Electrical apparatus, cooling system therefor, and electric vehicle

• US 6,978,856 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishihara, Atsuo, Saito, Ryuichi, Nakamura, Takayoshi, Tamba, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RESTIFO, JEFFREY J
• Application Number:
  US10/417,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20040020231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.2, 180/65.8, 180/68.4, 180/68.5, 361/689, 361/694, 361/695, 361/697, 361/701, 361/699, 361/703, 165/43
• US Class Current: 180/68.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00392 for electric vehicles having only electric drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00428 electric
• 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 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses

Abstract

An inverter apparatus includes a liquid path in which cooling water flows, and in which the cooling water performs cooling at a cooling part located directly underneath the power circuit part of the inverter apparatus. The liquid path includes a first partial structure part formed between a feed pipe and the cooling part, and having a liquid path cross-sectional profile that is gradually reduced in the short-side direction of the cooling part and that is gradually enlarged in the long-side direction thereof; and a second partial structure part formed between the cooling part and a drain pipe, and having a liquid path cross-sectional profile that is gradually enlarged from the short-side of the cooling part and that is gradually reduced from the long-side thereof.

Claims

1. An electrical apparatus having a liquid path including a space for allowing a cooling medium for cooling a heating member to flow therein, said liquid path comprising:

a cooling part formed at the place corresponding to said heating member;

an introducing part for being continuous with said cooling part, and for introducing said cooling medium supplied from an outside into said cooling part; and

a draining part for being continuous with said cooling part, and for draining said cooling medium introduced into said cooling part to the outside,

wherein said liquid path is configured so that the cross-sectional area of the liquid path extending from said introducing part up to said draining part through said cooling part is substantially constant,

wherein the liquid path width at the leading edge of said introducing part is equal to that at the trailing edge of said draining part and smaller than that in said cooling part, and

wherein the liquid path depth at the leading edge of said introducing part is equal to that at the trailing edge of said draining part and larger than that in said cooling part.

2. An electrical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said liquid path is configured to allow said cooling medium to linearly flow.

3. An electrical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid path width and liquid path depth in said introducing part is gradually changed so that the liquid path width and liquid path depth at the leading edge of said introducing part, respectively, becomes the liquid path width and liquid path depth in said cooling part, and wherein the liquid path width and liquid path depth in said draining part is gradually changed so that the liquid path width and liquid path depth at the end of said cooling part adjacent to said draining part, respectively, becomes the liquid path width and liquid path depth at the trailing edge of said draining part.

4. A cooling system for an electrical apparatus, said cooling system comprising:

a cooling device for cooling a cooling medium; and

a cooling medium supply device for supplying a cooling medium cooled by said cooling device to an electrical apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said cooling system is configured to include said liquid path provided for said electrical apparatus.

5. An electric vehicle, comprising:

a power source mounted on said electric vehicle;

an electrical apparatus for converting electric power supplied from said power source into predetermined electric power;

an electric motor for being rotationally driven by electric power supplied from said electrical apparatus, and for driving said electric vehicle;

a cooling device for being mounted on said electric vehicle, and for cooling a cooling medium; and

a cooling medium supply device for supplying said cooling medium cooled by said cooling device to at least said electric motor and electrical apparatus,

wherein said electrical apparatus is the electrical apparatus according to claim 1.

6. An electric vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said power source is a battery, and wherein said electrical apparatus is an inverter apparatus that converts direct-current power supplied from said battery, into alternating-current power to thereby supply it to said electric motor.

7. An electrical apparatus having a liquid path including a space for allowing a cooling medium for cooling a heating member to flow therein, and a feed pipe and a drain pipe for allowing said cooling medium to enter into and drain out of said space, respectively, said liquid path comprising:

a cooling part disposed immediately underneath said heating member;

a first partial structure part disposed between said feed pipe and said cooling part, and having a liquid path cross-sectional profile that is gradually reduced in the short side direction of said cooling part and that is gradually enlarged in the long side direction thereof; and

a second partial structure part disposed between said cooling part and said drain pipe, and having a liquid path cross-sectional profile that is gradually enlarged from the short side of said cooling part and that is gradually reduced from the long side thereof.

8. An electrical apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each of said first and second partial structure parts is constant in the rate of change of the length in the short side direction, and wherein each of said first and second partial structure parts is constant in the rate of change of the length in the long side direction.

9. An electrical apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said first and second partial structure parts, and said feed and drain pipes are each parallel with said cooling part, and wherein the angle formed between the peripheral wall of said cooling part and that of each of said partial structure parts is not more than 45 degrees.

10. An electrical apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the angle θ

1 formed between the peripheral wall of said first partial structure part and that of said cooling part is smaller than the angle θ

3 formed between the peripheral wall of said second partial structure part and that of said cooling part.

11. An electrical apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each of said feed pipe and drain pipe is perpendicular to said cooling part.

12. An electrical apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said feed pipe and drain pipe are located on the same side with respect to said inverter apparatus, wherein the angle θ

5 formed between the peripheral wall of said feed pipe and that of said first partial structure part is not more than 45 degrees, and wherein the angle θ

6 formed between the peripheral wall of said first partial structure part and that of said cooling part is less than 90 degrees.

13. An electrical apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of inverter apparatuses is arranged on the same plane.

14. A cooling system for an electrical apparatus, said cooling system comprising:

a cooling device for cooling a cooling medium; and

a cooling medium supply device for supplying a cooling medium cooled by said cooling device to an electrical apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein said cooling system is configured to include said liquid path provided for said electrical apparatus.

15. An electric vehicle, comprising:

a power source mounted on said electric vehicle;

an electrical apparatus for converting electric power supplied from said power source into predetermined electric power;

an electric motor for being rotationally driven by electric power supplied from said electrical apparatus, and for driving said electric vehicle;

a cooling device for being mounted on said electric vehicle, and for cooling a cooling medium; and

a cooling medium supply device for supplying said cooling medium cooled by said cooling device to at least said electric motor and electrical apparatus,

wherein said electrical apparatus is the electrical apparatus according to claim 7.

16. An electric vehicle according to claim 15, wherein said power source is a battery, and wherein said electrical apparatus is an inverter apparatus that converts direct-current power supplied from said battery, into alternating-current power to thereby supply it to said electric motor.