Thermal Management of a 15 kV/100 kVA Intelligent Universal Transformer

Abstract

The thermal management of power electronics presents a significant challenge to thermal engineers due to high power loads coupled with small footprints. Inadequate thermal dissipation of these loads can lead to excessively high equipment temperatures and subsequent system failure. In this study, a unique power electronics-based transformer, called the intelligent universal transformer (IUT), is thermally analyzed using the computational fluid dynamics software ICEPAK. The objective of this work is to examine the use of a finned heat pipe array for the power electronics in the IUT. A design sensitivity study was performed to determine the effect of the number of fins attached to the heat pipe array, the number of heat pipes in the heat pipe array, and the fin material on the steady-state operating temperature of the power electronics. It was determined that a set of 33 copper fins attached to an array of 36 heat pipes on each side of the containment unit is sufficient for continuous operation of the power electronics. This analysis and thermal management solution will be applicable not only to this situation but also to other high density power electronics applications.