WO2006053937A1

WO2006053937A1 - Cooling of a heated component

Info

Publication number: WO2006053937A1
Application number: PCT/FI2005/000487
Authority: WO
Inventors: Juhani Helosvuori; Risto Laurila; Markku Talja
Original assignee: Abb Oy
Priority date: 2004-11-17
Filing date: 2005-11-16
Publication date: 2006-05-26
Also published as: FI20041478A; FI20041478A0

Abstract

The invention discloses an arrangement for arranging gas cooling for a heated component by means of a substance flow so that the substance flow is dried before it is directed to the heated component, the arrangement for arranging the dry gas cooling has condensation means for discharging water and/or other liquid from the cooling gas.

Description

Cooling of a heated component

The invention relates to cooling technology on a general level. More particularly, the invention relates to an arrangement for arranging gas cooling in a way that has been disclosed in the preamble of the independent claim concerning the arrange¬ ment. The invention also relates to a housing of a heated element as it has been dis¬ closed in the preamble of the independent claim concerning it. The invention further relates to a mounting pad for mounting a heated component in a way that has been disclosed in the preamble of the independent claim concerning it. The invention also relates to a power-electronic transducer in a way that has been disclosed in the pre¬ amble of the independent claim concerning it. Further, the invention relates to a method for cooling a heated component in a way that has been disclosed in the pre¬ amble of the independent claim concerning it.

In electronics, solutions known, for example, from microprocessors have been tradi¬ tionally used for arranging cooling. In this case, the component to be cooled is con¬ nected, for example, to a cooling rib by means of a heat conducting surface for con¬ ducting heat outside the component. For example, an external blower can have been used to intensify the influence of the cooling rib for creating an air flow and thus for intensifying the cooling. Solutions are also known in which an individual electronic component is cooled by injecting air carrying away heat from the component to be cooled.

Relating to the overclocking of microprocessors there are also known techniques for achieving water cooling to electronic components so that the circulation can be closed, but when realised qualitatively, it can be relatively expensive in relation to the price of the device and/or the component itself.

Nevertheless, in arrangements according to the known technique for arranging cool¬ ing one is faced with problems concerning the condensation of the cooling fluid or its part so that, for example, the condensing water may cause serious short-circuits when getting onto electrical component surfaces.

Especially in tropical conditions, but also in-other conditions, in which water in the gas is saturated to an oversaturated state in gas phase, the problem may be very sig¬ nificant. Even though the heat of a warm component intended to be cooled will probably transfer the vapour pressures of water contained in the cooling gas towards a value equivalent to an undersaturated state in the immediate vicinity of the com- ponent, the cooling gas itself may comprise drops when it arrives to the component, which is the target of the cooling; or when and if the cooling gas expands, a fall in the temperature caused by the expansion may fast trigger nucleation and condensa¬ tion following it. In this case, the biggest drops that form may not have time to evaporate in the heat of the heating component, but they become, for example, ma¬ terial that forms the short-circuit bridge.

Further it is stated that although powerful electronic components do warm up inten¬ sively, when used in an industrial environment they, on the other hand, may also become strongly sputtered so that the heat transmission outwards and its change may in time be significant for the operating life of the component before the final damage of the component. Further, unclosed systems depend on the cooling gas, which for the most part consists of ambient air, when especially also local moisture problems caused by air in the operating environment of the device may become em¬ phasized to a detrimental extent for the components.

On the other hand, heat exchange based on closed water circulation is efficient, but it also increases the weight of the device in the form of the pipes needed. In addi¬ tion, a pipe in a cold line may cause condensation onto the surface of the pipe, when again protection against it will further increase the weight and/or size of the device. Further, possible water leakage may be destructive to the device itself and/or the component to be cooled. On the other hand, also the price of the parts used for guaranteeing the prevention of leakage may restrict their use in a cooling line, which could thus become excessively expensive taking into consideration the pur¬ pose of use of the components to be cooled, and not even expensive couplings will always offer protection, for example, from corrosion.

In addition, blower solutions, in which the blower is oversized may cause unneces¬ sary noise problems in the immediate surroundings of the device using the compo¬ nent to be cooled.

By means of embodiments of the invention, known problems of the known tech¬ nique are solved, or at least their effects are reduced.

In accordance with the invention, cooling can be arranged so that the fluid used for cooling the component to be cooled is recovered and recycled as recooled through a heat exchanger to be used for cooling the component to be cooled. The arrangement according to a first embodiment of the invention for arranging gas cooling is characterised in what is disclosed in the characterising part of the inde¬ pendent claim concerning it.

