Power inverter

• US 7,719,838 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2008
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Homma, Hideki, Hamada, Haruki, Nakajima, Kenichiro, Yahata, Koichi, Suzuki, Hideyo
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERVINSKY, BORIS LEO
• Application Number:
  US12/020,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20080225487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 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 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: 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

Abstract

The power inverter includes: a case made of a metal; a first power module provided in the case and including a DC terminal and an AC terminal; a second power module provided in the case and including a DC terminal and an AC terminal; and a cooling formation body for decreasing heat generated from the first and second power modules. The first and second power modules are disposed in a manner such that the DC terminals face each other.

Claims

1. A power inverter comprising:

a first power module having a first long side, a second long side opposite the first long side, a first short side, and a second short side opposite the first short side, said first and second short sides being disposed perpendicularly to the first and second long sides;

a second power module having a third long side, a fourth long side opposite the third long side, a third short side, and a fourth short side opposite the third short side, said third and fourth short sides being disposed perpendicularly to the third and fourth long sides;

a coolant channel structure, including a first coolant channel and a second coolant channel, for flowing a coolant through, said first and second coolant channels being arranged side by side;

wherein,

the first power module includes a plurality of first semiconductor chips for converting from DC current to AC current or from AC current to DC current, and a first DC terminal arranged along the first long side, for inputting and outputting the DC current;

the second power module includes a plurality of second semiconductor chips for converting from DC current to AC current or from AC current to DC current, and a second DC terminal arranged along the third long side, for inputting and outputting DC current;

the first power module is arranged so that the first and second long sides are disposed along the first coolant channel, and a plane formed by the first long side, second long side, first short side, and second short side is arranged opposite the first coolant channel;

the second power module is arranged so that the third and fourth long sides are disposed along the second coolant channel, and a plane formed by the third long side, fourth long side, third short side, and fourth short side is arranged opposite the second coolant channel; and

the first and second power modules are arranged so that the first DC terminal of the first power module is opposite the second DC terminal of the second power module.

2. The power inverter according to claim 1, wherein:

the first power module has a first metal base for supporting the first semiconductor chip on one side of the first metal base;

the second power module has a second metal base for supporting the second semiconductor chip on one side of the second metal base;

the first metal base is fixed to the coolant channel structure opposite the first coolant channel; and

the second metal base is fixed to the coolant channel structure opposite the second coolant channel.

3. The power inverter according to claim 1, further comprising a metal housing, wherein:

a smoothing capacitor, the first power module and second power module are housed in the metal housing; and

one side wall of the metal housing has an inlet pipe and outlet pipe which are connected to the first coolant channel and second coolant channel, respectively.

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

the first power module has a first metal base, and the second power module has a second metal base;

the first coolant channel had a first mouth which is closed off by first metal base, thereby to ensure the first coolant channel;

the second coolant channel has a second mouth which is closed off by the second metal base, thereby to ensure the first coolant channel;

the first semiconductor chip is mounted on the first metal base; and

the second semiconductor chip is mounted on the second metal base.

5. The power inverter according to claim 1, wherein:

the first and second DC terminals comprise a plate-shaped positive electrode terminal and a plate-shaped negative electrode terminal, respectively; and

each of the two electrode terminals has a laminated structure of two metal plates, with an insulating layer sandwiched therebetween.

6. The power inverter according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the first and second power modules has plural upper arms and lower arms which are comprised of the plural first semiconductor chips and second semiconductor chips arranged along a coolant channel direction;

the first power module has a plate-shaped positive electrode terminal and a plate-shaped negative electrode terminal arranged beside the first long side; and

the second power module has a plate-shaped positive electrode terminal and a plate-shaped negative electrode terminal arranged beside the third long side;

each of the first and second power modules has a laminated conductor structure comprising a plate-shaped positive electrode conductor, a plate-shaped negative electrode conductor and an insulating layer sandwiched between the two plate-shaped conductors, with the plate-shaped positive electrode conductor connected to the plate-shaped positive electrode terminal, and the plate-shaped negative electrode conductor connected to the plate-shaped negative electrode terminal; and

the laminated conductor structure is connected to the plural upper arms and lower arms via another conductor.

7. The power inverter according to claim 1, wherein:

the first DC terminal includes a first positive electrode terminal and a first negative electrode terminal; and

the second DC terminal includes a second positive electrode terminal and a second negative electrode terminal;

each of the first positive electrode terminal, first negative electrode terminal, second negative electrode terminal, and second negative electrode terminal comprises plural terminals; and

the plural first positive electrode terminals and first negative electrode terminals are respectively arranged alternately along the first long side; and

the plural second positive electrode terminals and second negative electrode terminals are respectively arranged alternately along the third long side.

8. The power inverter according to claim 1, further comprising:

a capacitor module electrically connected to the first power module to smooth the DC current supplied to the first power module;

wherein,

the first power module is arranged between the capacitor module and the coolant channel structure; and

the capacitor module is arranged opposite the first power module and separated from it by a gap.

9. The power inverter according to claim 8, wherein:

the capacitor module has a connecting conductor plate for connecting to the first power module; and

the connecting conductor plate is formed by a laminated structure comprising a positive electrode conductor plate, a negative electrode conductor plate, and an insulating layer sandwiched between the two conductor plates, the connecting conductor plate being extended from inside of the capacitor module;

one end of the connecting conductor plate is bent at the first power module side; and

a face of the bent end is connected to the DC terminal.

10. The power inverter according to claim 8, wherein:

the capacitor module comprises a first capacitor module and a second capacitor module; and

the first capacitor module is arranged opposite the first power module and separated from it by a gap; and

the second capacitor module is arranged opposite the second power module and separated from it by a gap.