Paper Title
"Structural Design Modification of DCDC Power Converter to Integrate Compound Cooling Element for Enhanced Cooling: A Novel Concept"
Abstract
DCDC buck-power converters have function to step down voltage from EV battery to charge 12v LV battery
onboard. Thermal management systems influence performance and reliability of the power converters. Current work focuses
on modifying cooling system of the power converter by eliminating TIM and cooling pipe. Novel concept is designed and
developed during the study where new technology cooling solution which is a patented-product available for battery thermalmanagement
is being integrated with conventional power-converter layout. New technology cooling solution is an inflatable
compound cooling element which is made of metal foil and polymeric material layers. Ducts of compound cooling element
inflate with increase in coolant inlet pressure, which gets exerted on the surfaces in contact. The concept is designed to
integrate this compound-cooling-element/compound-cooler by contacting PCB-hotspots inside converter enclosure with
designed pressure compensation springs based on limiting pressure taken by PCB. Operating pressure range of coolant inlet
was considered between 4 KPa – 250 KPa at 338.15K. The developed concept showed 19.19% rise in convective heat
transfer and 30.77% fall in overall thermal resistance.
Keywords - ECU Structural design, Heat sink design, Novel Cooling Concept, Thermal management system design, Power
electronics cooling