EP1506576A1

EP1506576A1 - Cooling devices for cooling electric components, module consisting of a cooling device and electric components and assembly comprising a cooling device or module and a support

Info

Publication number: EP1506576A1
Application number: EP03729881A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Karl Exel; Jürgen SCHULZ-HARDER; Guy Lefranc; Kai Kriegel
Original assignee: Curamik Electronics GmbH; Siemens AG
Current assignee: Curamik Electronics GmbH; Siemens AG
Priority date: 2002-05-22
Filing date: 2003-05-09
Publication date: 2005-02-16
Also published as: AU2003240418A1; US7187545B2; WO2003098686A1; US20050213304A1; DE10393078D2; AU2003240418A8; JP2005531133A

Abstract

The invention relates to a cooling device (1) for cooling one or more power semiconductor components (20, 20'), comprising a flat, copper, plate-type hollow body (10) for conducting a coolant fluid (3). Components are fixed on one flat-sided surface (101) of the hollow body and the other flat-sided surface (102) comprises two coolant fluid openings (11) for introducing the coolant fluid into the hollow body and for evacuating said fluid from the same, said other flat-sided surface being concave and elastically deformable between the coolant fluid openings. Said device also comprises a fixing device (5) for fixing the concave other surface to the even surface (41) of a support (4) in such a way that the concave surface and the even surface are pressed against each other by the elastically planar deformation of the concave surface and that the coolant fluid openings are sealed in a fluidproof manner by O-rings. A solid strut (60), which interconnects the two flat-sided surfaces is additionally configured in the hollow body. The invention relates to a module (1') consisting of said cooling device and an assembly (1'', 1''') comprising the cooling device or module and a support. The device is used for electric transmissions, in particular of motor vehicles.

Description

description

Cooling devices for cooling electrical components, module of cooling device and electrical components, and arrangement of cooling device or module and carrier body

The invention relates to a cooling device for cooling one or more electrical components according to the preamble of claim 1 or claim 3, a module comprising such a cooling device and electrical components fastened thereon, an arrangement comprising such a cooling device and a carrier body and an arrangement comprising such Module and from such a carrier body.

A cooling device of the type mentioned is known from ÜS Patent No. 6 014 312. This known cooling device has a hollow body for passing the cooling fluid between the two flat surfaces of the hollow body facing away from one another, which essentially consists of a plurality of layers of metal stacked one on top of the other, which are connected to one another in a flat manner and each of which has a multiplicity of small openings which are arranged overlap from layer to layer and form paths for the cooling fluid through the layer stack.

Two large openings are also formed in each layer, between which the small openings of this layer are arranged. The large openings are arranged one above the other in the layer stack and thereby form two cooling fluid collecting cavities in the hollow body between the flat, flat surfaces of the hollow body which face away from one another and are defined by closed outer layers of the layer stack.

Each electrical component to be cooled must be fastened to one of the two flat-side surfaces of the hollow body, which is made of a layer of heat-conducting and electrical insulating ceramic of the hollow body is electrically isolated from the cooling fluid in the hollow body. The layer made of ceramic can be applied on one flat-side surface of the hollow body or can be arranged between two of the layers made of metal of the hollow body.

Each of the two cooling fluid collecting cavities is assigned a cooling fluid opening for introducing or discharging the cooling fluid into or out of this cooling fluid collecting cavity, which is formed in the other flat flat surface of the hollow body, which is otherwise also closed. Each cooling fluid collection cavity has a larger diameter than the cooling fluid opening assigned to it.

The hollow body is to be fastened on a flat surface of a support body in such a way that the flat other flat-side surface of the hollow body and the flat surface of the support body face each other and contact one another over the entire surface.

The carrier body can be a plate or have a structure of a plurality of cooling fluid channels distributed over the entire carrier body for supplying and removing cooling fluid.

The invention aims at an improved cooling fluid line in a cooling device of the type mentioned.

An improved cooling fluid line can be obtained according to the invention in a cooling device of the type mentioned in that, according to the characterizing part of claim 1, the other flat-side surface of the hollow body between the cooling fluid openings is concavely curved and elastically deformable, and that a fastening device is provided for Attach the hollow body on the flat surface of the carrier body in such a way that the concave other flat side Surface of the hollow body and the flat surface of the support body are pressed against each other with elastic flat deformation of the concave other flat surface of the hollow body.

The cooling device according to claim 1 has the advantage that it can be attached in a simple manner to a flat surface of a carrier body that does not have a structure of a plurality of cooling fluid channels distributed over the entire carrier body, but advantageously only one cooling fluid channel per cooling fluid opening of the cooling device for supplying or discharging the cooling fluid to or from this cooling fluid opening, and there is also the particular advantage that this cooling fluid opening and this cooling fluid channel during the process of attaching the cooling device to the carrier body easily and in the simplest way simply by means of a common O-ring can be sealed against leakage of cooling fluid to the environment.

The cooling fluid can accordingly advantageously be supplied to or derived from the cooling device through a single cooling fluid channel in the carrier body of the assigned cooling fluid opening, and the production of such a channel is simple. For example, such a cooling fluid channel can be a through hole that can be produced by drilling in the carrier body.

To attach the cooling device according to claim 1, it is only necessary that the support body has a flat surface, in each cooling fluid opening in the concave curved other flat surface of the hollow body of the cooling device, one mouth of a cooling fluid channel formed in the support body for supply or supply Deriving cooling fluid is arranged that

- The flat surface of the carrier body and the concave other flat surface of the hollow body of the Cooling device facing each other and arranged such that each cooling fluid opening of the cooling device is opposite the mouth of the carrier body associated with this cooling fluid opening, wherein - between these facing surfaces of the carrier body and the cooling device, O-rings made of elastic material are arranged, each of which has a cooling fluid opening of the cooling device and surrounds the mouth of the fluid channel of the carrier body opposite this cooling fluid opening, and that

the cooling device and the carrier body are fastened to one another by the fastening device of the cooling device in such a way that the concavely curved other flat-side surface of the hollow body of the cooling device is elastically flattened and each O-ring is squeezed between this flattened surface and the flat surface of the carrier body, so that it seals the cooling fluid opening of the cooling device and the opening of the cooling fluid channel of the carrier body opposite this cooling fluid opening, both of which this O-ring surrounds closed, from the environment in a fluid-tight manner.

