Sensitivity analysis and reasonable matching of key operating parameters of flow and heat transfer in liquid-cooling plate used for IGBT module of high-speed train traction inverters

High-power insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) are important components of traction inverter. It is important to ensure the suitable temperature of the IGBT module for keeping the operation of trains efficient and safe. Due to the significant differences in train operating environment and traction performance, the cooling requirements for IGBT are also different. Therefore, identifying and matching various parameters of operating parameters of flow and heat transfer in high-power-density IGBT module liquid-cooling plate is of great significance to achieve optimal energy efficiency. Based on the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations, shear stress transport k–ω turbulence model, and orthogonal experimental design, the flow and heat transfer characteristics of the liquid-cooling plate were simulated, and the numerical method and settings were verified experimentally. The results show that the single-parameter mapping relationship between the operating parameters and cooling performance indices (pressure drop, temperature rise, and maximum surface temperature, corresponding to Δp, ΔT, and T max , respectively) of the liquid-cooling plate is clear, and the flow rate and physical properties of the cooling liquid have significant effects on the cooling performance. The multi-objective optimization method based on the radial basis function surrogate model and nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II can match operating parameters under the minimum of Δp, T max and maximum of ΔT. Considering the appropriate values of the three indexes comprehensively based on Pareto optimal solution set, the error between the calculated value and the predicted value is less than 8 % when the inlet flow rate is 20 L/min, the temperature is 330.68 K, the pressure is 2.2 bar and the calorific value is 75.2 kW/m 2 . The results can be to provide a method and database for engineers to design liquid-cooling plate for high-speed train IGBT to achieve the highest efficiency.