Low Cost, High Current Advanced Inverter Packaging with Integral Liquid-Cooled Heat Exchanger

73208S03-I Electric and hybrid vehicles, fuel cells, photovoltaic farms, and a host of emerging alternative power technologies could reduce our need for foreign oil imports, and reduce global pollution. These technologies are not presently cost effective, in large part due to the cost and reliability of the power electronics required to convert DC power to AC power for interfacing to the utility grid or for controlling the speed of an electric motor. This project will develop a family of general purpose inverters for DC-AC and AC-DC power conversion that are cost effective from 30kW ¿ 500kW. These inverters will be constructed of advanced-composite-material heat exchangers with integral liquid-cooled features, in a novel, double-sided package design that reduces material costs and improves assembly yield. Phase I will determine the feasibility of several candidate advanced composite materials; develop design approaches for double-sided power hybrid assembly to reduce space, weight, and cost; estimate the electrical, thermal, and system performance of the finished assembly; fabricate several parts and assemblies; and perform initial testing to demonstrate mechanical integrity and suitability in the harsh environments present in an automobile or power generating facility. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by awardee: Potential applications include automotive electronics, both to improve the fuel efficiency of existing vehicles and to enable hybrid vehicles with better performance and reliability; microturbines, fuel cells, and photovoltaic systems for distributed, backup, and peak demand power generation; and military land and marine vehicle traction, propulsion, and weapon systems.