Compact design of multilevel power converter systems

• US 10,658,941 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2018
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Dame, Mark, He, Jiangbiao, Zhang, Di
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony M
• Application Number:
  US15/955,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20190319543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 361707, 361602, 361637, 361648, 361611
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/487 Neutral point clamped inverters
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0231 Capacitors or dielectric substances
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/042 Stacked spaced PCBs; Planar parts of folded flexible circuits having mounted components in between or spaced from each other
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10015 Non-printed capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10272 Busbars, i.e. thick metal bars mounted on the printed circuit board [PCB] as high-current conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14329 specially adapted for the configuration of power bus bars
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/209 Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure H05K7/20909 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20909 Forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components

Abstract

In an embodiment, a three-level active neutral-point clamped (ANPC) converter system is provided. The system includes first and second Direct Current (DC)-bus structures that include at least one of a number of DC-bus capacitors on printed circuit boards (PCBs). The PCBs are laminated together with an air gap (e.g., one or more millimeters) in between for a thermal dissipation and an insulation creepage. The three DC-bus terminals include PCBs, and are electrically connected to the three-level power converter, which are typically mounted on a heatsink or a cold plate.

Claims

1. A three-level active neutral-point clamped (ANPC) converter system comprising:

first and second Direct Current (DC)-bus structures comprising at least one of a number of DC-bus capacitors printed circuit boards (PCBs);

the PCBs are laminated together with an air gap in between for a thermal dissipation and an insulation creepage; and

three DC-bus terminals that include the PCBs, and are electrically connected to a three-level power converter, wherein the three-level power converter is mounted on a heatsink or a cold plate, wherein impedance bus bars include a positive bus bar, a neutral bus bar, and a negative bus bar, which are electrically coupled to edges of the PCBs, wherein the air gap is configured to provide airflow for the neutral bus bar.

2. The converter system of claim 1, wherein film capacitors of the first and second DC-bus structures are configured to reduce a parasitic inductance of the PCBs.

3. The converter system of claim 1, wherein the PCBs are configured for a lightweight structure relative to heavy copper PCBs and a parasitic inductance and equivalent series resistance structure.

4. A method to manufacture a three-level active neutral-point clamped (ANPC), comprising:

providing first and second DC-bus structures that are configured to reduce a voltage stress of power components; and

positioning printed circuit boards (PCBs) to be separated by an air gap configured to provide an air flow between the PCBs;

interposing between the first and second DC-bus structures impedance bus bars that comprise at least one of a positive bus bar, a neutral bus bar, or a negative bus bar, which are electrically coupled to edges of the PCBs, wherein the impedance bus bars are configured to reduce a commutation loop inductance, wherein the air gap is configured to provide air flow onto the neutral bus bar to provide air flow for the heat generated by the conducting of high-frequency ripple current.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising coupling parallel connected film capacitors on opposite sides of the PCBs.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the air gap is configured to be interposed between the parallel connected film capacitors.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the first and second DC-bus structures are configured to form a three-level DC-bus structure.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising the AC source is configured to provide electrical power greater than 100 kW.

9. A three-level active neutral-point clamped (ANPC), comprising:

first and second Direct Current (DC)-bus structures comprising at least one of a number of DC-bus capacitors on printed circuit boards (PCBs);

the PCBs are laminated together with an air gap in between for a thermal dissipation and an insulation creepage; and

three DC-bus terminals that include the PCBs, and are electrically connected to a three-level power converter, wherein the three-level power converter is mounted on a heatsink or a cold plate, wherein the air gap is configured to provide air flow for a neutral bus bar and is configured to provide air flow for dissipating the thermal dissipation generated by the conducting of high-frequency ripple current.

10. The ANPC of claim 9, wherein the air gap is one or more millimeters.

11. The ANPC of claim 9, wherein the first and second DC-bus structures are positioned at opposite sides of the neutral bus bar.

12. The ANPC of claim 9, further comprising parallel connected film capacitors on opposite sides of the PCBs.

13. The ANPC of claim 9, wherein the film capacitors are configured to reduce a parasitic inductance of the PCBs.

14. The ANPC of claim 9, wherein the first and second DC-bus structures are configured to reduce a voltage stress.

15. The ANPC of claim 9, wherein the three-level power converter receives electrical power from an AC source that is greater than 100 kW.