Patent Application
20190234627
The present invention relates to the technical field of air conditioning devices, and in particular, to an electric controller based on a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, and an air conditioner outdoor unit.
With the development of technology, people have higher requirements on quality of life, high-efficient, silent, variable-frequency, and energy-saving air conditioners with intelligent control have become indispensable in daily life. As function of the electric controller of an air conditioner becomes stronger, power modules such as an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), a metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), a diode, and an intelligent power module (IPM) in the electric controller generate more heat, and a heat dissipation requirement becomes higher. Therefore, air conditioner manufacturer pays more attention to thermal designs of electric controllers of air conditioners.
The electric controller of a household air conditioner always adopts radiator made of extruded aluminum for heat dissipation. For a high-performance variable-frequency heat pump air conditioner, the conventional radiator made of extruded aluminum can no longer meet the heat dissipation requirement. Some manufacturer has employed liquid cooling for heat dissipation. That is, a bypass is led out from a refrigerant pipeline of a compressor and is connected to a cooling pipeline of a liquid cooling plate of an electric controller. Heat generated by a power device of the electric controller is removed by the flowing refrigerant, thereby achieving an objective of cooling the electric controller. However, refrigerant inlet and outlet pipes need to be disposed in this heat dissipation method, which will make the refrigerant pipeline system of the entire air conditioner complex, and increase the amount of the refrigerant and the load of the compressor. Moreover, adding refrigerant branch requires joint connections and new pipes, not only costs but also leakage points of the refrigerant system are increased, which will lower the reliability of the system.
A thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate is a novel plate-type heat transfer device with a high thermal conducting rate, good temperature uniformity, and a high heat transfer power. The thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate is formed by disposing grid-like interconnected closed pipes on a metal plate and filling the closed pipes with a working medium.
The present invention provides an electric controller based on a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, and an air conditioner outdoor unit, so as to cool an electric controller of an air conditioner by using a quick heat conducting characteristic of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate
To address the disadvantages in the prior art, the present invention provides an electric controller based on a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, and an air conditioner outdoor unit, so as to resolve the problems such as complexity of the entire mechanism or system, an increase in a refrigerant amount and compressor load, additional leakage points in the entire system, and reduced system reliability in the prior art when liquid cooling is used for heat dissipation of an electric controller of a high-performance variable-frequency heat pump air conditioner.
To accomplish the above and other related objects, the present invention provides an electric controller based on a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, comprising: an electric controller body and a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, where the electric controller body comprises a PCB circuit board and an electronic component; the PCB circuit board comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; the electronic component comprises a high-heat-output power device and a low-heat-output electronic component, the high-heat-output power device is located on the first surface of the PCB circuit board, and the low-heat-output electronic component is located on the second surface of the PCB circuit board; and the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate is attached to the surface of the high-heat-output power device; thermally superconducting pipelines of a particular shape are formed in the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, the thermally superconducting pipelines are closed pipelines, and a heat transfer medium is filled in the thermally superconducting pipelines.
In a preferred solution of the electric controller based on a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate according to the present invention, the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate is a bent sheet.
In a preferred solution of the electric controller based on a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate according to the present invention, the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate comprises a vertical part, a horizontal part, and an arc part, where the vertical part is attached to the surface of the high-heat-output power device and parallel to the surface of the PCB circuit board, the horizontal part is located above the vertical part and perpendicular to the surface of the PCB circuit board, and the arc part connects the vertical part and the horizontal part; the vertical part extends upward from the high-heat-output power device, and the horizontal part extends from above the high-heat-output power device towards a direction away from the high-heat-output power device.
In a preferred solution of the electric controller based on a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate according to the present invention, the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate is parallel to the surface of the PCB circuit board.
In a preferred solution of the electric controller based on a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate according to the present invention, the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate extends from the vicinity of the high-heat-output power device towards a direction away from the high-heat-output power device.
In a preferred solution of the electric controller based on a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate according to the present invention, cooling fins are disposed on the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, and the cooling fins are perpendicular or oblique to the surface of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate.
In a preferred solution of the electric controller based on a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate according to the present invention, a cooling fin device is disposed on the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, the cooling fin device comprises a substrate and cooling fins, the substrate is attached to the surface of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, and the cooling fins are fastened on the substrate and are perpendicular or oblique to the surface of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate.
In a preferred solution of the electric controller based on a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate according to the present invention, the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate is a composite plate, and the thermally superconducting pipelines are formed through a blow process.
