Introduction to Electrical Power and Power Electronics

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17

Power Converter Cooling

The power rating of equipment, electrical or mechanical, is the maximum continu-

ous output power it can deliver while keeping the steady-state operating temperature

below the allowable limit in normal use. The cooling is, therefore, an integral part of

the equipment design for limiting the temperature rise under rated load. The heat is

generated inside the equipment by internal power loss, which must be carried outside

and eventually dissipated in the ambient air. We recall that higher-than-rated operat-

ing temperature signicantly reduces the equipment life. The 10°C rule for half-life

for electrical power equipmen ...