According to this simple fastening procedure, each cooling fluid opening of the cooling device and the mouth of the cooling fluid channel opposite this cooling fluid opening are automatically sealed in a fluid-tight manner from the surroundings, and a particularly simple cooling fluid line is advantageously realized.

The concave, curved, flat-sided other surface of the hollow body is an essential prerequisite for the feasibility of simply attaching the cooling fluid device to the carrier body, since only with it can a sufficiently strong pressure be exerted on the O-rings arranged in the cooling fluid openings to pinch them. An elastically deformable flat flat-side other surface of the hollow body would deform in a comparatively convex manner and thus disadvantageously relieve rather than strain an O-ring. The fastening device of the cooling device according to claim 1 can advantageously be implemented in a simple manner by at least one threaded hole formed in the hollow body between the two cooling fluid openings,

- That is sealed fluid-tight against the cooling fluid in the hollow body, so that no cooling fluid can leak from the hollow body through this threaded hole, and

- That in the concavely curved other flat-side surface of the hollow body has a threaded hole opening through which a threaded bolt projecting through the carrier body is to be screwed into the threaded hole in order to fasten the cooling device and the carrier body to one another.

By screwing the threaded pin into the threaded hole, the concavely curved, flat-sided other surface of the hollow body of the cooling device opposite the flat surface of the support body can be drawn onto the support body and pressed flat.

The fastening device preferably and advantageously has two threaded holes formed in the hollow body between the two cooling fluid openings,

- Each of which is sealed fluid-tight against the cooling fluid in the hollow body, so that none through this threaded hole

Cooling fluid can leak from the hollow body, and

- each of which in the concave other flat-sided surface of the hollow body has a threaded hole opening, through which a carrier body by projecting threaded debolzen in ^'the threaded hole to be screwed to the cooling device and support body to be fixed to each other.

As a result, particularly strong pressure can be exerted on the O-rings and thus a particularly reliable sealing effect of the O-rings, in particular when a threaded hole close to a cooling fluid opening and the other diaper hole is arranged close to the other cooling fluid opening of the cooling device.

For the threaded bolts, the support body only requires through holes at the locations of the threaded holes in the hollow body of the cooling device. Such a through hole can, for example, simply be a bore through which the threaded bolt can be inserted or screwed.

An improved cooling fluid line can also be obtained in a cooling device of the type mentioned at the outset in that, according to the characterizing part of claim 3, a cooling fluid guiding device is formed in the hollow body between the cooling fluid openings, which guides the cooling fluid introduced into the hollow body through a cooling fluid opening Guides hollow body laterally past the center between the cooling fluid openings of the hollow body to the other cooling fluid opening.

By means of this measure, a fluid line in the hollow body which is better concentrated on the components to be cooled and thus a better cooling effect on these components can advantageously be obtained. Components that are not to be cooled, for example busbars that become less warm, can advantageously be fastened on the one flat surface above the coolant-free center of the hollow body.

It is particularly advantageous to combine the measure according to claim 3 with the measure according to claim 1 or 2, which is advantageously possible without problems.

The cooling fluid guide device requires at least one deflecting surface which is arranged in the vicinity of a cooling fluid opening and which deflects the cooling fluid supplied through this cooling fluid opening and a direct flow of the supplied cooling fluid from this cooling fluid opening to the other cooling fluid opening, that is to say prevented by the center between the two cooling fluid openings. Such a deflection surface can be implemented in various ways.

In a preferred and advantageous embodiment of the cooling device according to claim 3, the cooling fluid guide device has a solid web made of heat-conducting material and formed centrally in the hollow body,

which connects the two flat surfaces of the hollow body to one another,

- which is impermeable to the cooling fluid,

- Which is elongated along a connecting line between the two cooling fluid openings and

- On which flows laterally along the cooling fluid introduced into the hollow body through a cooling fluid opening in the hollow body to the other cooling fluid opening.

In this embodiment, the deflection surface of the cooling fluid guide device can be realized simply by an end face of the web, which is opposite a cooling fluid opening through which the cooling fluid is supplied. The deflection surface can be freely selected in individual cases due to the shape of this front end. For example, this free end can be a prism-shaped, pointed end of the web.

In a preferred and advantageous embodiment of this embodiment, the web has an end face which is opposite a cooling fluid opening and which has a curve.

The solid web advantageously also acts as an additional heat sink and improves the cooling effect of the cooling device.

A threaded hole in the hollow body is advantageously arranged in the web. The cooling fluid guide device can be spaced from an edge of a cooling fluid opening or can extend as far as the edge of a cooling fluid opening.

In general, it is advantageous if a structure of good heat-conducting material is formed in the hollow body, through which the cooling fluid can flow, which offers the flowing cooling fluid an enlarged contact surface and which is in good heat-conducting contact with the flat surfaces of the hollow body.

Such a structure improves the heat dissipation and thus the cooling effect of the cooling device and can be implemented in a wide variety of ways, for example by means of a grid and / or a meshed fabric and / or a sponge.

The structure made of the highly thermally conductive material preferably has small cavities, each of which is surrounded by this material and which are connected to one another, and / or small channels, each of which is surrounded by this material and connects the two cooling fluid openings to one another.

Such structures include, for example, a grid, a sponge, the structures resulting from the aforementioned US Pat. No. 6,014,312, etc.

