The 3rd IEEE International Power Electronics and Application Symposium

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Researcher Lin Ruan

Prof. Lin Ruan
The Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Title：Research Progress on the Application of Phase Change-Cooling Technology in Flexible DC Converter Valves

Abstract

With the continuous increase in capacity of Flexible DC Converter Valves, power devices face severe heating challenges. High temperatures and cyclic thermal stress fluctuations have become the core factors affecting device reliability. Currently, all in-service converter valves adopt water cooling technology, which, while featuring high technology maturity and excellent cooling performance, inherently suffers from drawbacks such as water conductivity, corrosivity, and system high maintenance complexity. To overcome this technical bottleneck, A pump-free self-circulating phase-change cooling valve segment prototype based on CRRC's 4.5kV/2000A press-pack power devices is demonstrated. By taking advantage of the highly efficient heat transfer characteristics of gas-liquid phase-change processes, the cooling efficiency and operational safety of converter valves is significantly enhanced.

Test results show that the prototype maintains a maximum radiator surface temperature below 65°C at its rated operating condition. Under harsh operating conditions with an inlet water temperature of 40°C and load fluctuations ranging from 0.2P.U. to 1.0P.U., its temperature fluctuation amplitude is reduced by up to 44% compared to traditional water-cooling solutions, effectively suppressing temperature fluctuations in power switching devices. Additionally, the phase-change cooling technology can reduce energy consumption of cooling system by more than 20% compared to water-cooling systems of equivalent scale. This technological breakthrough not only addresses the conductivity and corrosion risks of cooling water but also provides a new solution for the high efficiency, compact and safety design of high-voltage, high-capacity converter valves.

Biography

Prof. Ruan is a researcher at the Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), a doctoral supervisor, and a professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 2012 and 2018, she served as a senior visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge and Queen Mary University of London, respectively. In 2018, she initiated the establishment of the specialized Committee of the Cooling technology for Clean Energy Equipment under the China Society for Hydropower Engineering (CSHE)and was appointed as its secretary-general.

She has long been engaged in fundamental and applied research on phase-change cooling technology for electrical equipment，power electronic equipment an IT devices, as well as equipment development. She has authored or co-authored over 50 research papers as the first or corresponding author and holds more than 60 invention patents. She was a recipient of the CAS K.C. Wong Education Foundation "Outstanding Female Scientist" Award in 2011 and China-UK Leaders in Innovation Fellowships, jointly awarded by the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the UK Royal Academy of Engineering in 2016 and some other Provincial- and ministerial-level awards.

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