Journal of Power Electronics (2023) 23:1880–1887

https://doi.org/10.1007/s43236-023-00708-x

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Analysis model for thermal resistance of double‑sided cooling power

module with pin–fin heat sink used in xEVs
Seongmoo Cho1 · Sang Won Yoon2

Received: 3 September 2023 / Revised: 21 September 2023 / Accepted: 23 September 2023 / Published online: 16 October 2023
© The Author(s) under exclusive licence to The Korean Institute of Power Electronics 2023

Abstract
This study proposes a modeling process for conveniently analyzing the thermal resistance of a double-sided cooling (DSC)
power module used in automotive inverters. Conventionally, circular-shaped pin-fins are adopted in the heat sinks used in
DSC modules. This study utilizes finite element method (FEM) simulation to estimate the junction-to-fluid thermal resistance
and compares the simulation results with measured values. The modeling process achieves high accuracy, approximately 97%.
The analysis involves an optimized design of the circular pin-fins, exploring parameters such as pin–fin spacing and diameter
size. This optimization results in a sufficiently low device junction temperature while maintaining an acceptable pressure
drop. Furthermore, the developed model is applied to two uncommon pin–fin shapes, cone and oval, and their performance
is evaluated. The oval-shaped pin-fins reduce the device temperature by approximately 6.7%, from 156.2 to 145.7 ℃, with a
slight increase in pressure drop from 2.18 to 2.92 kPa. However, this pressure drop is low enough to supply coolant to a xEV
cooling system. These findings enhance the accuracy of thermal resistance analysis for DSC power modules and offer a cost-
effective means of estimating results without the need for direct manufacturing and measurement of pin–fin shape changes.

Keywords Pin–fin structure · Heat sink · Double-sided cooling module · Thermal resistance · Pin shape

1 Introduction Power modules are a core component of the automotive

inverter and has undergone extensive research [5], with
Global warming is accelerating, and there is a growing their thermal resistance being a key performance measure.
demand for electrified vehicles due to stringent emissions For cooling power modules, both single-sided cooling and
regulations and environmental concerns. In these electri- double-sided cooling (DSC) methods are widely employed
fied vehicles, a motor is powered by an inverter, which is [6–8]. Cooling jackets have also been developed, employ-
responsible for converting DC power into AC power. Con- ing both indirect cooling methods using thermal grease and
sequently, achieving technologies that reduce inverter power direct cooling methods without using thermal grease [9].
losses, increases power density, enhance its efficiency and This study explores the modeling process of thermal
fault-tolerance is of paramount importance [1]. Improving resistance in an indirect cooling DSC power, as depicted in
inverter efficiency leads to increased mileage per unit charge Fig. 1, where the pin–fin heat sinks with circular-shaped pins
and lower charging costs [2, 3]. For example, efforts are is attached using thermal grease. The investigation involves
examining the replacement of traditional silicon IGBTs with comparing FEM simulations with experimental results. To
silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs, which offer higher voltage provide a comprehensive comparison, circular pin designs
capacity, faster switching, and enhanced efficiency [4]. are optimized through a parametric study. Additionally, the
developed model is applied to different pin shapes, includ-
ing cone or oval, to find the feasibility of enhancing thermal
* Sang Won Yoon performance by pin-shape modifications.
[email protected]
1
Department of Automotive Engineering, Hanyang
University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
2
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul
National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

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Analysis model for thermal resistance of double‑sided cooling power module with pin–fin heat… 1881

Fig. 1  Conceptual cross-sectional view of an indirect double-sided

cooling power module

Fig. 3  Real image and 3D model of: a Infineon’s double-sided cool-

ing power module, b DSC module assembled with top and bottom
circular pin–fin heat sinks, c completed assembly with the cooling
jackets

Fig. 2  Cross-sectional view of double-sided power module integrated

with an indirect cooling jacket. The red arrows indicate the flow
direction of the coolant

2 Double‑sided cooling (DSC) power

modules

As shown in Fig. 1, a typical double-sided cooling power

module incorporates IGBT and diode dies, spacers, as well Fig. 4  Pin–fin heat sink: a 3D model; b different mesh setup
as top and bottom substrates. The IGBT and diode dies on
both sides are electrically and thermally connected using
spacers and substrates. The DSC module is encapsulated
within an epoxy mold compound (EMC) to shield it from
environmental factors such as humidity, shock, etc. Sub- the power module is integrated into the main frame of the
sequently, thermal grease is applied to both surfaces of the cooling jacket, and its top is sealed using a cooling cover,
DSC module, and two heat sinks are attached. The assem- as demonstrated in Fig. 3c. This figure also provides a
bly of the power module with the heat sinks is then placed visual representation of the actual heat sinks and cooling
inside the cooling jacket, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Coolant jacket, which were designed, fabricated, and assembled
flows in both directions, towards the top and bottom of the alongside the DSC power module. Further details about
DSC power module. This design efficiently dissipates the pin design optimization is explained in Sect. 2.3.
thermal energy generated by the embedded power devices.
2.2 Mesh setup

