Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Patent
1995-06-22
1996-12-17
Thompson, Gregory D.
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
165 803, 257714, 361715, H05K 720
Patent
active
055860044
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a mounting assembly for power semiconductors, particularly semiconductors for vehicle electric drive power electronics and, more particularly, to an assembly which provides for efficient cooling of the semiconductors of such drive components.
EP-A-0 447 819 discloses a cooling system for heat-generating semiconductors, which comprises plural levels of components arranged in a symmetrical fashion on shelf-like supports around central ducts arranged in a coaxial fashion and through which a cooling medium is directed so as to flow across the surfaces of the semiconductors to cool them. Cooling is achieved by convection. FR-A-2 571 546 discloses a number of heat sink constructions for electronic components, one of which (FIG. 5) suggests positioning the component internally of a cylindrical, finned heatsink. Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 6, no. 215 (E-138) & JP-A-57 118656 discloses mounting LSI circuits in a heat sink frame for cooling by a fan within the frame.
In our International patent application no. PCT/GB92/01435 (WO93/02887) we describe an "electric-hybrid" (EH) type vehicle, having a main electric drive and an auxiliary internal combustion engine (AICE) drive, which includes an integrated liquid cooling/heating system for the electric drive power supply and the auxiliary internal combustion engine (AICE), whereby heat removed from the electric drive power supply can be supplied to the auxiliary internal combustion engine to pre-heat it.
The present invention is intended to provide a mounting assembly suitable for use in such a system as well as in other applications where efficient cooling of semiconductor components is required. Such a system includes power and control electronics as well as busbars and terminals for feeding electric current to and from the drive motor and, where the drive system is multi-phase, has a corresponding multiplicity of identical components. It is important to provide the electric drive in as symmetrical a form as possible, and this includes conductor lengths, cooling, etc.
According to the present invention, there is provided a power electronics assembly having a mounting assembly for power semiconductors and a plurality of power semiconductors mounted thereon, the mounting assembly comprising a prismatic body and an internal passage for passing a fluid cooling medium therethrough in order to cool the body and the semiconductors, characterised in that
the prismatic body has one or more substrate surfaces on which the semiconductors are directly mounted. In this specification the term "prismatic" includes, for example, a circular cylindrical structure having flat, machined side surfaces, as well as shapes which are inherently prismatic by manufacture, such as hexagonal cylinders and the like.
By means of such an assembly, near perfect symmetry can be achieved for, for example, three-phase drive systems or similar, not only as regards geometrical layout, but also cooling, so that all identical components can be equally cooled.
According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a mounting assembly for power semiconductors, the assembly comprising a plurality of modules arranged in a symmetrical arrangement around a central axis, each module comprising one or more heat sink substrate surfaces for the mounting of semiconductor components and an internal passage for passing a fluid cooling medium therethrough in order to cool the semiconductor components. The assembly may thus provide a prismatic arrangement to which connections can be made symmetrically.
Two heat sink substrate surfaces may be formed, one on each side of each module, by forming the module with a heat sink of an aluminium or copper (for example) extrusion or assembly providing an internal passage for coolant fluid. Such an arrangement has the additional advantage of reducing the overall length of the assembly and hence the space occupied.
The individual modules may be combined into the assembly by being retained in a pair of end manifolds feeding coolant fluid t
REFERENCES:
patent: 3277346 (1966-10-01), McAdam et al.
patent: 4880050 (1989-11-01), Nakamura et al.
patent: 5063475 (1991-11-01), Balan
Green Ross M.
Kellaway Michael J.
McShane David J.
Shemmans David J.
Thompson Gregory D.
Wavedriver Limited
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