COOLING ARRANGEMENT FOR ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, CONVERTER WITH A COOLING ARRANGEMENT, AND AIRCRAFT HAVING A CONVERTER

Abstract

The disclosure specifies an arrangement including a circuit carrier board on which is mounted at least one electrical/electronic component. At least one heat pipe is formed in the circuit carrier board. The disclosure also specifies a power converter including the arrangement, and an aircraft including a power converter.

Claims

1. An arrangement comprising: a circuit carrier board; at least one electrical/electronic component mounted on the circuit carrier board; and at least one heat pipe formed in the circuit carrier board.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the heat pipe is arranged beneath the electrical/electronic component.

3. The arrangement claim 1, wherein the heat pipe is a pulsating heat pipe.

4. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the electrical/electronic component is a power semiconductor.

5. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the heat pipe has a meandering course or a concentrically wound course.

6. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the heat pipe is formed in a ceramic substrate or in a circuit trace layer of the circuit carrier board.

7. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising: a metal heat sink arranged under the circuit carrier board and connected the circuit carrier board in a thermally conductive manner.

8. The arrangement of claim 7, further comprising: an additional heat pipe formed in the metal heat sink.

9. The arrangement of claim 7, wherein the circuit carrier board has, in a direction facing the metal heat sink, a partially open structure, wherein the metal heat sink has, in a direction facing the circuit carrier board, a partially open, additional structure, and wherein both the partially open structure and the partially open, additional structure are designed and joined so as to form the heat pipe.

10. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the circuit carrier board is a direct copper bonding substrate board.

11. A power converter comprising: an arrangement having: a circuit carrier board; at least one electrical/electronic component mounted on the circuit carrier board; and at least one heat pipe formed in the circuit carrier board.

12. The power converter of claim 11, wherein the power converter is a converter.

13. An aircraft comprising: a converter having an arrangement comprising: circuit carrier board; at least one electrical/electronic component mounted on the circuit carrier board; and at least one heat pipe formed in the circuit carrier board; and an electric motor for an electric aircraft propulsion system, wherein the converter is configured to supply the electric motor with electrical power.

14. The aircraft of claim 13, wherein the aircraft is an airplane.

15. The aircraft of claim 14, further comprising: a propeller configured to be driven by the electric motor.

16. The arrangement of claim 2, further comprising: a metal heat sink arranged under the circuit carrier board and connected to the circuit carrier board in a thermally conductive manner.

17. The arrangement of claim 16, further comprising: an additional heat pipe formed in the metal heat sink.

18. The arrangement of claim 16, wherein the circuit carrier board has, in a direction facing the metal heat sink, a partially open structure, wherein the metal heat sink has, in a direction facing the circuit carrier board, a partially open, additional structure, and wherein both the partially open structure and the partially open, additional structure are designed and joined so as to form the heat pipe.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Further special features and advantages of the disclosure will become clear from the following explanations of an exemplary embodiment with reference to schematic drawings, in which:

[0036] FIG. 1 depicts a sectional view through an arrangement according to the prior art.

[0037] FIG. 2 depicts a sectional view through an arrangement including a heat pipe in the circuit carrier board, according to an embodiment.

[0038] FIG. 3 depicts a sectional view through a further arrangement including a heat pipe in the circuit carrier board, according to an embodiment.

[0039] FIG. 4 depicts a view of the course of the channels of a heat pipe, according to an embodiment.

[0040] FIG. 5 depicts a view of the course of the channels of a further heat pipe, according to an embodiment.

[0041] FIG. 6 depicts a sectional view through an arrangement including a heat pipe formed in the circuit trace layer of the circuit carrier board, according to an embodiment.

[0042] FIG. 7 depicts a sectional view through an arrangement including a heat pipe formed in the circuit trace layer and in the heat sink, according to an embodiment.

[0043] FIG. 8 depicts a sectional view through an arrangement including a heat pipe formed in a ceramic substrate of the circuit carrier board and in the heat sink, according to an embodiment.