In a preferred solution of the electric controller based on a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate according to the present invention, the thermally superconducting pipelines have a single-side bulged pattern, a double-side bulged pattern or a double-side flat pattern on the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate.
In a preferred solution of the electric controller based on a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate according to the present invention, the thermally superconducting pipelines have a shape of a hexagonal honeycomb, a circular honeycomb, a quadrangular honeycomb, a plurality of end-to-end connected U shapes, rhombi, triangles or rings, or a combination thereof.
In a preferred solution of the electric controller based on a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate according to the present invention, openings are provided in areas between the thermally superconducting pipelines on the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate.
The present invention further provides an air conditioner outdoor unit, comprising the electric controller described in any of the foregoing solutions.
In a preferred solution of the air conditioner outdoor unit according to the present invention, the air conditioner outdoor unit further comprises: a housing, an air conditioner fan, an air conditioner partition support, an air conditioner compressor, and an air conditioner heat exchanger, where the electric controller, the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, the air conditioner fan, the air conditioner partition support, the air conditioner compressor, and the air conditioner heat exchanger are all located in the housing; the electric controller body and the air conditioner compressor are located on one side of the air conditioner partition support, and the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, the air conditioner fan and the air conditioner heat exchanger are located on the other side of the air conditioner partition support.
In a preferred solution of the air conditioner outdoor unit according to the present invention, the air conditioner outdoor unit further comprises: an air conditioner fan support located in the housing, where the air conditioner fan is fastened on the air conditioner heat exchanger and an inner wall of the housing through the air conditioner fan support.
In a preferred solution of the air conditioner outdoor unit according to the present invention, the PCB circuit board of the electric controller is parallel to the air conditioner partition support, and an end of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate which is away from the high-heat-output power device extends to above the air conditioner fan and the air conditioner fan support.
As described above, the electric controller based on a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate and the air conditioner outdoor unit according to the present invention has the following beneficial effects:
1) The thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate is used as a radiator, so that the radiator is simple in structure and capable of quickly transferring heat from a heating electronic component to the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate and evenly distributing the heat over the entire thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate. This increases an effective heat dissipation area and achieves high heat dissipation efficiency, thereby lowering the temperature of the heating electronic component.
2) The electric controller is disposed vertically to facilitate installation of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, so that an available space of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate is increased and the heating electronic component is located at a lower end of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, facilitating heat conduction of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate from bottom to top.
3) The high-heat-output power device in the electric controller is disposed on one surface of the PCB circuit board, and the low-heat-output electronic component is disposed on the other surface of the PCB circuit board, thereby facilitating installation of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate and the high-heat-output power device as well as protection for other electronic components, and enhancing the reliability of the air conditioner outdoor unit.
4) The cooling fins are disposed on the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, thereby effectively increasing the heat dissipation area, improving the heat dissipation capability, and expanding a usage range of the electric controller of the air conditioner.
5) The thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate is provided with the openings, which can enhance air convection on the upper surface of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, help drain water accumulated on the surface of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, and further facilitate water proofing of the electric controller, so that the water proofing of the electric controller is easier.
6) The thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate is disposed in a gap between the outer edge of the fan and the housing, so that the space of the outdoor unit is utilized effectively while heat is dissipated by using the air flow of the air conditioner fan, thereby enhancing the heat dissipation effect.
7) The air conditioner outdoor unit according to the present invention does not use a heat dissipation structure that is based on a refrigerant and a cold plate, so that a refrigerant pipeline branch can be reduced while a heat dissipation requirement of the electric controller with high heat output can be met, thereby simplifying the structure of the radiator, reducing system leakage points and improving the reliability of the system.
