A Three-Dimensional Boundary-Dependent Compact Thermal Network Model for IGBT Modules in New Energy Vehicles

Abstract

With the development of power electronics technology, power modules delivery considerably greater power density, which makes junction temperature an important parameter for reliable operation. Existing thermal models often ignore the influence of the thermal boundary conditions on the thermal parameter and cannot accurately predict junction temperature in various operating conditions. This article proposes a three-dimensional compact thermal network model that considers the thermal boundary conditions and can be obtained by the finite-element method (FEM). A novel two-step method for thermal parameter extraction is presented and the effects of boundary conditions on thermal network parameters are discussed in detail. The experimental results and FEM simulation show that the proposed thermal network model can accurately estimate the junction temperature in different thermal boundary conditions.