In particular, the hollow body of a cooling device according to the invention, like a cooler according to the US patent 6 014 312, can be constructed with a layer stack of layers with wells made of heat-conducting material with small holes, the holes being offset from one another from layer to layer but overlapping one another , With this construction, a solid web in the hollow body can be realized simply by hole-free regions of the layers which lie one above the other in the stack. In the case of the cooling device according to the invention, the structure made of the good heat-conducting material advantageously extends to an edge of a cooling fluid opening, in contrast to a cooler according to US Pat. No. 6,014,312. The structure can surround the edge of the cooling fluid opening in a closed manner, or it can itself also only extend along a partial section of this edge and not over the entire edge, in particular when a cooling fluid guide device reaches as far as the edge of this cooling fluid opening.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of a cooling device according to the invention, be it configured according to claim 1 or claim 3 or according to a combination of these two claims

- The hollow body on electrically conductive material, and

- Is or are the one or more attached to the cooling device electrical components by a layer of good heat and electrically insulating material from the cooling fluid in the hollow body, which is parallel to the flat surface of the hollow body and firmly connected to the hollow body.

The layer of good heat-conducting and electrically insulating material is preferably applied to one flat-side surface of the hollow body of the cooling device. In the event that the hollow body has a stack of layers of electrically conductive material, it can also be arranged between two such layers.

A layer of electrically conductive material arranged on the side of the layer of highly thermally conductive and electrically insulating material facing away from the hollow body, be it a layer of the stack or a subsequently applied layer of electrically conductive material, is preferably structured, for example in electrical conductor tracks which in the case of electrical components to be cooled in the form of power semiconductor components, there may be busbars.

The layer of electrically conductive material can extend all over the entire hollow body. With regard to problems that result from different coefficients of thermal expansion between the electrically conductive material of the hollow body and the material of the electrically insulating layer and can result, for example, in a detachment of the electrically insulating layer from the hollow body, it may be advantageous if the layer is made of the good heat-conducting and electrically insulating material is divided into separate sections.

The layer of the good heat-conducting and electrically insulating material preferably has ceramic material, the electrically conductive material of the hollow body preferably copper.

It is particularly advantageous if the layer of the heat-conducting and electrically insulating material that is firmly connected to the hollow body has a smaller coefficient of thermal expansion than the hollow body.

This provision advantageously results in a particularly simple method for producing the cooling device according to the invention with the hollow body, which has the elastically deformable concave other flat surface.

This method simply consists in that the layer of the good heat-conducting and electrically insulating material is firmly connected to the hollow body at elevated temperature and the layer and hollow body are then cooled. When it cools down, the material of the hollow body contracts more than the material of the electrically insulating layer and, on account of this “bimetal effect”, automatically generates it elastically deformable concave other flat surface of the hollow body.

For example, an electrically insulating layer coated with metal is soldered onto the flat surface of the hollow body made of metal. During the soldering process, the layer and the hollow body heat up and expand differently, the hollow body more than the layer. When the solder solidifies, the hollow body and the layer bond firmly to one another at a still high temperature. During the subsequent cooling, the hollow body contracts more than the layer firmly connected to it, so that after cooling the other flat-side surface of the hollow body is concavely curved and can be elastically deformed.

So far, this "bimorph or bimetallic effect" has been a disruptive effect and efforts have been made to avoid it, for example in order to achieve flat, flat surfaces of the hollow body, e.g. by using an electrically insulating layer of the same material on each flat-side surface of the hollow body.

The invention has turned away from this and makes targeted use of the “bimorph or bimetal effect”.

The “bimorph or bimetal effect” can advantageously be used, regardless of whether or not the hollow body has a cooling fluid guide device, in particular a solid web.

The cooling devices according to the invention also create a novel module with such a cooling device and one or more electrical components, which is or are attached to one flat-side surface of the hollow body of the cooling device. This module can advantageously be attached to the carrier body with the aid of the O-rings just as easily and as described above in relation to the cooling device alone without electrical components.

Specifically, this means that with such a module

a carrier body is used, which has a flat surface, in each cooling fluid opening in the concave other flat surface of the hollow body of the cooling device of the module, an opening assigned to this cooling fluid opening of a cooling fluid channel formed in the carrier body for supplying or discharging cooling fluid, that

- The flat surface of the carrier body and the concave other flat surface of the hollow body of the

Cooling device of the module facing each other and arranged such that each cooling fluid opening of the cooling device of the module is opposite the mouth of the fluid channel of the carrier body associated with this cooling fluid opening, wherein

- Between these mutually facing surfaces of the carrier body and the cooling device of the module, O-rings made of elastic material are arranged, each of which surrounds a cooling fluid opening of the cooling device of the module and the mouth of the carrier body opposite this cooling fluid opening that closed

- The cooling device and the carrier body are fastened to one another by the fastening device of the cooling device such that the concavely curved other flat-side surface of the hollow body of the cooling device of the module is elastically flattened and each O-ring is squeezed between this flattened surface and the flat surface of the carrier body is such that it covers the cooling fluid opening of the cooling device of the module and the opening of the cooling fluid channel of the carrier body opposite this cooling fluid opening, both of these O-rings surrounds closed, seals fluid-tight against the environment.

The module can advantageously also with a cooling device, which has a cooling fluid guide device, and with

one or more electrical components which are or are attached to the one flat-side surface of the hollow body of the cooling device can be realized, wherein

- The one or more attached components is or are arranged next to the cooling fluid guide device in the region of the cooling fluid flowing past the center between the cooling fluid openings of the hollow body and to the other cooling fluid opening.

In this module, electrical components which generate different amounts of heat during operation are preferably and advantageously arranged one after the other in the flow direction of the cooling fluid flowing past the center between the cooling fluid openings of the hollow body and the other cooling fluid opening in such a way that on a component that is relatively less Generates heat, followed by a component that generates relatively more heat.

It is again advantageous if electrical components which generate different amounts of heat during operation are arranged one after the other in the direction of flow of the cooling fluid flowing past the center between the cooling fluid openings of the hollow body and the other cooling fluid opening in such a way that on a component which generates a relatively larger amount of heat, a component follows that generates relatively less heat. This means in particular that components that generate a relatively larger amount of heat should be arranged on the inside and components that generate a relatively smaller amount of heat on the outside. In general, a module mentioned above is preferably a power semiconductor module, that is to say that at least one electrical component of this module is a power semiconductor component.

The invention also provides a novel arrangement of a cooling device and a carrier body, which is specified in claim 21, and a novel arrangement of a module and a carrier body is also provided, which is specified in claim 22.

