jessjess (asker) Dec 26, 2017:

Hi Tony,
Thank you very much!
I followed your advice, checked the hits on google, watched the youtube video with the actual item and found the term by browsing with all this information: water cooling block. It also corresponds to the pictures I also found on the site of the electric clamp manufacturer: https://www.arcel.fr/fr/144-plaques-a-eau.
Thank you very much to all!
Have a nice day

Tony M Dec 26, 2017:

@ Asker OK, thanks, that already helps a lot!
In your second picture, we can see that each 'boîte à eau' has what look like 2 yellow 'pîpes' going to it... logically, this would probably be the cooling water in/out — you can see that they seem to be cascaded in alternating pairs.
I have indeed come across 'water box' in some contexts, but I'm not sure if that would quite apply here, as it seems to be an even more specialized usage. But it might be one avenue for further research for you...

Try Googling: "water box" semiconductor cooling — I see that one of the first images that comes up looks remarkably like your pictures!

jessjess (asker) Dec 26, 2017:

Hi Tony,
Yes it is a high-power rectifier.
I don't have any references to the cooling system, I only have separate chapters on the components semi-conducteur, résistance snubber, fusible de puissance... mainly describing instructions for replacing or checking for defects... The only other picture I have is here http://hpics.li/073c5f6

Tony M Dec 26, 2017:

@ Asker Have you got any other clues at all from the rest of your wider context? Without more information from you, it's hard to be sure of anything, but I'm GUESSing this is a very high power rectifier, isn't it? And if so, it is likely it is being water-cooled here — do you have any other references to any form of water-cooling system, removing pipework, etc.? This information would make it a great deal easier to give you meaningful help!