Optimal Design of Multi-channel Water Cooled Radiator for Motor Controller of New Energy Vehicle

Abstract

In order to improve the heat dissipation capability of motor controller for new energy vehicles, the water cooled radiator with multiple channels is optimized in this paper. The heat conduction between the heat source IGBT and the radiator, the convective heat transfer between the radiator and the coolant, the mechanical strength and the manufacturing cost are comprehensively considered during the optimization process. The power loss and thermal resistance of the IGBT unit are calculated at first, and finite element model of the radiator is established. On this basis, multi-physics coupling analysis of the water cooled radiator is carried out. Secondly, the sensitivity analysis is applied to verify the influence of structural parameters on the heat dissipation performance of the radiator system. The influence of coolant inlet velocity v, number of cooling ribs n, height of radiator ribs H on the maximum temperature rise T, the temperature difference ΔT between phase U and W, and the coolant pressure loss ΔP are analyzed in depth, and the optimal range of the structural parameters for heat dissipation is obtained. Finally, an experimental platform was set up to verify the performance of the proposed structure of water cooled radiator for motor controller of new energy vehicle. The results show that the heat dissipation capability of the proposed radiator is improved compared with the initial design.