Electrical apparatus, cooling system therefor, and electric vehicle

• US 7,252,167 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• 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): Restifo; Jeff
• Application Number:
  US11/476,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20060243504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.4, 257/714, 257/722, 257/717, 361/688, 361/689, 361/699, 361/701, 361/702, 361/703
• 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. A direct cooling inverter comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor chips;

a substrate for mounting said plurality of semiconductor chips;

a copper base for mounting said substrate;

a fin formed integrally with said copper base; and

a case having an opening part;

wherein a liquid path of a cooling medium is formed by mounting said copper base on the opening part of said case;

wherein said copper base and said fin are directly cooled by the cooling medium;

wherein said fin is formed in parallel with a longitudinal direction of the liquid path;

wherein the liquid path comprises a cooling part formed at a bottom of said plurality of semiconductor chips and an introducing part for introducing the cooling medium supplied from an outside to the cooling part; and

wherein a cross-sectional area of the liquid path extending from the introducing part up to the cooling part is substantially constant.

2. The direct cooling inverter according to claim 1, wherein a width of the liquid path at the introducing part is smaller than that of the liquid path at the cooling part, wherein a depth of the liquid path at the introducing part is larger than that of the liquid path at the cooling part, and wherein the width and the depth of the liquid path are gradually changed from the introducing part to the cooling part.

3. The direct cooling inverter according to claim 2, wherein there is no accumulating part between the introducing part and the cooling part of the liquid path.

4. The direct cooling inverter according to claim 3, wherein a width of the liquid path at the draining part is smaller than that of the liquid path at the cooling part, wherein a depth of the liquid path at the introducing part is larger than that of the liquid path at the cooling part, and wherein the width and the depth of the liquid path are gradually changed from the introducing part to the cooling part.

5. The direct cooling inverter according to claim 4, wherein a cross-section of the liquid path at the introducing part is circular.

6. The direct cooling inverter according to claim 5, wherein a diameter of the liquid path at the introducing part is substantially the same as that of a feed pipe connected to a radiator.

7. The direct cooling inverter according to claim 4, wherein said plurality of semiconductor chips comprise an insulated gate bipolar transistor, and wherein the insulated gate bipolar transistor supplies AC power to a motor and drives the motor by switching based on a control signal.

8. The direct cooling inverter according to claim 2, wherein said copper base and said case are fastened by using screws.

9. The direct cooling inverter according to claim 2, wherein said copper base and said case are welded.

10. The direct cooling inverter according to claim 1, wherein the liquid path comprises a draining part for draining the cooling medium introduced from the cooling part to the outside, and wherein the cross-sectional area extending from the cooling part up to the draining part is substantially constant.