2.1 Modeling of a DSC power module The 3D modeling process was conducted using ANSYS
Design Modeler, as illustrated in Fig. 4a. The meshing of the
For the double-sided power module, this study employs a cooling jacket, heat sink, and power module was performed
750 V/300 A half-bridge IGBT power module (Infineon, using ANSYS Fluent, with mesh settings adjusted to the
FF450R08A 03P2, Hybrid PACKTM DSC S2). Figure 3a size of each component for optimization. Notably, triangular
presents a 3D model of the DSC module whose top and meshes were utilized for the heat sinks to ensure thorough
bottom surfaces are attached to pin–fin heat sinks with coverage, even in slender components. To enhance the preci-
circular-shaped pins, as displayed in Fig. 3b. Afterward, sion of the thermal simulation regarding the pin–fin shape,
mesh settings were refined further, as depicted in Fig. 4b.

13
1882 S. Cho, S. W. Yoon

2.3 Design optimization of circular pin–fin

Parametric studies were conducted to optimize the

circular pin design, with the primary objectives being the
maximization of the device junction temperature (Tj) and
the minimization of the pressure drop. The pressure drop
was constrained to remain below 4 kPa, which aligns with
previous research indicating that pressure drops in three-
phase xEV inverter systems typically range from 12 to
15 kPa [10]. Therefore, for the single-phase power module
analyzed in this study, the constraint corresponds to 4 kPa.

2.3.1 Spacing distance between pins (PS)

First, the spacing between the circular pin-fins (PS) is con-

sidered. Figure 5 illustrates that the device junction tempera-
ture decreases as the spacing between the pins decreases.
This reduction continues until the pin spacing (PS) becomes
the same as the pin diameter (PD). Meanwhile, the pres-
sure drop only increases by 3 kPa, which is within the given
constraint.
Fig. 6  The device junction temperature and pressure drop of the cool-
2.3.2 Diameter of pins (PD) ing jacket by the functions of the diameter of pins

Secondly, the simulation investigates the pin diameter (PD)

concerning the junction temperature of the chip and the pr and to determine the maximum junction temperature of the
ANSYS Fluent is employed to analyze the coolant flow pat- IGBT chips. The fluid analysis relies on the fundamental
terns within the heat sink located inside the cooling jacket governing equations, as outlined below [7, 8], pressure drop
within the cooling jacket. As displayed in Fig. 6, the device
junction temperature decreases until the PS/PD ratio reaches
1.1. However, if the ratio decreases further, the device tem-
perature tends to increase. Interestingly, the change rate of
the pressure drop due to variations in the pin diameter is rel-
atively smaller compared to changes in the spacing between
the pins.

3 Simulation

3.1 FEM analysis

Ansys Fluent software analyzes the streamline of coolant

passing through the heat sink inside the cooling jacket and
provides the maximum junction temperature of IGBT dies.
The basic governing equations used in the fluid analysis are
given below [7, 8]. Continuity equation is
𝜕u 𝜕v 𝜕w
+ + =0 (1)
𝜕x 𝜕y 𝜕z

where u , v , and w are the velocity components in the x , y ,

and z directions, respectively. Momentum equation is
Fig. 5  The device junction temperature and pressure drop of the cool-
ing jacket by the functions of the spacing between pins

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Analysis model for thermal resistance of double‑sided cooling power module with pin–fin heat… 1883

