Forced air cooling system with phase change material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11466190-B2
Application number	US-201816017331-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2018
Priority date	Jun 25, 2018
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

A system and method for maintaining a temperature of a power system using a cooling system that includes an impeller and a phase change material. During normal operation of the cooling system, heat that is generated by the operation of an electronic device(s) of the power system can be transferred primarily by conduction through an upper base plate and fins of a heat sink, and dissipated via forced convection that is generated by the impeller. Additionally, the phase change material is positioned outside of a main heat flux path of the heat sink such that, during normal operation of the cooling system, the phase change material does not provide a heat flux obstruction. In the event of an impeller failure, the phase change material provides at least a temporary cooling source for an extended period of time via the relatively large latent heat capacity of the phase change material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
at least one electronic device;
a heat sink,
wherein the heat sink is a single housing which includes:
a proximate end,
a distal end,
an upper base plate,
a lower base plate,
a first sidewall,
a second sidewall, and
a plurality of fins,

the first sidewall and the second sidewall extending between the upper base plate and the lower base plate and on opposing sides of the plurality of fins,
the at least one electronic device coupled to the proximate end of the heat sink,
the plurality of fins being positioned between the upper base plate and the lower base plate;

an impeller positioned to dissipate heat away from the heat sink; and
a phase change material positioned in the lower base plate of the heat sink, the lower base plate being positioned at the distal end of the heat sink such that:
(1) during operation of the at least one electronic device and the impeller, the phase change material is outside of, and does not provide a heat flux obstruction in, a main thermal path of the heat sink that extends along the proximate end and the plurality of fins, and the phase change material at the distal end is maintained below a phase change transition temperature, and
(2) in response to an interruption in operation of the impeller during operation of the at least one electronic device, an emergency heat flux path of the heat sink extends to the distal end such that a temperature of the phase change material is raised above the phase change transition temperature.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the upper base plate being positioned at the proximate end of the heat sink, and wherein the phase change material is positioned within the lower base plate remote from the upper base plate.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein none of the phase change material is positioned around the proximate end of the heat sink.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the plurality of fins positioned between the upper base plate and the lower base plate, the upper base plate positioned at the proximate end of the heat sink and further including a phase change material which is positioned within at least one of the first sidewall and the second sidewall.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further includes a control circuit and a temperature sensor, the control circuit configured to determine a failure in an operation of the impeller based at least in part on information provided by the temperature sensor.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the phase change material comprises at least one of a paraffin material, a microcrystalline wax, or a polyethylene wax.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the phase change material changes from a first, solid phase to a second phase when the temperature of the phase change material is raised above the phase change transition temperature.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one electronic device comprises at least one of a power semiconductor device, a power semiconductor module, a contactor, a soft starter, a switch, a rectifier, a circuit breaker, a fuse, or a relay.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a panel coupled to the heat sink by one or more fixtures; and
a phase change material embedded within the panel.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more fixtures are coupled to a distal end of the heat sink.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the heat sink has a main thermal path that extends along at least the proximate end and one or more fins of the heat sink, and further wherein the system does not include a phase change material at a location along the main thermal path.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more fixtures comprises a metal rail or a metal panel mount.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the panel is positioned proximally adjacent to the distal end of the heat sink.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the phase change material comprises at least one of a paraffin material, a microcrystalline wax, or a polyethylene wax, and wherein the panel comprises at least a portion of at least one of a control panel, a power panel, or a cabinet.

15. The system of claim 3 , wherein the phase change material is at a location in the lower base plate that is outside of a main thermal path along the heat sink.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the system further includes a control circuit and a temperature sensor, the control circuit configured to determine a failure in an operation of the impeller based at least in part on information provided by the temperature sensor.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the phase change material comprises at least one of a paraffin material, a microcrystalline wax, or a polyethylene wax, and wherein the at least one electronic device comprises at least one of a power semiconductor device, a power semiconductor module, a contactor, a soft starter, a switch, a rectifier, a circuit breaker, a fuse, or a relay.

18. A system comprising:
at least one electronic device;
a heat sink,
wherein the heat sink is a single housing which includes:
a first base plate,
a second base plate,
a first sidewall,
a second sidewall, and
a plurality of fins,

the first sidewall and the second sidewall extending between the first base plate and the second base plate and on opposing sides of the plurality of fins,
the plurality of fins being positioned between the first base plate and the second base plate,
the at least one electronic device coupled to the first base plate,
the first and second base plates each being attached to, and positioned on opposing sides of, the plurality of fins;

an impeller positioned to dissipate heat away from the heat sink; and
a phase change material coupled to the second base plate,
wherein the heat sink is structured to provide a main thermal path along at least the first base plate and the plurality of fins, and wherein the phase change material is positioned at a location outside of the main thermal path such that:
(1) during operation of both the at least one electronic device and the impeller, the phase change material does not provide a heat flux obstruction in the main thermal path of the heat sink and the phase change material is maintained at a temperature below a phase change transition temperature, and
(2) in response to an interruption in operation of the impeller during operation of the at least one electronic device, an emergency heat flux path of the heat sink extends to a distal end of the heat sink such that the temperature of the phase change material is raised above the phase change transition temperature.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the phase change material is encased or embedded within the second base plate.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein none of the phase change material is positioned around the first base plate of the heat sink.

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Cairoli Pietro
• Karimi-Moghaddam Giti
• Jiang Taosha

Classifications

• H05K7/20918

  the components being isolated from air flow, e.g. hollow heat sinks, wind tunnels or funnels · CPC title

• G08B21/182

  Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold · CPC title

• G01K2201/00

  Application of thermometers in air-conditioning systems · CPC title

• G01K13/00

  Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes · CPC title

• H05K7/20154

  Heat dissipaters coupled to components · CPC title