Power converter cooling
View Patent ↗A power conversion system which uses a plurality of transistors to convert DC power to AC power is made more efficient by the use of liquid refrigerant to cool the transistors. A plurality of passages are formed in a cold plate on which the transistors are mounted, and liquid refrigerant is flashed into the passages to cool the cold plate and the transistors. The liquid refrigerant can by derived from a condenser from an organic rankine cycle or a vapor compression cycle.
1. A method of improving the performance of a power converter of the type having an inverter for converting direct current to an alternating current by way of a plurality of switches, comprising the step of:
providing a cold plate;
mounting a plurality of transistors on said cold plate in heat exchange relationship therewith;
deriving a flow of liquid refrigerant from a condenser in a closed circuit system; and
introducing said flow of liquid refrigerant in the vicinity of said cold plate and allowing it to flash to a vapor while cooling said cold plate and said plurality of switches.
2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said plurality of switches comprise transistors.
3. A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said transistors are of the insulated gate bipolar transistor type.
4. A method as set forth in claim 1 and including the step of forming a plurality of passages in said cold plate.
5. A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein said step of introducing a flow of liquid refrigerant in the vicinity of said cold plate comprises the step of causing the liquid refrigerant to flow through said passages.
6. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said closed circuit system is a vapor compression system.
7. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said closed circuit system is an organic rankine cycle system.