Power converting device for reducing an induction problem

• US 5,583,385 A
• Filed: 06/14/1994
• Issued: 12/10/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tsuboi, Takashi, Itoh, Ken, Matui, Takayuki, Toyota, Eiichi, Horie, Akira, Saitou, Syuuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fletcher, Marlon T.
• Application Number:
  US08/260,473
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 307/82, 307/151, 363/141, 363/14, 318/139
• US Class Current: 307/151
• 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 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/12 Induction machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/33 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 9/00 Electric propulsion with power supply external to the vehicle electric propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00; in combination with batteries or fuel cells within the vehicle B60L50/53
• 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 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

In order to reduce an induction problem, which might otherwise be caused by a higher-harmonic current leaking to the outside of an inverter device, with a simple construction, an inverter device casing and a heat receiving plate mounted thereon are insulated from each other, and the heat receiving plate and a filter capacitor in the power supply circuit are connected through a predetermined inductance. Since the higher harmonics current is bypassed to the filter capacitor through the resonance filter which is formed by of the electrostatic capacity in a switching element and the inductance, the induction problem can be reduced by simple construction.

Claims

1. A power converting device for converting DC current into AC current, said power converting device comprising:

a pair of DC input terminals for receipt of DC current;

an inverter connected across said pair of DC input terminals and including a plurality of pairs of serially connected switching elements, for converting DC current received by said DC input terminals into AC current;

a pair of output terminals adapted for connection to a load and connected across serial connection points of said pairs of serially connected switching elements to permit connection of the load between said connection points;

a filter capacitor connected across said pair of DC input terminals;

an electrically insulating plate;

cooling means in thermal contact with said switching elements through said electrically insulating plate and electrically connected directly to one side of said filter capacitor;

a casing holding said switching elements; and

an electrically insulating mounting member mounting said cooling means on said casing, while electrically isolating said cooling means from said casing,

whereby electrical currents induced in said cooling means are blocked by said electrically insulating mounting member from going to said casing and instead are caused to go to said filter capacitor.

2. A power converting device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a filter circuit electrically connecting said cooling means and a ground side of said switching elements, said filter circuit including a conductor having a predetermined inductance component.

3. A power converting device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said filter circuit includes a face of said switching elements in thermal contact with said cooling means and having an electrostatic capacity.

4. A power converting device, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a grounding switch connected between said casing and said filter capacitor, and wherein said cooling means and the casing side of said grounding switch are connected with each other.

5. A power converting device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said switching element has a plus electrode and a minus electrode and has an electrostatic capacity between its respective plus electrode and a predetermined face of such switching element, and wherein said power converting device further comprises a conductor directly connecting said predetermined face and the minus electrode of said switching element.