Performance Optimization of a U-Shaped Liquid Cooling Plate: A Synergistic Study of Flow Guide Plate and Spoiler Columns

As a core power device in strategic industries such as new energy power generation and electric vehicles, the thermal reliability of IGBT modules directly determines the performance and lifetime of the whole system. A synergistic optimization structure of “inlet plate-channel spoiler columns” is proposed for the local hot spot problem during the operation of Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT), combined with the inherent defect of uneven flow distribution of the traditional U-type liquid cooling plate in this paper. The influences of the shape, height (H), and spacing from the spoiler column (b) of the plate on the comprehensive heat dissipation performance of the liquid cooling plate are analyzed at different Reynolds numbers, A dual heat source strategy is introduced and the effect of the optimized structure is evaluated by the temperature inhomogeneity coefficient (Φ). The results show that the optimum effect is achieved when the shape of the plate is square, H = 4.5 mm, b = 2 mm, and u = 0.05 m/s, at which the HTPE = 1.09 and Φ are reduced by 40%. In contrast, the maximum temperatures of the IGBT and the FWD (Free Wheeling Diode) chips are reduced by 8.7 and 8.4 K, respectively, and ΔP rises by only 1.58 Pa while keeping ΔT not significantly increased. This optimized configuration achieves a significant reduction in the critical chip temperature and optimization of the flow field uniformity with almost no change in the system flow resistance. It breaks through the limitation of single structure optimization of the traditional liquid cooling plate and effectively solves the problem of uneven flow in the U-shaped cooling plate, which provides a new solution with important engineering value for the thermal management of IGBT modules.