Design optimization of an integrated liquid-cooled IGBT power module using CFD technique

This paper presents a novel approach to optimize pin array design of an integrated, liquid-cooled, insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) power module. With the aid of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, the fluid field and heat transfer inside the module were analyzed, and several design options on pin arrays were examined. For IGBT die circuitry, the uniformity of temperature distribution among dies is as critical as the magnitude of the die temperature. A noticeable variation in temperature among dies can accelerate the thermal runaway and reduce the reliability of the devices. With geometrically-optimized-pin designs located both upstream and downstream of the channel, a total power dissipation of 1200 W was achieved. The maximum junction temperature was maintained at 100°C and the maximum variation among dies was controlled within 1°C. The results from this study indicated that the device junction temperatures were not only reduced in magnitude but were equalized as well. In addition, the maximum power dissipation of the module was enhanced. Comparison with other direct- (pool boiling) and indirect- (cold plate) liquid cooling techniques was also discussed