1 Electric controller body
11 PCB circuit board
12 Electronic component
121 High-heat-output power device
122 Low-heat-output electronic component
2 Thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate
21 Vertical part
22 Arc part
23 Horizontal part
24 First plate
25 Second plate
26 Thermally superconducting pipeline
27 Non-pipeline part
28 Bump structure
29 Heat transfer medium
3 Cooling fin device
31 Substrate
32 Cooling fin
4 Opening
5 Housing
61 Air conditioner fan
62 Air conditioner partition support
63 Air conditioner fan support
7 Air conditioner compressor
8 Air conditioner heat exchanger
9 Thermal gasket
Implementations of the present invention are illustrated below through specific examples. Persons skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and efficacy of the present invention according to the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific implementations. Various modifications or variations can also be made on details in this specification based on different opinions and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Refer to
Referring to
It should be noted that, the “high heat output” of the high-heat-output power device 121 is a relative concept with respect to the low-heat-output electronic component. In this embodiment, the high-heat-output power device 121 refers to a power device such as a MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor), an IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor), a diode, or an IPM (intelligent power module) in the electric controller body 1; other electronic components, comprising a capacitor, an inductor, a transformer, a resistor, and the like, are all low-heat-output electronic components 122. The high-heat-output power device 121 in the electric controller body 1 is disposed on one surface of the PCB circuit board 11, and the low-heat-output electronic component 122 is disposed on the other surface of the PCB circuit board 11, so as to facilitate the installation of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 and the high-heat-output power device 121 and the protection for other electronic components, thereby enhancing the reliability of the air conditioner outdoor unit.
In an example, the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 is a bent sheet.
In an example, the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 comprises a vertical part 21, a horizontal part 23, and an arc part 22. The vertical part 21 is attached to the surface of the high-heat-output power device 121 and parallel to the surface of the PCB circuit board 11. The horizontal part 23 is located above the vertical part 21 and perpendicular to the surface of the PCB circuit board 11. The arc part 22 connects the vertical part 21 and the horizontal part 23. The vertical part 21 extends upward from the high-heat-output power device 121, and the horizontal part 23 extends from above of the high-heat-output power device 121 towards a direction away from the high-heat-output power device 121. The thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 is a bent sheet to fully utilize an interior space of the air conditioner outdoor unit, so that the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 with a sufficient heat dissipation area can be disposed in a limited space.
In an example, the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 is a composite plate structure, and the surface of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 may be in a double-side bulged pattern as shown in
In an example, the heat transfer medium 29 is a fluid. Preferably, the heat transfer medium 29 is gas, liquid, or a mixture of gas and liquid. More preferably, in this embodiment, the heat transfer medium 29 is a mixture of liquid and gas.
In an example, the thermally superconducting pipelines 26 may have a shape of a hexagonal honeycomb, a crisscross grid, a plurality of end-to-end connected U shapes, rhombi, triangles, rings, or any combination of two or more of the foregoing shapes. In
In an example, the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 should be made of a material with good thermal conductivity. Preferably, in this embodiment, the material of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 may be copper, a copper alloy, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or any combination thereof.
In an example, referring to
Referring to
In an example, a cooling fin device 3 is provided on the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2, the cooling fin device 3 includes a substrate 31 and cooling fins 32, the substrate 31 is attached to the surface of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2, and the cooling fins 32 are fastened on the substrate 31 and are perpendicular or oblique to the surface of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2. Specifically, the substrate 31 may be disposed on the surface of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 through a process of welding, bonding, or screwing, and the surface of the substrate 31 is in contact with the surface of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2. The cooling fins 32 may be fastened on the surface of the substrate 31 through a profile extrusion process, an insert extrusion process, a thermal conductive glue bonding process, a brazing process, or the like. The cooling fins 32 may be perpendicular to the substrate 31 and the surface of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2, as shown in
In an example, when the cooling fins 32 are oblique to the substrate 31 and the surface of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2, the cooling fins 32 may tilt downward or upward. In
In another example, the cooling fins 32 are disposed on the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2. The cooling fins 32 are directly fastened on the surface of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 through a welding or bonding process. Similarly, the cooling fins 32 may be perpendicular or oblique to the surface of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2.
In an example, the cooling fins 32 may be metal plates made of a common metal material, for example, aluminum plates or copper plates. The cooling fin device 3 comprising the cooling fins 32 or the cooling fins 32 is/are disposed on the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2, so that a heat dissipation area is effectively increased, the heat dissipation capability is improved, and a usage range of the electric controller of the air conditioner is expanded.
In an example, a plurality of cooling fins 32 is provided. The cooling fins 32 are distributed parallel, a spacing is arranged between the adjacent cooling fins, and each cooling fins may have equal lengths or different lengths according to actual requirements.
Referring to
In an example, further referring to
In an example, the air conditioner outdoor unit further comprises an air conditioner fan support 63 and a thermal gasket 9. The air conditioner fan support 63 and the thermal gasket 9 are both located in the housing 5. The air conditioner fan 61 is fastened on the air conditioner heat exchanger 8 and an inner wall of the housing 5 through the air conditioner fan support 63. The thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 is attached to the surface of the high-heat-output power device 121 through the thermal gasket 9.
