JP2020092258A - Thermally-conductive connection element and usage thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a thermally-conductive connection element for transmitting heat to an object radiated from a component to be cooled or executing heat distribution in an element.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a thermally conductive connection element 1 for transmitting heat from a component 3 to be cooled to an object 4 to be radiated or for heat distributing in an element in a cooling device 2 and is structured to serve as a flat structure 5 which is formed from carbon nano structure base fiber CNB, particularly carbon nano-tube CNT and particularly having flexibility or being flexible.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

In power electronics control equipment, heat losses occur in various components. The heat radiation of the components heated by the heat loss is performed by the attachment to the heat sink or the housing, and the housing takes on the function of the heat sink. It is known to provide a heat sink with area expansion means such as fins. Furthermore, it is also possible to provide forced convection, for example air, water/glycol, etc., for heat dissipation. The joining of the parts to be cooled is done via direct contact or flat assembly with an intermediate heat-conducting mat or using a heat-conducting paste. Alternatively, as a result, it is possible to conduct the generated heat loss through a heat pipe to a heat sink or the like arranged further away. In power electronics controllers for motor vehicle drives such as inverters or converters, the power electronics module is often located directly on the heat sink. Other components, such as DC link capacitors, which are often large capacitance, and/or coils at critical temperature, are typically coupled to a heat sink on at least one side, which includes a water cooling device passing nearby. It may be provided. Direct coupling of certain components to the heat sink is often mechanically important due to their stiffness and/or different coefficients of thermal expansion, and is a guarantee to ensure reliability. Mechanical isolation or reduced load is required.

The present invention relates to a thermally conductive connecting element for conducting heat from a component to be cooled to a heat-dissipating object or for heat distribution in the element, the connecting element comprising a carbon nanostructure-based fiber, in particular a carbon nanotube. Is formed as a flat structure. Such a flat structure has a very good thermal conductivity based on the carbon nanostructure-based fiber and can very effectively release heat from the component. The carbon nanostructure-based fiber guides the heat of the component to an object that further dissipates heat. Preferably, the flat structure is flexible or flexible, in particular configured to be elastically deformable. Due to the flexibility of the connecting element, an additional mechanical separation or mitigation is not necessary. The connecting element according to the invention acts, so to speak, like a heat pipe and directs heat losses from the place of generation to a suitable place for the further release of heat.

According to the arrangement of the invention, the flat structure is a belt or a mat. Therefore, to dissipate heat, one only has to connect the area of the belt or mat to the part for heat conduction and the other area of the belt or mat to the object to dissipate heat. The object may be, for example, a heat sink, a housing area, etc. Due to the heat distribution in the element to be cooled, the flat structure, ie in particular the belt or the area of the belt or the area of the mat or mat, need only be connected to the element in a heat-conducting manner, whereby different elements The heated areas are thermally offset.

For good heat conduction, the carbon nanostructure-based fibers advantageously extend in the longitudinal direction of the substantially flat structure. In this case, it is assumed that the connection between the component and the object is also made in the longitudinal direction of the fiber.

The connecting elements can be formed as a textile, that is, the carbon nanostructure-based fibers are interwoven with each other, thereby forming a textile.

Preferably, at least one area of the flat structure may have a layer of adhesive, preferably thermally conductive, for attachment to parts, objects and/or elements. This allows the flat structure to be easily attached so as to conduct heat. Preferably, a belt consisting of carbon nanostructure-based fibers and provided with an adhesive layer is used and processed like cellophane tape, ie one area of this belt, for example the end area, should be cooled by gluing. It is possible to attach it to a component and to glue another area, for example the other end area of the belt, to the heat-dissipating object.

Preferably, the thermally conductive connecting element has at least one attachment tab, at least one threaded area, at least one crimping area, at least one clamping area, and/or at least one stitching area. These configurations allow easy, heat-conducting attachment to parts, objects, and/or elements.

Preferably, at least some of the carbon nanostructure based fibers may be configured with temperature dependent resistors for temperature measurement. Therefore, it is also possible to measure the temperature at each location and, if necessary, to incorporate it into the fiber so that if the temperature is too high, for example, measures can be taken to increase the cooling air flow.

