POWER CONTROL UNIT FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE

• US 20130241486A1
• Filed: 10/24/2011
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Tomokage, Ryoji, Amano, Atsushi, Gotou, Yusuke, Suzuki, Tomoyuki, Mochizuki, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 9,290,101 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/16 Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A power control unit for an electric vehicle is provided with: a first electric power converter used during traveling and cooled by a first surface of a cooling section; and a second electric power converter used during charging from an electric power source outside the vehicle and cooled by a second surface of the cooling section. The first electric power converter and the second electric power converter are arranged at positions superposed on each other when viewed in the direction from the first surface to the second surface.

Claims

1. A power control unit for an electric vehicle, which charges an electric energy storage device mounted on the vehicle from a power supply located outside of the vehicle, and supplies electric power from the electric energy storage device to an electric motor in the vehicle thereby to generate propulsive power for the vehicle, the power control unit comprising:

a housing;

a cooling unit disposed in the housing and having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface with a refrigerant passage interposed therebetween;

a first power converter, which operates while the electric vehicle is being driven, the first power converter being cooled by the first surface of the cooling unit;

a second power converter, which operates while the electric energy storage device is being charged by the power supply located outside of the vehicle, the second power converter being cooled by the second surface of the cooling unit;

a third power converter, which operates while the electric vehicle is being driven and while the electric energy storage device is being charged by the power supply located outside of the vehicle, the third power converter being cooled by the second surface of the cooling unit; and

electric power conductors interconnecting the first power converter, the second power converter, and the third power converter;

wherein the electric power conductors include;

a housing wall penetrating region that joins an inside of the housing and an outside of the housing to each other;

a cooling unit traversing member interconnecting a first surface side and a second surface side of the cooling unit;

a first branch interconnecting the housing wall penetrating region, the cooling unit traversing member, and the first power converter on the first surface side; and

a second branch interconnecting the cooling unit traversing member, the second power converter, and the third power converter on the second surface side;

wherein the first power converter and the third power converter are disposed in different positions as viewed along a direction from the first surface toward the second surface of the cooling unit; and

the first power converter and the second power converter are disposed in overlapping positions as viewed along the direction from the first surface toward the second surface of the cooling unit.

2. The power control unit for an electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first power converter comprises an inverter for energizing a traction motor as the electric motor;

the second power converter comprises a charger mounted on the electric vehicle;

the third power converter comprises a DC/DC converter; and

a current that flows through the charger and the DC/DC converter is smaller than a current that flows through the inverter.

3. The power control unit for an electric vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a diode connected to a quick charging line;

wherein the diode is cooled by the first surface of the cooling unit.

4. A power control unit for an electric vehicle, which charges an electric energy storage device mounted on the vehicle from a power supply located outside of the vehicle, and supplies electric power from the electric energy storage device to an electric motor in the vehicle thereby to generate propulsive power for the vehicle, the power control unit comprising:

a housing;

a cooling unit disposed in the housing and having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface with a refrigerant passage interposed therebetween;

a first power converter, which operates while the electric vehicle is being driven, the first power converter being cooled by the first surface of the cooling unit; and

a second power converter, which operates while the electric energy storage device is being charged by the power supply located outside of the vehicle, the second power converter being cooled by the second surface of the cooling unit;

wherein the first power converter and the second power converter are disposed in overlapping positions as viewed along a direction from the first surface toward the second surface of the cooling unit.