Heat Dissipation Characteristics of IGBT Module Based on Flow-Solid Coupling.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Thermal Engineering

Background:

• Silicon-based Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) in electric vehicle controllers are reaching thermal limits due to increased power and integration.
• Third-generation semiconductors like Silicon Carbide Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (SiC MOSFETs) are emerging, with hybrid IGBT modules offering performance and cost benefits.
• Existing air-cooled heatsinks are insufficient for compact electric vehicle controllers, necessitating advanced cooling solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the thermal resistance of hybrid IGBT modules and their heatsink structures.
• To investigate the fluid dynamics and heat transfer performance of different heatsink flow channel designs.
• To propose an improved heatsink design for effective thermal management of hybrid IGBT modules in electric vehicles.

Main Methods:

• Utilized ANSYS Workbench for finite element numerical simulation, hydrodynamics, and heat transfer calculations.
• Analyzed thermal resistance within the module and heatsink structures.
• Evaluated fluid characteristics and heat transfer efficiency across three distinct flow channel configurations.

Main Results:

• Identified thermal limitations in current IGBT technology for electric vehicle applications.
• Quantified the thermal performance of different heatsink flow channel designs.
• Developed insights into optimizing heatsink geometry for enhanced heat dissipation.

Conclusions:

• A smaller, more powerful water-cooled heatsink is crucial for managing heat in compact electric vehicle controllers.
• The study provides a validated approach for analyzing and improving heatsink designs for hybrid IGBT modules.
• Optimized heatsink designs offer a viable solution for the thermal challenges posed by advanced power electronics in EVs.