Easy to manufacture high performance aluminum water cooler for multiple discrete switches, laser diodes or transistors
AMS Technologies introduced an alternative fluid channel geometry reducing machining time by the factor of ten or more
Results are created using Coolit, a software product of Daat Research Corp.
Power electronics for electric vehicles, light sources for laser material processing or power transistors of RF equipment may utilize multiple discrete components with high heat dissipation density requiring appropriate liquid cooling.
REQUIREMENTS
Components such as IGBT switches, diodes, laser diodes or transistors may have footprints typically from 0,5 to 6 cm² and heat dissipation densities from 40 to 90 W/cm². The components may be positioned in array of 6x6, 4x8 or similar and create total power losses of 1 to 5 kW. The cooling method of choice for such heat loads and power densities is single phase liquid cooling with typically ethylene glycol water mixtures as coolant. The thermal and fluid dynamic performance of the cooler plate achieves its special importance whenever boundary conditions are challenging.
OUR SOLUTION
Where thermal resistance between junction and case temperature is a given for a selected component, and boundary conditions determine ambient or coolant temperature, only thermal interface resistance and heat transfer in the water cooler can be optimized. Electric vehicles for example require elevated coolant temperatures of 85°C or similar, transistors in transmission equipment push the limits of power density and laser diodes need to be cooled actively below ambient.
Commonly used pin fin structures represent a thermo and fluid dynamically favorable fluid channel geometry. For flexibility and/or performance reasons such structures are often milled with small milling tools of as small as 1 mm in diameter. The milling procedure around many pin fins is costly due to machine time, the need to deburr and the loss of tools.
An alternative fluid channel geometry has been introduced by AMS Technologies which reduces machining time by the factor of ten or more and can be tailored to achieve the same or better thermal performance and pressure drop values. The examples shown in the 2 pictures both achieve a thermal resistance of 0,5 K/W/cm² (Tmax,cooler – Tcoolant fluid).
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