Power Converter

• US 20100188814A1
• Filed: 03/02/2010
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Saito, Ryuichi, Funato, Hiroki, NAKATSU, Kinya, Suga, Takashi, Nakamura, Takayoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,978,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/689
• 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 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/42 with use of more than one motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/26 Transition between different drive modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48139 with an intermediate bond, e.g. continuous wire daisy chain
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• 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 7/2089 : for power electronics, e.g. for inverters for controlling motor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 : Liquid coolant without phase change
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

The object is to provide a power converter which is capable of minimizing an extent to which the power converter components other than the semiconductor module are thermally affected by the heat originating from the semiconductor module.

A casing houses: semiconductor modules 20, 30 constituting a main circuit for power conversion; a capacitor 50 electrically connected to the main circuit; drive circuits 70, 71 that provide the main circuit with a drive signal used in power conversion operation; a control circuit 74 that provides the drive circuit with a control signal used to prompt the drive circuit to provide the drive signal. Within the casing, a cooling chamber including a coolant passage 28 is formed, and a chamber wall of the cooling chamber is formed with a thermally conductive material. At least the semiconductor modules 20, 30 are housed inside the cooling chamber, and at least the capacitor 50 and the control circuit 74 are disposed outside the cooling chamber.

Claims

1. A power converter, comprising:

a semiconductor module constituting a main circuit for power conversion;

a capacitor electrically connected to the main circuit;

a drive circuit that provides the main circuit with a drive signal used in power conversion operation;

a control circuit that provides the drive circuit with a control signal used to prompt the drive circuit to provide the drive signal; and

a cooling chamber comprising a coolant passage formed therein, all housed inside a casing, wherein;

a chamber wall of the cooling chamber is formed with a thermally conductive material;

at least the semiconductor module is housed inside the cooling chamber; and

at least the capacitor and the control circuit are disposed outside the cooling chamber.