System Level Heat Sink Design of Power Module for EV Application

Thermal management is crucial for EV/HEV applications, as it significantly impacts both output performance and system reliability. To enhance thermal performance, the heat sink design of the power module must be improved. Additionally, system performance can be predicted using electrical circuit simulations. The power loss during inverter operation can be estimated based on the electrical characteristics of the power module, which vary with junction temperature. This study focuses on the thermal design of a silicon carbide (SiC) power module equipped with an innovative wavy fin heat sink for inverter applications. The system under analysis is a 55 kW inverter featuring a 1200 V, 400 A SiC power module. Initially, the thermal performance of the wavy fin heat sink is predicted through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. Subsequently, system performance is simulated by coupling electrical and thermal models using PSIM software. A comprehensive analysis of output current, junction temperature, and power loss during system operation is then conducted.