The housing of a heated component according to a second embodiment of the in¬ vention is characterised in what is disclosed in the characterising part of the inde¬ pendent claim concerning it.

The mounting pad for mounting a heated component according to a third embodi¬ ment of the invention is characterised in what is disclosed in the characterising part of the independent claim concerning it.

The power-electric transducer according to an embodiment of the invention is char¬ acterised in what is disclosed in the characterising part of the independent claim concerning it.

The method according to an embodiment of the invention for cooling a heated com¬ ponent is characterised in what is disclosed in the characterising part of the inde¬ pendent claim concerning it.

Other embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.

The arrangement according to a first embodiment of the invention for arranging gas cooling for a heated component by means of a flow comprises condensation means for arranging dry gas cooling with a cooling gas, and thus for discharging water and/or other liquid from the cooling gas.

An arrangement for arranging gas cooling according to the first embodiment of the invention has been realised by using a closed circulation.

An arrangement for arranging gas cooling according to the first embodiment of the invention comprises means for providing an injection flow onto a heating surface for cooling a heated component.

An arrangement for arranging gas cooling for a heated component according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises a gas guide channel for directing the cooling gas to the heated component.

An arrangement for arranging gas cooling for a heated component according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises a housing part for the heated compo¬ nent intended for the cooling gas. An arrangement for arranging gas cooling for a heated component according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises a gas discharge channel for directing the used cooling gas away from the heated component.

An arrangement for arranging gas cooling for a heated component according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises a heat exchanger.

An arrangement for arranging gas cooling for a heated component according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises a heat exchanger for cooling the used cooling gas.

An arrangement for arranging gas cooling for a heated component according to a first embodiment of the invention is arranged so that the cooling gas can be pressur¬ ised to the heat exchanger.

An arrangement for arranging gas cooling for a heated component according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises such a heat exchanger in the arrange¬ ment, which has a first container for a first fluid and a second container for a second fluid, a heat exchange surface being arranged between them for exchanging heat from the said first fluid to the said second fluid.

An arrangement for arranging gas cooling for a heated component according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises in the arrangement a first fluid and a second fluid arranged so that the said second fluid comprises water or other con¬ densing liquid arranged to be flowing for cooling the gaseous part of the first fluid.

An arrangement for arranging gas cooling for a heated component according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises condensation means.

An arrangement for arranging gas cooling for a heated component according to a first embodiment of the invention is arranged for performing a reversed Joule proc¬ ess.

An arrangement for arranging gas cooling for a heated component according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises condensation means with a discharge channel, a restriction and a collider for cooling a first fluid.

An arrangement for arranging gas cooling for a heated component according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises a collider, which is arranged for con¬ verting and collecting a vapour in the first fluid to a drop form and/or solid form. An arrangement for arranging gas cooling for a heated component according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises a collider integrated in connection of a heat exchanger.

An arrangement for arranging gas cooling for a heated component according to a first embodiment of the invention comprises an arrangement for cooling at least one of the following as the heated component: a solid state component, a power switch, a relay, a transformer, a fuse, a resistor, a circuit card, a power source, a current connection, an electrical filter, and an auxiliary actuator for an electrical device.

A housing of a heated component according to a second embodiment of the inven¬ tion comprises an input channel for the first fluid and/or an output channel for cool¬ ing the said component by means of the flow of the said fluid.

A housing of a heated component according to a second embodiment of the inven¬ tion comprises a first housing part to be fastened to a first side of a mounting pad for a heated component.

A housing of a heated component according to a second embodiment of the inven¬ tion comprises a second housing part to be fastened to a second side of the mount¬ ing pad for a heated component.

A housing of a heated component according to a second embodiment of the inven¬ tion comprises fastening means for providing a thermal connection between the said heated component and a part of its housing.

A mounting pad according to a third embodiment of the invention for mounting a heated component to the housing comprises a flow channel through the mounting pad from a first side to a second side

The said flow channel of the mounting pad according to a third embodiment of the invention is arranged to the area of a first and/or second housing of the mounting pad.

The said mounting pad according to a third embodiment of the invention comprises a circuit card or a part of such for mounting the said heated component.

According to a fourth embodiment of the invention, a temperature sensor can be mounted to the connection of the part of the housing of the heated component and/or housing part. According to a fourth embodiment of the invention, the temperature sensor is part of a feedback circuit, which is arranged for changing the flow of a first fluid and/or a second fluid as a response to the excitation of the temperature sensor.

