Methodology for Design and Analysis of Liquid-Cooled Heat Sinks in High-Power Density Inverters

Paulo H. A. S. Silva; Lucas R. Rocha; Paulo R. Eckert; Rodrigo P. Vieira

doi:10.18618/REP.e202537

Authors

Paulo H. A. S. Silva Universidade Federal de Santa Maria https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0429-6593
Lucas R. Rocha Universidade Federal de Santa Maria https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1806-1827
Paulo R. Eckert Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0834-5401
Rodrigo P. Vieira Universidade Federal de Santa Maria https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0558-133X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18618/REP.e202537

Keywords:

Semiconductor technologies, High-power inverters, Liquid cooled heat sink, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Lumped parameter modeling

Abstract

Semiconductor switches in high-power density inverters face significant challenges related to temperature rise in their junctions, which can lead to operational failures. The design and analysis of liquid-cooled heat sinks for these inverters are complex due to their multiphysics nature, particularly under dynamic loads typical of power electronics applications. This paper presents a comprehensive methodology for the design, analysis, and evaluation of liquid-cooled heat sinks in high-power density inverters, integrating computational fluid dynamics (CFD), lumped parameter modeling, and experimental validation. The CFD method is used to determine lumped parameters, which are then incorporated into a PLECs model to simulate the thermal dynamics of semiconductor devices. Power losses calculated in PLECs are used as a reference for experimental validation, where an electronic load emulates the heat dissipation of a 30 kW traction inverter with 99\% efficiency. Two liquid-cooled heat sink geometries—machined channels and a U-shaped serpentine design—are analyzed under various operational scenarios, including normal operation and failure modes in the cooling system. The results illustrate the efficacy of the proposed methodology in evaluating thermal exchange and the impact of cooling system failures on power traction inverters. This work provides a streamlined approach for designing and testing liquid-cooled heat sinks, offering valuable insights for improving thermal management in high-power density inverters.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Paulo H. A. S. Silva, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

was born in Gonçalves Dias, Maranhão (MA), Brazil, in 1996. He received his B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Federal Institute of Goiás, Itumbiara, Brazil, in 2021, and his M.S. degree in 2023. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering as a member of the Power Electronics and Control Group (GEPOC). His research interests include the thermal management of power traction inverters, motor control, and strategies for operating sinusoidal machines across a wide speed and torque range.

Lucas R. Rocha, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

was born in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil in 1995. He received the B.S., M. Sc. and the Dr. Eng. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) - Brazil in 2019, 2021, and 2025, where he is currently a post-doctorate researcher as a member of the Power Electronics and Control Group (GEPOC) and a substitute professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at UFSM. Dr. Rocha's main research interests include control and drive of electrical motors, control of non-sinusoidal PMSM, design and analysis of observers and study of control techniques to mitigate torque ripple in non-sinusoidal PMSM.

Paulo R. Eckert, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

received the B.Eng., M.Eng., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2007, 2012, and 2016, respectively. Since 2017, he has been with the Department of Electrical Engineering, UFRGS, where he conducts research at the Laboratory of Electrical Machines, Drives, and Energy (LMEAE). His research interests include the modeling, design, and control of rotating electrical machines and linear electromagnetic actuators for electric traction, industrial automation, and renewable energy.

Rodrigo P. Vieira, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

was born in Cruz Alta, Brazil. Received the B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Universidade Regional do Noroeste do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Ijuí Brazil, in 2007, and the M.Sc. and Dr. Eng. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, Brazil, in 2008 and 2012, respectively. From 2010 to 2014, he was with the Federal University of Pampa, Alegrete, Brazil. Since 2014, he has been with the UFSM, where he is currently an Associate Professor of Electrical Machines. His research interests include electrical machine drives, sensorless drives, digital control techniques of static converters, and electric vehicles.

References

N. Watts, M. Amann, N. Arnell, S. Ayeb-Karlsson, J. Beagley, K. Belesova, M. Boykoff, P. Byass, W. Cai, D. Campbell-Lendrum, et al., “The 2020 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: responding to converging crises”, The Lancet, vol. 397, no. 10269, pp. 129–170, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32290-X

C. Pelletier, Y. Rogaume, L. Dieckhoff, G. Bardeau, M.-N. Pons, A. Dufour, “Effect of combustion technology and biogenic CO2 impact factor on global warming potential of woodto-heat chains”, Applied energy, vol. 235, pp. 1381–1388, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.11.060

R. Lauvergne, Y. Perez, M. Franc¸on, A. T. De La Cruz, “Integration of electric vehicles into transmission grids: A case study on generation adequacy in Europe in 2040”, Applied Energy, vol. 326, p. 120030, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2022.120030

L. Lander, E. Kallitsis, A. Hales, J. S. Edge, A. Korre, G. Offer, “Cost and carbon footprint reduction of electric vehicle lithium-ion batteries through efficient thermal management”, Applied Energy, vol. 289, p. 116737, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.116737

F. Asgarian, S. R. Hejazi, H. Khosroshahi, “Investigating the impact of government policies to develop sustainable transportation and promote electric cars, considering fossil fuel subsidies elimination: A case of Norway”, Applied Energy, vol. 347, p. 121434, 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2023.121434

International Energy Agency, “Trends in Electric Light Duty Vehicles”, https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2023/trends-inelectric-light-duty-vehicles, 2023.

