阅读说明：本技术 具有共用冷却组件的多隔室电气装置 (Multi-compartment electrical device with common cooling assembly ) 是由 弗朗兹·S·多穆拉斯 唐纳德·考尔菲尔德 乔治·纳瓦罗 于 2019-01-08 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了一种装置,诸如电力引导装置,该装置包括壳体,该壳体具有第一隔室和第二隔室,该第一隔室和该第二隔室具有相应的相反的第一壁和第二壁。冷却结构设置在第一隔室与第二隔室之间,并且具有限定于其中的冷却剂通道,该冷却剂通道被构造用于在平行于相反的第一壁和第二壁的方向上承载冷却剂流。第一半导体开关和第二半导体开关(例如,静态开关)被设置在冷却剂通道的相反侧上的第一壁和第二壁上,并且被构造用于被冷却剂流冷却。(An apparatus, such as an electrical power directing apparatus, includes a housing having first and second compartments with respective opposing first and second walls. The cooling structure is disposed between the first and second compartments and has a coolant channel defined therein configured to carry a flow of coolant in a direction parallel to the opposing first and second walls. First and second semiconductor switches (e.g., static switches) are disposed on the first and second walls on opposite sides of the coolant channel and are configured to be cooled by the flow of coolant.)

1. An apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a housing having first and second compartments with respective opposing first and second walls;

a cooling structure between the first and second compartments and having a coolant channel defined therein configured to carry a flow of coolant in a direction parallel to the opposing first and second walls; and

first and second semiconductor switches on the first and second walls on opposite sides of the coolant channel and configured to be cooled by the coolant flow.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling structure comprises at least one heat sink having heat at least one heat transfer surface disposed in the coolant channel, and wherein the first and second semiconductor switches are thermally coupled to at least one heat sink.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cooling structure further comprises at least one fan disposed between the first wall and the second wall and configured to generate the flow of coolant.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one heat sink is positioned in the coolant channel such that at least one heat transfer surface receives the flow of coolant from at least one fan.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cooling structure further comprises a conduit configured to exhaust coolant received from at least one radiator.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cooling structure further comprises at least one vent on at least one of the first wall and the second wall and configured to provide coolant to the coolant channel from at least one of the first compartment and the second compartment.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling structure comprises at least one fan disposed between the first wall and the second wall and configured to generate the flow of coolant.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one fan comprises a plurality of fans.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising first and second contactors electrically coupled to and disposed in respective ones of the first and second semiconductor switches.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the housing further comprises third and fourth compartments on respective first and second sides of the first and second compartments, and wherein the device further comprises at least one input bus component passing from at least one of the first and second compartments into at least one of the third and fourth compartments and electrically connected to at least one of the first and second contactors.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises third and fourth compartments on respective first and second sides of the first and second compartments, and wherein the device further comprises first and second output bus assemblies coupled to and passing from respective ones of the first and second semiconductor switches to respective ones of the third and fourth compartments.

12. An apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a cubic housing having first and second outer compartments and first and second inner compartments disposed between the first and second outer compartments such that the first and second inner compartments have respective opposing first and second vertical walls; and

a cooling structure between the first and second vertical walls and comprising:

a coolant inlet arrangement configured to receive air from a lower portion of the first and second internal compartments;

a fan assembly located above the coolant inlet structure and including at least one fan disposed between the first and second vertical walls and configured to draw air through the coolant inlet structure;

a heat sink assembly above the fan assembly and having a plurality of heat transfer surfaces that receive air from the fan assembly; and

a duct above the heat sink assembly that vertically exhausts air from the heat sink assembly out of the housing.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising first and second heat generating devices disposed in respective ones of the first and second internal compartments and thermally coupled to the heat sink assembly.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first and second heat generating devices comprise respective first and second semiconductor static switches.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising first and second contactors electrically coupled to and disposed below respective ones of the first and second semiconductor static switches in respective ones of the first and second internal compartments.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising at least one input bus bar assembly passing from at least one of the first external compartment and the second external compartment into at least one of the first internal compartment and the second internal compartment and electrically connected to at least one of the first contactor and the second contactor.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising first and second output bus assemblies electrically coupled to and passing from respective ones of the first and second internal compartments to respective ones of the first and second external compartments.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising first and second control circuit components mounted above the first and second semiconductor static switches on respective ones of the first and second vertical walls.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first and second static switches partially protrude into respective openings in the first and second upright walls.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the coolant inlet structure comprises first and second vent holes in respective ones of the first and second vertical walls.