According to a fourth embodiment of the invention, a channel controlling the flow of a first and/or second fluid has a pressure sensor for indicating a fluid leakage.

According to a fourth embodiment of the invention, a channel controlling the flow of a first and/or second fluid has an environmental fuse for indicating changes oc¬ curring in the circumstances of the flow.

A power-electronic transducer according to a fifth embodiment of the invention has a cooling according to another embodiment of the invention for cooling a heated component.

A method according to a sixth embodiment of the invention has steps in which a flow of the cooling gas is directed onto a heated surface for cooling the heated com¬ ponent, the said component is cooled, the used cooling gas is directed to a heat ex¬ changer for cooling the cooling gas, and the cooled cooling gas is directed to the vi¬ cinity of the heated component to be cooled for forming a flow of the cooling gas.

The invention is next explained in more detail by means of examples, referring to the enclosed drawings, in which

Figure 1 illustrates an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention for cooling a heated component;

Figure 2 illustrates an enclosure arrangement according to an embodiment of the in¬ vention;

Figure 3 illustrates a heat exchange unit according to an embodiment of the inven¬ tion;

Figure 4 illustrates the control of an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 illustrates a power-electronic^ transducer according to an embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 6 illustrates a method according to an embodiment of the invention for cool¬ ing a heated component. Same reference numbers have been used of the same or essentially similar parts in different figures. Features of the embodiments of the invention may be freely com¬ bined for applicable parts; however, without being limited to any certain combina¬ tion.

For the sake of clarity it is stated that in the following examination, which concerns the circulation in itself, the relative attributes "before" and/or "after" refer to the relative attributes during the course of one cycle, unless otherwise revealed in the context.

In the next specification, cooling gas has been used as a denomination for the first fluid and condensation gas for the second fluid. However, it is obvious for one skilled in the art that each fluid in itself may comprise at least one form of the sub¬ stance without being limited to a certain form so that it is nevertheless obvious for the part of the flow of the fluid that the fluid has to have a liquid and/or gas compo¬ nent.

Figure 1 presents an example of an arrangement according to a first embodiment of the invention for cooling a heated component. In this case, the heated component can be mounted into the housing-type structure 101 so that the gas to be used in cooling, the cooling gas, can be supplied on the basis of a closed circulation. In this case, also the component itself can be kept clean. In Figure 1, cooling gas is sup¬ plied through the line 106 into the housing 101, and through the line 107 out of the housing structure 101. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention the cooling gas is arranged to be supplied as an injection flow onto a heated surface of the component to be cooled.

In an embodiment according to a first embodiment of the invention in Figure 1, the heat exchange unit has been indicated with the block 102, in which heat exchange and/or discharge of moisture from the cooling gas is performed. The heat exchange is conducted by means of a heat exchange surface. In Figure 1, the block 103 is a control unit, by means of which the flows 106, 107 of the first and second fluid par¬ ticipating in the heat exchange are controlled. In the shown example according to Figure 1, the flow 106 of the cooling gas and/or also the flow of the liquid partici¬ pating in the heat exchange inside the heat exchange . arrangement 402 can be ad¬ justed according to a first embodiment of the invention, for example according to the need of cooling on the basis of excitations formed by sensors and related re¬ sponses. The reference number 108 illustrates the feedback lines from the heated component and/or the sensors of its housing structure to the control unit 103 and/or directly to the regulators placed to the connection of the heat exchange arrangement. The sensor may be a temperature sensor, or there can be several sensors according to a variation of an embodiment for forming the excitation. According to an em¬ bodiment, the housing structure has a pressure sensor and/or a flow sensor for ob¬ serving a fluid leakage and for forming an excitation. The response can then be re¬ layed, for example, along the line 104 to the actuator 304 regulating the flow of the cooling gas and/or along the line 105 to the actuator 307 regulating the flow of the condensating unit.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the nature of the heat transfer mechanisms can be taken into account in selecting the materials for the housing parts. According to an embodiment of the invention, it is in this case advantageous to use, according to possibilities, for example such a material which transfers heat by radiating outwards as efficiently as possible, but which simultaneously prevents the transfer of heat outside the housing part by being conducted to the cooling gas itself. According to an embodiment of the invention it is thus possible to use an ap¬ propriate aerogel in a surface of the housing structure.