[0044] FIG. 9 depicts a block diagram of a converter including an arrangement including a heat pipe, according to an embodiment.

[0045] FIG. 10 depicts an aircraft including an electric propulsion system, according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] FIG. 1 depicts a sectional view through a power module 6, which sits on a heat sink 12, according to a generic arrangement. The power module 6 includes a circuit carrier board 2, on which are mounted the power semiconductors 1. The power module 6 is sealed by a housing 8, through which the electrical power may be supplied and/or removed by the load current contacts 5. The heat sink 12 is cooled by water 9, which flows through the heat sink 12 in the direction F.

[0047] The region A shows the heat transfer from the power semiconductors 1 to the heat sink 12. This generically exhibits only low heat spreading.

[0048] FIG. 2 depicts a sectional view through a power module 6, which sits on a heat sink 12, but unlike FIG. 1 additionally includes a heat pipe 3. The power module 6 includes a circuit carrier board 2, on which are mounted the power semiconductors 1. The power module 6 is sealed by a housing 8, through which the electrical power may be supplied and/or removed by the load current contacts 5. The heat sink 12 is cooled by water 9, which flows through the heat sink 12 in the direction F.

[0049] The region A shows the heat transfer from the power semiconductors 1 to the heat sink 12. This exhibits only low heat spreading. The heat pipe 3 formed however in the circuit carrier board 2 results in an increase in the heat spreading, as represented by the region B. Thus, by the heat pipe 3, the heat emitted by the power semiconductors 1 may be distributed over a larger area, thereby significantly improving the cooling of the power semiconductors 1.

[0050] FIG. 3 depicts a sectional view of an arrangement that is similar to the arrangement of FIG. 2 only without a heat sink. It shows a power module 6 including a heat pipe 3. The power module 6 includes a circuit carrier board 2, on which are mounted the power semiconductors 1. The power module 6 is sealed by a housing 8, through which the electrical power may be supplied and/or removed by the load current contacts 5.

[0051] The heat pipe 3 achieves greater heat spreading of the waste heat produced by the power semiconductors 1. The heat pipe 3 may also be in the form of a pulsating (e.g., oscillating) heat pipe as known from the prior art. The heat pipe 3 is advantageously formed predominantly in the region beneath the power semiconductors 1.

[0052] FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 depict possible courses of the heat pipe 3 in the circuit carrier board 2. FIG. 4 depicts an approximately meandering course, whereas FIG. 5 depicts an approximately concentric, approximately circular, course.

[0053] FIG. 6 depicts a sectional view through a heat emitting electrical/electronic component 7, which is mounted on a circuit carrier board 2. The component 7 is electrically connected to a bonding wire 4. The heat pipe 3 is formed in the circuit carrier board 2. The heat pipe 3 may be formed in a ceramic substrate 13 or in an electrical circuit trace layer 11 of the circuit carrier board 2. The heat pipe 3 is advantageously a pulsating heat pipe. The circuit carrier board 2 sits on a heat sink 12.

[0054] FIG. 7 depicts a sectional view that is similar to FIG. 6, but with a further heat pipe 18 formed additionally in the heat sink 12. The arrangement includes a heat emitting electrical/electronic component 7, which is mounted on a circuit carrier board 2. The component 7 is electrically connected to a bonding wire 4.

[0055] The heat pipe 3 is formed in the circuit carrier board 2. The heat pipe 3 may be formed in a ceramic substrate 13 or in an electrical circuit trace layer 11 of the circuit carrier board 2. Connecting layers 10 (e.g., thermally conductive pastes) connect the circuit carrier board 2 to the adjacent components.

[0056] FIG. 8 depicts a sectional view through a heat emitting electrical/electronic component 7, which is mounted on a circuit carrier board 2. The component 7 is electrically connected to a bonding wire 4.

[0057] The heat pipe 3 is formed in the ceramic substrate 13 of the circuit carrier board 2 and in the heat sink 12. The circuit carrier board also includes an electrical circuit trace layer 11. The heat pipe 3 may be a pulsating heat pipe. Connecting layers 10 (e.g., thermally conductive pastes) connect the circuit carrier board 2 to the adjacent components.

