element (PM1), the second heating element (PM2), and the third heating element (PM3).

In particular, the difference appears large when the predetermined angle θ is 5 degrees and when it is 10 degrees, and it appears even larger when the predetermined angle θ is 15 degrees. Therefore, when the predetermined angle (θ) is 7 degrees or more, the cooling performance can be maximized. When the predetermined angle (θ) is more than 17 degrees, it is difficult to form fins, so it is preferable that it is formed at 17 degrees or less. That is, the extension lines (L) of the ends of the plurality of fins are formed at an angle of 7 degrees to 17 degrees with respect to the cover portion 200, so that cooling performance can be most efficiently improved.

The power module cooling device 1000 according to various embodiments of the present invention has a length of a plurality of fins of the heat exchanger 300 depending on the contact position where the heating element (PM) is seated or the heat generating position where heat is generated from the heating element (PM). By forming it differently, the cooling efficiency can be increased by increasing the contact area with the refrigerant at the contact position or the heat generation position.

In addition, the bottom surface 131 of the housing part 100 is formed to correspond to the heat exchange part 300 to allow more of the refrigerant to flow into the heat exchange part 300 formed at the contact position or the heat generating position. The temperature at which the heating element (PM) is cooled can be uniformized, and cooling performance can be improved.

The present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, but these are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. Therefore, the true scope of technical protection of the present invention should be determined by the technical spirit of the attached patent claims.

A: Flow space
C: refrigerant
S: Chip
L: extension line
PM: heating element
100: Housing part
110: inlet
120: outlet
130: bottom part
131: bottom surface
200: cover part
210: Seating part
300: heat exchange unit
400: joint
1000: Power module cooling device

Claims (10)

a housing portion having an inlet portion through which the refrigerant flows in and an outlet portion through which the refrigerant flows out, and a flow space formed therein to allow the refrigerant to flow;
a cover portion on one side of which is in direct or indirect contact with at least one heating element, and on the other side of which is coupled to the housing to seal the flow space; and
a heat exchanger formed by a plurality of fins protruding from the other surface and inserted into the flow space so that heat generated by the heating element can be transferred to the refrigerant;
Including,
The heat exchange part,
A power module cooling device that is formed at different heights based on a vertical cross section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows, depending on the contact position where the heating element is in contact with the cover part or the heating position where heat is generated from the heating element. According to claim 1,
The heat exchange part,
A power module cooling device in which an extension line connecting ends of the plurality of fins is formed to be inclined based on a vertical cross section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows. According to claim 2,
The extension line is,
A power module cooling device formed to be inclined from one end to the other end at an angle of 7 degrees to 17 degrees with respect to the cover part. According to claim 1,
The heat exchange part,
A power module cooling device wherein a plurality of fins formed on a center line are formed longer than a plurality of fins formed on both side lines based on a vertical cross section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows. According to claim 1,
The heat exchange part,
A power module cooling device formed to have at least one step structure from one end to the other end based on a vertical cross section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows. According to claim 1,
The heat exchange part,
A power module cooling device wherein at least a portion of an extended line connecting ends of the plurality of fins is formed to have a curved portion based on a vertical cross section in the direction in which the refrigerant flows. According to claim 1,
The housing part,
A power module cooling device wherein a bottom surface forming the bottom of the flow space is formed to correspond to the height of the heat exchanger. According to claim 1,
The housing part,
The bottom surface is formed to correspond to the heat exchange part formed according to a contact position where the heating element is in contact with the cover part or a heating position where heat is generated from the heating element, and the housing is configured to selectively couple the bottom surface. A bottom part that is detachable from the unit;
Power module cooling device, including. According to claim 1,
a joint formed to surround the cover portion;
A power module cooling device further comprising a. According to clause 9,
The joint is,
A power module cooling device that is welded and joined to a protrusion formed on at least a portion of the housing using a laser welding method.

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