Integrated Thermal Modules for Cooling Silicon and Silicon Carbide Power Modules.

摘要

Integrated Thermal Modules (ITMs) are being developed to cool power modules with high-temperature fluids. Three dimensional finite element method analyses, bench tests, and motor tests comprise the program. The ITMs, in place of standard heatsinks, use a highly conductive pyrolytic graphite to passively cool power modules. Initial results show that even simple ITMs can lower chip temperatures by 20 deg. C and 10 deg. C with engine oil and propylene glycol coolants respectively. Motor tests record real-time IGBT temperatures. Two converters, one using Silicon (Si) diodes and the other using Silicon Carbide (SiC) diodes, are being used for testing the ITMs. Initial Motor tests with the baseline heatsink have shown that the SiC diodes lower IGBT temperatures by 8% as compared to Si diodes.