System and method for cooling electrical components of a power converter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016128231-A1
Application number	US-201414531128-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 3, 2014
Priority date	Nov 3, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods for cooling one or more electrical components of a current conversion device of a renewable energy power system (e.g. a wind turbine or a solar power system) are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes an immersion tank comprising a cooling medium, a heat exchanger, and a pumping device. One or more of the electrical components are at least partially submerged within the cooling medium, which has a predetermined dielectric constant. The heat exchanger is in fluid communication with the cooling medium of the immersion tank. Thus, the pumping device is configured to circulate the cooling medium between the immersion tank and the heat exchanger to remove heat from the one or more electrical components.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for cooling one or more electrical components of a current conversion device of a renewable energy power system, the system comprising:
an immersion tank comprising a cooling medium, wherein one or more of the electrical components are at least partially submerged within the cooling medium; at least one heat exchanger in fluid communication with the cooling medium of the immersion tank; and, a pumping device configured to circulate the cooling medium between the immersion tank and the heat exchanger to remove heat from the one or more electrical components, wherein the heat exchanger disperses heat removed from the one or more electrical components into ambient air.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the pumping device is configured to circulate the cooling medium from the immersion tank through the heat exchanger and back to the immersion tank.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical components of the current conversion device comprise at least one of an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), a power resistor, a capacitor, or an inductor.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the pumping device comprises at least one of a fixed-speed pump or a variable-speed pump.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cooling medium comprises a critical heat flux of at least about 10 W/cm 2 such that the submerged electrical components comprise a critical heat flux of at least about 35 W/cm 2 .

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the cooling medium comprises a dielectric strength of at least 10 megavolts per meter (MV/m) so as to reduce electrical spacing of the electrical components have a predetermined spacing within the cooling medium.

7 . The system of claim 6 , further comprising a molecular sieve configured to maintain the dielectric strength of at least 10 megavolts per meter (MV/m).

8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more fans configured to assist with start-up of the system.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more heaters configured to heat the immersion tank upon start-up of the system.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the current conversion device comprises at least one of a power converter or a power inverter.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the renewable energy power system comprising at least one of a wind turbine or a solar power system.

12 . A method for cooling one or more electrical components of a current conversion device of a renewable energy power system, the method comprising:
submerging one or more of the electrical components of the current conversion device at least partially within a cooling medium contained in an immersion tank; circulating the cooling medium from the immersion tank through at least one heat exchanger; cooling the cooling medium via the heat exchanger; dispersing heat removed by the heat exchanger from the cooling medium into ambient air; and, circulating the cooling medium from the heat exchanger back to the immersion tank.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the heat exchanger is configured above the immersion tank such that vapor generated by the cooling medium rises to the heat exchanger from the immersion tank, wherein the heat exchanger disperses the heat removed from the one or more electrical components into ambient air locally.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising circulating an external coolant from the heat exchanger to an additional heat exchanger, wherein the additional heat exchanger disperses heat removed from the one or more electrical components into ambient air remotely.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the electrical components of the current conversion device comprise at least one of an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), a power resistor, a capacitor, or an inductor.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the cooling medium comprises a critical heat flux of at least about 10 W/cm 2 such that the submerged electrical components comprise a critical heat flux of at least about 35 W/cm 2 .

17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the cooling medium comprises a dielectric strength of at least 10 megavolts per meter (MV/m) so as to reduce electrical spacing of the electrical components have a predetermined spacing within the cooling medium.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising maintaining the dielectric strength above at least 10 megavolts per meter (MV/m).

19 . A system for cooling one or more electrical components of a current conversion device of a renewable energy power system, the system comprising:
an immersion tank comprising a cooling medium, wherein one or more of the electrical components are at least partially submerged within the cooling medium; a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with the cooling medium of the immersion tank; a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with an external coolant; and, a pumping device configured to circulate the external coolant between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to remove heat from the one or more electrical components, wherein the second heat exchanger disperses heat removed from the one or more electrical components into ambient air.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein vapor generated by the cooling medium rises to the first heat exchanger and the first heat exchanger condenses the vapor into a cooled cooling medium, wherein the cooled cooling medium flows back into the immersion tank.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Wagoner Robert Gregory
• Pate Paul Stephen
• Schnetzka Harold Robert

Classifications

• H05K7/20218 Primary

  using a liquid coolant without phase change in electronic enclosures (in cabinets of standardized dimensions H05K7/20536; in server cabinets H05K7/20709; in vehicle electronic casings H05K7/20845; in power control electronics H05K7/2089; in displays H05K7/20954) · CPC title

• H05K7/203 Primary

  by immersion · CPC title

• H05K7/20927 Primary

  Liquid coolant without phase change · CPC title

• H05K7/20236

  by immersion · CPC title

• F05B2260/221

  Improvement of heat transfer · CPC title