ELECTRICAL APPARATUS, COOLING SYSTEM THEREFOR, AND ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20100139997A1
• Filed: 01/08/2010
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: SAITO, Ryuichi, NAKAMURA, Takayoshi, TAMBA, Akihiro, NISHIHARA, Atsuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,983,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00392 for electric vehicles having only electric drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00428 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/007 Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

An inverter apparatus includes a liquid path in which cooling water flows, and in which the cooling water performs cooling at a cooling part located directly underneath the power circuit part of the inverter apparatus. The liquid path includes a first partial structure part formed between a feed pipe and the cooling part, and having a liquid path cross-sectional profile that is gradually reduced in the short-side direction of the cooling part and that is gradually enlarged in the long-side direction thereof; and a second partial structure part formed between the cooling part and a drain pipe, and having a liquid path cross-sectional profile that is gradually enlarged from the short-side of the cooling part and that is gradually reduced from the long-side thereof.

Claims

1. An inverter for an automobile comprising:

a metal case providing a fluid path in which cooling water flows; and

a semiconductor module fixed in said metal case;

wherein said semiconductor module comprises a metal base having a cooling fin in one face, and a plurality of semiconductor elements for carrying in the other face of said metal base, for acting as upper and lower arms in each of U-phase, V-phase and W-phase, and for converting from DC electric power to AC electric power,

wherein said fluid path comprises an inlet, a cooling part and an outlet, and wherein an opening is provided at said cooling part, said metal base is fixed to said metal case so that said cooling fin projects into said fluid path, and said metal base of said semiconductor module closes said opening,

wherein said cooling part of said fluid path has a quadrangle cross-sectional form perpendicular to the flow of cooling water, with a width that is larger than a depth,

wherein a fluid path between said inlet and said cooling part has a form that changes so that a depth thereof increases gradually and a width thereof decreases gradually along with the flow of the cooling water, and

wherein a fluid path between said cooling part and said outlet has a changing form so that a depth thereof increases gradually and a width thereof decreases gradually along with the flow of the cooling water.

2. An inverter for an automobile according to claim 1,

wherein a depth of said cooling part of said fluid path is constant, and

a height of said cooling fin is the same as a depth of said cooling part.

3. An inverter for an automobile according to claim 2,

wherein said semiconductor elements of U-phase, V-phase and W-phase are arranged along a direction of the flow of the cooling water, and hold on said common metal base.

4. An inverter for an automobile according to claim 1,

wherein said cooling fin consists of a plurality of fins, the fins are formed in parallel along the direction of the flow of the cooling water, and the interval of the adjacent fin is constant.

5. An inverter for an automobile according to claim 2,

wherein said fluid path which is formed in said metal case and in which cooling water flows provides a first and a second cooling parts between said inlet and said outlet, a first semiconductor module which converts from DC power to AC power is fixed at said first cooling part, and a second semiconductor module which converts from DC power to AC power is fixed at said second cooling part,

first and second openings are formed at said first and said second cooling parts respectively,

said metal base is fixed to said metal case so that said cooling fin of said first semiconductor module projects into said fluid path, and said metal base of said first semiconductor module closes said first opening,

said metal base is fixed to said metal case so that said cooling fin of said second semiconductor module projects into said fluid path, and said metal base of said second semiconductor module closes said second opening formed at said second cooling part, and

said first and said second cooling parts are connected by a curved fluid path along the direction of the flow of the cooling water.

6. An inverter for an automobile according to claim 5,

wherein said first and said second cooling parts are arranged in parallel along the direction of the flow of the cooling water.

7. An inverter for an automobile according to claim 2,

wherein said inlet and said outlet are provided at a side which is opposite with a face on which said semiconductor module is attached.

8. An electric vehicle in which is installed the inverter for an automobile according to claim 2, comprising

a power source which is installed in said vehicle, and supplies said DC power;

a cooling device which is installed in said vehicle, and cools said cooling water; and

an electric pump which supplies said cooling water supplied from said cooling device to said inlet of said inverter for an automobile ahead of an electric motor.

9. An inverter for an automobile comprising:

a metal case providing a fluid path in which cooling water flows; and

a semiconductor module fixed in said metal case;

wherein said semiconductor module comprises a metal base having a cooling fin in one face, and a plurality of semiconductor elements for acting as upper and lower arms in each of U-phase, V-phase and W-phase, and for converting from DC electric power to AC electric power,

wherein said fluid path comprises an inlet, a cooling part and an outlet, and wherein a plurality of fins which are fixed to said metal case and used for cooling are provided at said cooling part,

wherein said cooling part of said fluid path has a quadrangle cross-sectional form perpendicular to the flow of cooling water, with a width that is larger than a depth,

wherein, to said metal case which forms the cooling part of said fluid path, while the face of another side of said metal base of said semiconductor module is located in the side of said metal case, said metal base of said semiconductor module is being fixed to said metal case so that it may become a position corresponding to said cooling part of said plurality of semiconductor devices of said semiconductor module,

wherein a fluid path between said inlet and said cooling part has a form that changes so that a depth thereof increases gradually and a width thereof decreases gradually along with the flow of the cooling water, and

wherein a fluid path between said cooling part and said outlet has a changing form so that a depth thereof increases gradually and a width thereof decreases gradually along with the flow of the cooling water.

10. An inverter for an automobile according to claim 9,

wherein a depth of said cooling part of said fluid path is constant, and

a height of said cooling fin is the same as a depth of said cooling part.

11. An inverter for an automobile according to claim 10,

wherein said semiconductor elements of U-phase, V-phase and W-phase are arranged along a direction of the flow of the cooling water, and hold on said common metal base.

12. An inverter for an automobile according to claim 10,

wherein said fluid path which is formed in said metal case and in which cooling water flows provides first and second cooling parts between said inlet and said outlet, a first semiconductor module which converts from DC power to AC power is fixed at said first cooling part, and a second semiconductor module which converts from DC power to AC power is fixed at said second cooling part,

first and second openings are formed at said first and said second cooling parts respectively,

said metal base is fixed to said metal case so that said cooling fin of said first semiconductor module projects into said fluid path, and said metal base of said first semiconductor module closes said first opening,

said metal base is fixed to said metal case so that said cooling fin of said second semiconductor module projects into said fluid path, and said metal base of said second semiconductor module closes said second opening formed at said second cooling part, and

said first and said second cooling parts are connected by a curved fluid path along the direction of the flow of the cooling water.

13. An inverter for an automobile according to claim 11,

wherein said first and said second cooling parts are arranged in parallel along the direction of the flow of the cooling water.

14. An inverter for an automobile according to claim 11,

wherein said inlet and said outlet are provided at a side which is opposite with a face on which said semiconductor module is attached.

15. An electric vehicle in which is installed the inverter for an automobile according to claim 10, comprising

a power source which is installed in said vehicle, and supplies said DC power;

a cooling device which is installed in said vehicle, and cools said cooling water; and

an electric pump which supplies said cooling water supplied from said cooling device to said inlet of said inverter for an automobile ahead of an electric motor.