Power Conversion Apparatus and Power Module

• US 20100097765A1
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishikimi, Fusanori, Horiuchi, Keisuke, Yukita, Atsushi, Suzuki, Hideyo
• Granted Patent: US 7,965,510 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/699
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/405 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0603 Bonding areas having different sizes, e.g. different heights or widths
• 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 2924/13055 Insulated gate bipolar transistor [IGBT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

Disclosed are a power conversion apparatus and a power module that can be downsized. Four corners of a power module are fastened to a cooling jacket from its front surface by a front surface side fastening apparatus. Thereafter, a top and a bottom of the housing are reversed, and nuts are screwed with bolts projecting from the rear face of the cooling jacket to fasten the power module. That is, on the top surface of the cooling jacket facing the bolts are arranged an AC terminal of the power module, a DC positive electrode terminal connection portion, and a DC negative electrode terminal. Accordingly, the power module can be downsized.

Claims

1. A power conversion apparatus, comprising:

a housing having a cooling jacket;

a power module having a semiconductor circuit performing power conversion between DC power and AC power, mounted on a surface thereof, and a radiator disposed on a rear surface; and

a fastening device for fixing the power module to the cooling jacket, the fastening device including a front surface side fastening part that fastens the power module to the cooling jacket by fastening operation from the front surface side of the power module, and a rear surface side fastening part that fastens the power module to the cooling jacket by fastening operation from the rear surface side of the power module,

wherein on a front surface area of the power module facing the rear surface side fastening part is arranged at least one of configuration parts of the power module.

2. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the cooling jacket has a coolant flow passage, and an opening for performing thermal exchange between the radiator and the cooling liquid,

wherein the opening is sealed by the power module, and

wherein the radiator is exposed to the flow passage through the opening.

3. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the power module includes a metal base, the semiconductor circuit is mounted on the front surface of the metal base, and a radiation fin being the radiator is projected from the rear surface, and

wherein the rear surface side fastening part is arranged to fasten the metal base to the cooling jacket around the semiconductor circuit, and

wherein the configuration parts of the power module are arranged around the semiconductor circuit.

4. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the power module includes a metal base, the semiconductor circuit is mounted on the front surface of the metal base, and a radiation fin being the radiator is projected from the rear surface, and

wherein the rear surface side fastening part is arranged to fasten the metal base to the cooling jacket around the semiconductor circuit, and

wherein the power module configuration parts are arranged in the peripheral edge of the power module.

5. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the opening is closed by the metal base,

wherein the front surface side fastening part comprises a bolt, or a bolt and a nut which fix the metal base to the cooling jacket by fastening operation from a front surface side of the power module;

and

wherein the rear surface side fastening part comprises a bolt, or a bolt and nut which fix the metal base to the cooling jacket by fastening operation from the rear surface side.

6. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the rear surface side fastening part comprises a plurality of bolts each having a screw portion projected from the rear surface of the metal base, and prevented from rotation, and nuts screwed with the plurality of bolts at the rear surface side of the power module.

7. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the metal base has a engagement portion engaged with the head of the bolts to prevent the rotation of the bolts.

8. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the power module further includes a case member disposed to surround the semiconductor circuit in the peripheral edge of the metal base, and

wherein the case member is equipped with an engage portion engaged with the head of the bolt.

9. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the configuration part of the power module is a case member disposed to surround the semiconductor circuit.

10. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein a top surface of the case member is equipped with an input/output terminal electrode.

11. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the input/output terminal is an AC power and DC power terminal.

12. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the cooling jacket is disposed in the middle of the housing, a substrate having a circuit for controlling the semiconductor circuit mounted is disposed in a space above the housing with the cooling jacket sandwiched therebetween, and a smoothing capacitor for smoothing a DC component supplied to the semiconductor circuit is located in a space lower the housing with the cooling jacket sandwiched therebetween.

13. A power module, comprising:

a semiconductor circuit having an inverter circuit for performing power conversion between DC power and AC power;

a metalbase having a switching element of the inverter circuit mounted on the front surface, and a radiator disposed on a rear surface;

a case member disposed to surround the semiconductor circuit in the peripheral edge of the metal base;

at least one terminal of the input/output terminal disposed on the top surface of the case member; and

a rear surface side fastening part disposed on the rear surface of the metal base in order to fasten the metal base to the housing from the rear surface side.