Power module with heat exchange
First Claim
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1. A power module, comprising:
- a housing of electrically insulative material, the housing comprising an interior and an exterior;
a first plurality of heat exchange members coupled to the housing;
a second plurality of heat exchange members coupled to the housing and electrically isolated from the first plurality of heat exchange members;
a first substrate of electrically and thermally conductive material received in the interior of the housing and thermally coupled to the first plurality of heat exchange members without any intervening thermally insulative structures;
a second substrate of electrically and thermally conductive material received in the interior of the housing and thermally coupled to the second plurality of heat exchange members without any intervening thermally insulative structures, the second substrate electrically isolated from the first substrate;
a first set of semiconductor devices each comprising at least a first terminal and a second terminal, each of the semiconductor devices of the first set surface mounted to the first substrate to electrically couple the first terminal of the semiconductor device to the first substrate and to thermally couple the semiconductor devices to the first plurality of heat exchange members via the first substrate; and
a second set of semiconductor devices each comprising at least a first terminal and a second terminal, each of the semiconductor devices of the second set surface mounted to the second substrate to electrically couple the first terminal of the semiconductor device to the second substrate and to thermally couple the semiconductor devices to the second plurality of heat exchange members via the second substrate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A power module comprises first and second substrates carrying semiconductor devices and coupled to respective pluralities of heat exchange members without intervening thermally insulative structures. One or more heat exchange loops circulate a heat exchange medium thermally coupled to the heat exchange members. Substrates may function as integral bus bars.
113 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A power module, comprising:
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a housing of electrically insulative material, the housing comprising an interior and an exterior;
a first plurality of heat exchange members coupled to the housing;
a second plurality of heat exchange members coupled to the housing and electrically isolated from the first plurality of heat exchange members;
a first substrate of electrically and thermally conductive material received in the interior of the housing and thermally coupled to the first plurality of heat exchange members without any intervening thermally insulative structures;
a second substrate of electrically and thermally conductive material received in the interior of the housing and thermally coupled to the second plurality of heat exchange members without any intervening thermally insulative structures, the second substrate electrically isolated from the first substrate;
a first set of semiconductor devices each comprising at least a first terminal and a second terminal, each of the semiconductor devices of the first set surface mounted to the first substrate to electrically couple the first terminal of the semiconductor device to the first substrate and to thermally couple the semiconductor devices to the first plurality of heat exchange members via the first substrate; and
a second set of semiconductor devices each comprising at least a first terminal and a second terminal, each of the semiconductor devices of the second set surface mounted to the second substrate to electrically couple the first terminal of the semiconductor device to the second substrate and to thermally couple the semiconductor devices to the second plurality of heat exchange members via the second substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A power module, comprising:
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a housing of electrically insulative material, the housing comprising an interior and an exterior;
a first plurality of heat exchange members coupled to the housing;
a second plurality of heat exchange members coupled to the housing and electrically isolated from the first plurality of heat exchange members;
a first substrate of electrically and thermally conductive material received in the interior of the housing and thermally coupled to the first plurality of heat exchange members without any intervening thermally insulative structures;
a second substrate of electrically and thermally conductive material received in the interior of the housing and thermally coupled to the second plurality of heat exchange members without any intervening thermally insulative structures, the second substrate electrically isolated from the first substrate;
a third substrate received in the housing and electrically isolated from the first substrate, the third substrate electrically coupled to the second substrate via at least one wire bond;
a first set of semiconductor devices comprising at least one transistor and at least one diode, each of the semiconductor devices of the first set surface mounted to the first substrate to electrically couple a first terminal of the semiconductor device to the first substrate and to thermally couple the semiconductor devices to the first plurality of heat exchange members via the first substrate, wherein a second terminal of the semiconductor devices of the first set of semiconductor devices is electrically coupled to the second substrate; and
a second set of semiconductor devices comprising at least one transistor and at least one diode, each of the semiconductor devices of the second set surface mounted to the second substrate to electrically couple a first terminal of the semiconductor device to the second substrate and to thermally couple the semiconductor devices to the second plurality of heat exchange members via the second substrate, wherein a second terminal of the semiconductor devices of the second set of semiconductor devices is electrically coupled to the third substrate, the first and the second set of semiconductor devices forming a half bridge inverter. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A power module, comprising:
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a housing;
a first heat exchange loop;
a first set of semiconductor devices comprising at least a first transistor and at least a first diode;
a second set of semiconductor devices comprising at least a first transistor and a first diode, the first and the second sets of semiconductor devices electrically coupled as a half bridge inverter;
first means for thermally coupling the first set of semiconductor devices to the first heat exchange loop without any intervening thermally insulative structures;
second means for thermally coupling the second set of semiconductor devices to the first heat exchange loop without any intervening thermally insulative structures, the second means electrically isolated from the first means. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A power module, comprising:
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a housing of electrically insulative material, the housing comprising an interior and an exterior;
a first substrate of electrically and thermally conductive material received in the interior of the housing, the first substrate comprising a coupling structure to selectively electrically couple to a first pole of an external DC device located in the exterior;
a second substrate of electrically and thermally conductive material received in the interior of the housing and electrically isolated from the first substrate;
a third substrate received in the housing and electrically isolated from the first substrate, the third substrate electrically coupled to the second substrate via at least one wire bond, the third substrate comprising a coupling structure to selectively electrically couple to a second pole of the external DC device;
a first set of semiconductor devices comprising at least one transistor and at least one diode, each of the semiconductor devices of the first set surface mounted to the first substrate to electrically couple a first terminal of the semiconductor device to the first substrate and to thermally couple the semiconductor devices to the first substrate, wherein a second terminal of the semiconductor devices of the first set of semiconductor devices is electrically coupled to the second substrate; and
a second set of semiconductor devices comprising at least one transistor and at least one diode, each of the semiconductor devices of the second set surface mounted to the second substrate to electrically couple a first terminal of the semiconductor device to the second substrate and to thermally couple the semiconductor devices to the second substrate, wherein a second terminal of the semiconductor devices of the second set of semiconductor devices is electrically coupled to the third substrate, the first and the second set of semiconductor devices forming a half bridge inverter. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification