JP2000232191A - Heat pipe type cooling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heat pipe type cooling device having a simple structure and capable of obtaining an effective cooling effect by sending sufficient cooling air to fins of a heat pipe. It is to be. SOLUTION: The semiconductor element 2 and a block 1 on which the semiconductor element 2 is mounted and which can be a heat sink of the semiconductor element 2 are provided.
And a heat pipe 3 connected to the block 1 and filled with a refrigerant therein, and the heat pipes 3 of the plurality of semiconductor element stacks 4 combined into one. A heat pipe type cooling device W1 comprising an encircling wind tunnel 53 and one or both of an intake section and an exhaust section of the wind tunnel 53 is formed in a trumpet shape.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heat pipe type cooling device used for a heat pipe self cooling type converter for electric railway substations.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Methods and apparatuses for cooling semiconductor devices used in converters used in substations and the like are described below.
Various proposals have been made so far. In the past, direct water cooling was used for cooling, but the use of heat pipes has enabled effective cooling to be achieved even with inexpensive ventilation systems. It was started.

As a conventional heat pipe cooling device, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-28445 discloses a heat pipe system in which forced air cooling is performed. This heat pipe cooling device will be briefly described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the structure of a conventional heat pipe type cooling device X1 disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 8-28445, wherein 1 is a heat pipe block,
2 is a semiconductor element, 3 is a heat pipe, 31 is a heat pipe fin, 7 is a refrigerant, 51 is a wind tunnel that covers the entire heat pipe 3, and 6 is a fan.

The operation of the heat pipe cooling device X1 will be described below. First, heat pipe block 1
When power is supplied to the semiconductor element 2 attached to the semiconductor element 2, the semiconductor element 2 generates heat due to the internal resistance of the semiconductor element 2. This heat is transmitted to the heat pipe 3 via the heat pipe block 1, and the refrigerant 7 inside the heat pipe 3 is heated. The heated refrigerant 7 evaporates by boiling or evaporating and moves above the heat pipe 3.

On the other hand, the inside of the wind tunnel 5 is forcibly ventilated by the fan 6,
Since 1 is always cooled, the upper part of the heat pipe 3 is always cooled.

[0007] The vaporized refrigerant that has moved from below is condensed and liquefied by exchanging heat on the wall surface of the heat pipe 3, and moves downward again along the inner wall surface of the heat pipe 3. The cooled refrigerant 7 again removes the heat of the semiconductor element 2 that has generated heat and cools it, as described above.

As described above, the cooling is performed by the heat pipe fins 3.
1 is passed through forced ventilation by the fan 6, and heat is radiated from the heat pipe fins 31. Also, to ensure that the wind passes through the heat pipe fins 31,
The heat pipe 3 is surrounded by a wind tunnel 5.

However, by covering the entire heat pipe 3 with the wind tunnel 5 as described above, the wind generated in the wind tunnel 31 does not pass through the gap between the heat pipe fins 31 or the gap between the heat pipes 3, so that the heat pipe 3 3 and the wall of the wind tunnel 5, and as a result, the heat pipe type cooling device X
If it is 1, the cooling effect as expected could not always be obtained.

[0010] Further, as a device devised so that a sufficient wind blows to each heat pipe 3, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 58-1954 has been proposed.
There is a cooling device disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 51 as a conventional example. Therefore, this cooling device will be briefly described.

FIG. 6 is a view showing the structure of a heat pipe type cooling device X2 disclosed as a conventional example in this Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-195451. FIG. 6 (a) is a rear view of the heat pipe type cooling device X2. FIG. 6B is a plan view of the heat pipe type cooling device X2. In FIG. 6,
1 is a heat pipe block, 2 is a semiconductor element, 3 is a heat pipe, 31 is a heat pipe fin, 4 is a semiconductor element stack combining the heat pipe block 1, the semiconductor element 2 and the heat pipe 3, and 52 is a heat pipe 3 It is the wind tunnel that separates.

The operation of the cooling device will be described.
First, when the semiconductor element 2 attached to the heat pipe block 1 is energized, the semiconductor element 2 generates heat due to the internal resistance of the semiconductor element 2. This heat is conducted to the heat pipe 3 via the heat pipe block 1 and is radiated from the heat pipe fin 31.

The wind tunnel 52 is a chimney-shaped tube surrounding each heat pipe 3 and partitions each heat pipe 3.
The heat from the heat pipe fins 31 heats the surrounding air. The heated air naturally flows upward inside the wind tunnel 52 as it is, and eventually escapes from the upper exhaust portion. Accordingly, cold air flows in from the suction portion below the wind tunnel 52, so that a flow of air upward from below in the wind tunnel 52 naturally occurs. That is, since the cool air always flows from below, the heat pipe fins 31 are also always cooled.

