Power converter

• US 7,692,923 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Saito, Ryuichi, Miyazaki, Hideki, Nakatsu, Kinya, Nakamura, Takayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERVINSKY, BORIS LEO
• Application Number:
  US12/019,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20080198548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 361/699
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48139 with an intermediate bond, e.g. continuous wire daisy chain
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48472 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area also being a wedge bond, i.e. wedge-to-wedge
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49111 the connectors connecting two common bonding areas, e.g. Litz or braid wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• 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 2924/13055 Insulated gate bipolar transistor [IGBT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19107 off-chip wires
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

A power converter of the present invention includes at least two power semiconductor modules having a plurality of switching devices, at least two cooling jackets having a coolant path for cooling the plurality of power semiconductor modules and equipped with the power semiconductor modules, a capacitor module interposed between the at least two cooling jackets, and a connector provided in the at least two cooling jackets for connecting the coolant path.

Claims

1. A power converter comprising:

a first power semiconductor module including a first switching device;

a second power semiconductor module including a second switching device;

a cooling structure which includes a first cooling path, a second cooling path arranged substantially parallel to the first cooling path, and a connector which connects the first cooling path and the second cooling path;

a capacitor module which filters DC electric power inputted into the first power semiconductor module and the second power semiconductor module;

a DC bus bar for electrically connecting the capacitor module, the first power semiconductor module, and the second power semiconductor module;

wherein;

the capacitor module is disposed between the first cooling path and the second cooling path, and has a first contact surface with the first cooling path and a second contact surface with the second cooling path;

the first power semiconductor module is fixed to the first cooling path, and the first switching device is installed so that a principal plane of the first switching device is substantially parallel to the first contact surface;

the second power semiconductor module is fixed to the second cooling path, and the second switching device is installed so that a principal plane of the second switching device is substantially parallel to the second contact surface;

the length of the first cooling path in a direction perpendicular to the first contact surface is shorter than its length in a height direction,

the length of the second cooling path in a direction perpendicular to the second contact surface is shorter than its length in a height direction, and

the DC bus bar electrically connects the first power semiconductor module, the second power semiconductor module, and the capacitor module, adjacent the first cooling path and the second cooling path.

2. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the DC bus bar comprises a positive bus bar, a negative bus bar, and an insulator inserted between the positive bus bar and the negative bus bar.

3. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein each of the first cooling path and the second cooling path has an exposed part that is covered by the respective power semiconductor module with which it is in contact, thereby completing the cooling path into which the coolant flows.

4. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein:

the capacitor module includes a plurality of capacitors; and

positive and negative terminals of the plurality of capacitors are connected to positive and negative terminals of an external DC power supply, respectively.

5. The power converter according to claim 1, further comprising a control board having a control circuit mounted thereon for controlling the first switching device and the second switching device, the control board being placed on the DC bus bar.

6. The power converter according to claim 5, wherein the control board comprises a metal plate and a printed circuit board mounted thereon, with the control circuit being formed on the control board.

7. The power converter according to claim 6, further comprising a case to which the metal plate of the control board is connected, for releasing heat generated by the control circuit to the case.

8. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the capacitor module is enclosed in a metal case which has a heat radiation sheet on the first contact surface.