Semiconductor cooling structure

Abstract

The semiconductor cooling structure includes a semiconductor module including therein at least two semiconductor elements, a cooling pipe having a cooling surface in close contact with the semiconductor module, the cooling pipe including a coolant inlet hole, a coolant outlet hole, and a coolant passage through which coolant flows in a first direction from the coolant inlet hole to the coolant outlet hole, and a coolant moving structure disposed within the cooling pipe to move the coolant flowing through the coolant passage such that the coolant has a velocity vector in a second direction perpendicular to the cooling surface.

1 . A semiconductor cooling structure comprising:
 a semiconductor module including therein at least two semiconductor elements;   a cooling pipe having a cooling surface in close contact with said semiconductor module, said cooling pipe including a coolant inlet hole, a coolant outlet hole, and a coolant passage through which coolant flows in a first direction from said coolant inlet hole to said coolant outlet hole; and   a coolant moving structure disposed within said cooling pipe to move said coolant flowing through said coolant passage such that said coolant has a velocity vector in a second direction perpendicular to said cooling surface.   
     
     
         2 . The semiconductor cooling structure according to  claim 1 , wherein said coolant moving structure includes a middle plate disposed within said cooling pipe to divide said coolant passage in said second direction to thereby form a first passage and a second passage through each of which said coolant flows alternately. 
     
     
         3 . The semiconductor cooling structure according to  claim 2 , wherein said middle plate includes communicating portions for making a communication between said first and second passages at both end portions thereof in a third direction perpendicular to said first direction and parallel to said cooling surface,
 said coolant moving structure further including oblique fins provided in each of said first and second passages so as to extend obliquely to said first direction, an oblique direction of said oblique fins provided in said first passage being opposite to an oblique direction of said oblique fins provided in said second passage.   
     
     
         4 . The semiconductor cooling structure according to  claim 1 , wherein said coolant moving structure includes:
 straight fins disposed within said cooling pipe so as to extend in parallel with one another along said first direction to divide said coolant passage in a third direction perpendicular to said first direction and parallel to said cooling surface to thereby form a plurality of divided coolant passages; and   projections located along said first direction in each of said divided coolant passages so as to project toward said coolant passage.   
     
     
         5 . The semiconductor cooling structure according to  claim 4 , wherein each of said projections is located on an upstream side of a corresponding one of said semiconductor elements. 
     
     
         6 . The semiconductor cooling structure according to  claim 4 , wherein said projections are formed in shell plates of said cooling pipe. 
     
     
         7 . The semiconductor cooling structure according to  claim 1 , wherein said coolant moving structure includes:
 a middle plate disposed within said cooling pipe to divide said coolant passage in said second direction to thereby form a first passage and a second passage through each of which said coolant flows separately;   straight fins provided in each of said first and second passages so as to extend in parallel with one another along said first direction to divide said coolant passage in a third direction perpendicular to said first direction and parallel to said cooling surface to thereby form a plurality of divided coolant passages; and   projections located along said first direction in each of said divided coolant passages, so as to project toward said coolant passage, said projections being formed in said middle plate.   
     
     
         8 . The semiconductor cooling structure according to  claim 1 , wherein said coolant moving structure includes:
 straight fins disposed within said cooling pipe so as to extend in parallel with one another along said first direction to divide said coolant passage in a third direction perpendicular to said first direction and parallel to said cooling surface to thereby form a plurality of divided passages; and   oblique ribs provided in said straight fins so as to project toward said divided passages, said oblique ribs being inclined to said first direction and said cooling surface.   
     
     
         9 . The semiconductor cooling structure according to  claim 8 , wherein said oblique ribs are located at different positions along said first direction, each two of said oblique ribs adjacent in said first direction having opposite oblique directions. 
     
     
         10 . The semiconductor cooling structure according to  claim 8 , wherein said oblique ribs are located at different positions along said first direction, each one of said oblique ribs belonging to any one of oblique rib groups including a predetermined number of said oblique ribs having the same oblique direction, oblique directions of said oblique ribs of each two of said oblique rib groups adjacent in said first direction being opposite to each other. 
     
     
         11 . The semiconductor cooling structure according to  claim 9 , wherein said oblique ribs are further located at different positions along said second direction, each two of said oblique ribs adjacent in said second direction having opposite oblique directions. 
     
     
         12 . The semiconductor cooling structure according to  claim 9 , wherein said oblique ribs are further located at different positions along said second direction, each one of said oblique ribs belonging to any one of oblique rib groups including a predetermined number of said oblique ribs having the same oblique direction, oblique directions of said oblique ribs of each two of said oblique rib groups adjacent in said second direction being opposite to each other. 
     
     
         13 . The semiconductor cooling structure according to  claim 8 , wherein said coolant moving structure further includes transverse ribs provided in said straight fins so as to project toward said divided coolant passages, said transverse ribs being formed so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to said first direction and said cooling surface. 
     
     
         14 . The semiconductor cooling structure according to  claim 1 , wherein said coolant moving structure includes:
 straight fins disposed within said cooling pipe so as to extend in parallel with one another along said first direction to divide said coolant passage in a third direction perpendicular to said first direction and parallel to said cooling surface to thereby form a plurality of divided passages; and   transverse ribs provided in said straight fins so as to project toward said divided passages, said transverse ribs being formed so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to said first direction and said cooling surface.