Thermal management system for a power converter
A power converter assembly includes a housing, a cold plate in the housing, and a set of power converter components on the cold plate. The cold plate is configured to receive a coolant. A first medium in the housing surrounds the cold plate and components. An expandable heat transfer structure is attached to one of the cold plate and the housing.
1 . A power converter assembly, comprising:
a housing;
a cold plate in the housing, wherein the cold plate is configured to receive a coolant;
a set of power converter components on the cold plate;
a first medium in the housing surrounding the cold plate and components; and
an expandable heat transfer structure attached to one of the cold plate and the housing.
2 . The power converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expandable heat transfer structure is attached to the cold plate.
3 . The power converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first medium is a liquid or pressurized gas that provides a dielectric resistance.
4 . The power converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first medium is an oil.
5 . The power converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expandable heat transfer structure includes a conductive material that is configured to transfer heat to the one of the cold plate and the housing.
6 . The power converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expandable heat transfer structure has an expandable surface area.
7 . The power converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expandable heat transfer structure is additively manufactured.
8 . The power converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expandable heat transfer structure is filled with a gas.
9 . The power converter assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first medium is a liquid that provides dielectric resistance.
10 . The power converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the components are covered with a solid insulating material.
11 . The power converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cold plate is a first cold plate and the power converter assembly further comprising a second cold plate.
12 . The power converter assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first cold plate and the second cold plate are configured such that the first cold plate is upstream with respect to the second cold plate.
13 . The power converter assembly of claim 12 , wherein the components include a first set of components and a second set of components, wherein the first set of components are on the first cold plate and the second set of components are on the second cold plate.
14 . The power converter assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first set of components are configured to generate more heat than the second set of components.
15 . The power converter assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first set of components includes high-power switching modules.
16 . The power converter assembly of claim 15 , wherein the high-power switching modules include at least one of a MOSFET, an IGBT, and a gate driver.
17 . The power converter assembly of claim 13 , wherein the second set of components includes auxiliary components.
18 . The power converter assembly of claim 17 , wherein the auxiliary components include at least one of a capacitor, an inductor, a resistor, and a bus bar, a capacitor, an inductor, a resistor, a bus bar, a control board, a gate driver board, and an interface board.
19 . The power converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first medium is sealed in the housing.
20 . The power converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expandable heat transfer structure includes at least one of a bellows structure, a gusset structure, and a gas spring structure.