Voltage regulator module with cooling structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11570889-B2
Application number	US-202117247989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2021
Priority date	Mar 22, 2018
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

A high-power Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) includes a housing having side walls, an upper opening, and a lower opening, a VRM circuit board oriented within the housing, a plane of the VRM circuit board oriented in a parallel to at least one of the side walls of the housing, an upper Printed Circuit Board (PCB) coupled to the upper opening of the housing, a lower panel coupled to the lower opening of the housing, a coolant inlet port formed in the lower panel, and a coolant outlet port formed in the lower panel. The high power VRM may include a coolant inlet adapter coupled to the coolant inlet port and a coolant outlet adapter coupled to the coolant outlet port. The coolant inlet adapted and the coolant outlet adapter may provide support for the VRM.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A high-power Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) comprising:
a multi-VRM circuit board oriented within a housing, the multi-VRM circuit board including a plurality of independent combination of VRM elements and inductors disposed on a substrate, wherein a first portion of the combination of VRM elements and inductors are disposed in planes parallel to the substrate and a second portion of the combination of VRM elements and inductors are disposed in planes perpendicular to the substrate;
a cooling system servicing the multi-VRM circuit board via piping in communication with the individual independent combination of VRM elements and inductors;
a coolant inlet port, the coolant inlet port receiving the dielectric coolant to allow the dielectric coolant to flow into the piping; and
a coolant outlet port.

2. The high power VRM of claim 1 , further comprising:
a coolant inlet adapter coupled to the coolant inlet port; and
a coolant outlet adapter coupled to the coolant outlet port.

3. The high power VRM of claim 2 , further comprising:
the coolant inlet adapter having an inlet quick disconnect; and
the coolant outlet adapter having an outlet quick disconnect.

4. The high power VRM of claim 2 , wherein the coolant inlet adapter and the coolant outlet adapter provide support for the VRM.

5. The high power VRM of claim 1 , wherein the piping of the cooling system is segmented.

6. The high power VRM of claim 1 , wherein the piping is directly coupled to the individual independent combination of VRM elements and inductors.

7. The high power VRM of claim 1 , wherein the piping is indirectly coupled to the individual independent combination of VRM elements and inductors via an intermediate structure.

8. The high power VRM of claim 1 , wherein the housing is formed of metal.

9. The high power VRM of claim 1 , wherein the individual independent combination of VRM elements and inductors are disposed in planes at least one of parallel or perpendicular to the substrate panel.

10. A high-power Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) comprising:
a multi-VRM circuit board oriented within a housing, the multi-VRM circuit board including a plurality of independent of VRM-based discrete components disposed on a substrate, wherein a first portion of the combination of VRM-based discrete components are disposed in planes parallel to the substrate and a second portion of the combination of VRM-based discrete components are disposed in planes perpendicular to the substrate; and
a cooling system servicing the multi-VRM circuit board via piping in communication with the independent VRM-based discrete components.

11. The high power VRM of claim 10 , further comprising:
a coolant inlet adapter coupled to a coolant inlet port of the cooling system; and
a coolant outlet adapter coupled to a coolant outlet port of the cooling system.

12. The high power VRM of claim 11 , further comprising:
the coolant inlet adapter having an inlet quick disconnect; and
the coolant outlet adapter having an outlet quick disconnect.

13. The high power VRM of claim 10 , wherein the piping of the cooling system is segmented.

14. The high power VRM of claim 10 , wherein the piping is directly coupled to the individual VRM-based discrete components.

15. The high power VRM of claim 10 , wherein the piping is indirectly coupled to the individual VRM-based discrete components.

16. The high power VRM of claim 10 , wherein the VRM-based discrete components include a combination of VRM elements and conductors.

17. A high-power Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) comprising:
a multi-VRM circuit board oriented within a housing, the multi-VRM circuit board including a plurality of independent of VRM-based discrete components disposed on a substrate, wherein a first portion of the combination of VRM-based discrete components are disposed in planes parallel to the substrate and a second portion of the combination of VRM-based discrete components are disposed in planes perpendicular to the substrate; and
means for cooling the independent VRM-based discrete components.

18. The high power VRM of claim 17 , wherein the means for cooling the VRM-based discrete components piping in communication with the independent VRM-based discrete components and wherein the piping is at least one of directly coupled to the individual VRM-based discrete components or indirectly coupled to the individual VRM-based discrete components.

Assignees

• Tesla Inc

Inventors

• Nasr Mohamed
• Nabovati Aydin
• Zhao Jin

Classifications

• H05K1/0207

  using internal conductor planes parallel to the surface for thermal conduction, e.g. power planes · CPC title

• G05F1/10 Primary

  Regulating voltage or current  (G05F1/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K1/0262 Primary

  Arrangements for regulating voltages or for using plural voltages · CPC title

• H05K7/2089

  for power electronics, e.g. for inverters for controlling motor · CPC title

• H02J1/12

  Parallel operation of DC sources having power converters with further DC sources without power converters · CPC title