Computational Models for Power Electronics Cooling Systems

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Author(s):
Carichino, Lucia
Title:
Computational Models for Power Electronics Cooling Systems
Date:
Monday 20th December 2010
Advisor:
Sacco, R.
Advisor II:
De Falco. C.
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Abstract:
This Master thesis in Ingegneria Matematica is the result of a six month collaboration between the Dipartimento di Matematica of Politecnico di Milano and the ABB Switzerland Ltd Corporate Research Center of Baden, under the supervision of the principal scientists Francesco Agostini and Thomas Gradinger. The aim of this work is the computational modeling of a specific condenser as part of a two-phase thermosyphon power electronics cooling system. The thesis is divided into the following five parts devoted to: Part I: overview and comparison of three types of power electronics cooling devices and description of the specific thermosyphon cooler analyzed in this work; Part II: mathematical modeling of the three physical coupled domains involved in the condenser device: external air, aluminum panel and two-phase refrigerant fluid; Part III: description of suitable numerical approximation method for each domain involved in the computation, with emphasis on the stabilized methods used to deal with dominating convective flow regimes; Part IV: discussion of the numerical results of the simulations for the two-phase condenser; Part V: conclusive considerations and perspectives for future activities.