[0058] The particular feature of the embodiment is that the circuit carrier board 2, for instance the ceramic substrate 13, has, in the direction facing the heat sink 12, a partially open structure, and that the heat sink 12 has, in the direction facing the ceramic substrate 13, also a partially open, additional structure. Both structures are designed and joined so as to form the heat pipe 3. For this purpose, the ceramic substrate 13 is attached to the heat sink 12 in a sealed manner or inserted therein in a sealed manner.

[0059] FIG. 9 depicts a block diagram of a converter 14 as an example of a power converter having an arrangement including a heat pipe 3 as shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 8. The converter 14 includes a plurality of power modules 6, the heat from which is removed by the heat pipe 3.

[0060] FIG. 10 depicts an aircraft 15, for example an airplane, with an electric propulsion system. An electrical power source (not shown) supplies a converter 14, embodied as shown in FIG. 9. The converter 14 outputs electrical power to an electric motor 16, which in turn causes a propeller 17 to rotate.

[0061] To summarize, and in other words, the disclosure specifies, inter alia, the following embodiments.

[0062] A heat pipe is integrated in a substrate (e.g., circuit carrier board) of a power module in order to improve the removal of the waste heat in the power module by efficient heat spreading, and thereby to reduce the thermal resistance.

[0063] Because the diameter of the heat pipes is small and these do not need an internal vaporizer structure, integration in components, e.g. in a copper lead-frame, may be implemented easily. According to the disclosure, a channel structure may be introduced in the copper carrier for instance by milling, cold-forming, etching, spraying, or printing. This may be achieved by the copper carrier (e.g., lead-frame) including two pieces, which are soldered, for instance. On the top face of the copper carrier are soldered or sintered electrical components, (e.g., SiC-MOSFET, GaN, or IGBT). The channels of the heat pipe may be taken where the electrical components are located in order to provide rapid heat removal locally at the electrical power components.

[0064] For potential isolation purposes, the copper carrier is electrically isolated from the housing by electrically insulating layers. By heat spreading, the dissipated power density is reduced to such an extent that the additional heat removal may be arranged easily by air coolers or liquid coolers on the housing.

[0065] The heat pipe is partially filled with a cooling agent (e.g., water, R134a, or Novec) and then sealed to form a closed fluid circuit. This may be achieved by the copper carrier having a filling port, which is sealed by squeezing, for instance.

[0066] As a further embodiment, the ceramic of a DCB may contain a channel structure for the heat pipe. This may be achieved by the ceramic substrate including two parts, which are joined, with one of the carriers having a channel structure on the surface.

[0067] Although the disclosure has been described and illustrated more specifically in detail by the exemplary embodiments, the disclosure is not restricted by the disclosed examples and other variations may be derived therefrom by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the disclosure. It is therefore intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it be understood that all equivalents and/or combinations of embodiments are intended to be included in this description.

[0068] It is to be understood that the elements and features recited in the appended claims may be combined in different ways to produce new claims that likewise fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, whereas the dependent claims appended below depend from only a single independent or dependent claim, it is to be understood that these dependent claims may, alternatively, be made to depend in the alternative from any preceding or following claim, whether independent or dependent, and that such new combinations are to be understood as forming a part of the present specification.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0069] 1 power semiconductor [0070] 2 circuit carrier board [0071] 3 heat pipe [0072] 4 bonding wire [0073] 5 load current contact [0074] 6 power module [0075] 7 electrical/electronic component [0076] 8 housing [0077] 9 water [0078] 10 connecting layer (e.g. thermally conductive paste) [0079] 11 electrical circuit trace layer [0080] 12 heat sink [0081] 13 ceramic substrate [0082] 14 converter [0083] 15 aircraft [0084] 16 electric motor [0085] 17 propeller [0086] 18 further heat pipe [0087] A region of low heat-spreading [0088] B region of high heat-spreading [0089] F flow direction of the water 9