Both arrangements have the advantage of being easy to manufacture and of an extremely flat construction.

In a preferred embodiment of both the arrangement according to claim 22 and the arrangement according to claim 23, the carrier body is part of an electrical transmission.

In a special preferred embodiment, both the

Arrangement according to claim 22 and the arrangement according to claim 23, the carrier body is part of an electrical

Gearbox for a motor vehicle.

Water is preferably used as the cooling fluid, but other fluids such as oil can also be used.

The invention is explained in more detail in the following description using the figures as an example. Show it:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a power semiconductor module to which the invention is applied;

FIG. 2 shows a vertical longitudinal section through the module according to FIG. 1, taken along section line II-II in FIG. 1; 3a shows a vertical cross section taken along the section line III-III in FIG. 1 through the module according to FIG. 1;

3b shows the lower part of the vertical cross section according to FIG. 3a, which, in contrast to FIG. 3a, shows a concave other flat surface of the hollow body of the module;

FIG. 4 shows a horizontal section through the module according to FIG. 1, taken along the section line IV-IV in FIG. 1;

5 shows the upper part of the vertical longitudinal section according to FIG. 2, which, in contrast to FIG. 2, divided one

Shows layer of good heat-conducting electrically insulating material;

6 shows the part of FIG. 3a surrounded by circle B in an enlarged representation; and

Figure 7 in the sectional view of Figure 2 shows an arrangement of a module and a support body, which also shows an arrangement of a cooling device and the support body, the support body being shown only in fragments

The exemplary power semiconductor module shown in FIG. 1 and generally designated 1 'has an exemplary cooling device 1 according to the invention and an arrangement 2 comprising a plurality of electrical components to be cooled in the form of power semiconductor components 20 and 20', each of which faces away from one another flat-side surfaces 101 and 102 of a substantially flat plate-shaped hollow body 10 of the cooling device 1 and made of a good heat-conducting material, for example copper, is fastened. In the following, without restricting generality, it is assumed that the power semiconductor components 20 and 20 ′ are fastened on the flat-side surface 101 of the hollow body 10, so that the surface 101 forms one flat-side surface and the surface 102 forms the other flat-side surface of the hollow body 10.

The power semiconductor components 20 and 20 ′ could equally well be attached to surface 102, so that then surface 102 would be one flat-side surface and surface 101 would be the other flat-side surface of hollow body 10.

The hollow body 10 serves to pass a cooling fluid 3 (indicated in FIGS. 2 and 4 by bold arrows, the directional arrows of which also indicate the direction of flow of the cooling fluid) through the hollow body 10 between its two flat surfaces 101 and 102. The cooling fluid 3 consists, for example, of water ,

The hollow body 10 is flat in the form of a plate and essentially has a rectangular shape with a central longitudinal axis A.

The arrangement 2 composed of the power semiconductor components 20 and 20 'is not fastened directly on the essentially rectangular one flat side surface 101 of the hollow body 10, but on a surface 180 facing away from the hollow body 10 of an essentially rectangular layer 18 made of highly heat-conducting and electrically insulating ceramic material, which is applied to one flat-side surface 101 of the hollow body 10 and fastened thereon by soldering. The arrangement 2 is electrically insulated from the hollow body 10 by this electrically insulating layer 18. In addition to the arrangement 2 comprising the power semiconductor components 20 and 20 ′ to be cooled, electrical components that are not to be cooled, such as, for example, busbars 21, are also fixed to the surface 180 of the electrically insulating layer 18.

For further explanation of the structure of the cooling device 1 or the module 1 ', reference is made to FIGS. 2 to 4. However, in these figures, the electrical components 20, 20 ', 21 of the module 1', as far as they are visible at all, have been omitted for the sake of simplicity of illustration.

According to these figures, in the other flat-side surface 102 of the hollow body 10 of the cooling device 1 or of the module 1 ′, two cooling fluid openings 11 are arranged at a distance from one another for introducing and discharging the cooling fluid 3 into and out of the hollow body 10.

As will be described in more detail later with reference to FIG. 7, the hollow body 10 is one on a flat surface 41

To fix the support body 4 in such a way that the other flat-side surface 102 of the hollow body 10 and the flat surface 41 of the support body 4 face each other.

According to the invention, the other flat-side surface 102 of the hollow body 10 is concavely curved and elastically deformable between the cooling fluid openings 11, and a fastening device 5 for fastening the hollow body 10 on the flat surface 41 of the carrier body 4 is provided in such a way that the concavely curved other flat-side surface 102 of the hollow body 10 and the flat surface 41 of the carrier body 4 are pressed against one another with elastic flat deformation of the concave other flat surface 102 of the hollow body 10.

The other flat-side surface 102 of the hollow body 10 is predominantly in the direction of the longitudinal axis A of the hollow body 10 curved, can additionally or alternatively also be curved in the direction of the line III-III or IV-IV in FIG. 1 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A, as is indicated in FIG. 3b.

The fastening device 5 has, for example, two threaded holes 12 formed in the hollow body 10 between the two cooling fluid openings 11 and each having an internal thread, each of which is sealed in a fluid-tight manner against the cooling fluid 3 in the hollow body 10, so that no cooling fluid 3 from the hollow body 10 is through this threaded hole 12 can leak to the outside, and each of which in the concave other flat surface 102 of the hollow body 10 has a threaded hole opening 120 through which a threaded bolt 13 projecting through the carrier body 4 with an external thread is to be screwed into the threaded hole 12 in order to cooler 1 or module 1 'and to fix carrier body 4 to one another.

The threaded holes 12 are preferably arranged on the longitudinal axis A of the hollow body 10 and in each case close to a cooling fluid opening 11.

Each threaded hole 12 is defined, for example, by a bush 121 with an internal thread inserted into the hollow body 10 and made of a material that is harder than the material of the hollow body 10.