In Figure 2 there is shown an encapsulation arrangement according to an embodi¬ ment of the invention. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the heated component 203 is in this case protected by the housing part 10 IA so that the housing part also operates as a flow channel for the cooling gas. Because the housing part is, according to an embodiment of the invention, mainly a flow chan¬ nel for directing the cooling gas flow following the surface of the component to be cooled, its tightness has to deviate, for example, from the device housing and/or RF protection as such. Irrespective of this, according to an embodiment of the inven¬ tion, it is also possible to integrate an RF protection to the housing part when metal, for example metal containing iron is used for the structure of the housing part so that the advance of electromagnetic interference can be reduced. In this case, the ef¬ fect is directed both to interferences travelling away from the component to be cooled and towards the component to be cooled.

In Figure 2, the cooling gas flow has been illustrated by arrows. According to an embodiment of the invention, the heated component 203 has been arranged in ther¬ mal connection with the housing 10 l and thus with the bridge 202, which is part of the housing part 101 A of its housing structure for directing heat away from the heated component. Figure 2 also illustrates the temperature sensor 204 according to an embodiment of the invention and some exemplary places for installing such a sensor 204 to the housing structure, even though the Figure 2 is mainly given as ref- erence, and it does not as such restrict the selection of places for installing the sen¬ sors. One of the sensors 204 has been installed to measure the temperature of the component 203 itself to its immediate vicinity, most preferably attached to it and/or in thermal contact with it for forming an excitation to be relayed along the feedback line 108 (Figure 1).

In Figure 2, a second sensor has been installed according to a second embodiment of the invention to measure the temperature of the housing part 101 A, for example, in the vicinity of the wall and/or from the cooling gas flowing in. Further, according to an embodiment of the invention, a third sensor 204 has been mounted to the housing part 10 IB in Figure 2 for measuring its temperature, either from the gas flow and/or the wall. In this case, different signals depending on the temperature, and thus excitations on the basis of the temperature measurements can be formed by means of the said temperature sensors to be used by means of the feedback line 108 when forming responses to the said excitations, for example, for regulating the flow 106 and/or 107.

In Figure 2 there is also shown a sensor 205, which according to an embodiment of the invention can be, for example, an environmental fuse arranged to detect a change in the environment occurring inside the housing part. In this case, it is then possible to, for example, switch off the operation of the heated component by means of a suitably arranged environmental fuse if, for example, moisture begins to form into the housing part 101 A due to a fault situation of some degree. Possible leak¬ ages can also be observed when, according to an embodiment of the invention, the sensor 205 is, for example, a pressure and/or flow sensor and/or such a pressure and/or flow sensor is located in connection of it. In this case, on the basis of the ex¬ citation of the sensor 205 it is possible as a response to compensate the deviating flow indicated by means of the excitation and the cooling need caused by it by means of the cooling gas and/or condensation liquid flows.

In the example in Figure 2, the heated component has been mounted onto the mounting pad 201, on which a place has been reserved for the housing part 101 A and/or the housing part 10 IB. In this case, the flow channel 206 has been arranged between the housing parts 101A and 101B. In the example in Figure 2, only the dis¬ charge of the cooling gas from the housing part 101 A has been arranged through the mounting pad 201 (for example, a circuit card). However, for example, because of the location of a cooling gas channel into a certain device it may be advantageous to arrange the flow 106 in some other way, for example, through the mounting pad, by using a respective lead-through as has been shown in connection of the part 206. Figure 2 discloses the housing part 101 A and the housing part 101B. They do not need to be in the order shown in the example, but the flows 106 and 107 can also be reversed. On the basis of Figure 2, it is obvious for one skilled in the art that the housing parts 101 A and 101B can be on the same side of the mounting pad without deviating essentially from the embodiment example of the invention, even though the combining of the housings may have to be performed in some other way, for ex¬ ample, directly from the one housing to the other, and/or by means of a pipe system passing through the mounting pad. This also applies when, for example, the compo¬ nent to be cooled is located on a structure in form of a circuit card, which can be coupled to a mother card intended to function as the mounting pad by using a ter¬ minal block.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the housing part 101B is truncated to form an interface to the discharge channel 107, unless preliminary cooling is needed for the discharge gas, the cooling gas, which is discharged from the vicinity of the component 203 to be cooled before discharging the gas to the channel 107. In this case, cooling can still be intensified, for example, by means of the walls of the housing part 101B and/or rib/hedgehog elements arranged to it.

