Operation Characteristics of a MOS Controlled Thyristor (MCT) Using a Liquid Cooling Approach

This paper describes the potential of indirect liquid cooling to remove the waste heat generated while a MOS controlled thyristor (MCT) is operating at various power levels and switching frequencies. An MCT is mounted on a copper heat exchanger which is capable of removing up to 50 W of heat while maintaining the case temperature of the MCT below 50°C. At low switching frequencies, the MCT operates as expected at an applied voltage of 90 and 270 V. However, at 270 V, the device fails after a few minutes of continuous operation when the switching frequency is increased to 10 kHz.