Thermal Management Performance of an Additively Manufactured Jet Impingement Cooler for Power Electronics

The steady-state and transient cooling capability of an additively manufactured heat spreader designed for power electronics devices is evaluated. An insulated heating block was constructed to emulate thermal losses created by two rows of seven MOSFETS in a Silicon Carbide module. The liquid cooler was tested with the heating block at high-power loads ranging from 350 - 600 W with the results compared to that of a standard cold plate. Coolant, in the form of water, was provided at 23 °C at a flow rate of two gallons per minute. The results show that the heat spreader can provide a 30 °C decrease in average and maximum temperatures across the tested power range. As power increased, a 77% increase in temperature stability with respect to the maximum die temperature difference was observed. When considering the temperature variation among the die positions, the jet cooler reduced these differences by an average of 60%. In transient testing, the reduced thermal resistance of the cooler lowered the power cycling temperature response by 28 °C.