On the basis of arrows drawn to Figure 2, the flow in the housing part 101B can also be arranged according to a cyclone principle, in which case the cyclone flow can be used for increasing the heat exchange time and, for example, for removing dust particles from the cooling gas flow. By placing the particle removal device, for example, a cyclone, to the housing part 101B₅ the migration of particle-shaped im¬ purities to the heat exchanger is prevented. It is then obvious for one skilled in the art on the basis of embodiments of the invention to scale a certain cyclone known in itself on the basis of the size estimate of the flow and the particles to be removed, when needed. Although the housing part 101B has been drawn as a box in the fig¬ ure, the drawing method is not intended to limit the shape of the housing part 10 IB angular, nor the shape of the housing part 101 A.

Let it also be noted that the removal of particles can be arranged according to a variant of an embodiment of the invention before and/or after the component 203 to be cooled, even though Figure 2 shows as an example a variation, in which particles are removed after the component to ^"be cooled, unless means possibly in connection of the heat exchanger structure for removing particles are taken into account.

Let it also be noted that the importance of the removal of particles is emphasized in such advantageous embodiments of the invention, in which the circulation of the first fluid is in itself closed, but it leaks a bit. In addition, dust may fall into a tight closed circulation because of certain service measures, if the housing structures are open, for example, during a service shutdown of an industrial plant. In long shut¬ downs the structures may then be exposed to high dust concentrations even for sev¬ eral days in disadvantageous circumstances.

Relating to the embodiments of the invention, Figure 3 discloses a cross-section of a heat exchange arrangement for exchanging heat through the heat exchange surface 302 between the cooling gas and the condensation liquid. The cooling gas is sup¬ plied along the channel 107, for example, from the housing part 10 IB or a similar part to the actuator 304 in output pressure P_out. The actuator 304 comprises a pump or a similar device, for example, a compressor, a task of which is to regulate the flow in the channel 107, on the one hand, but according to an embodiment of the invention also to raise the pressure so that the pressure of the cooling gas used in the part 314 in the heat exchanger arrangement is P₁. In such an embodiment of the in¬ vention, in which pressure is raised, temperature may as such rise in the pressurised (P₁) part 314. However, this can be taken into account in the dimensioning of the area of the surface 302 of the condensation part 309 and/or the flow. In the heat ex¬ changer the cooling gas travels according to the design of the heat exchanger sur¬ face 302 along the surface 302 to efficiently exchange heat from the cooling gas to the condensation liquid.

In Figure 3, the design of the heat exchange surface 302 with its ribs for forming the flow channel has been illustrated by a thicker line. When the gas has cooled, it is di¬ rected through the valve 311, which may be fixed as in the Figure, but also adjust¬ able and/or infinitely variable. When the cooling gas has been cooled in the part 314, the cooling gas discharges through the valve 311 from pressure Pl to pressure P2, which is lower. In this case the cooling gas expands isentropically, while cool¬ ing even more at the same time. Pressurising and expansion steps described accord¬ ing to an embodiment of the invention have been arranged to occur sequentially.

The part 310 has advantageously condensation means for condensing the vapour, for example, water vapour in the cooling gas before it gets into contact with the component to be cooled. At the same time it is possible as a consequence of the cooling that the moisture possibly still remaining in the gas condenses into a parti¬ cle-shaped form so that sufficiently big particles, for example, water drops that are heavier than a certain limit size can be collected by means of the collider 312. The limit size for the aggregating particles is determined on the basis of the geometry of the valve 311, the distance between it and the collider 312, and the pressure differ- ence P2-P1, as is obvious for one skilled in the art on the basis of a known collider as such. Although condensation means have been illustrated in Figure 3 by means of an arrangement relating to the collider 312, it is obvious for one skilled in the art that also other known condensation means can be used for condensing the water. However, the condensation means are advantageously located before the contact of the cooling gas with such electrically conducting surfaces of the component to be cooled, which are significant for the operation of the component to be cooled.

Even though the Figure shows that in an embodiment of the invention the pressure P2 as a lower pressure were in a state connected to the heat exchanger, in one ad¬ vantageous embodiment of the invention the valve 311 is arranged only to the hous¬ ing part 10 IA. In this case it is also preferable to arrange so that either condensation occurs earlier or to also place the collider 312 to the housing part 101 A and simul¬ taneously arrange the discharge of liquid from the parts after the valve before the component to be cooled and/or from the surfaces of the collider 312.

According to a further embodiment of the invention the expansion valve 311 can be replaced/provided with a turbine so that the work performed by the gas when ex¬ panding can be at least partly recovered to be used, for example, as driving force of the compressor either directly as mechanical kinetic energy or converted into elec¬ tricity.

