Graphite foam for cooling of automotive power electronics

Hybrid and fuel cell vehicles utilize the Si-based IGBT (Integrated Gate Bipolar Transistor) controller which must dissipate about 100 W/cm² heat and maintain a temperature below 125 °C. The application of porous, high thermal conductivity carbon foam, a new class of advanced lightweight material, to the thermal management of this electronic system and the use of micro- and nano-scale thermal measurement methods for analyzing thermal transport in electronics are presented. Development of advanced carbon foam with different pore structure by variation of the foaming pressure is discussed. The use of carbon foam to remove the heat generated in power electronics has been studied in three approaches: 1) forced air convection, 2) water cooled heat exchanger, and 3) evaporative cooling.