Modular coolant manifold for use with power electronics...

Details Modular coolant manifold for use with power electronics... Modular coolant manifold for use with power electronics...

1998-12-23

2001-04-10

Flanigan, Allen (Department: 3743)

Heat exchange

With retainer for removable article

Electrical component

C361S699000, C361S716000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06213195

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a modular coolant manifold for use with power electronics devices having integrated coolers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Modern electronic components are being manufactured with ever increasing packaging densities which require greatly increased power dissipation capabilities. Proper cooling and power dissipation greatly enhance reliability of the electronic components, and thus thermal management is becoming an extremely important design consideration. Because of the high heat fluxes produced by modern high powered electronic components, future high power electronics for commercial aircraft, aerospace installations, and other applications will likely be liquid cooled.
In such applications where space and weight are important, compact cold plates and modular device coolers are needed. Further, the cooling devices should be low cost and provide high performance cooling of the electronic components, such as solid state power devices used in variable speed, constant frequency power generation systems, DC converters, motor drives, inverters, variable frequency converters and bidirectional converters.
In applications employing high power electronic devices, high performance liquid plate fin heat exchangers or impingement type coolers have been used. Such devices have surface density ranges on the order of 500-1000 and 1500-2500 square meters of surface area per cubic meter of exchanger volume, respectively. Cooling devices with even greater surface density have been developed.
However, because cooling requirements vary substantially from application to application, prior cooling devices have either been individually designed for a specific application, or else an existing cooling device having a known cooling performance equal to or greater than the cooling requirements of the contemplated application must be chosen. In the former case, the need to develop a new design can increase overall costs beyond an acceptable level. In the latter case, inefficiencies are often encountered due to the oversizing of the cooling device. In either case, efficiency could be increased by providing a modular coolant manifold adapted to accept any one of a variety of cooling devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of the invention, a modular coolant manifold is adapted for use with an electronics component having a heat sink structure. The modular coolant manifold comprises a base unit having an inlet side, an outlet side, and a pair of interconnecting sidewalls. A portion of the base unit defines a recess adapted to receive the heat sink of the electronics component. The base unit includes an internal coolant passage extending between an inlet port defined in the inlet side and an outlet port defined in the outlet side. The coolant passage is in flow communication with the recess. An inlet manifold is adapted for attachment to the base unit inlet side. The inlet manifold includes an inlet port, a transfer port, and a coolant passage interconnecting the inlet port and the transfer port. The inlet manifold transfer port is in flow communication with the base inlet port. An outlet manifold is adapted for attachment to the base unit outlet side. The outlet manifold includes a transfer port, an outlet port, and a coolant passage interconnecting the transfer port and the outlet port. The outlet manifold transfer port is in flow communication with the base unit outlet port. Accordingly, a coolant medium may be communicated through the recess to extract heat from the heat sink.
In further accordance with a preferred embodiment, the inlet and outlet manifolds each include a plurality of transfer ports and the base unit includes a plurality of inlet and outlet ports. Each of the base unit inlet and outlet ports is aligned with an adjacent transfer port, thereby defining a plurality of coolant flow paths across the base unit. A plug may be provided which is adapted to block a selected one of the flow paths. A second base similar to the first base may be provided and is adapted for attachment to the first base such that the second base inlet ports are in flow communication with the first base outlet ports and with the second base outlet port being in flow communication with the outlet manifold transfer port. One or more of the bases may include a second recess in flow communication with the coolant passage and also adapted to receive a heat sink. The coolant passage for each base may be adapted to define a plurality of possible coolant flow paths across each base. One or more plugs may be provided to selectively block portions of the flow paths. The recess preferably includes a peripheral edge adapted to receive a seal.
The inlet and outlet manifold transfer ports may be asymmetrically arranged about a centerline of the inlet and outlet manifolds. The asymmetrical arrangement permits either of the manifolds to be mounted to its adjacent base in two possible orientations, and thereby permits portions of the inlet and outlet manifolds to block a selected one of the flow paths. Using the plugs, the flow paths may be adapted to route the coolant medium through the recesses in parallel or in series. Finally, an electronic component having an integral heat sink adapted to be received in the recess may be provided.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a modular coolant manifold, which is adapted for use with electronic components having attached coolers, comprises a plurality of base units, each of the base units having an inlet side, an outlet side, and a pair of interconnecting sidewalls. A portion of each base unit defines a recess adapted to receive the cooler from a corresponding one of the components. Each base unit further includes a plurality of inlet and outlet ports and a plurality of interconnecting internal coolant passages, with each recess being in flow communication with at least one of the internal coolant passages. Each base unit is adapted for mounting to an adjacent base unit so that one or more of each base unit coolant passages may be in flow communication with one or more of the coolant passages from the adjacent base unit. An inlet manifold is adapted for attachment to the first base unit, with the inlet manifold having a coolant passage in flow communication with the first base unit coolant passages. An outlet manifold is adapted for attachment to the last one of the base units, with the outlet manifold having a coolant passage in flow communication with the adjacent base unit coolant passages. Thus, a coolant medium may be communicated through each of the base unit recesses thereby extracting heat from the coolers disposed in each of the recesses.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a manifold for circulating a coolant medium past a power electronics device having a cooler comprises a central base having an inlet side, an outlet side, and a pair of interconnecting sidewalls. The base includes a recess adapted to receive a device cooler and further includes an internal coolant passage extending between an inlet port defined in the inlet side and an outlet port defined in the outlet side. The coolant passage is in flow communication with the recess. An inlet manifold is adapted for attachment to the base inlet side and includes an inlet port, a transfer port, and a coolant passage interconnecting the inlet port and the transfer port. The inlet manifold transfer port is in flow communication with the base inlet port. An outlet manifold is adapted for attachment to the base outlet side and includes a transfer port, an outlet port, and a coolant passage interconnecting the transfer port and the outlet port, with the outlet manifold transfer port being in flow communication with the base outlet port. A coolant medium may therefore be communicated through the recess thereby extracting heat from the cooler disposed in the recess.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a modular coolant manifold for use with an electronics component having a heat sink comprises a base

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