In the heat exchange arrangement in Figure 3 the condensation liquid circulates on another side of the heat exchange surface 302 as the cooling gas to be cooled. Natu¬ rally it has been arranged so that the cooling gas and the condensation liquid cannot get mixed with each other.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the discharge of the condensing wa¬ ter or other liquid discharge can, nevertheless, be arranged from the part on the side of the cooling gas without mixing the condensation liquid and the condensing water to be discharged with each other.

The circulation of the condensation liquid in the condenser part 309 has been illus¬ trated with the channel 306, 308 and the related actuator 307 arranged to maintain the flow of the condensing liquid (illustrated bv arrows^").

According to an embodiment of the invention, the collider 312 has been eliminated from Figure 3 so that the chamber 310 can actually be truncated to form the channel 106 for the cooling gas flow travelling in it, unless the chamber 310 has other means for preventing, for example, the condensation of water to the component to be cooled. When the condensation means are located in the chamber 310, it is formed in accordance with the space needed by the condensation means.

According to yet another embodiment variable the valve 311 does not exist or it has been removed, and pressure P₂ is thus substantially equal to pressure Pl, but higher than the ambient air pressure, according to the pressure regulated by the actuator 304. In this case it is possible to direct the pressurised cooling gas directly to the housing part 101 A by means of the channel 106, when needed, essentially even without a pipe system. This naturally requires that the heated component is in such a device, in which the placing/structure of the components allows this. If not, for example, a pipe from the heat exchanger arrangement is used in directing the cool¬ ing gas in accordance with Figure 3 to the housing part 101 A in Figure 1 for arrang¬ ing the channel 106 and thus for directing the cooling gas flow. Depending on the embodiment, the channel is thus in a pressure, which is determined at least partly according to P2.

According to an embodiment of the invention pressure in the channel 106 has been arranged high, and the gas is allowed to expand only after the channel 106 when looking downstream so that in such an embodiment of the invention the valve 311 is located only after the channel 106.

However, it can especially be observed that in such an arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention, in which a low-pressure blower is arranged to the cooling gas circulation, it is then not necessary to take into account the compression of air as such. In this case the circulation has been arranged to operate principally so that after the blower the cooling gas is cooled by a heat exchanger to be coupled to a manifold related to the circulation of the condensation liquid, the heat exchange be¬ ing performed on the heat exchange surface of the heat exchanger.

Even if the circulation of the cooling gas and the circulation of the condensation liquid have been described above as closed, it is still possible to provide the ex¬ change and/or addition functions of each fluid to them by using, for example, valves, openings and/or porous surfaces. Further it is stated that although the cool¬ ing gas as such is in a closed circulation, it does not have to be completely tight ac¬ cording to an_^embodimentofthejnvention. In this- case it is sufficient that the quan¬ tity of cooling gas needed for the heat exchange is arranged to circulate so that a possible leakage can be compensated by adding cooling gas through the valve. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the actuators 304 and/or 307 in Figure 3 are adjustable on the basis of excitations to be relayed by means of the feedback line 108 of Figure 1. In this case it is possible to influence the circulations for cooling the cooling gas and the circulation speed of the conden¬ sation liquid, and thus the mass flow. Then, for example, 104 illustrates the adjust¬ ing line, the adjustment of which is directed to the flow in the channel 106. In this case, for example, 105 illustrates the adjusting line, the adjustment of which is di¬ rected to the flow in the channel 306, 308.

According to an embodiment of the invention, condensation means can be used in more places than one. According to yet another embodiment of the invention, it can also be arranged so that valves like the valve 311 are found in several points of the circulation. The cooling itself and the point of transaction of the condensation in the cooling process can be changed on the basis of the excitations originating from the temperature and/or other sensors, which are preferably arranged to determine the temperature in the cooling gas flow on the basis of signals obtained from it. In this case also processes relating to different embodiments can be varied and compared with each other (for example between such situations, in which P₁»P₂ (considera¬ bly bigger than), P^P₂ (bigger than), or P₁=P₂ (equal to or substantially equal to) for optimising the heat exchange. The ground for optimisation can then be, for ex¬ ample, the lowest energy consumption and/or cooling power, for example, with the lowest pressure, applied just to the needs of a certain component intended to be cooled in the intended connection of use.

In Figure 3, V₁ refers to a volume, which is with the amount of matter n of gas in temperature T₁ at the same time as the gas pressure is P₁ according to a state equa¬ tion (1) for ideal gas, and when R is the general gas constant. In the respective way, V₂ in Figure 3 refers to a second volume, which would be with the same amount of matter n of gas in temperature T₂ at the same time as the gas pressure is P₂ accord¬ ing to the state equation (1) for ideal gas.