Ethylene glycol 50:50 serves as the coolant, and the simu-

( ) ( )
𝜕u 𝜕u 𝜕u 𝜕2u 𝜕2u 𝜕2u
𝜕P
𝜌f u +v +w =− + 𝜇f
+ + 2 lation employs a flow rate of 10 L per minute (LPM) at
𝜕x 𝜕y 𝜕z 𝜕x𝜕x2 𝜕y2 𝜕z
(2) 65 ℃. The coolant has a density of 1045.03 kg/m3, specific
( ) ( 2 ) heat of 3540.84 J/kg ℃, and viscosity of 0.00139681 Pa∙s.
2
𝜕 v 𝜕 v 𝜕 v 2
𝜕v 𝜕v 𝜕v 𝜕P
𝜌f u + v + w =− + 𝜇f + +
𝜕x 𝜕y 𝜕z 𝜕y 𝜕x2 𝜕y2 𝜕z2
(3) 3.3 Simulation results
( ) ( 2 )
𝜕w 𝜕w 𝜕w 𝜕P 𝜕 w 𝜕2 w 𝜕2w
𝜌f u +v +w =− + 𝜇f + +
𝜕x 𝜕y 𝜕z 𝜕z 𝜕x2 𝜕y2 𝜕z2 The thermal simulation results shown in Fig. 7 demon-
(4) strate the impact of the parametric optimization discussed
Here, 𝜌f and 𝜇f are the density and dynamic viscosity of in Sect. 2.3. This figure provides a comparison between
the fluid, respectively, and P is the fluid pressure. Energy the device junction temperatures of the conventional cir-
equation for fluid is cular pin–fin and the optimized circular pin–fin heat sinks.
It is evident that the heat dissipation efficiency for the
heat generated by the IGBT die is significantly enhanced
( 2 )
𝜕Tf 𝜕Tf 𝜕Tf kf 𝜕 Tf 𝜕 2 Tf 𝜕 2 Tf
u
𝜕x
+v
𝜕y
+w
𝜕z
=
𝜌f cpf 𝜕x2
+
𝜕y2
+ 2
𝜕z in the optimized circular pin–fin design. These results are
further evident when examining the junction temperature
(5)
distribution of the devices and the temperature distribu-
Here, Tf is the temperature of the fluid and, cpf and kf tion of the insulating substrate, as shown in Fig. 8. This
are the specific heat and thermal conductivity of the fluid, figure highlights the reduction in the junction temperature
respectively. of the IGBT and diode dies by 6.4 °C (~ 4.1%) and 6 °C
(~ 4.8%), respectively. Additionally, when comparing the
3.2 Material properties thermal dissipation of the insulating substrate, it becomes
apparent that there is an obvious reduction in temperature.
The thermal simulation employs material property
parameters listed in Table 1. The IGBT and diode dies
are constructed from silicon. The substrate features an
­Al2O3 ceramic with top and bottom copper (Cu) layers.
Solder attaches the dies to the substrate and spacer [13].
The power and signal terminals are composed of cop-
per. The spacer is fabricated from AlSiC. The heat sink
is constructed from aluminum material, with a thermal
conductivity of 222 W/mK, manufactured using forging
techniques. The thermal grease has a thermal conductivity
of 5.5 W/mK. The cooling jacket is constructed from alu-
minum material with a thermal conductivity of 92 W/mK.

Table 1  Key material properties used in the module simulations

Components/ Density (kg/m3) Thermal Specific
materials conductivity heat (J/
(W/m·℃) kg·℃)

IGBT/Diode (Si) 2330 100 710

DBC ­(Al2O3) 3960 23 718
DBC (Cu) 8900 390 390
Solder 3200 58.2 470
Terminals (Cu) 8900 390 390
Spacer 8933 190 390
EMC 1680 0.8 1000
Heat sink (Al) 2680 222 900
Thermal grease 2100 5.5 903
Fig. 7  Thermal simulation results of conventional circular pin–fin and
Cooling jacket 2740 92 963
optimized circular pin–fin designs

13
1884 S. Cho, S. W. Yoon

illustrates the schematic of the power tester setup and the

device under test (DUT). Temperature sensors, pressure
gauges, and a flowmeter were installed at the inlet on the
right side of the cooling jacket, where the DSC power mod-
ule was secured. Similarly, temperature sensors and pressure
gauges were positioned at the outlet on the left side. Tem-
perature and flow rate control of the coolant were managed
through the chiller.
The switching operation of the IGBT chips was executed
by connecting a power supply that applied current and
voltage. To monitor the chip temperatures, a current sensing
cable was connected, and thermal resistance was measured.
Fig. 8  The comparison of the junction temperature of chips and the Figure 9b provides an illustration of the actual experimental
thermal distribution of the insulating substrate setup for measuring thermal resistance.

4.2 Experimental sequence of thermal resistance

4 Experimental validation measurement

4.1 Experiment setup measuring thermal resistance The measurement setup provides the junction-to-fluid ther-
of DSC power modules mal resistance (Rth,j−f). Figure 10 shows the measurement
results to derive Rth,j−f values for both the conventional
Power tester 1500A equipment (from Mentor Graphics) circular pin–fin and the optimized circular pin–fin. For
was employed to compare the thermal resistance analysis the conventional circular pin–fin heat sink, the measured
and measurement values between the conventional circu- Rth,j−f is 0.298 ℃/W, which closely matches the simulation
lar pin–fin and the optimized circular pin–fin. Figure 9a value of 0.290 ℃/W (~ 97% match). Similarly, the Rth,j-f for
the optimized circular pin–fin is measured at 0.272 ℃/W,
in line with the simulation value of 0.267 ℃/W (~ 98%
match). Consequently, the developed thermal resistance
model is successfully established for the indirect cooling
jacket with pin–fin heat sinks attached to the double-sided
power module.