J. Falck, C. Felgemacher, A. Rojko, M. Liserre, P. Zacharias, “Reliability of power electronic systems: An industry perspective”, IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 24–35, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/MIE.2018.2825481

R. H. Staunton, T. A. Burress, L. D. Marlino, Evaluation of 2005 Honda Accord hybrid electric drive system, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 2006. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2172/891260

J. Reimers, L. Dorn-Gomba, C. Mak, A. Emadi, “Automotive traction inverters: Current status and future trends”, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 3337–3350, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TVT.2019.2897899

C. Qian, A. M. Gheitaghy, J. Fan, H. Tang, B. Sun, H. Ye, G. Zhang, “Thermal management on IGBT power electronic devices and modules”, Ieee Access, vol. 6, pp. 12868–12884, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2018.2793300

D. Reusch, J. Strydom, A. Lidow, “Thermal evaluation of chip-scale packaged gallium nitride transistors”, IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 738–746, 2016.

U.-M. Choi, S. Jørgensen, F. Blaabjerg, “Impact of cooling system capacity on lifetime of power module in adjustable speed drives”, IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 1768–1776, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/JESTPE.2019.2912387

C. Zhang, S. Srdic, S. Lukic, Y. Kang, E. Choi, E. Tafti, “A SiC-based 100 kW high-power-density (34 kW/L) electric vehicle traction inverter”, in 2018 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE), pp. 3880–3885, IEEE, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ECCE.2018.8558373

E. O. Prado, P. C. Bolsi, H. C. Sartori, J. R. Pinheiro, “Modelo analítico de cálculo de perdas em MOSFETs de potência para aplicação em banco de dados”, Eletrônica de Potência, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 388–398, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18618/REP.2021.4.0023

A. Lajunen, Y. Yang, A. Emadi, “Recent developments in thermal management of electrified powertrains”, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, vol. 67, no. 12, pp. 11486–11499, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TVT.2018.2876315

D. Kong, R. Peng, P. Ping, J. Du, G. Chen, J. Wen, “A novel battery thermal management system coupling with PCM and optimized controllable liquid cooling for different ambient temperatures”, Energy conversion and management, vol. 204, p. 112280, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2019.112280

G. Mademlis, R. Orbay, Y. Liu, N. Sharma, R. Arvidsson, T. Thiringer, “Multidisciplinary cooling design tool for electric vehicle SiC inverters utilizing transient 3D-CFD computations”, eTransportation, vol. 7, p. 100092, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etran.2020.100092

B. Li, X. Yang, K. Wang, H. Zhu, L. Wang, W. Chen, “A compact double-sided cooling 650v/30a gan power module with low parasitic parameters”, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 426–439, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TPEL.2021.3092367

D. Reusch, J. Strydom, A. Lidow, “Thermal evaluation of chip-scale packaged gallium nitride transistors”, IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 738–746, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/JESTPE.2016.2587479

A. A. Imran, N. S. Mahmoud, H. M. Jaffal, “Numerical and experimental investigation of heat transfer in liquid cooling serpentine mini-channel heat sink with different new configuration models”, Thermal Science and Engineering Progress, vol. 6, pp. 128–139, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsep.2018.03.011

A. P. Catalano, C. Scognamillo, V. d’Alessandro, A. Castellazzi, “Numerical simulation and analytical modeling of the thermal behavior of single- and double-sided cooled power modules”, IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology, vol. 10, no. 9, pp. 1446–1453, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TCPMT.2020.3007146

C. Bunnagel, S. Monir, A. Sharp, A. Anuchin, O. Durieux, ¨ I. Uria, Y. Vagapov, “Forced air cooled heat sink with uniformly distributed temperature of power electronic modules”, Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 199, p. 117560, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2021.117560

J. Ye, K. Yang, H. Ye, A. Emadi, “A Fast Electro-Thermal Model of Traction Inverters for Electrified Vehicles”, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, vol. 32, no. 5, pp. 3920–3934, 2017. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TPEL.2016.2585526

M. Yang, M. Moghimi, R. Loillier, C. Markides, M. Kadivar, “Design of a latent heat thermal energy storage system under simultaneous charging and discharging for solar domestic hot water applications”, Applied Energy, vol. 336, p. 120848, 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2023.120848

X. Hu, H. Takazawa, K. Nagase, M. Ohta, A. Yamamoto, “Threedimensional finite-element simulation for a thermoelectric generator module”, Journal of Electronic Materials, vol. 44, pp. 3637–3645, 2015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-015-3898-y

D. Luo, Y. Yan, Y. Li, R. Wang, S. Cheng, X. Yang, D. Ji, “A hybrid transient CFD-thermoelectric numerical model for automobile thermoelectric generator systems”, Applied Energy, vol. 332, p. 120502, 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2022.120502

B. A. Simon, A. Gayon-Lombardo, C. A. Pino-Munoz, C. E. Wood, ˜ K. M. Tenny, K. V. Greco, S. J. Cooper, A. Forner-Cuenca, F. R. Brushett, A. R. Kucernak, et al., “Combining electrochemical and imaging analyses to understand the effect of electrode microstructure and electrolyte properties on redox flow batteries”, Applied Energy, vol. 306, p. 117678, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117678

P. Liu, J. Li, H. Su, D. Sun, M. Yu, X. Yuan, “Wall temperature effects on wall heat flux in high-enthalpy turbulent boundary layers”, Aerospace Science and Technology, p. 108432, 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2023.108432

M. Xu, K. Ma, B. Liu, X. Cai, “Modeling and correlation of two thermal paths in frequency-domain thermal impedance model of power module”, IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 3971–3981, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/JESTPE.2020.3034574