However, by covering each of the heat pipes 3 with the wind tunnel 52 as described above, the wind generated inside the wind tunnel 52 does not pass through the gap between the fins 31 and the heat pipe 3 and the wall surface of the wind As a result, the heat pipe type cooling device X2 could not always obtain the expected cooling effect.

[0015]

As described above, according to the conventional heat pipe type cooling device, sufficient air does not enter into the inside of the wind tunnel provided around the heat pipe, or forced air flows through the inside of the wind tunnel. However, a sufficient cooling effect could not be obtained because a sufficient cooling air does not hit the heat pipe, and at the same time, extra equipment for forced ventilation is required.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to make the structure simple and to send sufficient cooling air to the fins of the heat pipe to obtain an effect. It is an object of the present invention to provide a heat pipe type cooling device capable of obtaining a specific cooling effect.

[0017]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat pipe type cooling apparatus comprising: a semiconductor element; and a heat sink for the semiconductor element. A heat pipe cooling device comprising: a semiconductor element stack formed by combining a heat pipe connected to the block and a heat pipe connected to the block; and one wind tunnel enclosing the entire heat pipe of the semiconductor element stack. In addition, one or both of the intake part and the exhaust part of the wind tunnel are spread in a trumpet shape.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the heat pipe type cooling device, a semiconductor element, a block on which the semiconductor element is mounted and which can be a heat sink of the semiconductor element, and a heat pipe connected to the block are provided. A heat pipe type cooling device comprising: a semiconductor element stack formed by combining: a heat pipe of the semiconductor element stack; and a wind tunnel independently surrounding each of the heat pipes.
One or both of the air inlet and the air outlet of each of the wind tunnels are spread in a trumpet shape.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A heat pipe type cooling device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. still,
The embodiment shown here is merely an example, and is not necessarily limited to this embodiment.

Embodiment 1 First, a heat pipe type cooling device W1 according to claim 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 (a) is a plan view of a heat pipe type cooling device W1 according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 (b) is a plan view of A in FIG. 1 (a).
FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of the heat pipe type cooling device W1 taken along the line BB in FIG. 1A. And in these figures, 1 is a heat pipe block, 2 is a semiconductor element,
3 is a heat pipe, 31 is a heat pipe fin, 4 is a semiconductor element stack combining the heat pipe block 1, the semiconductor element 2 and the heat pipe fin 3, 53 is arranged so as to surround the entire heat pipe 3 of the semiconductor stack 4, In addition, it is a wind tunnel with the lower intake part expanded in a trumpet shape.

The operation of the heat pipe type cooling device will be described. First, when the semiconductor element 2 attached to the heat pipe block 1 is energized, the semiconductor element 2 generates heat due to the internal resistance of the semiconductor element 2. This heat is transmitted to the heat pipe 3 via the heat pipe block 1, and the heat pipe 3 is heated, and accordingly, the heat pipe fins 31 are also heated.

When the heat pipe fin 31 is heated,
The surrounding air is also heated. The heated air naturally rises and flows out from above the inside of the wind tunnel to the outside. Then, fresh, cold air naturally flows in from below the wind tunnel.

Since such an air flow naturally occurs, the heat pipe fins 31 can always be cooled. In the present embodiment, however, the suction portion, which is the lower part of the wind tunnel, is expanded like a trumpet. Therefore, the amount of air flowing in can be increased, that is, natural wind can easily enter the wind tunnel, and the natural wind has a small pressure loss like a conventional heat pipe type cooling device. This is preferable because it is possible to prevent the problem of flowing outside the body and also to improve the cooling effect.

Although not shown here, a fan may be provided below the wind tunnel, and a high cooling effect may be obtained by forcibly ventilating the inside of the wind tunnel with the fan. Since the lower part of the wind tunnel is trumpet-shaped, a higher cooling effect can be obtained.

Embodiment 2 FIG. In the above-described first embodiment, the structure of the wind tunnel 53 is such that the lower part is expanded in a trumpet shape. However, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. A heat pipe type cooling device W2 which facilitated natural wind discharge by expanding a certain exhaust portion in a trumpet shape was obtained.

By making the shape of the wind tunnel easy to discharge natural wind, the natural wind can easily flow into the wind tunnel. That is, a large amount of air is discharged in a short period of time by discharging a large amount of air from within the wind tunnel.

When a large amount of air flows in a short time, that is, natural wind easily enters the wind tunnel, the natural wind has a small pressure loss as in a conventional heat pipe type cooling device. Problems that flow outside the wind tunnel can be prevented,
Also, the cooling effect can be improved, which is preferable.

Further, it is preferable that the length of the upper portion of the wind tunnel is longer, so that the chimney effect is improved, that is, the cooling effect can be further increased by increasing the wind speed.

Although not shown or described in detail here,
In the first embodiment or the second embodiment, it is conceivable that the cooling effect can be further improved by making both the intake part and the exhaust part of the wind tunnel 53 or 54 into a trumpet shape. Furthermore, it is conceivable that more effective cooling is performed by enclosing the refrigerant inside the heat pipe 3.

