Static converter, especially for an uninterruptible electrical power supply system

• US 4,772,999 A
• Filed: 11/30/1987
• Issued: 09/20/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Merlin Gerin
• Original Assignee: Merlin Gerin
• Inventors: Denis, Herve, Fiorina, Jean-Noel
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Application Number:
  US07/126,716
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 363/141, 363/144, 361/386, 361/389, 361/388, 361/427, 361/429, 357/81, 165/80.2
• US Class Current: 363/141
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/062 for AC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20572 within cabinets for removing heat from sub-racks, e.g. plenum
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20909 Forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components

Abstract

A converter comprises a plurality of modules each having a heat-sink unit with a base-plate made of a good heat-conducting metal material, acting as a support for the electronic components, a pair of parallel flanges laterally fixed to the opposite edges of the base-plate, and a rear plate for connection of the draw-in contacts capable of cooperating with the studs of a fixed connecting base. Error prevention means, formed by pins and orifices prevent any module connection error. The draw-in contacts are achieved by tulip-fingers or grips capable of being housed in six holes of the connection plate. The assembly forms a rack which can be actuated by a handle.

Claims

1. A static converter, especially for an uninterruptible electrical power supply system, having a plurality of electronic power modules, each module comprising:

a heat sink unit with a heat dissipation base-plate, made of a good heat-conducting metallic material, comprising a support face acting as a support for the electronic power components, and an opposite face equipped with cooling fins,

a pair of parallel flanges, laterally fixed to the opposite edges of the base-plate in a perpendicular direction to the support face,

a connecting plate having draw-in contacts electrically connected to the electronic components, the module being arranged in a parallelipipedic rack capable of cooperating in translation with a fixed connecting base by drawing the plate contacts, made of insulated material, into adjoining studs of the base,

each flange of the module being provided with a longitudinal groove to guide the rack when draw-in takes place by sliding along a slide securedly united to the connecting base.

2. The static converter according to claim 1, wherein error prevention means are arranged in the gap separating said plate from the base to avoid any connection error, said connection plate with draw-in contacts extending between the flanges to constitute the rear face of the module.

3. The static converter according to claim 2, comprising:

a series of pins and orifices arranged on the rack connection plate and on the base, to form said error prevention means designed to establish a predetermined connection coding of the module contacts with the aligned studs of the base,

and a positioning device fixed to the central part of the connection plate with draw-in contacts to engage in a centering bush associated with the base.

4. The static converter according to claim 2, wherein the module connection plate comprises:

six holes arranged in two superposed horizontal rows on the plate to receive the draw-in contacts formed by tulip-fingers or grips,

and six orifices housing error prevention pins, four of the six orifices being located at the corners of the rectangular-shaped plate.

5. The static converter according to claim 1, comprising:

a printed circuit board controlling the power components fitted on the upper edges of the two flanges and extending parallel to the support face of the heat-sink unit base-plate,

a mounting plate equipped with an actuating handle fitted on the rack front panel,

the fixed connecting base comprising at least one support plate of the draw-in studs, said support plate made of insulating material being inserted between two vertical brackets extended by two straight arms constituting said slides cooperating in sliding with the guide grooves of the flanges when the rack is drawn-in by means of the handle.

6. The static converter according to claim 5, wherein the corresponding bracket and slide assembly is achieved by casting a single T-shaped insulating part, the bracket having clip-on parts enabling modular assembly of the connecting base, the rear face of the connecting base, opposite the error prevention pins, acting as support for a current sensor electrically connected to the corresponding stud by means of a conducting bushing.

7. The static converter according to claim 1, wherein the support face of the heat-sink base-plate is provided with several staggered grooves, extending parallel in the direction of the flanges over the whole length of the block, in such a way as to enable any type of electronic components to be fitted by means of self-tapping screws.

8. A static converter for an uninterruptible electrical power supply system, having a plurality of draw-in electronic modules, housed in a parallelipipedic cubicle and comprising:

a rectifier-charger whose input is connected to an AC mains system,

an inverter connected to the rectifier-charger output for DC/AC conversion,

a battery bank arranged as a buffer to constitute a permanently available power store at the inverter input,

a metal frame of the cubicle, associated with blanking walls parallel two by two to delimit a front panel, a rear panel, and two opposite side panels extending depthwise in the cubicle,

a ventilation unit designed to provide forced circulation of the cooling air of the modules inside the cubicle,

an inlet orifice designed to suck fresh air into the cubicle,

an outlet orifice designed to discharge the heated air to the outside,

the draw-in modules being accessible via a door of the front panel and being located above the ventilation unit comprising at least one fan, the modules and fans assembly extending over a fraction of the depth of the cubicle, in such a way as to arrange a rear compartment acting as housing for a transformer controlling the inverter,

a main discharge orifice of the fan being directed towards the front panel to establish a first internal cooling air path after pressurization of the air contained in a front space situated between the modules and the front panel,

and a secondary discharge orifice of the fan being located opposite the main orifice, to generate a second internal cooling air path towards the transformer, the dimension of the secondary orifice being smaller than that of the main orifice.

9. The static converter according to claim 8, comprising:

a support on which the fan and the transformer are secured,

a space arranged between the support and the bottom of the cubicle to establish the suction path of the air coming from the inlet orifice,

the two cooling air paths being independent from one another and arranged in parallel between the fan discharge orifices and the cubicle outlet orifice,

the outlet orifice being located in proximity to the roof panel in the rear panel of the cubicle,

a ventilation grate fitted on the outlet orifice for the upper volume of the cubicle to be able to communicate with the ambient air.

10. The static converter according to claim 8, wherein the front part of the frame comprises four T-shaped assembly brackets, capable of clipping at each corner into upper and lower crossmembers, and into opposing vertical flanges, the access door to the modules being supported by two hinges flush-mounted in two assembly brackets vertically arranged on the same side of the frame, each module comprising in addition a turbulence grate protruding into the rear space, in such a way as to cooperate with the outlet of the rising air coming from the main discharge orifice, and to generate a horizontal air circulation along the modules, and depthwise towards the outlet orifice.