Performance Enhancements and Easy Integration of Double Side Cooled Automotive SiC Power Modules - Enabled by a Sophisticated Cooler System

Abstract:
As the demand and supply of electric vehicles (EVs) increase at a CAGR of 17% from 2023 to 2027, the focus on the performance- and price-dictating components also spikes. The traction inverter is one of those components. It contributes significantly to both the cost and performance of EVs. Hence, inverter optimization is needed for reaching the goal of affordable and sustainable EVs, that consume less energy, are manufactured with fewer components - thereby using less raw materials - and need less mechanical maintenance. We identified five trends for traction inverters. On the performance side (A) increased efficiency and (B) targeted performance are focused on, while (C) cost optimization, (D) vol-ume production, and (E) vehicle integration are focused on the commercial side. This paper significantly contributes to the mentioned objectives, by presenting an integrated cooler concept for Double Side Cooled (DSC) modules, which is optimized for assembly (E), producible in high volumes (D), cost-optimized by choice of materials (C), and optimized for performance (A, B).