Morningstar Corporation received a U.S. patent for its method of assembling power components to thermal heat sinks. This proprietary technology was recently developed by Morningstar and used for the first time in the company’s new TriStar solar controller. The patent has numerous potential applications in the field of power electronics. It involves a specialized methodology for maximizing contact between field effect transistors (FETs) and a heat sink, resulting in improved heat dissipation within a smaller configuration, according to Morningstar. Other benefits include reduced assembly costs and easier troubleshooting and repairs. Morningstar developed this technology in response to the difficult design challenges of its new TriStar solar controller. The TriStar required power dissipation of up to 4kW in 45ýC ambient temperatures, constrained mechanical specs to enable mounting on commonly used power panels, and a very limited cost budget. Morningstar engineers met all of these requirements by employing this new FET contact design for which it received the patent.