P₁V₁^ nRT₁ (1)

Figure 4 presents an arrangement according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention for realising the control by means of remote control. In this case it is pos¬ sible, for example, to adjust the cooling and/or condensation flow of big heated components and/or heated components situated in a difficult/dangerous place by remote control. According to an embodiment of the invention, the control block 103 can have means 401 for forming a connection via a mobile station 402. The control block 103 can also or alternatively have means for controlling by means of the computer 403 either directly or via a data network 404, for example Internet.

Figure 5 illustrates schematically the power-electronic transducer 501 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The power-electronic transducer 501 has the heated component 203 in the housing 101 according to Figure 2 for cooling the heated component as presented in Figure 1. In this case, the heated component 203 in Figure 5 is, as the component 203 in Figure 2, advantageously placed into the housing part 101 A in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The power- electronic transducer 501 may comprise an electrical drive, an auxiliary drive for this, a frequency converter and/or an inverter.

In the following, the power-electronic transducer refers to such a unit, which is ar¬ ranged to be used in the control of an electric device. The power-electronic trans¬ ducer very often has semiconductor power switches, fuses, resistors, current cou¬ plings, filters, circuit cards and/or other auxiliary devices, for example, transformers needed for converting as such a heated component, which needs to be cooled. These are preferably arranged according to the purpose of use of the power-electronic transducer. There may naturally also be several purposes of use. An example of a power-electronic transducer is a frequency converter. However, one does not wish to be limited to the mere frequency converter in the power-electronic transducer ac¬ cording to an embodiment of the invention.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the power-electronic transducer is a first electric apparatus for adjusting a second electric apparatus, for example, an electric motor or a similar device. The first electric apparatus can be separate, or it can also be integrated into the said second apparatus. The second electric apparatus can be, for example, an electric motor, or an electric part of another motor, for ex¬ ample, a part controlling the ignition of the combustion engine of an aggregate. In light of the example relating to a motor it can be stated that in this case the con¬ trolled variable can be the speed, frequency, moment, place and/or power of the mo¬ tor, which is influenced by controlling the electrical properties of the power- electronic transducer. In this case, the power-electronic transducer also has a com¬ ponent or possible several components, which relating to the changing of the power of the electric apparatus and thus the adjustment of the ^"controlled variable rriay heat extensively, and of which some are then cooled according to an embodiment of the invention. Such components are selected for cooling, which otherwise may cause a malfunction, failure and/or destruction of the transducer device, unless they are cooled. In the embodiment of the invention concerning the use of a power-electronic trans¬ ducer one does, however, not wish to restrict to the use merely in connection of an electric motor. The electric apparatus may also be another, more static device. Let it also be mentioned a second example, in which the power-electronic transducer comprises a mains inverter with a heated component arranged to be cooled in ac¬ cordance with an embodiment of the invention. Power can be supplied to the supply mains by the mains inverter. In this case, the power source can be formed, for ex¬ ample, of an apparatus comprising a generator, an aggregate device combination with a generator, of an accumulator battery, or a fuel cell; in some cases, also of a suitable combination of the above-mentioned for the needs of the supply mains. In this case, for adjusting one of the said power sources, the mains inverter drive may have one of the previously mentioned variables as the controlled variable, but also, for example, idle power, voltage, and/or ripple currents. In this case, an extensively heated component participating actively in the changing and/or adjustment of power in the power-electronic transducer arranged to participate in the adjustment has as such been dimensioned in a way required by the adjustment task, but the component has been arranged to be cooled in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 6 shows a method according to an embodiment of the invention for cooling a heated component, which can be part of a power-electronic transducer or a similar apparatus. The method has the steps, in which a cooling gas flow is directed 601 to the heating surface for cooling the heated component, the said component is cooled 602 by the cooling gas flow, the cooling gas flow is directed 603 to a heat ex¬ changer for cooling the cooling gas in pressure Pl, and the cooled cooling gas is di¬ rected to the vicinity of the heated component to be cooled in pressure P2. In this case, according to an embodiment of the invention, pressure Pl is higher than P2, according to a second embodiment considerably higher than P2. According to a fur¬ ther embodiment of the invention, Pl is substantially equal to P2.

Embodiments of the invention have been described above by way of examples, but without limiting exclusively to any of the disclosed examples. Further, it is obvious for one skilled in the art on the basis of the embodiments of the invention that the disclosed examples relate to the arrangement of the cooling of components in elec¬ tric apparatuses, and not so much to the coolins of mechanical devices.

