The power density of electronic devices, such as electric machines and power inverters, is continuously increasing to meet weight and cost reduction targets. To meet these targets, it is generally important to increase the efficiency and performance of the electronic device. The performance and efficiency of electric machines are generally limited by the temperature constraint on the copper windings and/or the maximum current which should overcome the friction losses in the air gap. For electric machine thermal management, it may be important to maintain uniform coolant flow (e.g., water/glycol, oil, or Automatic Transmission Fluid) on the end-windings of the electric machine to remove the localized hot spots. The performance and efficiency of power inverters are generally limited by the thermal constraints in insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) and/or diodes because the soldering materials of the components can be damaged by exceeding the temperature limit. For inverter thermal management, a liquid cold plate may be used to cool components, such as IGBTs, diodes, solder layers, etc., inside the inverter.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds