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Grid-forming context
74% of AU's BESS pipeline uses grid-forming inverters (AEMO Q1 2026). Higher harmonic cooling demands than grid-following.
Power Electronics Liquid Cooling · AU Industry Application
IGBT & SiC Power Electronics Liquid Cooling for Australia
IGBT and SiC module cold plates for Australian grid-forming inverters, traction drives, and PCS power electronics. AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 design context-aware. Supports standard module footprints — 62 mm half-bridge, large-footprint dual modules, press-pack and discrete SiC packages — plus custom OEM footprints. Around 74 % of battery projects in the NEM connections pipeline are grid-forming (AEMO, April 2026), generating higher inverter cooling demands than legacy grid-following systems. Cold plates designed, engineered & manufactured at our own IATF 16949-aligned manufacturing facility in Huizhou; AS/NZS support from Carlton VIC.
3–25 kWpower dissipation per module envelope
125 / 150 °CTj limit IGBT / SiC
10–20 kPacold plate ΔP envelope
4–6 weekscold plate prototype lead time
Process & standards glossary (AU engineering reader):
TLP = Transient Liquid Phase diffusion bonding ·
FSW = Friction Stir Welding ·
CAB = Controlled Atmosphere Brazing ·
PPAP = Production Part Approval Process ·
ISO 9001:2015 (quality management) ·
AS/NZS 60068-2-14 ≡ IEC 60068-2-14:2009 (thermal cycling endurance) ·
IEC 62619:2017 (industrial battery safety) ·
AS/NZS 5139:2019 (BESS installation) ·
AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 (grid-connected inverter).
Page reviewed by
ToneCooling Australia Customer Engineering Support Team
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Carlton, VIC
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Last reviewed: 28 September 2026
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About the team →
Solution Snapshot · 4 KPI
Module footprints
Standard + custom
62 mm · dual · press-pack · SiC
AS/NZS scope
4777.2:2020
grid-connected inverter context
Heat-load envelope
200–800 W
per module · custom geometry
Joining methods
4
TLP · vacuum braze · FSW · CAB
Engineering Reference & Standards
What standards and module references apply to Australian power electronics cooling?
ToneCooling Australia supplies liquid cold plates for Australian power electronics programmes. Standard IGBT and SiC module footprints (62 mm half-bridge, large-footprint dual modules, press-pack and discrete SiC packages) and custom OEM footprints. Engineered to Standards Australia AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 (grid-connected inverter) thermal context, and ASHRAE TC 9.9 envelope for adjacent data-centre power electronics.
How should cold plates be designed for grid-forming battery inverters?
Grid-forming is now the default for new Australian grid batteries. AEMO reports that around 74 per cent of battery projects in the NEM connections pipeline are grid-forming (AEMO, April 2026). A grid-forming inverter sets its own voltage and frequency reference and responds to system events in milliseconds, and that changes the thermal duty of its power modules in three ways.
Short high-current events. Fault ride-through and fast frequency response push module current well above its continuous rating for short periods. The cold plate has to keep junction temperature below its limit through these transients, so thermal capacitance close to the module base matters as much as steady-state thermal resistance.
Frequent partial cycling. System strength and reserve services mean the inverter rarely sits idle. Repeated junction temperature swings drive solder and bond-wire fatigue, so we design for a small temperature swing across the module footprint as well as a low peak.
Hot, enclosed installations. Power conversion systems often sit in outdoor enclosures at sites that pass 45 °C in summer. We size channel topology and flow against the coolant supply temperature on the hottest design day, not a laboratory 25 °C.
For each module layout we run CFD on the pressure field and the temperature field, check junction temperature against the 125 °C IGBT or 150 °C SiC limit at the worst-case inlet, and confirm the cold plate’s pressure drop against the pump in the PCS cooling loop.
Which Australian power electronics programmes does ToneCooling support?
Three Australian power electronics programme contexts shape cold plate procurement: grid-forming inverter (PCS for BESS), heavy-EV traction inverter, and major rail traction systems. Each has a different IGBT/SiC module mix, AS/NZS scope, and operating envelope.
Programme · Grid-forming PCS
AEMO ISP / CIS BESS inverter cooling
Grid-forming Power Conversion Systems for Australian grid-scale BESS — IGBT and SiC modules, AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 design-aware, AS/NZS 5139:2019 BESS adjacency.
Programme · Heavy-EV traction
Mining truck · electric bus · marine
Battery-electric haul trucks in the Pilbara and other mining regions, battery-electric bus programmes and marine electrification — traction inverter cold plates.
Programme · Rail traction
Rail traction
Traction converters and auxiliary power supplies for freight and metro rail programmes — standard and custom module footprints, IATF 16949-aligned manufacturing, PPAP Levels 1–5 documentation.
Section 1 of 3
What IGBT/SiC module footprints are supported?
