Multi-objective topology optimization of spider-web liquid cooling plate for IGBT modules: A comparative study of inlet/outlet configurations

This study proposes and validates a comparative methodology to resolve the critical trade-off between thermal performance and hydraulic resistance in high-power IGBT cooling plates. The work synergistically designs both the inlet/outlet layout and the internal channel structure of a bionic spider-web cooler by applying multi-objective topology optimization (MOTO) to three distinct baseline configurations: a conventional single-inlet/single-outlet (SISO), a segregated multi-inlet/multi-outlet (MIMO), and a mixed MIMO design. The resulting optimized geometries were then reconstructed for comprehensive 3D numerical simulation and comparative analysis. Results show that the optimized mixed-MIMO cooling plate (TO3) significantly outperformed the optimized SISO (TO1) and optimized segregated-MIMO (TO2) designs in heat dissipation, flow resistance, and temperature uniformity. The TO3 design demonstrates a notable reduction in the IGBT base’s temperature difference, with a decrease of 58.6% compared to the TO1 design, and achieved an 8.42 K reduction in maximum temperature. In terms of hydraulic performance, the pressure drop of TO3 is reduced by 15.53% relative to TO1, effectively reducing fluid resistance by mitigating vortex formation. Moreover, the TO3 has a heat transfer coefficient of 2553.8 W/(m 2 ·K), showing an increase of 30.74% compared to the TO1 design. These improvements, along with a higher Nusselt number, highlight the superior convective heat transfer capacity and overall cooling performance of the collaboratively optimized TO3 design.