In the example shown, each threaded hole 12 is a through hole which extends across the entire hollow body 10 and also in the one flat surface

101 of the hollow body 10 has a threaded hole opening. A threaded hole 12 may also be a blind hole that only the threaded hole opening 120 in the other flat surface

102 of the hollow body 10 and has no opening in the flat, soapy surface 101 of the hollow body 10. According to the invention, a cooling fluid guide device 6 is also formed in the hollow body 10 between the cooling fluid openings 11, which guides the cooling fluid 3 introduced into the hollow body 10 through a cooling fluid opening 11 in the hollow body 10 laterally past the center 110 between the cooling fluid openings 11 of the hollow body 10 and to the other cooling fluid opening 11 ,

The cooling fluid guide device 6 is preferably designed in such a way that it has a solid web 60, which is formed centrally in the hollow body 10 and is made of a good heat-conducting material and connects the two flat surfaces 101 and 102 of the hollow body 10, which is impermeable to the cooling fluid 3 is elongated along a connecting line 111 (see FIG. 2) between the two cooling fluid openings 11 and on its two long sides 62 flows along the cooling fluid 3 introduced into the hollow body 10 through a cooling fluid opening 11 in the hollow body 10 to the other cooling fluid opening 11.

The web 60 has an end face 61 opposite each cooling fluid opening 11. The front end 61 of the web 60, which is opposite and adjacent to the cooling fluid opening 11, through which the cooling fluid 3 is introduced into the hollow body 10 and which is, for example, the left cooling fluid opening 11 in FIGS. 2 and 4, defines a deflection surface for deflecting the in the cooling fluid 3 introduced into the hollow body 10. This deflection surface is preferably defined by a curve 610 of this end 61.

Preferably, as shown in FIG. 4, the web 60 is essentially mirror-symmetrical with respect to the center 110 between the cooling fluid openings 11 of the hollow body, so that the other front end 61 of the web 60, which in the example is the one for discharging the cooling fluid 3 opposite the right cooling fluid opening 11 serving the hollow body, has a curve 610. Instead of a rounding 610, another, for example pointed, shape can also be selected.

For example, the front ends 61 of the web 60 are arranged at a distance from the cooling fluid openings 11. It could also be set up in such a way that one or each end 61 of the web 60 reaches to the edge 112 of a cooling fluid opening 11.

The threaded holes 12 of the hollow body 10 are preferably arranged in the web 60 and preferably close to the front ends 61 of the web 60. If the material of the web 60 is sufficiently hard, bushings 121 with an internal thread can be dispensed with, and a threaded hole 12 with an internal thread can be made directly in the web 60.

Both measures ensure that the threaded hole 12 is fluid-tight, i.e. no fluid 3 can leak out of the interior of the hollow body 10 through the threaded hole 12.

In the hollow body 10, a structure 17 is preferably formed from a good heat-conducting material, through which the cooling fluid 3 can flow, which provides the flowing cooling fluid 3 with an enlarged contact surface and which is in good heat-conducting contact with the flat surfaces 101 and 102 of the hollow body 10 and with the Bridge 60 stands.

Structure 17 made of the highly thermally conductive material is preferably designed such that it has small cavities 171, each of which is surrounded by this material and which are connected to one another and / or has small channels 172, each of which is surrounded by this material and connects the two cooling fluid openings 11 to one another.

The structure 17 can thus, like any corresponding structure resulting from the said US Pat. No. 6,014,312, be produced by a stack of layers each having a multiplicity of small holes, with the difference being that in the present structure 17, the layers in the area of the web 60 must not have any holes. In this case, the solid web 60 is advantageously formed automatically by stacking hole-free regions of the layers on top of one another.

The structure 17 can also be formed, for example, by filling a cavity of the hollow body 10 surrounding the already existing solid web 60 with lattice material and / or meshed fabric and / or a sponge, each of which has a good heat-conductive material and which is in close heat-conductive contact with the flat surfaces 101 and 102 of the hollow body 10 and the solid web 60.

Also in contrast to the aforementioned US Pat. No. 6,014,312, the present structure 17 preferably extends from the highly heat-conducting material to the edge 112 of a cooling fluid opening 11. Since the front ends 61 of the web 60 do not, for example, reach the edge 112 of the cooling fluid openings, the structure 17 extending to the edge 112 of a cooling fluid opening 11 can advantageously even surround this edge in a closed manner.

In the event that an end 61 of the web 60 reaches the edge 112 of a cooling fluid opening 11, the structure 17 reaching this edge 112 cannot of course surround this edge 112 in a closed manner, but rather only extend over a partial section of this edge 112.

In the exemplary embodiment of the cooling device 1 or the module 1 'according to FIGS. 1 to 4, the layer 18 made of the highly heat-conducting and electrically insulating material is applied and fixed over the entire surface of the hollow body 10.

For example (see FIG. 6), an electrically coated metal layer 108 is coated on the surface 181 of this layer 18 facing away from the surface 180 of the electrically insulating layer 18 and facing the hollow body. risch insulating layer 18 soldered to a flat surface 101 of the hollow body 10 made of metal by means of a solder 109.

In the present example, the electrically insulating layer 18 has a relatively smaller coefficient of thermal expansion α1 and the hollow body 10 has a relatively larger coefficient of thermal expansion α2. During the soldering process, the electrically insulating layer 18 and hollow body 10 heat up and expand differently, the hollow body 10 more than the layer 18.

When the liquid solder 109 solidifies, the hollow body 10 and the layer 18 bond firmly to one another at a still high temperature. During the subsequent cooling, the hollow body 10 contracts more than the layer 18 firmly connected to it, so that after cooling the other flat-side surface 102 of the hollow body is concavely curved by itself and can be elastically deformed.

Due to the tension prevailing between the electrically insulating layer 18 and the hollow body 10 during the subsequent attachment to the carrier body 4, there is a certain tendency for the layer 18 to become detached from the hollow body 10. This can be reduced if the layer 18 consists of the highly thermally conductive and electrically insulating material, as indicated in Figure 18, is divided into separate sections 18 '.