Claims

1. Arrangement for arranging gas cooling to a heated component by means of a flow, characterised in that for arranging a dry gas cooling for the heated compo¬ nent, the arrangement has condensation means for discharging water and/or other liquid from the cooling gas.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that it has at least partly been realised by a closed circulation.

3. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a guide channel for gas for directing the cooling gas to the heated component.

4. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a cool¬ ing gas housing for the heated component.

5. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises a gas discharge channel for directing the used cooling gas away from the heated compo¬ nent.

6. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises means for arranging an injection flow to a heating surface for cooling the heated compo¬ nent.

7. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the arrangement comprises a heat exchanger for cooling the cooling gas.

8. Arrangement according to claim 7, characterised in that the cooling gas is ar¬ ranged to be pressurised in the heat exchanger.

9. Arrangement according to claim 7, characterised in that the heat exchanger has a first container for a first fluid and a second container for a second fluid, a heat exchange surface being arranged between them for exchanging heat from the said first fluid to the second fluid.

10. Arrangement according to claim 9, characterised in that the said second fluid comprises water or some other liquid, which can be arranged- to be flowing for cool¬ ing the gaseous part of the first fluid.

11. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the condensation means are arranged to perform a reversed Joule process.

12. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the condensation means comprise a discharge channel, a restriction and/or a collider for cooling the first fluid.

13. Arrangement according to claim 12, characterised in that the collider is ar¬ ranged to convert and collect a vapour in the first fluid to a drop and/or solid form.

14. Arrangement according to claim 13, characterised in that the collider is inte¬ grated to the connection of the heat exchanger.

15. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that it is arranged for cooling at least one of the following as the heated component: a semiconductor component, a power switch, a relay, a transformer, a fuse, a resistor, a circuit card, a power source, a current coupling, an electrical filter, and an auxiliary drive.

16. Housing of a heated component characterised in that it has an input channel for a fluid and/or an output channel for flow of the cooling gas, from which gas wa¬ ter and/or other liquid has been discharged by condensation, for cooling of the heated component in its housing by the flow of a dry cooling gas.

17. Housing of a heated component according to claim 16, characterised in that it has a first housing part to be attached to a first side of the mounting pad of the com¬ ponent.

18. Housing of a heated component according to claim 16, characterised in that it has a second housing part to be attached to a second side of the mounting pad of the component.

19. Housing of a heated component according to claim 16, characterised in that it has a sensor arranged to monitor the temperature of the said component and/or a part of the housing.

20. Housing of a heated component according to claim 19, characterised in that the said sensor is part of a feedback circuit.

21. Housing of a heated component according to claim 20, characterised in that the said feedback circuit is. arranged to change the flow of the fluid as a response on the basis of an excitation of the temperature sensor.

22. Housing of a heated component according to claim 20, characterised in that the said fluid is a first fluid, which has a gaseous component and/or a second fluid, which has a liquid component.

23. Housing of a heated component according to claim 16, characterised in that it has fastening means for providing a thermal connection between the said heated component and a part of its housing.

24. Mounting pad for mounting a heated component, characterised in that the mounting pad comprises a flow channel through the mounting pad from its first side to its second side, for cooling of the heated component by a flow of a dry cooling gas, from which gas water and/or other liquid has been discharged by condensation.

25. Mounting pad according to claim 24, which comprises a place for a first hous¬ ing part and/or a second housing part in the area of the mounting pad, character¬ ised in that the said flow channel is arranged in the area of a first housing part and/or a second housing part of the mounting pad.

26. Mounting support according to claim 24, characterised in that it comprises a circuit card or part of it for mounting the heated component.

27. Power-electronic transducer, which has a heated component, characterised in that it is arranged to be cooled by an arrangement according to any of the claims 1 - 15.

28. Power-electronic transducer according to claim 27, characterised in that it comprises at least one of the following: electric drive, frequency converter, and in¬ verter.

29. Method for cooling a heated component, characterised in that for cooling the heating surface of the heated component, the method comprises steps of

- directing a dry cooling gas flow from which gas water and/or other liquid has been discharged by condensation,

- cooling said component by said dry cooling gas,

- directing the flow of the dry cooling gas to a heat exchanger for cooling the dry cooling gas in a certain pressure,

- directing the cooled dry cooling gas to the heated component to be cooled.

30. Method according to claim 29, characterised in that the pressure, in which the cooling gas is arranged to be cooled, is higher than the pressure in the vicinity of the heated component.