ToneCooling supports standard IGBT and SiC module footprints — 62 mm half-bridge, large-footprint dual modules, press-pack and discrete SiC packages — plus custom footprints for OEM grid-forming inverter and traction drive programmes. Power dissipation envelope per module: 3 kW (low-power inverters) to 25 kW+ (utility-scale grid-forming PCS). Junction temperature limits: Tj ≤ 125 °C for IGBT, ≤ 150 °C for SiC.
| Module package | Application | Power envelope |
|---|---|---|
| Standard IGBT modules (62 mm half-bridge, large-footprint dual, press-pack) | Grid-forming inverter, BESS PCS, solar inverter, industrial drives, EV and rail traction, marine electrification | 3–25 kW per module |
| SiC modules and discrete packages | Premium PCS, high-frequency power conversion | 5–30 kW per module |
| Custom OEM footprints | Custom inverter / drive programmes | Per RFQ |
Section 2 of 3
How does AS/NZS 4777.2 affect cold plate design?
AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 (Grid connection of energy systems via inverters — Inverter requirements) governs grid-connected inverters in Australia. For grid-forming BESS sites — 74% of AU's BESS pipeline per AEMO Q1 2026 — the PCS / inverter cooling requirement scales with inverter power rating. ToneCooling cold plates are design-aware to AS/NZS 4777.2: thermal envelope aligns with IGBT/SiC junction temperature limits, and cold plate documentation supports the licensed AU electrical installer's compliance review.
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Junction temperature
Tj ≤ 125 °C IGBT, ≤ 150 °C SiC. Cold plate thermal envelope sized to maintain margin under worst-case AU summer ambient (50 °C outdoor PCS enclosure).
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Documentation handoff
Cold plate documentation supports AS/NZS 4777.2 installer compliance review. Carlton VIC team coordinates handoff.
Section 3 of 3
What joining process suits power electronics cold plates?
For copper power electronics cold plates, vacuum brazing or TLP diffusion bonding (premium thermal cycling). For aluminium plates serving inverter / PCS applications, friction stir welding (FSW) is the dominant process — same family as Tier-1 automotive traction drive cold plates. Helium leak ≤ 1×10⁻⁹ mbar·L/s, ultrasonic C-scan 100% inspection, AS/NZS 60068-2-14 thermal cycling validation.
| Process | Material | Typical application | Thermal cycling reliability |
|---|---|---|---|
| TLP diffusion bonding | Copper C1100 | Premium IGBT / SiC, high-cycling traction drive | Continuous metallurgical joint, no filler-metal interface |
| Vacuum brazing | Copper C1100 | Standard IGBT / SiC modules, static PCS | Filler-metal interface |
| Friction stir welding (FSW) | Aluminium 6061 / 6063 | Inverter / PCS, traction drive (Tier-1 auto) | Robotic FSW, automotive-grade |
| Skive-and-bond fin | Copper / aluminium | Cost-optimised low-power IGBT modules | Volume-scalable |
FAQ
What IGBT/SiC module footprints are supported?
Standard footprints: 62 mm half-bridge, large-footprint dual modules, press-pack and discrete SiC packages, plus custom OEM footprints. 3–25 kW per module envelope. Tj ≤ 125 °C IGBT / ≤ 150 °C SiC.
How does AS/NZS 4777.2 affect cold plate design?
AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 governs grid-connected inverters in AU. ToneCooling cold plates are design-aware: thermal envelope aligns with IGBT/SiC junction temperature limits; documentation supports the licensed AU electrical installer's compliance review.
What joining process suits power electronics cold plates?
Copper: vacuum brazing or TLP diffusion bonding (premium thermal cycling). Aluminium: friction stir welding (FSW), Tier-1 automotive grade. All validated to helium leak ≤ 1×10⁻⁹ mbar·L/s, 100% ultrasonic C-scan, AS/NZS 60068-2-14 thermal cycling.
What changes when a battery inverter is grid-forming?
The power modules see short high-current events during fault ride-through and fast frequency response, and more frequent partial cycling. The cold plate must hold junction temperature through transients and keep temperature swings small to limit fatigue, not just meet a steady-state rating.
Do you supply power electronics cold plates to New Zealand?
Yes. ToneCooling Australia Pty Ltd supplies New Zealand inverter, PCS and traction projects, with engineering support from Carlton, Victoria. Liquid cooling for New Zealand →
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View product → RESOURCEAS/NZS Standards Reference
24+ standards mapped — AS/NZS 4777.2 PCS / inverter context for grid-forming BESS.
View reference → CAPABILITYValidation & Qualification
Helium leak ≤ 1×10−&sup9; mbar·L/s, ultrasonic C-scan, AS/NZS 60068-2-14 thermal cycling.
View capability → CAPABILITYAS/NZS Compliance Support
AS/NZS 4777.2 design-aware documentation for grid-connected inverter programmes.
View capability →Send your power electronics cold plate brief
Module footprint, Tj envelope, target ΔP, AS/NZS 4777.2 context, programme volume — reviewed by an engineer, with technical review by Huizhou, and answered by email with next steps.
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