In a specific embodiment of a cooling device 1 according to the invention described above, which does not limit the scope of the invention and which is used for a power semiconductor module 1 'according to FIG. 1, the hollow body 10 made of copper has a length of approximately 100 mm, a width of approximately 60 mm, a thickness of about 3.5 mm and is formed from a stack of copper layers. The cooling fluid arranged on the longitudinal axis A symmetrically to the center 110 Openings 11 are spaced approximately 85 mm apart and each have an opening diameter of approximately 5.5 mm. The threaded holes 12, likewise arranged symmetrically on the longitudinal axis A with respect to the center 110, are at a distance of approximately 65 mm from one another and each have an opening diameter of approximately 4 mm. The soldered electrically insulating layer 18, which is undivided and extends essentially over the entire rectangular, flat surface 101 of the hollow body 10, is made of Al 2 O 3 and has a thickness of approximately 0.4 mm. The other rectangular flat surface 102 of the hollow body 10 which is elastically concavely curved along the longitudinal axis A has a maximum curvature depth t of approximately 100 μm in the center 110 with respect to the front ends 105 of the hollow body 10.

Also perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A, in the direction of the width of the hollow body 10, ie along the line III-III in FIG. 1, there is a concave curvature of the other flat-side surface 102 of the hollow body 10, as indicated in FIG. 3b.

In the power semiconductor module 1 ′ shown in FIG. 1, the power semiconductor components 20 and 20 ′ attached to the electrically insulating layer 18 of the cooling device are a plan view of the surface 180 of this layer 18 next to the web 60 along the two long sides 62 of the web 60 (see FIG. 4 ) are arranged one after the other and are located above the cooling fluid 3 flowing in the hollow body 10 along these two longitudinal sides 62.

On each longitudinal side 62 of the web 60, for example, a row of six power semiconductor components 20, 20 'is arranged, which are arranged in succession in the flow direction of the cooling fluid 3 flowing along the longitudinal sides 62 (see FIG. 4). Two first power semiconductor components 20 in each row are, for example, IGBTs, two power semiconductor components 20 'following them are, for example, diodes, and two power semiconductor components 20 following these diodes 20' are again IGBTs.

The diodes 20 'produce more heat during operation than the IGBTs 20, and therefore, for reasons of an optimal cooling effect by the cooling device 1, the two diodes 20' are arranged in each row between the two pairs of IGBTs 20.

For connection in a known electrical circuit, the IGBTs 20 and diodes 20 are electrically connected in a certain manner to current bars 21 arranged on the electrically insulating layer 18. For example, a single bus bar 21 can be arranged above the web 60, or two or more stacked and electrically insulated bus bars 21 can be arranged above the web 60, and / or other bus bars 21 can be arranged, for example, between the layer 18 and the power semiconductor components 20 , 20 'individually or also stacked one above the other and arranged electrically insulated from one another on the electrically insulating layer 18.

The busbars 21 and other electrical lines can be produced by structuring one or more layers of electrically conductive material on the electrically insulating layer 18.

In the module 1 'according to FIG. 1, pantographs for the busbars 21 are designated by 22.

FIG. 7 shows how a cooling device 1 or a module 1 ′ with a carrier body 4 forms an arrangement 1 ″ out of the cooling device 1 and out of the carrier body 4 or respectively an arrangement 1 ″ is formed from the module 1 ′ and the carrier body 4.

The carrier body 4, which is only shown in fragments, is designed in such a way that it has a flat surface 41, in which, for each cooling fluid opening 11 in the concavely curved other flat-side surface 102 of the hollow body 10 of the cooling device 1, an orifice 401 associated with this cooling fluid opening 11 is formed in a carrier body 4 Cooling fluid channel 40 for supplying or discharging cooling fluid 3 to or from the hollow body 10 is arranged.

The flat surface 41 of the carrier body 4 and the concave other flat surface 102 of the hollow body 10 of the cooling device 1 face each other and are arranged such that each cooling fluid opening 11 of the cooling device 1 is opposite the mouth 401 of the carrier body 4 assigned to this cooling fluid opening 11.

Arranged between these mutually facing surfaces 41 and 102 of the carrier body 4 and the cooling device 1 are O-rings 7 made of elastic material, each of which closes a cooling fluid opening 11 of the cooling device 1 and the opening 401 of the fluid channel 40 of the carrier body 4 opposite this cooling fluid opening 11 surrounds.

The cooling device 1 and the carrier body 4 are fastened to one another by the fastening device 5 of the cooling device 1 in such a way that the concave other flat surface 102 of the hollow body 10 of the cooling device 1 in

Direction of the arrow P pointing to the flat surface 41 of the carrier body 4 (see FIGS. 2 and 4) is elastically flattened and each O-ring 7 is squeezed between this flattened surface 102 and the flat surface 41 of the carrier body 4, so that it has the cooling fluid opening 11 of the cooling device 1 and the opening 401 of the cooling fluid channel 40 of the carrier body opposite this cooling fluid opening 11. pers 4, which this O-ring 7 surrounds both closed, seals fluid-tight against the environment.

Each O-ring 7 is arranged, for example, in a recess 410 in the flat surface 41 of the carrier body 4 so that it does not slip sideways when the arrangement 1 ″ or 1 ″ ″ is assembled. Such a recess could alternatively or additionally also be formed in the other flat-side surface 102 of the hollow body 10.

With the fastening device 5 having the two threaded holes 12 in the hollow body 10 and the threaded bolts 13, the assembly takes place, for example, in such a way that, after the cooling device 1 or the module 1 'and the support body 4 have been arranged, the other flat surface 102 of the Hollow body 10 and the flat surface 41 of the support body 4 facing each other and the O-rings 7 are arranged in the correct position between them that the threaded bolts 13 through through holes 134 formed in the support body 4, which are exactly opposite the openings 120 of the threaded holes 12 in the hollow body , inserted and then screwed into the threaded holes 12, and that then on the side of a surface 42 of the carrier body 4, which faces away from the flat surface 41 of the carrier body 4, a nut 13 'is screwed onto each threaded bolt 13 projecting through the carrier body 4 and then tightened so that the other flax Surface 102 of the hollow body 10 is flattened, the O-rings are squeezed and the hollow body 10 and carrier body 4 are firmly connected to one another. It is also possible to use washers which are to be arranged on the threaded bolts 13 between the carrier body 4 and the nuts 13 '.