Fig. 10  Comparison of the simulated and measured values of ther-

Fig. 9  a schematic of thermal resistance measurement setup; b image mal resistance ­(Rth,j-f). Both conventional and optimized designs are
of actual experimental setup measured

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Analysis model for thermal resistance of double‑sided cooling power module with pin–fin heat… 1885

Fig. 11  Pin–fin heat sinks with different pin designs: a conventional

circular pin–fin; b optimized circular pin–fin; c cone pin–fin; d oval
pin–fin
Fig. 13  The device junction temperature and pressure drop of cooling
jacket by the functions of pin–fin shapes

Fig. 12  The streamline of coolant: a conventional circular pin–fin; b

optimized circular pin–fin; c cone pin–fin; d oval pin–fin

5 Application of the developed model

Fig. 14  The heat transfer coefficient (HTC) and pressure drop of
The developed model demonstrated its ability to accu- cooling jacket by the functions of pin–fin shapes
rately estimate Rth,j-f values. This model is now applied to
pin–fin heat sinks with not-popular pin shapes to explore
the potential for further reducing junction temperatures. pin–fin exhibits the slowest coolant velocity, whereas the
In this investigation, the diameter and spacing are main- oval pin–fin demonstrates the highest velocity. This vari-
tained to be identical with the optimized circular design ation in coolant velocity directly impacts heat exchange
in Fig. 11b, while the pin shape is altered to either a cone with the pin–fin heat sinks. Faster coolant velocity
(Fig. 11c) or an oval (Fig. 11d). The four pin designs in enhances the thermal dissipation effect of the chips. This
Fig. 11 share common design parameters, including the phenomenon can be explained by referencing the momen-
height of each pin and the spacing between pins along tum equations in Eqs. (2)–(4) and the energy equation in
the x and y axes. For the circular pins, the major design Eq. (5).
parameter is their diameter or radius. Similarly, the lengths The changes in pin–fin shape impact both the junc-
of the semi-major and semi-minor axes are design param- tion temperature and pressure drop, as evidenced by the
eters for the oval pins. On the other hand, the cone pin streamline results. When transitioning from the conven-
comprises a semicircle and a triangle, and its design tional pin–fin to the optimized pin–fin, cone, and oval
parameters include the radius of the semicircle, as well as types, a noticeable decrease in chip junction temperature
the height and width of the triangle. is observed, as shown in Fig. 13. The difference in junction
The ANSYS Fluent, a CFD simulation program, was temperature between the cone and oval shapes is minimal,
employed to compare the coolant streamlines of various but the oval shape exhibits a lower pressure drop compared
pin–fin shapes. Figure 12 depicts the coolant velocity to the cone shape. This is attributed to the more dominant
between the pin-fins. Notably, the conventional circular laminar flow of coolant in the oval shape, which proves
more effective in reducing pressure.

13
1886 S. Cho, S. W. Yoon

Apart from the junction temperature, the heat transfer Declarations

coefficient (HTC) is analyzed in Fig. 14, to provide a more
precise evaluation of the thermal dissipation effectiveness. Conflict of interest On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author
states that there is no conflict of interest.
When comparing the cone and oval shapes, the oval shape
exhibits a higher HTC value. This indicates that, in terms
of junction temperature, HTC, and pressure drop, the oval
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Acknowledgements This work was supported by the National Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds
Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) grant funded by the exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the
Korea government(MSIT) (No. 2023R1A2C2006661 and No. author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted
RS-2023-00207865).

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Analysis model for thermal resistance of double‑sided cooling power module with pin–fin heat… 1887

manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of Sang Won Yoon received his B.S
such publishing agreement and applicable law. degree in electrical engineering
from Seoul National University,
Seoul, South Korea, in 2000, and
Seongmoo Cho received B.S. the M.S and Ph.D. degrees in
degree in Electronic and Electri- electrical engineering and com-
cal Engineering from Hanyang puter science from the Univer-
University, Ansan, South Korea, sity of Michigan, Ann Arbor,
in 2004. Since 2019, he has cur- MI, USA, in 2003 and 2009,
rently pursuing a Ph.D. in the respectively. From 2009 to 2013,
Department of Automotive Engi- he was a Senior Scientist and a
neering from Hanyang Univer- Staff Researcher with the Toyota
sity, Seoul. From 2006 to 2022, Research Institute of North
he was a Research Engineer at America, Ann Arbor, where he
LG Electronics Inc. He is cur- conducted research in the fields
rently working as a Research of power electronics and sensor
Engineer at Hyundai Motor systems for automobiles. From 2013 to 2023, he was Assistant Profes-
Company. He is research field is sor, Associate Professor, and Professor in the Department of Automo-
automotive power module for tive Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea. Since 2023, he is
hybrid and electric vehicles. with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul
Specifically, his current research interests include advanced power National University, Seoul, Korea. His current research interests
semiconductor, traction power inverter module, and integrated cooling include packaging and reliability of semiconductors, sensor systems,
systems. and their applications.

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