Cooling Device for a Power Electronics Module with Cooling Adapter, Power Electronics Module and Motor Vehicle

Abstract

A cooling device for a power electronics module for cooling a power electronic assembly of the power electronics module includes a heatsink for dissipating waste heat from at least one power electronic component arranged on a circuit board, and at least one heat-conducting element for providing a local heat-conducting path between the at least one power electronic component and the heatsink. Heat-conducting element is formed as a cooling adapter and is separate from the heatsink and has a heat-conducting core, which can be arranged between the heat sink and the power electronic assembly and is designed to bridge a distance between the at least one power electronic component and the heatsink.

Claims

1. A cooling device for a power electronics module for cooling a power electronic assembly of the power electronics module, the cooling device comprising: a heatsink configured to dissipate waste heat from at least one power electronic component arranged on a circuit board of the power electronic assembly; and at least one heat-conducting element configured to provide a heat-conducting path between the at least one power electronic component and the heatsink, wherein the at least one heat-conducting element comprises a cooling adapter that is separate from the heatsink and has a heat-conducting core, which heat-conducting core is configured to be arranged between the heatsink and the power electronic assembly and to bridge a distance between the at least one power electronic component and the heatsink.

2. The cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising: a carrier plate that is fixed to the heatsink and that is configured to hold the circuit board on the heatsink, wherein the carrier plate comprises at least one through opening aligned with the at least one power electronic component, wherein the at least one cooling adapter is positioned within the at least one through opening.

3. The cooling device according to claim 2, wherein the carrier plate is formed from a material having a thermal conductivity lower than a thermal conductivity of the heat-conducting core.

4. The cooling device according to claim 2, wherein the heat-conducting core comprises: a first surface configured to attach to the power electronic assembly; and a second surface configured to attach to the heatsink; and wherein the cooling adapter comprises a sheath at least partly surrounding a lateral surface of the heat-conducting core, wherein the sheath is arranged between the heat-conducting core and the carrier plate and is configured to hold the cooling adapter in the at least one through opening of the carrier plate.

5. The cooling device according to claim 4, wherein the sheath comprises, at least in some sections, a collar projecting laterally from the heat-conducting core, which collar rests on the carrier plate to hold the cooling adapter on the carrier plate when the cooling adapter is positioned within the through opening.

6. The cooling device according to claim 5, further comprising: spring elements formed on the collar that are configured to force the cooling adapter away from the carrier plate and to press the heat-conducting core onto the power electronic assembly.

7. The cooling device according to claim 4, wherein the sheath comprises positioning pins that are configured to be inserted into positioning openings in the circuit board to position the cooling adapter.

8. The cooling device according to claim 7, wherein the positioning pins comprise connecting elements further comprising snap-in hooks configured to create a mechanical connection to the circuit board.

9. A power electronics module for a motor vehicle, the power electronics module comprising: a power electronic assembly having at least one circuit board and at least one power electronic component arranged on the circuit board; and the cooling device according to claim 1.

10. A motor vehicle comprising at least one power electronics module according to claim 9.

11. The cooling device according to claim 3, wherein the heat-conducting core comprises: a first surface configured to attach to the power electronic assembly; and a second surface configured to attach to the heatsink; and wherein the cooling adapter comprises a sheath at least partly surrounding a lateral surface of the heat-conducting core, wherein the sheath is arranged between the heat-conducting core and the carrier plate and is configured to hold the cooling adapter in the at least one through opening of the carrier plate.

12. The cooling device according to claim 11, wherein the sheath comprises, at least in some sections, a collar projecting laterally from the heat-conducting core, which collar rests on the carrier plate to hold the cooling adapter on the carrier plate when the cooling adapter is positioned within the through opening.

13. The cooling device according to claim 12, further comprising: spring elements formed on the collar that are configured to force the cooling adapter away from the carrier plate and to press the heat-conducting core onto the power electronic assembly.

14. The cooling device according to claim 11, wherein the sheath comprises positioning pins that are configured to be inserted into positioning openings in the circuit board to position the cooling adapter.

15. The cooling device according to claim 12, wherein the sheath comprises positioning pins that are configured to be inserted into positioning openings in the circuit board to position the cooling adapter.

16. The cooling device according to claim 13, wherein the sheath comprises positioning pins that are configured to be inserted into positioning openings in the circuit board to position the cooling adapter.

17. The cooling device according to claim 5, wherein the sheath comprises positioning pins that are configured to be inserted into positioning openings in the circuit board to position the cooling adapter.

18. The cooling device according to claim 6, wherein the sheath comprises positioning pins that are configured to be inserted into positioning openings in the circuit board to position the cooling adapter.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a first embodiment of a power electronics module;

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a second embodiment of a power electronics module;

[0025] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional illustration of a third embodiment of a power electronics module;

[0026] FIGS. 4a and 4b show different perspective illustrations of an embodiment of a cooling adapter; and

[0027] FIG. 5 shows a schematic sectional illustration of an embodiment of a power electronics module with the cooling adapter according to FIGS. 4a and 4b.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] In the figures, the same and functionally identical elements are provided with the same designations.

[0029] FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 5 show embodiments of a power electronics module 1 for an electrically driveable motor vehicle, not shown here. The power electronics module 1 has a power electronic assembly 2 having a circuit board 3 and at least one power electronic component 4. The at least one power electronic component 4 can be, for example, an SiC power semiconductor or a GaN power semiconductor. The power electronic component 4 forms a heat source, the heat from which is to be dissipated to avoid overheating. To this end, the power electronics module 1 has a cooling device 5 which, here, has a heatsink 6 and a carrier plate 7. The carrier plate 7 is formed, for example, from plastic or aluminum and is fixed to the heatsink 6, for example via screw connections 8. The carrier plate 7 permits simple mounting of the power electronic assembly 2 on the heatsink 6. To this end, the carrier plate 7 here has elevations 9, on which the circuit board 3 can be laid and to which the circuit board 3 can be fixed by means of screw connections 10. Here, the circuit board 3 is arranged on the carrier plate 7 in such a way that the power electronic component 4 faces the heatsink 6. As a result of fixing the circuit board 3 to the carrier plate 7, the power electronic component 4 is arranged at a distance from the heatsink 6.

[0030] For the thermal attachment of the heat source, that is to say the power electronic component 4, to the heatsink 6, the cooling device 5 additionally has a heat-conducting element 11. The heat-conducting element 11 is formed as a cooling adapter 12 that is separate from the heatsink 6. The cooling adapter can be brought to a thermal interface between the power electronic assembly 2 and the heatsink 6 in order to bridge the distance by forming a heat-conducting path between the power electronic component 4 and the heatsink 6. The cooling adapter 12 has a heat-conducting core 13 or an insert, for example of copper, and conducts the heat from the power electronic component 4 to the heatsink 6 without including the carrier plate 7 in the heat-conducting path.

[0031] To this end, a through opening 14, for example a hole, in which the cooling adapter 12 is arranged, is arranged in the carrier plate 7. As a result of the cooling adapter 12, the heat from the thermally loaded power electronic component 4 is spread to the heatsink 6. The cooling adapter 12 can be thermally coupled to the thermally loaded component 4 and to the heatsink 6 by the thinnest possible layer 15 of an interface material, for example a thermally conductive adhesive film, which results in a low thermal resistance. By using a heat-conducting core 13 with a high thermal conductivity, for example copper, the waste heat can be spread efficiently. Thus, the carrier plate 7 can be produced from more cost-effective materials with a lower thermal conductivity, for example aluminum or plastic.

[0032] In the embodiment according to FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the cooling adapter 12 additionally has a sheath 16 partly surrounding the heat-conducting core 13. The sheath 16 can be produced from an electrically insulating material, for example a plastic or a ceramic. The sheath 16 has, at least in some sections, a collar 17, which rests on the carrier plate 7 and via which the cooling adapter 12 is held on the carrier plate 7. In the embodiment according to FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the sheath 16 additionally has positioning pins 18, which can be inserted into positioning openings 19 in the circuit board 3. The positioning pins 18 can, for example, have snap-in hooks, which hook with an edge of the through opening 19 and thus fix the cooling adapter 12 to the circuit board 7.

[0033] FIGS. 4a and 4b show schematic perspective illustrations of the cooling adapter 12. FIG. 4a shows a top view of the cooling adapter 12, a first surface 20 of the heat-conducting core 13 being an upper side, which is arranged on the power electronic assembly 2. FIG. 4b shows a bottom view of the cooling adapter 12, a second surface 21 of the heat-conducting core 13, opposite the first surface 20, being an underside, which is arranged on the heatsink 6. The heat-conducting core 13 is here formed to be cylindrical with circular surfaces 20, 21. The collar 17 which, here, is formed by a plurality of collar sections, has spring elements 22. Here, the spring elements 22 are formed as elastic, bent collar regions 23 of the collar sections 17. These spring elements 22 protrude at the through opening 14 in the carrier plate 7 and press the cooling adapter 12 away from the carrier plate 7, as shown in FIG. 5. As a result, the heat-conducting core 13 is pressed onto the power electronic assembly 2, in particular directly onto the power electronic component 4. The cooling adapter 12 thus also ensures compensation for tolerances close to the heat source.

[0034] The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.