Study on Phase-Change Thermal Management for Variable Frequency Power Modules in VRF
摘要
With the frequent occurrence of extreme high-temperature weather globally, power modules in variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system face significant cooling challenges due to high ambient temperatures, low wind speeds, and high heat flux densities, which severely restrict the improvement of their cooling capacity. To address this technical bottleneck, this paper proposes a plate-fin heat pipe radiator based on an all-aluminum blow-molded phase-change uniform temperature plate, integrated into a front air outlet VRF system to enhance the cooling performance of its variable frequency power module. Multi-physics analysis demonstrates that, compared to an aluminum extruded heat sink of the same size, the phase-change uniform temperature plate-fin heat sink significantly reduces the temperature of the power module, with a maximum temperature drop of 18 ℃ under maximum cooling conditions. Enthalpy difference chamber test results show that a 24HP front air outlet VRF system equipped with phase change heat sink can achieve 100% cooling capacity under maximum cooling conditions, with the power module temperature stabilized below 90 ℃. The simulation and experimental results are in good agreement, with errors less than 5%. This study provides an effective solution for the high-temperature cooling challenges of power module in VRF, contributing to the improvement of cooling performance in VRF system under high-temperature environment.