The invention further relates to the use of thermally conductive connecting elements for cooling components and/or elements. In this regard, the individual terms in the technical context are not explained again here, for which reference is made to the connecting elements, parts, objects and/or elements described at the beginning.

The invention further relates to a cooling device having a component to be cooled and an object for radiating heat. In order to carry out the cooling, the connection between the parts and the object is made in the cooling device by means of the abovementioned thermally conductive connecting elements.

The invention further relates to a heat distribution device in an element, which element comprises a thermally conductive connecting element. The connecting element is a connecting element as described above. The connecting elements connect the regions of different temperature of the elements and provide thermal cancellation accordingly, thus distributing the heat evenly. Elements can be any part, but can also be parts and/or objects.

Finally, the invention relates to a method of conducting heat from a component to be cooled to a radiating body. Carbon nanostructure-based fibers, in particular carbon nanotubes, in particular flexible or flexible planar structures, are attached to the component and the object respectively so as to conduct heat.

Finally, the invention relates to a heat distribution method in the element. A carbon nanostructure-based fiber, in particular a flexible flat structure consisting of carbon nanotubes, is attached to the element in a planar manner so as to conduct heat.

The drawings illustrate the invention based on exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 4 shows a heat-conducting connecting element for conducting heat from a component to be cooled to a heat-dissipating object. FIG. 2 shows a device similar to that of FIG. 1 with a carbon nanostructure-based fiber with temperature-dependent resistors for temperature measurement.

FIG. 1 shows a thermally conductive connecting element 1 which is part of a cooling device 2. Such a cooling device 2 preferably comprises a plurality of connecting elements 1 (two connecting elements 1 are shown in FIG. 1), but only one connecting element 1 will be described below. Therefore, the description also applies to all other connecting elements.

The cooling device 2 has a component 3 to be cooled, which is shown schematically. The component 3 to be cooled may be, for example, a power electronics semiconductor of a power electronics circuit for driving a motor vehicle, a DC link capacitor, or a coil at the critical temperature of an inverter or converter of a power electronics controller. Of course, the invention is not limited to such a component 3 and can be applied to any component to be cooled. The heat-dissipating object 4 is arranged in the vicinity of the component 3, and is arranged separately in FIG. The object 4 may be, for example, a heat sink or a housing part of the device, ie the object 4 capable of radiating heat to its surroundings. In this connection, it is also possible (but not essential) for the object 4 to be in the flow of the cooling medium, for example a cooling air stream flowing along the object 4.

A connection element 1 is provided for radiating the heat generated by the movement of the component 3. This connecting element 1 consists of a number of carbon nanostructure-based fibers CNB, preferably carbon nanotubes CNTs. The fibers CNB can preferably extend substantially parallel to each other. These carbon nanostructure-based fibers CNB form a particularly flexible or flexible planar structure 5. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the flat structure 5 is formed as a belt 6. The end region 7 of the belt 6 is attached to the component 3 to be cooled. In this exemplary embodiment, attachment is provided by adhesive layer 8. The other end region 9 of the belt 6 is, in particular, in this exemplary embodiment also attached to the heat-dissipating object 4 by means of an adhesive layer 8 as well. This arrangement is configured such that these two attachment parts (adhesive parts) are flat and have good thermal conductivity, and as a result, the heat dissipation object is provided via the carbon nanostructure-based fiber CNB of the belt 6. The heat of the component 3 is efficiently conducted to the component 4, and is further released from the object 4 by, for example, natural convection or by liquid cooling or forced air cooling.

The carbon nanostructure-based fiber CNB has a very good thermal conductivity and at the same time is flexible so that on the one hand it ensures a good heat dissipation and on the other hand a mechanical separation of the part 3 from the object 4 is achieved. To do.

According to another exemplary embodiment (not shown), the flat structure 5 can also be configured as a mat. Compared to belts, mats have a width that is greater than their length.

Furthermore, it is also possible for the carbon nanostructure-based fibers CNB to form a woven fabric, ie to be woven from the carbon nanostructure-based fibers CNB.

As an alternative to adhesive attachment, it is also possible to provide the connecting element with attachment tabs and/or at least one threaded area and/or at least one crimping area and/or at least one clamping area and/or at least one sewing area. .. These configurations serve to mount in a heat conducting manner.

