Simulation aided design of a two-phase thermosyphon for power electronics cooling

In this paper we present a novel system for power electronics cooling consisting of a thermosyphon loop composed of an evaporator, to which the power modules are attached, and of a condenser, formed by a set of vertically mounted aluminum panels. To facilitate the optimization of the design of the condenser, which is critical for the whole system performance, we developed a simulation tool based on a multiscale mathematical model valid in the natural convection regime. The mathematical model and the numerical method adopted to solve it have been validated by comparing the simulation results with experimental measurements.

[1]  Rahmatollah Khodabandeh Pressure drop in riser and evaporator in an advanced two-phase thermosyphon loop , 2005 .

[2]  J. Thome,et al.  Convective Boiling and Condensation , 1972 .

[3]  A. Abdel-azim Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer , 2011 .

[4]  Rahmatollah Khodabandeh Heat transfer in the evaporator of an advanced two-phase thermosyphon loop , 2005 .

[5]  S. Ushioda,et al.  Fundamental investigation of roll bond heat pipe as heat spreader plate for notebook computers , 1998, ITherm'98. Sixth Intersociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems (Cat. No.98CH36208).

[6]  O. García-Valladares,et al.  Review of In-Tube Condensation Heat Transfer Correlations for Smooth and Microfin Tubes , 2003 .

[7]  Andreas Bartel,et al.  Analysis of a PDE Thermal Element Model for Electrothermal Circuit Simulation , 2010 .

[8]  S. Clerc,et al.  Numerical Simulation of the Homogeneous Equilibrium Model for Two-Phase Flows , 2000 .

[9]  M. Shah A general correlation for heat transfer during film condensation inside pipes , 1979 .

[10]  Chandrakant D. Patel,et al.  Design and performance evaluation of a compact thermosyphon , 2002 .

[11]  W. Rohsenow,et al.  Thermally Optimum Spacing of Vertical, Natural Convection Cooled, Parallel Plates , 1984 .

[12]  Michel Mermet-Guyennet,et al.  Local thermal cycles determination in thermosyphon-cooled traction IGBT modules reproducing mission profiles , 2007, Microelectron. Reliab..

[13]  Davide Del Col,et al.  Condensation inside and outside smooth and enhanced tubes: a review of recent research , 2003 .

[14]  Carlo de Falco,et al.  Automatic Thermal Network Extraction and Multiscale Electro-Thermal Simulation , 2010 .

[15]  P. Whalley Two-phase flow and heat transfer , 1996 .

[16]  Riccardo Sacco,et al.  Stabilized Mixed Finite Volume Methods for Convection-Diffusion Problems , 1997 .

[17]  Cezar O.R. Negrão,et al.  A numerical simulation model for plate-type, roll-bond evaporators , 2008 .

[18]  Christian J.L. Hermes,et al.  A semi-empirical model for steady-state simulation of household refrigerators , 2009 .