VEHICLE INVERTER ASSEMBLY WITH COOLING CHANNELS

• US 20090021971A1
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: TRIANTOS, Konstantinos, SELOGIE, Mark L., KORICH, Mark D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,710,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/141
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

An inverter assembly for a vehicle includes a housing, a first inverter, and a second inverter. The housing comprises a plurality of walls. The plurality of walls form an inlet for cooling fluid to enter the housing, an outlet for the cooling fluid to exit the housing, and a channel, and a channel for the cooling fluid to flow therebetween. The first inverter is disposed within the housing proximate the channel, and is configured to be cooled by the cooling fluid flowing through the channel. The second inverter is also disposed within the housing proximate the channel, and is also configured to be cooled by the cooling fluid flowing through the channel.

Claims

1. An inverter assembly for a vehicle, the inverter assembly comprising:

a housing comprising a plurality of walls forming an inlet for cooling fluid to enter the housing, an outlet for the cooling fluid to exit the housing, and a channel for the cooling fluid to flow therebetween;

a first inverter disposed within the housing proximate the channel and configured to be cooled by the cooling fluid flowing through the channel; and

a second inverter disposed within the housing proximate the channel and configured to be cooled by the cooling fluid flowing through the channel.

2. The inverter assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of walls form a plurality of exterior surfaces of the housing, each of the plurality of exterior surfaces being at least substantially flat.

3. The inverter assembly of claim 1, wherein the inlet and the outlet are formed at least partially within a first wall of the plurality of walls.

4. The inverter assembly of claim 3, wherein the first and second inverters are disposed within a first portion of the housing proximate a second wall of the plurality of walls.

5. The inverter assembly of claim 4, further comprising:

a first connector coupled to the first inverter; and

a second connector coupled to the second inverter.

6. The inverter assembly of claim 5, wherein the first and second connectors are housed along the second wall.

7. The inverter assembly of claim 4, further comprising:

a third inverter disposed within the housing proximate the channel and configured to be cooled by the cooling fluid flowing through the channel.

8. The inverter assembly of claim 7, wherein the third inverter is disposed within a second portion of the housing that is proximate a third wall of the plurality of walls, the third wall being adjacent to the second wall.

9. The inverter assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

an EMI filtering device housed within the housing proximate the channel and configured to be cooled by the cooling fluid flowing through the channel.

10. An inverter assembly for a vehicle, the inverter assembly comprising:

a housing having a first side wall, a second side wall, a first end wall, a second end wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall, the first end wall having an inlet for cooling fluid to enter the housing and an outlet for the cooling fluid to exit the housing, and wherein a channel for cooling fluid to flow therethrough extends between the inlet and the outlet;

a first inverter disposed within the housing proximate the channel and configured to be cooled by the cooling fluid flowing through the channel;

a second inverter disposed within the housing proximate the channel and configured to be cooled by the cooling fluid flowing through the channel; and

a third inverter disposed within the housing proximate the channel and configured to be cooled by the cooling fluid flowing through the channel.

11. The inverter assembly of claim 10, wherein the first side wall, the second side wall, the first end wall, the second end wall, the top wall, and the bottom wall form a plurality of exterior surfaces of the housing, each of the plurality of exterior surfaces being at least substantially flat.

12. The inverter assembly of claim 11, wherein the first and second inverters are disposed within a first portion of the housing proximate the top wall.

13. The inverter assembly of claim 12, further comprising:

a first connector housed along the top wall and coupled to the first inverter; and

a second connector housed along the top wall and coupled to the second inverter.

14. The inverter assembly of claim 13, wherein the third inverter is disposed within a second portion of the housing that is proximate the second end wall.

15. An inverter assembly for a vehicle, the inverter assembly comprising:

a housing comprising a plurality of walls;

a first inverter disposed within a first portion of the housing that is proximate a first wall of the plurality of walls;

a second inverter disposed within the first portion of the housing; and

a third inverter disposed within a second portion of the housing that is proximate a second wall of the plurality of walls.

16. The inverter assembly of claim 15, wherein the first wall is adjacent to the second wall.

17. The inverter assembly of claim 16, wherein:

the plurality of walls form an inlet for cooling fluid to enter the housing, an outlet for the cooling fluid to exit the housing, and a channel for the cooling fluid to flow therebetween; and

the first, second, and third inverters are configured to be cooled by the cooling fluid flowing through the channel.

18. The inverter assembly of claim 17, wherein the inlet is formed at least partially within a third wall of the plurality of walls.

19. The inverter assembly of claim 18, further comprising:

a first connector disposed along the second wall and coupled to the first inverter; and

a second connector disposed along the second wall and coupled to the second inverter.

20. The inverter assembly of claim 16, wherein the plurality of walls form a plurality of exterior surfaces of the housing, each of the plurality of exterior surfaces being at least substantially flat.