Power converters which are scalable and/or provide a high degree of packaging density
A power converter apparatus includes a parent circuit board including a first surface, a second surface, and a thermal conductor core disposed intermediate the first surface and the second surface. A first child circuit is board mounted on the parent circuit board. A first plurality of power switches are operatively coupled with the first child circuit board. A second child circuit is board operatively coupled with the parent circuit board. A second plurality of power switches are operatively coupled with the second child circuit board. A first heat transfer circuit includes a first set of conductors thermally conductively coupling the first plurality of power switches with the thermal conductor core. A second heat transfer circuit includes a second set of conductors thermally conductively coupling the second plurality of power switches with the thermal conductor core.
1 . A power converter apparatus comprising:
a parent circuit board comprising a first surface facing a first direction, a second surface facing a second direction oriented away from the first direction, and a thermal conductor core disposed intermediate the first surface and the second surface;
a first child circuit board operatively coupled with the first surface of the parent circuit board;
a first plurality of power switches operatively coupled with the first child circuit board;
a second child circuit board operatively coupled with the second surface of the parent circuit board;
a second plurality of power switches operatively coupled with the second child circuit board;
a first heat transfer circuit comprising first set of conductors thermally conductively coupling the first plurality of power switches with the thermal conductor core; and
a second heat transfer circuit comprising a second set of conductors thermally conductively coupling the second plurality of power switches with the thermal conductor core.
2 . The power converter apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first set of conductors comprises:
a first plurality of pads thermally conductively coupled with the first plurality of power switches,
a first plurality of vias thermally conductively coupled with the first plurality of pads and extending through the first child circuit board,
a second plurality of pads disposed on a second surface of the first child circuit board and thermally conductively coupled with the first plurality of vias,
a third plurality of pads disposed on the first surface of the parent circuit board and thermally conductively coupled with the second plurality of pads, and
a second plurality of vias thermally conductively coupled with the third plurality of pads, extending into the parent circuit board, and thermally conductively coupled with the thermal conductor core.
3 . The power converter apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second set of conductors comprises:
a fourth plurality of pads thermally conductively coupled with the second plurality of power switches,
a third plurality of vias thermally conductively coupled with the fourth plurality of pads and extending through the second child circuit board,
a fifth plurality of pads disposed on a second surface of the second child circuit board and thermally conductively coupled with the third plurality of vias,
a sixth plurality of pads disposed on the second surface of the parent circuit board and thermally conductively coupled with the fifth plurality of pads, and
a fourth plurality of vias thermally conductively coupled with the sixth plurality of pads, extending into the parent circuit board, and thermally conductively coupled with the thermal conductor core.
4 . The power converter apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first plurality of power switches are soldered to the first plurality of pads, the second plurality of pads are soldered to the third plurality of pads, the second plurality of power switches are soldered to the fourth plurality of pads, and the fourth plurality of pads are soldered to the third plurality of pads.
5 . The power converter apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a microcontroller operatively coupled with one of the first surface of the parent circuit board and the second surface of the parent circuit board.
6 . The power converter apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermal conductor core comprises a bus bar.
7 . The power converter apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermal conductor core comprises a heat pipe.
8 . The power converter apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the heat pipe is operatively coupled with a condenser to form a closed loop coolant flow path including a coolant pump configured to pump coolant through the closed loop coolant flow path.
9 . The power converter apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a condenser thermally conductively coupled with the thermal conductor core.
10 . The power converter apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a housing containing the parent circuit board, the first child circuit board, the first plurality of power switches, the second child circuit board operatively coupled with the second surface of the parent circuit board, the second plurality of power switches, the first heat transfer circuit, and the second heat transfer circuit, wherein the condenser is one of: (a) an actively fan cooled condenser disposed within the housing, and (b) a passively cooled condenser disposed external to the housing.
11 . A process of assembling a power converter apparatus, the process comprising:
operatively coupling a first plurality of power switches with a first child circuit board;
operatively coupling the first child circuit board with a first surface of a parent circuit board with the first plurality of power switches, the parent circuit board comprising the first surface facing a first direction, a second surface facing a second direction oriented away from the first direction, and a thermal conductor core disposed in the parent circuit board and extending intermediate the first surface and the second surface;
operatively coupling a second plurality of power switches with a second child circuit board; and
operatively coupling the second child circuit board with the second surface of the parent circuit board with the second plurality of power switches;
wherein the operatively coupling the first plurality of power switches, the operatively coupling the first child circuit board, the operatively coupling the second plurality of power switches, and the operatively coupling the second child circuit board are effective to form a heat transfer circuit comprising first set of conductors thermally conductively coupling the first plurality of power switches with the thermal conductor core and a second set of conductors thermally conductively coupling the second plurality of power switches with the thermal conductor core.
12 . The process of claim 11 , wherein the first set of conductors comprises:
a first plurality of pads thermally conductively coupled with the first plurality of power switches,
a first plurality of vias thermally conductively coupled with the first plurality of pads and extending through the first child circuit board,
a second plurality of pads disposed on a second surface of the first child circuit board and thermally conductively coupled with the first plurality of vias,
a third plurality of pads disposed on the first surface of the parent circuit board and thermally conductively coupled with the second plurality of pads, and
a second plurality of vias thermally conductively coupled with the third plurality of pads, extending into the parent circuit board, and thermally conductively coupled with the thermal conductor core.
13 . The process of claim 12 , further comprising soldering the first plurality of power switches to the first plurality of pads, and soldering the second plurality of pads to the third plurality of pads.
14 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the second set of conductors comprises:
a fourth plurality of pads thermally conductively coupled with the second plurality of power switches,
a third plurality of vias thermally conductively coupled with the fourth plurality of pads and extending through the second child circuit board,
a fifth plurality of pads disposed on a second surface of the second child circuit board and thermally conductively coupled with the third plurality of vias,
a sixth plurality of pads disposed on the second surface of the parent circuit board and thermally conductively coupled with the fifth plurality of pads, and
a fourth plurality of vias thermally conductively coupled with the sixth plurality of pads, extending into the parent circuit board, and thermally conductively coupled with the thermal conductor core.
15 . The process of claim 14 , further comprising soldering the second plurality of power switches to the fourth plurality of pads, and soldering the fourth plurality of pads to the third plurality of pads.
16 . The process of claim 11 , wherein the thermal conductor core comprises a bus bar.
17 . The process of claim 11 , wherein the thermal conductor core comprises a heat pipe.
18 . The process of claim 17 , further comprising circulating coolant through a closed loop coolant flow path of the heat pipe.
19 . The process of claim 11 , further comprising cooling the thermal conductor core with a condenser thermally conductively coupled with the thermal conductor core.
20 . The process of claim 19 , further comprising providing a housing containing the parent circuit board, a microcontroller, the first child circuit board, the first plurality of power switches, the second child circuit board operatively coupled with the second surface of the parent circuit board, the second plurality of power switches, and the heat transfer circuit.