Cooling system for use in power converters
Assigneedcbel Inc.
InventorsPeter IBRAHIM, Hani VAHEDI, Marc-André FORGET
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A power conversion apparatus with modified cooling properties has been disclosed. The apparatus comprises an AC port, at least one DC port, a chassis, at least one power conversion module mounted in said chassis connectable to off-board conductors and said AC and said at least one DC ports, a module heat sink attached to each one of said at least one power conversion module for cooling said module, wherein said off-board inductors are mounted in said chassis together and separate from modules with one or more of an inductor heat sink and cooling fluid circulator for cooling said inductors.
Claims25
A power conversion apparatus comprising:
- an AC port;
- at least one DC port;
- a chassis;
- at least one power conversion module mounted in said chassis and connected to at least one controller, said at least one power conversion module comprising a number of semiconductor power switches driven at a switching frequency by said at least one controller, at least one-on-board or off-board inductor, a connector for said AC port and a connector for said at least one DC port;
- a heat sink attached to each one of said at least one power conversion module for cooling said power switches;
- a first cooling system for dissipating heat from said power switches when driven at said switching frequency;
- a second cooling system for dissipating heat from said at least one inductor when said power switches are driven said switching frequency;
- and
- wherein said at least one controller is configured to adjust said switching frequency to correspond to and prevent exceeding a heat dissipation capacity of the first cooling system and a heat dissipation capacity of the second cooling system.
A power conversion apparatus comprising:
- a housing having a first cooling system;
- at least two electrical ports for sending and receiving electrical current between said conversion apparatus and at least one electrical source and one electrical load;
- at least one power conversion circuit connecting to said at least two electrical ports having switches controlled by a controller to work at a switching frequency and located within said housing;
- a heat sink for attaching to at least one of said switches and to transfer heat generated by said at least one of said switches;
- and,
- a compartment within said housing, at least partially separated, and for receiving off-board components of said at least one power conversion circuit, said compartment having an additional cooling system for cooling the off-board components;
- wherein said compartment allows a connection between said at least one conversion circuit and said off-board components, and wherein said additional cooling system provides additional cooling for said off-board components;
- wherein said controller is configured to adjust said switching frequency to correspond to and prevent exceeding a heat dissipation capacity of the first cooling system and the additional cooling system.
(canceled)
16-18. (canceled)
21 -22. (canceled)
(canceled)
A method for providing a power converter having at least one power conversion module comprising at least one off-board component and a number of semiconductor power switches, the method comprising:
- selecting a switching frequency of said number of semiconductor power switches of said at least one power conversion module;
- providing a first cooling system having a first heat dissipation capacity for said number of semiconductor power switches based on heat generated from said switches at said selected switching frequency;
- providing a second cooling system having a second heat dissipation capacity for said off-board components based on heat generated by said at least one off-board component at said selected switching frequency;
- and,
- adjusting said switching frequency to correspond to, and prevent exceeding said first heat dissipation capacity of the first cooling system and said second heat dissipation capacity of the second cooling system.
28-31. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.