Patent ID: 7481072

Claim:
A cooling arrangement for cooling an inverter circuit which provides current to an electric traction motor for driving at least one traction wheel of an automotive vehicle, the arrangement comprising: a housing compartment with a space containing the components of the inverter circuit; a fresh coolant fluid inlet opening and a used coolant fluid outlet opening communicating with the space containing the components of the inverter circuit; a dielectric liquid coolant; a cooling fluid dispenser for spraying the dielectric liquid coolant while in a liquid phase into the space and onto the components of the inverter circuit; a reservoir for collecting overspray of the dielectric fluid which has remained in the liquid phase after spraying onto the inverter circuit, the reservoir cooling the liquid for subsequent recycling over power electronics; a condenser for liquefying dielectric coolant which has converted from the liquid phase to a vapor phase upon absorbing sufficient heat from the components of the inverter circuit to change phase; and a pump for cycling the dielectric coolant while primarily in the liquid phase from the reservoir and the condenser to the cooling fluid dispenser for cooling the components of the inverter circuit.