Power Inverter

• US 20080225487A1
• Filed: 01/25/2008
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: NAKAJIMA, Kenichiro, Hamada, Haruki, Homma, Hideki, Yahata, Koichi, Suziki, Hideyo
• Granted Patent: US 7,719,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/699
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48139 with an intermediate bond, e.g. continuous wire daisy chain
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48472 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area also being a wedge bond, i.e. wedge-to-wedge
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49111 the connectors connecting two common bonding areas, e.g. Litz or braid wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13055 Insulated gate bipolar transistor [IGBT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19107 off-chip wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

The power inverter includes: a case made of a metal; a first power module provided in the case and including a DC terminal and an AC terminal; a second power module provided in the case and including a DC terminal and an AC terminal; and a cooling formation body for decreasing heat generated from the first and second power modules. The first and second power modules are disposed in a manner such that the DC terminals face each other.

Claims

1. A power inverter comprising:

a housing made of metal and used for parts of said power inverter;

a first power module which includes plural first semiconductor chips, a first DC (Direct Current) terminal and a first AC (Alternate Current) terminal, and that is housed in the housing;

a first power module which includes plural second semiconductor chips, a second DC (Direct Current) terminal and a second AC (Alternate Current) terminal, and that is housed in the housing; and

a cooling section for cooling heat generated from the first and second power modules,

wherein the first and second power modules are arranged such that the first and second DC terminals face each other.

2. The power inverter according to claim 1,

wherein the first DC terminal comprises a first positive electrode terminal and a first negative electrode terminal,

wherein the second DC terminal comprises a second positive electrode terminal and a second negative electrode terminal, and

wherein a distance between the first and second positive electrode terminals is shorter than a distance between the first positive electrode terminal and the second negative electrode terminal.

3. The power inverter according to claim 2,

wherein each of the first positive electrode terminal, the first negative electrode terminal, the second positive electrode terminal, and the second negative electrode terminal is plural,

the plural first positive electrode terminals and the plural first negative electrode terminals are alternately arranged, and

the plural second positive electrode terminals and the plural second negative electrode terminals are alternately arranged.

4. The power inverter according to claim 3,

wherein the first and second positive electrode terminals are electrically connected to each other via a first junction, and

the first and second negative electrode terminals are electrically connected to each other via a second junction.

5. The power inverter according to claim 1,

wherein the first and second power modules are arranged in parallel or approximately parallel with each other.

6. The power inverter according to claim 5,

wherein the first and second power modules are arranged on a same or approximately same plane.

7. The power inverter according to claim 1,

wherein each of the first and second power modules have a first and second long sides opposite to each other;

the first DC terminal is arranged on the first long side of the first power module;

the first AC terminal is arranged on the second long side;

the second DC terminal is arranged on the first long side of the second power module; and

the second AC terminal is arranged on the second long side of the second power module.

8. The power inverter according to claim 1, further comprising a first capacitor module and a second capacitor module electrically connected to the first DC terminal of the first power module and the second DC terminal of the second power module, respectively.

9. The power inverter according to claim 8,

wherein the first capacitor module is set above the first power module, and the second capacitor module is set above the second power module.

10. The power inverter according to claim 8,

wherein the first capacitor module has a first electrode for electric connection to the first DC terminal,

the second capacitor module has a second electrode for electric connection to the second DC terminal,

the first electrode is a first laminate in which two metal plates are laminated via a first insulating layer, and

the second electrode is a second laminate in which two metal plates are laminated via a second insulating layer.

11. The power inverter according to claim 10,

wherein each of the first laminate of the first capacitor module and the second laminate of the second capacitor module has a partial curvature portion.

12. The power inverter according to claim 10,

wherein the first capacitor module is set such that the first laminate is positioned close to the center of the housing, and

the second capacitor module is arranged such that the second laminate is positioned close to the center of the housing.

13. The power inverter according to claim 1,

wherein the first DC terminal of the first power module and the second DC terminal of the second power module are positioned between the first and second semiconductor chips.

14. The power inverter according to claim 13,

wherein the first and second DC terminals are positioned in the vicinity of the center of the housing, and

the first and second AC terminals are positioned in the vicinity of the center of the housing.

15. The power inverter according to claim 14,

wherein one side of the housing has a first external connection terminal for connection to an external first rotating electric machine and a second external connection terminal for connection to an external second rotating electric machine.