Power Conversion Device

• US 20110249421A1
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Maeda, Ken, Satoh, Toshiya, Matsuo, Takeshi, Nakatsu, Kinya
• Granted Patent: US 8,674,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/821
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• 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 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• 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: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 17/00 Structural combinations of capacitors or other devices covered by at least two different main groups of this subclass with other electric elements, not covered by this subclass, e.g. RC combinations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48139 with an intermediate bond, e.g. continuous wire daisy chain
• 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: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/14 Electronic commutators
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14329 specially adapted for the configuration of power bus bars
• 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

Abstract

A power conversion device for a vehicle includes: a power module that includes a switching device and, upon operation of the switching device, converts DC power into AC power to be supplied to an electric machine for driving a vehicle; a capacitor module that includes a smoothing capacitor element, an input-side power source terminal for receiving DC power, and an output-side power source terminal for supplying DC power to the power module; and a noise removal capacitor for removing noise, wherein: the noise removal capacitor is built in the capacitor module, and the noise removal capacitor is electrically connected to the input-side power source terminal in a position where a distance between a connection position of the noise removal capacitor and the input-side power source terminal is less than a distance between a connection position of the noise removal capacitor and the output-side power source terminal of the capacitor module.

Claims

1. A power conversion device for a vehicle, comprising:

a power module that includes a switching device and, upon operation of the switching device, converts DC power into AC power to be supplied to an electric machine for driving a vehicle;

a capacitor module that includes a smoothing capacitor element, an input-side power source terminal for receiving DC power, and an output-side power source terminal for supplying DC power to the power module; and

a noise removal capacitor for removing noise, wherein;

the noise removal capacitor is built in the capacitor module, and the noise removal capacitor is electrically connected to the input-side power source terminal in a position where a distance between a connection position of the noise removal capacitor and the input-side power source terminal is less than a distance between a connection position of the noise removal capacitor and the output-side power source terminal of the capacitor module.

2. A power conversion device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the input-side power source terminal is placed opposite the output-side power source terminal across the smoothing capacitor element.

3. A power conversion device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the capacitor module includes

a plate-like conductor, constituted with a positive electrode-side conductor and a negative electrode-side conductor in a superimposed state, allows the smoothing capacitor element and the input-side power source terminal to be electrically connected.

4. A power conversion device for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein:

the capacitor module includes a case for housing at least the smoothing capacitor element; and

the plate-like conductor is electrically connected with the smoothing capacitor element in a housing portion of the case, extends from the housing portion of the case to outside the case in a superimposed state of the positive electrode-side conductor and the negative electrode-side conductor, and is provided with the output-side power source terminal formed at a top end of the plate-like conductor.

5. A power conversion device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

the capacitor module includes a case for housing at least the smoothing capacitor element and the noise removal capacitor; and

a sealing material for sealing the smoothing capacitor element and the noise removal capacitor inside the case.

6. A power conversion device for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein:

the power module includes a metal housing for housing the capacitor module and the noise removal capacitor;

the metal housing includes a fixing portion for fixing the case of the capacitor module to the metal housing; and

the noise removal capacitor has wiring, which extends from a ground-side terminal of the noise removal capacitor and is electrically connected with the fixing portion.

7. A power conversion device for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a discharge circuit section for discharging charge stored in the smoothing capacitor module, wherein;

the discharge circuit section is placed opposite the noise removal capacitor across the smoothing capacitor element.

8. A power conversion device for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein:

the power module includes a metal housing for housing the capacitor module and the noise removal capacitor;

the metal housing includes a fixing portion for fixing the case of the capacitor module to the metal housing; and

the noise removal capacitor has wiring, which extends from a ground-side terminal of the noise removal capacitor and is electrically connected with the fixing portion.