Automotive electronics heat exchanger

An electronics assembly (10) comprising:

• a housing (12);
• at least one lower electronic power device (18) positioned within said housing (12);
• a heat sink device (34) positioned within said housing (12) and in thermal communication with said at least one lower electronic power device (18), said heat sink device (34) including a fluid vessel (44), a fluid input port (50), a fluid output port (52), and at least one fin insert (60) positioned within said fluid vessel (44) said heat sink device (34) in communication with a radiator (46) such that anti-freeze (48) from said radiator flows through said fluid vessel (44);
• at least one elastomeric pad (36) mounted on said housing (12) and positioned between said at least one lower electronic power device (18) and said housing (12);
• and
• a clamp element (40) pressing said beat sink device (34) into thermal communication with said at least one lower electronic power device (18);
• wherein said clamp element (40) comprises a contoured face (42) coincident with an upper electronic power device (30) such that said contoured face (42) thermally engages said upper electronic power device (30).

An automotive heat sink device (34) for cooling a lower automotive electronic power device (18) and an upper automotive electronic power device (30) comprising:

• a fluid vessel (44) positioned between and in thermal communication with the lower automotive electronic power device (18)and the upper automotive electronic power device, said fluid vessel (44) and the lower automotive power device (18) and the upper automotive power device (18) positioned within a housing (12);
• a fluid input port (50) for providing coolant (48) from an automotive coolant supply (46) to said fluid vessel (44);
• a fluid output port (52) for returning said coolant (48) from said fluid vessel (44) back to said automotive coolant supply (46), said fluid output port (52) extending outside said housing (12);
• and
• at least one fin insert (60) positioned within said fluid vessel (44), said at least one fin insert (60) dissipating thermal energy from said fluid vessel (44) into said coolant (48).

A method of cooling a lower automotive electronics power device (18), and an upper automotive electronics power device (30) comprising:

• pumping coolant (48) from a radiator (46) to a fluid vessel (44) positioned between and in thermal communication with the lower automotive electronics power device (18) and the upper automotive electronics power device, said fluid vessel (44) and the lower automotive power device (18) and the upper automotive power device (18) positioned within a housing (12);
• transferring thermal energy from said fluid vessel (44) into said coolant (48) utilizing at least one fin insert (60) brazed into said fluid vessel (44), said at least one fin insert (60) creating a thermal communication between said fluid vessel (44) and said coolant (48);
• and
• flowing said coolant (48) from said fluid vessel (44) back to said radiator (46).