A through hole 134 formed in the carrier body 4 can also be a threaded hole with an internal thread, through which the threaded bolt 13 can be screwed for screwing into a threaded hole 12 in the hollow body 10. FIG. 7 actually shows an arrangement 1 ″ ″ of module 1 ′ and carrier body 4. The arrangement 1 ″ of the cooling device 1 and the carrier body 4 arises when the electrical components 20, 20 ′ and 21 shown are disregarded.

The carrier body 4 is preferably part of an electrical transmission 4 ', in particular an electrical transmission 4' for a motor vehicle for cooling power semiconductor components required for the electrical supply of the part.

The cooling device 1 and the module 1 'are characterized by their extremely flat design, which is particularly good for installation in tight spaces

Claims

claims

1. Cooling device (1) for cooling one or more electrical components (20, 20 '), in particular in the form of power semiconductor components

- A hollow body (10) made of a good heat-conducting material, which is essentially flat in the form of a plate and is designed to pass a cooling fluid (3) between two flat surfaces (101, 102) of the hollow body (10) facing away from one another, wherein

- On one (101) of the two flat surfaces (101; 102) of the hollow body (10) each component to be cooled (20, 20 ') is to be fastened by the heat-conducting and electrically insulating material of the hollow body (10) Cooling fluid (3) in the hollow body (10) is electrically isolated, wherein

- In the other flat surface (102; 101) of the hollow body (10) at least two spaced-apart cooling fluid openings (11) for introducing and discharging the cooling fluid (3) into and out of the hollow body (10) are formed, and wherein

- The hollow body (10) on a flat surface (41) of a support body (4) is to be fastened in such a way that the other flat-side surface (102; 101) of the hollow body (10) and the flat surface (41) of the support body (4) facing each other, characterized in that

- The other flat-side surface (102; 101) of the hollow body (10) between the cooling fluid openings (11) is concavely curved and elastically deformable, and that

- A fastening device (5) is provided for fastening the hollow body (10) on the flat surface (41) of the carrier body (4) in such a way that the concave other flat surface (102; 101) of the hollow body (10) and the flat one Surface (41) of the support body (4) with elastic flat deformation of the concave other flat-side surface (102; 101) of the hollow body (10) are pressed against each other.

2. Cooling device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the fastening device (5) has two threaded holes (12) formed in the hollow body (10) between the two cooling fluid openings (11),

- Each of which is sealed fluid-tight against the cooling fluid (3) in the hollow body (10), so that no cooling fluid (3) can leak out of the hollow body (10) through this threaded hole (12), and

- Each of which in the concavely curved other flat-side surface (102; 101) of the hollow body (10) has a threaded hole opening (120) through which a threaded bolt (13) projecting through the carrier body (4) into the threaded hole

(12) is to be screwed in order to attach the cooling device (1) and the support body (4) to each other.

3. Cooling device (1) for cooling one or more electrical components (20, 20 '), in particular in the form of power semiconductor components

- On one (101; 102) of the two flat-side surfaces (101, 102) of the hollow body (10) each component to be cooled (20, 20 ') is to be fastened, which is made of highly heat-conducting and electrically insulating material of the hollow body (10 ) is electrically isolated from the cooling fluid (3) in the hollow body (10), wherein

- in the other flat-side surface (102; 101) of the hollow body (10) at least two cooling fluid openings (11) are arranged at a distance from one another for introducing and discharging the cooling fluid (3) into and out of the hollow body (10), and where - The hollow body (10) on a flat surface (41) of a support body (4) is to be fastened in such a way that the other flat-side surface (102; 101) of the hollow body (10) and the flat surface (41) of the support body (4) facing each other, in particular cooling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

- In the hollow body (10) between the cooling fluid openings (11), a cooling fluid guide device (6) is formed, which through a cooling fluid opening (11) in the hollow body

(10) introduced cooling fluid (3) in the hollow body (10) laterally past the center (110) between the cooling fluid openings (11) of the hollow body (10) to the other cooling fluid opening

(11) directs.

4. Cooling device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the cooling fluid guide device (6) has a centrally formed in the hollow body (10) formed solid web (60) made of good heat-conducting material, - the two flat-side surfaces (101, 102) of the hollow body (10) connects together,

- which is impermeable to the cooling fluid (3),

- Which is elongated along a connecting line (111) between the two cooling fluid openings (11) and

- Along which the cooling fluid (3) introduced into the hollow body (10) through a cooling fluid opening (11) flows in the hollow body (10) to the other cooling fluid opening (11).

5. Cooling device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the web (60) has an end face (61) which is opposite a cooling fluid opening (11) and which has a curve (610).

6. Cooling device (1) according to claim 2 and claim 4 or 5, wherein a threaded hole (12) of the hollow body (10) is arranged in the web (60).

7. Cooling device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in the hollow body (10) a structure (17) made of a good heat-conducting material through which the cooling fluid

(3) can flow, which offers the flowing cooling fluid (3) an enlarged contact surface and which is in good heat-conducting contact with the flat-side surfaces (101, 102) of the hollow body (10).

8. Cooling device (1) according to claim 7, wherein the structure (17) made of the highly thermally conductive material has small cavities

(171), each of which is surrounded by this material and which are connected to one another.

9. Cooling device () according to claim 7 or 8, - wherein the structure (17) made of the highly thermally conductive material has small channels (172), each of which is surrounded by this material and connects the two cooling fluid openings (11) to one another.

10. Cooling device (1) according to one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the structure (17) of the highly thermally conductive material reaches the edge (112) of a cooling fluid opening (11).

11. Cooling device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein

- The hollow body (10) has electrically conductive material, and wherein

- The one or more attached to the cooling device (1) electrical components (20, 20 ') by a layer (18) of good heat-conducting and electrically insulating material from the cooling fluid (3) in the hollow body (10) is or are electrically used for a flat surface (101; 102) of the hollow body (10) is connected in parallel and firmly to the hollow body (10).

