Optimized Heat Pipe Array Heat Sink for Thermal Management of Power Modules of High Overcurrent Capability

This work enhances the cooling performance of power modules by replacing a conventional aluminum-fin heat sink with a heat pipe array heat sink. By leveraging the thermal buffering effect and superior heat transfer characteristics of heat pipes, the proposed design reduces the thermal resistance of the package and enhances overcurrent fault ride-through capability while maintaining comparable manufacturing costs. The proposed heat sink was reflow-soldered to a practical IGBT module and experimentally validated against a conventional heat sink. Experimental results demonstrate a reduction in the maximum junction temperature from 101.4 °C to 75.8 °C under continuous 52.5 A DC operation (70% of rated current). Transient overload tests confirm 2.2 per unit overcurrent capability while maintaining the maximum junction temperature below 150 °C. Under various operating conditions, the overcurrent ride-through time was increased by more than twofold. Due to its low cost and ease of implementation, the proposed design provides a valuable reference for heat sink selection in grid converters intended for large-scale deployment.