Embodiment 3 In the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above, the wind tunnel 53 and the wind tunnel 54 are configured to surround the entire heat pipe 3.
In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a heat pipe cooling device W3 in which each heat pipe 3 is surrounded by a wind tunnel 55 and an intake portion below the wind tunnel 55 is expanded in a trumpet shape.

With such a configuration, it is possible to reliably inhale and blow cold natural wind onto each of the heat pipes 3. That is, by providing one independent wind tunnel 55 for one heat pipe 3, each heat pipe 3 can be cooled more reliably, and the shape of the wind tunnel 55 expands in a trumpet shape below. As a result, the cold natural wind is easily sucked in, so that a higher cooling effect can be obtained.

Embodiment 4 FIG. In the third embodiment described above, each of the heat pipes 3 will be more effectively cooled by individually providing the respective wind pipes 55 in which the lower intake portion is expanded in a trumpet shape. However, in the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG.
A heat pipe type cooling device W4 in which the upper exhaust portion is spread in a trumpet shape.

By adopting such a wind tunnel shape,
Since the natural wind can easily flow into the wind tunnel, and the wind tunnel is provided independently for each heat pipe 3, the cooling effect of each heat pipe 3 can be enhanced, which is preferable. . Also, the longer the upper part of the wind tunnel, the better the chimney effect, and the higher the wind speed, the more the cooling effect can be enhanced.

Although not shown or described in detail here,
In the third embodiment or the fourth embodiment, it is conceivable that the cooling effect can be further improved by forming both the intake portion and the exhaust portion of the wind tunnel 55 or the wind tunnel 56 into a trumpet shape. Furthermore, it is conceivable that more effective cooling is performed by enclosing the refrigerant inside the heat pipe 3.

[0036]

According to the heat pipe type cooling device of the first aspect, one or both of the upper part and the lower part of the wind tunnel surrounding each heat pipe of the semiconductor element stack are formed in a trumpet shape. This is preferable because the flow of the wind into the wind tunnel becomes easy, and as a result, the cooling effect of the heat pipe can be enhanced, and the problem that natural wind flows outside the wind tunnel with small pressure loss can be prevented.

According to the heat pipe type cooling device of the second aspect, each heat pipe of the semiconductor element stack is provided one by one.
Since one or both of the upper and lower parts of the wind tunnel that surrounds one independently has a trumpet shape, the natural wind can easily flow into the wind tunnel, and as a result, the cooling effect of the heat pipe can be enhanced, Further, it is possible to prevent a problem that natural wind flows outside the wind tunnel having a small pressure loss, which is preferable.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a plan view of a heat pipe type cooling device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. (B) It is AA sectional drawing in (a). (C) It is BB sectional drawing in (a).

FIG. 2 (a) is a plan view of a heat pipe type cooling device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. (B) It is CC sectional drawing in (a). (C) It is DD sectional drawing in (a).

FIG. 3 (a) is a plan view of a heat pipe type cooling device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. (B) It is EE sectional drawing in (a). (C) It is FF sectional drawing in (a).

FIG. 4A is a plan view of a heat pipe type cooling device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. (B) It is GG sectional drawing in (a). (C) It is the HH sectional view in (a).

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a conventional heat pipe type cooling device.

FIG. 6 (a) is a rear view of another conventional heat pipe type cooling device. (B) It is a top view of another conventional heat pipe type cooling device.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heat pipe block, 2 semiconductor elements, 3 heat pipes, 31 heat pipe fins, 4 semiconductor element stacks, 51 wind tunnels, 52 wind tunnels, 53 wind tunnels, 54
Wind tunnel, 55 wind tunnel, 56 wind tunnel, 6 fans, 7 refrigerant, W1 heat pipe cooling device, W2 heat pipe cooling device, W3 heat pipe cooling device, W4
Heat pipe type cooling device, X1 heat pipe type cooling device, X2 heat pipe type cooling device

Claims (2)

[Claims] A semiconductor element stack comprising: a semiconductor element; a block on which the semiconductor element is mounted and which can be a heat sink for the semiconductor element; and a heat pipe connected to the block; and a semiconductor element stack; A heat pipe type cooling device comprising: a wind tunnel enclosing the entire heat pipe collectively; and one or both of an intake part and an exhaust part of the wind tunnel are expanded in a trumpet shape. Heat pipe type cooling device. 2. A semiconductor element stack comprising a combination of a semiconductor element, a block on which the semiconductor element is mounted, and a heat sink for the semiconductor element, and a heat pipe connected to the block. A heat pipe type cooling device comprising: a wind tunnel independently surrounding each heat pipe; and one or both of an intake portion and an exhaust portion of each of the wind tunnels are spread in a trumpet shape. A heat pipe type cooling device, characterized in that: