Generic thermal cooling design for multicell converters

Abstract:
MulticCell Converters based on the implementation of numerous subsystems can be seen as arrays of conversion cells. These cells can be physically arranged in 1, 2 or 3 dimensions. This paper introduces a generic cooling design methodology to keep the temperature of the conversion cells below their maximum limits. Based on a set of characterization, the method can be applied to any converter array based on standardized conversion subsystems. A practical implementation based on PCB technology with forced air cooling technique is proposed as an illustration to highlight the considered approach. The methodology presented can be transferred to any multicell converter topology and/or cooling technologies.