12. Cooling device (1) according to claim 11, wherein the layer (18) of the highly heat-conducting and electrically insulating Material is divided into separate sections (18 ').

13. Cooling device (1) according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the layer (18) made of the highly thermally conductive and electrically insulating material comprises ceramic material.

14. Cooling device (1) according to one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the electrically conductive material of the hollow body (10) comprises copper.

15. Cooling device (1) according to one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the firmly connected to the hollow body (10) layer (18) made of the highly heat-conducting and electrically insulating material has a smaller coefficient of thermal expansion (l) than the hollow body (10) ,

16. Module (1 ') with

- A cooling device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, and

- One or more electrical components (20, 20 '), which are attached to the one flat surface (101; 102) of the hollow body (10) of the cooling device (1).

17. Module (1 ') with

- A cooling device (1) according to one of claims 3 to 6 and

- One or more electrical components (20, 20 ') which is or are attached to the one flat side surface (101; 102) of the hollow body (10) of the cooling device (1), wherein

- The or the attached components (20, 20 ') next to the cooling fluid guide device (6) in the area of the center (110) between the cooling fluid openings (11) of the hollow body (10) flowing over to the other cooling fluid opening (11) Cooling fluids (3) are arranged on the one flat-side surface (101; 102) of the hollow body (10).

18. Module (1 ') according to claim 17, wherein electrical components (20, 20'), which generate different amounts of heat during operation, in the flow direction (30) of the center

(110) between the cooling fluid openings (11) of the hollow body (10) past the other cooling fluid opening (11) and flowing cooling fluid (3) are arranged one after the other in such a way that a component (20 ') that generates a relatively smaller amount of heat ) follows, which generates relatively more heat.

19. Module (1 ') according to claim 18, wherein electrical components (20, 20'), which generate different amounts of heat during operation, in the flow direction (30) of the center (110) between the cooling fluid openings (11) of the hollow body (10) past the other cooling fluid opening (11) flowing cooling fluids (3) are arranged one after the other in such a way that a component (20 ') that generates a relatively larger amount of heat is followed by a component (20) that generates a relatively smaller amount of heat.

20. Module (1 ') according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein at least one electrical component (20, 20') is a power semiconductor component.

21 arrangement (1 '') from a cooling device (1) according to claim 1 or claim 1 and one of claims 2 to 15 and from a carrier body (4), wherein

- The carrier body (4) has a flat surface (41), in each cooling fluid opening (11) in the concave other flat surface (102; 101) of the hollow body (10) of the cooling device (1) each one of these cooling fluid openings (11) The associated mouth (401) of a cooling fluid channel (40) formed in the carrier body (4) for supplying or discharging cooling fluid (3) is arranged, wherein

- The flat surface (41) of the carrier body (4) and the concave other flat surface (102; 101) of the hollow body (10) of the cooling device (1) face each other and are arranged such that each cooling fluid opening (11) of the cooling device (1) is opposite the opening (401) of the carrier body (4) assigned to this cooling fluid opening (11), wherein

- between these mutually facing surfaces (41, 102;

41, 101) of the carrier body (4) and the cooling device (1), O-rings (7) made of elastic material are arranged, each of which has a cooling fluid opening (11) of the cooling device (1) and the opening (401 opposite this cooling fluid opening (11) ) of the fluid channel (40) of the carrier body (4) surrounds closed, wherein

- The cooling device (1) and the carrier body (4) by the

Fastening device (5) of the cooling device (1) are fastened to one another in such a way that the concave other flat surface (102, 101) of the hollow body (10) of the cooling device (1) is elastically flattened and each O-ring (7) flattened between them Surface (102; 101) and the flat surface (41) of the carrier body (4) is squeezed so that it has the cooling fluid opening (11) of the cooling device (1) and the opening (401) of the cooling fluid channel opposite this cooling fluid opening (11) (40) of the carrier body (4), which this O-ring (7) surrounds both closed, seals fluid-tight against the environment.

22. Arrangement (1 '' ') from a module (1') according to one of claims 16 to 20 with a cooling device (1) according to claim 1 or claim 1 and one of claims 2 to 15 and from a carrier body (4), in which

- The carrier body (4) has a flat surface (41), in each cooling fluid opening (11) in the concave other flat surface (102; 102) of the hollow body (10) of the cooling device (1) of the module (1 ') each a mouth (401) of this cooling fluid opening (11) of a cooling fluid channel (40) formed in the carrier body (4) for supplying or discharging cooling fluid (3) is arranged, wherein

- The flat surface (41) of the carrier body (4) and the concave other flat surface (102; 101) of the hollow body (10) of the cooling device (1) of the module (1 ') face each other and are arranged such that each cooling fluid opening (11) of the cooling device (1) of the module (1 ') opposite the mouth (401) of the carrier body (4) assigned to this cooling fluid opening (11), wherein - between these mutually facing surfaces (41, 102; 41, 101) of the carrier body (4) and the cooling device (1) of the module O-rings (7) made of elastic material, each of which has a cooling fluid opening (11) of the cooling device (1) of the module (1 ') and that of this cooling fluid opening (11) opposite mouth (401) of the fluid channel (40) of the carrier body (4) surrounds closed, wherein

- The cooling device (1) and the carrier body (4) are fastened to one another by the fastening device (5) of the cooling device (1) in such a way that the concave other flat surface (101; 101) of the hollow body (10) of the cooling device (1) of the module (1 ') is resiliently flattened and each O-ring (7) is squeezed between this flattened surface (102; 101) and the flat surface (41 of the support body (4) so that it has the cooling fluid opening (11) of the cooling device (1) of the module (1 ') and the mouth (401) of the cooling fluid channel (40) of the carrier body (4) opposite this cooling fluid opening (11), which both O-ring (7) surrounds both closed, seals fluid-tight to the environment.

23. The arrangement according to claim 22, wherein the carrier body (4) is part of an electric transmission (4 ').

24. The arrangement according to claim 23, wherein the carrier body (4) is part of an electric transmission (4 ') for a motor vehicle.