In an example, the PCB circuit board 11 of the electric controller is parallel to the air conditioner partition support 62, that is, the electric controller is disposed vertically. An end of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 which is away from the high-heat-output power device 121 extends to above the air conditioner fan 61 and the air conditioner fan support 63, that is, the horizontal part 23 of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 is located in a gap between the outer edge of the air conditioner fan 61 and the housing 5. The electric controller is disposed vertically to facilitate installation of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2, so that an available space of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 is increased and the high-heat-output power device 121 is located at a lower end of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2, facilitating heat conduction of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 from bottom to top. The horizontal part 23 of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 is disposed in the gap between the outer edge of the air conditioner fan 61 and the housing 5, so that the space of the air conditioner outdoor unit is utilized effectively while heat is dissipated by using the air flow of the air conditioner fan 61, thereby enhancing the heat dissipation effect.
The present invention further provides an air conditioner outdoor unit. The air conditioner outdoor unit in this embodiment is substantially the same as that in Embodiment 3, except that the electric controller in Embodiment 3 is the electric controller in Embodiment 1, while the electric controller in this embodiment is the electric controller in Embodiment 2. Except the electric controller, other structures of the air conditioner outdoor unit in this embodiment are the same as those of the air conditioner outdoor unit in Embodiment 3. Referring to Embodiment 3 for details, the specific details are not described herein again.
In an example, in this embodiment, the cooling fins 32 extend from the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 towards a direction away from the high-heat-output power device 121, that is, an end of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate 2 which is away from the high-heat-output power device 121 extends to above the air conditioner fan 61 and the air conditioner fan support 63. That is, the cooling fins 32 are located in a gap between the outer edge of the air conditioner fan 61 and the housing 5. The cooling fins 32 are disposed in the gap between the outer edge of the air conditioner fan 61 and the housing 5, so that the space of the air conditioner outdoor unit is effectively utilized while heat is dissipated by using the air flow of the air conditioner fan 61, thereby enhancing the heat dissipation effect.
In conclusion, the present invention provides an electric controller based on a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, and an air conditioner outdoor unit. The electric controller based on a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate includes an electric controller body and a thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate. The electric controller body includes a PCB circuit board and an electronic component. The PCB circuit board comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The electronic component comprises a high-heat-output power device and a low-heat-output electronic component, the high-heat-output power device is located on the first surface of the PCB circuit board, and the low-heat-output electronic component is located on the second surface of the PCB circuit board. The thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate is attached to the surface of the high-heat-output power device. Thermally superconducting pipelines of a particular shape are formed in the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, the thermally superconducting pipelines are closed pipelines, and a heat transfer medium is filled in the thermally superconducting pipelines. The thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate is used as a radiator, so that the radiator is simple in structure and capable of quickly transferring heat from a heating electronic component to the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate and evenly distributing the heat over the entire thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate. This increases an effective heat dissipation area and improves heat dissipation efficiency, thereby lowering the temperature of the heating electronic component. The electric controller is disposed vertically to facilitate installation of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, so that an available space of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate is increased and the heating electronic component is located at a lower end of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, facilitating thermal superconducting of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate from bottom to top. The high-heat-output power device in the electric controller is disposed on one surface of the PCB circuit board, and the low-heat-output electronic component is disposed on the other surface of the PCB circuit board, thereby facilitating installation of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate and the high-heat-output power device as well as protection for other electronic components, and enhancing the reliability of the air conditioner outdoor unit. The thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate is provided with the openings, which can enhance air convection on the upper surface of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, help drain water accumulated on the surface of the thermally superconducting heat dissipation plate, and further facilitate water proofing of the electric controller, so that the water proofing of the electric controller is easier. The air conditioner outdoor unit according to the present invention does not use a heat dissipation structure that is based on a refrigerant and a cold plate, so that a refrigerant pipeline branch can be reduced while a heat dissipation requirement of the electric controller with high heat output can be met, thereby simplifying the structure of the radiator, reducing system leakage points and improving the reliability of the system.
The foregoing embodiments are only to illustrate the principle and efficacy of the present invention exemplarily, and are not to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make modifications or variations on the foregoing embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, all equivalent modifications or variations completed by persons of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and technical thinking disclosed by the present invention should fall within the scope of claims of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201610435757.2 | Jun 2016 | CN | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CN2016/099539 | 9/21/2016 | WO | 00 |