Simultaneously with or instead of connecting the part 3 to the body 4, the connecting element 1 can also be used as a heat distribution element for distributing the heat in the element, which avoids hot spots in this element. Thus, the connecting element 1 is attached to or integrated in an element (not shown) such that different areas of this element are in thermal contact with the connecting element 1, so that the heat in the warmer area is the cooler area. To, and thus, thermal offset in the element as a whole.

A further advantage of the connecting element 1 consisting of carbon nanostructure-based fiber CNB is that the fiber CNB has a very good electrical conductivity, whereby the connecting element 1 acts as an electrical shield layer in the respective structure. Due to the great flexibility of the connecting element 1 already mentioned, a simple assembly is possible and a high position tolerance is obtained. Compared to other materials such as copper, the connecting element 1 consisting of a carbon nanostructure-based fiber CNB is very light and also very cheap.

FIG. 2 shows an arrangement corresponding to FIG. However, the connecting element 1 is configured as a belt 6 made of a carbon nanostructure base fiber CNB, and a temperature-dependent resistor 10 is incorporated in the carbon nanostructure base fiber CNB. In particular, these fibers CNB cannot be inserted axially via the heat dissipation path, but rather the corresponding fabric formed by the structure, for example a carbon nanostructure-based fiber CNB, as a local resistance loop. Can be incorporated into. In this way, a temperature-dependent resistor 10 is formed, which resistor belongs, for example, to the circuit 11, which measures the local temperature of the component 3, ie the temperature in the region of the resistor 10. It has a measuring device 12 capable of

1 Connection Element 2 Cooling Device 3 Parts 4 Object 5 Flat Structure 6 Belt 7 Edge Area 8 Adhesive Layer 9 Edge Area 10 Resistor 11 Circuit 12 Measuring Instrument CNB Carbon Nanostructure Base Fiber CNT Carbon Nanotube

Claims (12)

A heat-conducting connecting element (1) for conducting heat from a component (3) to be cooled to a heat-dissipating object (4) or for heat distribution in the element,
Thermally conductive connecting element, characterized in that it consists of carbon nanostructure-based fibers (CNB), especially carbon nanotubes (CNT), formed as a particularly flexible or flexible flat structure (5) (1). The thermally conductive connecting element according to claim 1,
A thermally conductive connecting element, wherein said flat structure (5) is a belt (6) or a mat. The thermally conductive connecting element according to claim 1 or 2,
A thermally conductive connecting element, wherein the carbon nanostructure-based fiber (CNB) extends substantially in the longitudinal direction of the flat structure (5). The thermally conductive connecting element according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A thermally conductive connecting element in which the carbon nanostructure-based fiber (CNB) forms a fabric. The thermally conductive connecting element according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Thermally conductive connection element, wherein at least one region of the flat structure (5) has an adhesive layer (8) for attachment to the component (3), the object (4) and/or the element. A thermally conductive connecting element according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A thermally conductive connecting element having at least one mounting tab, at least one threaded region, at least one crimp region, at least one clamping region and/or at least one stitching region. A thermally conductive connecting element according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A thermally conductive connecting element, wherein at least some of said carbon nanostructure-based fibers (CNB) have temperature-dependent resistors (10) for temperature measurement. Use of a thermally conductive connecting element (1) for cooling a component (3), object (4) and/or element according to any one or more of the preceding claims. In a cooling device comprising a component (3) to be cooled and an object (4) for radiating heat,
A cooling device, characterized in that the component (3) and the object (4) are connected by the thermally conductive connecting element (1) according to any one or more of claims 1 to 7. In the heat distribution device in the element,
A heat distribution device, wherein said element comprises a thermally conductive connecting element (1) according to any one or more of the claims 1-7. A method of conducting heat from a component (3) to be cooled to an object (4) that dissipates heat, comprising:
A component (3) and an object (4) for thermally conducting respectively a particularly flexible or flexible flat structure (5) consisting of carbon nanostructure based fibers (CNB), in particular carbon nanotubes (CNT), respectively. How to attach to. In the heat distribution method in the element,
A method of planarly attaching a flexible flat structure (5) of carbon nanostructure-based fibers (CNB), in particular carbon nanotubes (CNTs), to a heat-conducting element.

Images