Background

The present subject matter relates to electrical equipment, and more particularly, to electrical equipment including heat-generating semiconductor devices.

Electrical equipment, such as converters, static switches, and other devices used in power distribution applications, typically include power semiconductor devices, such as transistors (e.g., IGBTs, power MOSFETs) or thyristors (e.g., SCRs). During operation, such devices generate a significant amount of heat. To prevent degradation of such equipment and other nearby electronics, heat is typically transferred away from the equipment using heat sinks, convection, fans, liquid coolant systems, heat pipes, and other heat transfer structures. Providing such heat transfer structures within limited space in a cabinet or other enclosure can be problematic in that the heat transfer structures can occupy excessive space and can be constrained by form factors resulting from the need to provide heat transfer paths to the exterior of the enclosure. Accordingly, there is a continuing need for improved heat transfer structures in such applications.

Disclosure of Invention

According to some embodiments of the inventive subject matter, a device (such as an electrical power directing device) includes a housing having first and second compartments with respective opposing first and second walls. The cooling structure is disposed between the first and second compartments and has a coolant channel defined therein configured to carry a flow of coolant in a direction parallel to the opposing first and second walls. The first and second semiconductor switches are disposed on the first and second walls on opposite sides of the coolant channel and are configured to be cooled by a flow of coolant.

In some embodiments, the cooling structure includes at least one heat sink having at least one heat transfer surface disposed in the coolant channel, wherein the first semiconductor switch and the second semiconductor switch are thermally coupled to the at least one heat sink. The cooling structure may also include at least one fan disposed between the first wall and the second wall and configured to generate a flow of coolant. At least one heat sink may be positioned in the coolant channel such that the at least one heat transfer surface receives a flow of coolant from the at least one fan. The cooling structure may further include a duct configured to discharge the coolant received from the radiator. The cooling structure may further include at least one vent hole on at least one of the first wall and the second wall and configured to provide coolant from at least one of the first interior compartment and the second interior compartment to the coolant channel.

In some embodiments, the housing further comprises third and fourth compartments on respective first and second sides of the first and second compartments. The apparatus may include at least one input bus component passing from at least one of the first compartment and the second compartment into at least one of the third compartment and the fourth compartment and electrically connected to at least one of the first contactor and the second contactor. The apparatus may further include first and second output bus assemblies electrically coupled to and passing from respective ones of the first and second compartments to respective ones of the third and fourth compartments.

According to some embodiments of the inventive subject matter, an apparatus includes a cubic housing having first and second outer compartments and first and second inner compartments disposed between the first and second outer compartments such that the first and second inner compartments have respective opposing first and second vertical walls. The apparatus further includes a cooling structure located between the first vertical wall and the second vertical wall, the cooling structure including a coolant inlet structure configured to receive air from a lower portion of the first interior compartment and the second interior compartment; a fan assembly located above the coolant inlet arrangement and including at least one fan disposed between the first and second vertical walls and configured to draw air through the coolant inlet arrangement; a heat sink assembly positioned above the fan assembly and having a plurality of heat transfer surfaces that receive air from the fan assembly, and a duct positioned above the heat sink assembly, the duct to vertically exhaust air from the heat sink assembly out of the housing.

In some embodiments, the first and second heat generating devices are disposed in a respective one of the first and second interior compartments and are thermally coupled to the heat sink assembly. The first and second heat generating devices may include respective first and second semiconductor static switches. The apparatus may also include first and second contactors electrically coupled to and disposed below respective ones of the first and second semiconductor static switches in respective ones of the first and second internal compartments. In some embodiments, the apparatus may comprise: at least one input bus assembly passing from at least one of the first and second external compartments into at least one of the first and second internal compartments and electrically connected to at least one of the first and second contactors; and first and second output bus assemblies electrically coupled to and passing from respective ones of the first and second internal compartments to respective ones of the first and second external compartments. The first and second control circuit components may be mounted above the first and second semiconductor static switches on respective ones of the first and second vertical walls.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a power director device, according to some embodiments.

Figure 2 is a front perspective view of a power director device according to some embodiments.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a cooling structure of the power director device of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the cooling structure of fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a bus bar assembly and a cooling structure of the power guiding apparatus of fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a detailed perspective view of a lower portion of the cooling structure of fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a fan assembly of the cooling structure of fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a heat sink of the cooling structure of fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an exhaust duct of the cooling structure of fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is a detailed perspective view of a contactor and input bus assembly of the power directing device of fig. 1, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 11 is another detailed perspective view of an alternative contactor and input bus arrangement for the power directing device of FIG. 1.

Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary application of a power director device according to other embodiments.

Detailed Description

Specific exemplary embodiments of the present subject matter will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The inventive subject matter may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive subject matter to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the inventive subject matter. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless expressly specified otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the inventive subject matter belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

Fig. 1 illustrates a power director device 100 according to some embodiments. The apparatus 100 includes a first static switch component 120a and a second static switch component 120b, each of which includes an anti-parallel connected silicon controlled rectifier. It should be understood that this arrangement represents an exemplary implementation of a static switch, and that other semiconductor switches (such as power MOSFETs) may be used to provide similar switching functionality. The respective first and second contactors 110a, 110b are coupled to the static switches 120a, 120b and may be used, for example, to selectively provide inputs to the static switches 120a, 120b (as described below with reference to fig. 12). It should be understood that other circuit interrupting devices, such as circuit breakers, may be used in place of the contactors 110a, 110 b.

Fig. 2 to 9 show a power conductor arrangement 200 with the electrical arrangement shown in fig. 1. Referring to fig. 2, the apparatus 200 includes a cubical cabinet-like sheet metal housing 210 having four compartments 212, 214, 216, 218 defined therein. The interior compartments 214, 216 house static switches 230a, 230b, contactors 240a, 240b and associated control boards 270a, 270b that are disposed in a mirror image arrangement on respective sides of the columnar cooling structure 220 between the interior compartments 214, 216. The first and second output buses 250a, 250b are connected to respective ones of the static switches 230a, 230b and pass from the interior compartments 214, 216 into the exterior compartments 212, 218, where the output buses may be connected to cables or other conductors. A current transformer 233 for monitoring current in the output buses 250a, 250b may be housed within the interior compartments 214, 216. With this compartment arrangement, components housed in the interior compartments 214, 216 may be isolated from arc flashes or other potentially destructive events occurring in the exterior compartments 212, 218, and potentially destructive events occurring on one side of the device 200 may be isolated from components on the other side of the device 200. As further shown, external control wiring for components in the interior compartments 214, 216 may pass through the exterior compartments 212, 218 via a protected passage 219.

In the illustrated embodiment, the right side exterior compartment 218 also houses a common input bus 260 that feeds the contacts 240a, 240b and provides a housing for connecting cables or other conductors to the common input bus 260. However, it should be understood that other input bus arrangements may be provided, such as those described below with reference to fig. 10 and 11.

Referring to fig. 3, the cooling structure 220 includes a heat sink assembly 280 on which the semiconductor packages 232 (e.g., individually packaged SCRs) of the static switches 230a, 230b are mounted. Referring to fig. 6 and 8, heat sink assembly 280 includes three block-shaped heat sinks 282, each of which includes parallel rectangular plates 281a, 281b on which semiconductor device packages 232 are mounted. The rectangular plates 281a, 281b are interconnected by thin plates 283 defining a plurality of air channels between the plates 281a, 281 b.

Referring to fig. 2-9, air drawn by the fan case 290 of the cooling structure 220 enters through an air intake structure that includes lower vent holes 310a, 310 b. The air passes upwardly through the fan case 290 and through the air passages in the radiator 282. After passing through the heat sink 282, the heated air is exhausted through the vent 322 in the top of the housing 210 via the duct 320 disposed between the control plates 270a, 270 b.

Such a common cooling device can efficiently utilize the space for cooling. In some embodiments, for example, the static switches 230a, 230b may not be used simultaneously, which makes such a common cooling arrangement particularly advantageous because the arrangement may be sized to provide only one of the static switches 230a, 230b with the cooling capacity required for its operation at a given time. This may further save the amount of space required for the cooling system.

Referring to fig. 5, the right common input bus 260 may be connected to both the right contactor 240a and the left contactor 240 b. However, in some embodiments shown in fig. 10, a left input bus 260' may be connected to the contactors 240a, 240b to provide a left connection. In a further embodiment shown in fig. 11, a right input bus 260a and a left input bus 260b may be connected to a corresponding one of the right contactor 240a and the left contactor 240b, respectively.

Fig. 12 shows an exemplary application of the power director device 100 as described herein. The converter modules 140a, 140b (e.g., inverter modules) are fed by a battery 150 and have outputs commonly connected to the contactors 110a, 110 b. A respective one of the static switches 120a, 120b controls a respective output 130a, 130 b. A third output 130c may also be provided that is switchless.

This specification has disclosed embodiments of the inventive subject matter, and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. The following claims are provided to ensure that the present application meets all statutory requirements as a priority application in all jurisdictions and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present subject matter.