Power Conversion Apparatus and Electric Vehicle

• US 20100025126A1
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: NAKATSU, Kinya, SUSUKI, Hideyo, SATOU, Toshiya, NISHIKIMI, Fusanori, MATSUO, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,240,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/00 Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle with power supply from force of nature, e.g. sun or wind, B60L8/00; for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• 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 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1305 Bipolar Junction Transistor [BJT]
• 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: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0026 provided with connectors and printed circuit boards [PCB], e.g. automotive electronic control units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/02 Arrangements of circuit components or wiring on supporting structure
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1432 specially adapted for power drive units or power converters
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14322 wherein the control and power circuits of a power converter are arranged within the same casing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14329 specially adapted for the configuration of power bus bars
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20 Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating
• 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 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

The metallic case of a power conversion apparatus includes a casing having a side wall, as well as an upper case and a lower case, a first area being formed between a cooling jacket provided at the inner periphery of the side wall and the lower case, the metal base plate dividing the first area between the cooling jacket and the upper case into a lower side second area and an upper side third area, first and second power modules being fastened to a top surface and a capacitor module being provided in the first area, driving circuits that drive inverter circuits of the power modules respectively being provided in the second area, and a control circuit that controls the driver circuits being provided in the third area.

Claims

1. A power conversion apparatus, comprising:

a metal casing having a side wall, as well as an upper cover and a lower cover;

a cooling jacket having a cooling water path and being provided at the side wall to form a first area between the lower cover and itself;

a metal plate fastened to the side wall and used to divide an area between the cooling jacket and the upper cover into a lower side second area and an upper side third area;

a first power module and a second power module, each of which is fastened to a second area side surface of the cooling jacket and having a built-in inverter circuit;

a capacitor unit provided in the first area and having a plurality of capacitors;

a first substrate provided in the second area and having first and second driving circuits used to drive the inverter circuits of the first and second power modules respectively; and

a second substrate provided in the third area and having a control circuit used to control the first and second driving circuits.

2. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising;

a third power module fastened to the first area side surface of the cooling jacket and having a built-in 3-phase output type inverter circuit; and

a third substrate provided in the first area and having a third driving circuit used to drive the inverter circuit of the third power module,

wherein the control circuit controls each of the first to third driving circuits.

3. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the lower cover is fastened to the cooling jacket, and wherein the capacitor unit is fastened to the lower cover.

4. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first substrate is fastened to a second area side surface of the metal plate and the second substrate is fastened to a third area side surface of the metal plate.

5. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein a heat releasing part is disposed between one of the first and second substrates and the metal plate.

6. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein parts of each power supply circuit, elements of a driving semiconductor, and elements of a computing semiconductor are disposed so that parts of the power supply circuit and elements of the driving semiconductor element included the second driving circuit and disposed on the first substrate are prevented from facing parts of another power supply circuit and elements of another computing semiconductor included in the control circuit and disposed on the second substrate by the metal plate disposed between the first and second substrates.

7. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a heat releasing plate that is in contact with the cooling jacket thermally is disposed between each of the first and second power modules and the first substrate;

and

wherein a heat releasing part is disposed between the heat releasing plate and the first substrate.

8. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a power input terminal to the capacitor unit and an output terminal of the third power module are provided on an outer peripheral surface of the side wall that surrounds the first area;

and

wherein an inlet and an outlet of the cooling water path, as well as output terminals of the first and second power modules are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the side wall that surrounds the second area.

9. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a signal cable used for the connection between the second substrate and a connection part provided at the side wall;

an opening through which the signal cable passes; and

a guide part that guides the signal cable extended up to around an inner peripheral surface of the side wall from the metal plate and inserted in the opening from the third area toward the connection part.

10. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a connector that includes a coupling part provided on an outer peripheral surface of the side wall that surrounds the second area and a plurality of lead terminals held by the coupling part, passing through an opening formed in the metal plate, bent upward so as to be protruded into the third area, and used to supply an electric signal and a power received from external to the second substrate; and

a plurality of engagement parts provided on the second substrate and to be engaged with the lead terminals to be inserted respectively when the second substrate is fastened to the metal plate.

11. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a connector fastened to the substrate and used to supply an electric signal and a power received from external to the substrate, wherein the connector includes;

a plurality of lead terminals, each of which having one end soldered to the substrate and protruded into the second area through the opening of the metal plate, then bent like the L-letter toward the side wall; and

a coupling part that holds the other end of each of the plurality of lead terminals and is disposed on an outer peripheral surface of the side wall.

12. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a flange is formed at an outer circumferential part of the upper cover and another flange is formed on the top of the side wall so that both flanges face each other;

and

wherein the upper cover flange and the side wall flange make a pair so as to hold the outer circumferential part of the metal plate therebetween.

13. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a liquid type sealing material applied to the coupling part between the upper cover and the lower cover and a preventive part that prevents the liquid type sealing material from overflowing into the first to third areas and from sticking to the parts and components in the first to third areas.

14. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein an opening is formed in each area in which the metal plate and the second substrate face each other;

and

wherein some of the parts mounted on the first substrate are protruded into the third area through the metal plate and the opening formed in the second substrate, respectively.

15. An electric vehicle comprising:

a power conversion apparatus according to claim 1;

a first motor generator driven by the first power module; and

a second motor module driven by the second power module.