Microdrive

• US 20040012983A1
• Filed: 11/02/2001
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: SMC Electricial Products Incorporated (Accton Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Fearing, Oliver, Keister, Lyle T., Nojima, Geraldo
• Granted Patent: US 6,822,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/16
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0266 with separate evaporating and condensing chambers connected by at least one conduit; Loop-type heat pipes; with multiple or common evaporating or condensing chambers F28D15/043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/209 Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure H05K7/20909 takes precedence

Abstract

An AC drive which can be applied to any power using device and in particular is a medium voltage AC drive. In a preferred embodiment, a multilevel AC drive topology is implemented, with the drive including a plurality of inverters and converter electrically coupled through electrical buses and physically coupled through their respective modular bases, and sharing a common cooling system connected to the respective heat exchangers of each component. The AC drive generally is made up of a plurality of inverter modules, which are connected to a converter module, and with each of the above components packaged in a relatively small unit having a cooling apparatus.

Claims

1. A medium voltage AC drive, said drive comprising:

a converter, and

at least one inverter, wherein said at least one inverter comprises;

a heat exchanger,

at least one transistor thermally coupled to said heat exchanger,

at least one capacitor,

a plurality of electrical buses electrically coupling said transistor to said capacitor at contact points respectively located on said transistor and said capacitor, and

an insulation applied to at least one of said electrical buses, covering all of said contact points between said at least one of said electrical buses and said transistor such that said at least one of said electrical buses and said contact points between said transistors and said bus are substantially sealed from atmosphere.

2. The AC drive of claim 1, wherein said electrical buses are aluminum.

3. The AC drive of claim 1, wherein at least two of said electrical buses are in a substantially parallel relationship with each other and have an insulator positioned therebetween.

4. The AC drive of claim 3, wherein each of said parallel buses has flanges extending therefrom to electrically couple said buses to said transistors.

5. The AC drive of claim 4, wherein each of said parallel buses is connected to said transistor such that said parallel buses are at right angles to said transistor.

6. The AC drive of claim 3, wherein said insulator is laminated mica.

7. The AC drive of claim 3, wherein said insulation impregnates at least some of a surface of said insulator so as to remove air from said at least some of said surface.

8. The AC drive of claim 1, wherein said insulation is silicone based.

9. The AC drive of claim 1, wherein said insulation is a RTV silicone.

10. The Ac drive of claim 1, wherein said insulation has a Shore A hardness of approximately 28.

11. The AC drive of claim 1, wherein said insulation covers all of said buses an d all of said contact points between said electrical buses and said transistors such that all of said buses and all of said contact points between said buses and said transistors are substantially sealed from said atmosphere.

12. The AC drive of claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger comprises a planar member to which said transistors are thermally coupled, and wherein said insulation covers substantially all of said planar member.

13. The AC drive of claim 1, wherein said insulation is in a de-gased state.

14. The AC drive of claim 1, further comprising a cooling system passing a cooling medium past said heat exchanger.

15. The AC drive of claim 14, wherein said cooling medium is air.

16. The AC drive of claim 1, wherein said insulation covers all of said buses and all of said contact points such that all of said buses and all of said contact points are substantially sealed from said atmosphere.

17. An inverter assembly for use in an AC drive, said inverter comprising:

a heat exchanger,

a plurality of transistors thermally coupled to said heat exchanger,

a plurality of capacitors, and

a plurality of electrical buses electrically coupling said transistors to said capacitors at contact points respectively located on each of said transistors and said capacitors,

wherein substantially all of said electrical buses and all of said contact points between said electrical buses and said transistors are covered with an insulation such that said substantially all of said electrical buses and said contact points between said transistors and said buses are substantially sealed from an atmosphere.

18. The inverter of claim 17, wherein said electrical buses are aluminum.

19. The inverter of claim 17, wherein at least two of said electrical buses are in a substantially parallel relationship with each other and have an insulator positioned therebetween.

20. The inverter of claim 19, wherein each of said parallel buses has flanges extending therefrom to electrically couple said buses to said transistors.

21. The inverter of claim 20, wherein each of said parallel buses is connected to said transistors such that said parallel buses are at right angles to said transistors.

22. The inverter of claim 19, wherein said insulator is laminated mica.

23. The inverter of claim 19, wherein said insulation impregnates at least some of a surface of said insulator so as to remove air from said at least some of said surface.

24. The inverter of claim 17, wherein said insulation is silicone based.

25. The inverter of claim 17, wherein said insulation is a RTV silicone.

26. The inverter of claim 17, wherein said insulation has a Shore A hardness of approximately 28.

27. The inverter of claim 17, wherein said insulation covers all of said buses and all of said contact points between said electrical buses and said transistors such that all of said buses and all of said contact points between said buses and said transistors are substantially sealed from said atmosphere.

28. The inverter of claim 17, wherein said heat exchanger comprises an evaporator plate to which said transistors are thermally coupled, and wherein said insulation covers substantially all of said evaporator plate.

29. The inverter of claim 17, wherein said insulation is in a de-gased state.

30. The inverter of claim 17, wherein said insulation covers all of said buses and all of said contact points such that all of said buses and all of said contact points are substantially sealed from said atmosphere.