Electrical apparatus, cooling system therefor, and electric vehicle

• US 7,660,122 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2007
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• 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): PAPE, ZACHARY
• Application Number:
  US11/765,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20070242435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 361/699, 361701-702, 165/80.4, 165/80.5, 165/104.33, 165/43, 174/15.1, 174/15.2, 174/252, 257/714, 180/65.4, 180/68.4, 180/65.1, 363/141
• US Class Current: 361/699
• 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 inverter for an automobile comprising:

a fluid path forming member made of metal and having a fluid path providing for flow of cooling water, and a semiconductor module fixed to said fluid path forming member, wherein said semiconductor module acts as upper and lower arms in each of a U-phase, a V-phase, and a W-phase, and comprises a plurality of semiconductor elements for converting from DC electric power to AC electric power, and a metal base having a cooling fin at one face and carrying said plurality of semiconductor elements at another face, wherein said fluid path comprises an inlet, a cooling part, and an outlet, wherein said cooling part of said fluid path has a cross-sectional form perpendicular to the flow of cooling water, with a width that is larger than a depth, wherein a fluid path between said inlet and said cooling part has a form that changes so that a depth thereof decreases gradually and a width thereof increases gradually along with the flow of the cooling water, wherein a fluid path between said cooling part and said outlet has a changing form so that a depth thereof increases gradually and a width thereof decreases gradually along with the flow of the cooling water, wherein said metal base consists of a long side and a short side and is fixed to said cooling part of said fluid path so that the long side may meet the flow of the cooling water, and wherein said semiconductor elements are carried on said metal base along the long side of said metal base so that the U-phase precedes the V-phase and the V-phase precedes the W-phase in the direction of the flow of the cooling water, and wherein after the cooling water enters the inlet and flows through the form, the cooling water immediately enters a pre-stage cooling part where no electric devices are present and then immediately interacts with the cooling fin.

2. An inverter for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein, when said metal base of said semiconductor module is fixed to said fluid path forming member, the tip part of said cooling fin projected from an opening of said cooling part is located around the bottom of said fluid path.

3. An inverter for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein said fin is one of at least two fins, which are formed in parallel along the direction of the flow of the cooling water, and wherein an interval between fins that adjoin each other is fixed.

4. An inverter for an automobile according to claim 1,

wherein said fluid path formed in said fluid path forming member for the cooling water comprises a first cooling part and a second cooling part between said inlet and said outlet, a first semiconductor module, which converts DC electric power to AC electric power, is fixed in said first cooling part, and a second semiconductor module, which converts DC electric power to AC electric power, is fixed in said second cooling part,

wherein a first opening is provided at said first cooling part and a second opening is provided at said second cooling part,

wherein the cooling fin of said first semiconductor module is projected into said fluid path of said first cooling part from said first opening, and said first opening is closed by said metal base of said first semiconductor module, a cooling fin of said second semiconductor module is projected into said fluid path of said second cooling part from said second opening, and said second opening is closed by said metal base of said second semiconductor module, and

wherein said first cooling part and said second cooling part are connected by a curved fluid path.

5. An inverter for an automobile according to claim 4, wherein said first cooling part and said second cooling part are arranged along a flowing direction of the cooling water so as to be parallel.

6. An inverter for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein said inlet and said outlet are provided at said fluid path forming member at the opposite side with the face to which said semiconductor module is attached.

7. An electric vehicle having the inverter for an automobile according to claim 1, comprising:

an electric power source mounted on the vehicle that supplies said DC electric power,

a cooling apparatus mounted on the vehicle that cools the cooling water, and

an electric pump mounted on the vehicle,

wherein, by operation of said electric pump, the cooling water cooled by said cooling apparatus is supplied to said inlet of said fluid path of the inverter for an automobile, and the cooling water from said outlet of said fluid path of the inverter is returned to said cooling apparatus.