Power converter

• US 7,777,433 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Maeda, Yuuji, Yamaguchi, Koji, Sigeta, Satoru, Suwa, Tokihito
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro; Bentsu
• Assistant Examiner(s): GLASS, ERICK DAVID
• Application Number:
  US11/254,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20060086981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 318/139, 363/74, 363/98, 363/15
• US Class Current: 318/139
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0603 Bonding areas having different sizes, e.g. different heights or widths
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• 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 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• 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: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections

Abstract

The power converter for solving the above-described problem has a module section and a drive section for operating the module section. The drive section has a drive circuit. The drive circuit is provided so as to correspond to the first semiconductor element which is one of the semiconductor elements comprising the parallel circuit; wherein drive signals for operating the first semiconductor element are output. The drive signals that are output from the drive circuit are electrically branched and output to a second semiconductor element which is a separate semiconductor element from the first semiconductor element of the semiconductor elements comprising the parallel circuit. As a result, the second semiconductor element receives the branched drive signals and operates in the same manner as the first semiconductor element.

Thereby, a motor converter favorable for control large current at a low cost is provided.

Claims

1. A power converter which converts power output from a power supply source to a prescribed power and outputs the converted power to a power supply destination, the power converter comprising:

a module section; and

a drive section for operating the module section;

the module section comprises a plurality of semiconductor modules;

the plurality of semiconductor modules have semiconductor elements for power conversion;

corresponding semiconductor elements are electrically connected in parallel to form a parallel circuit;

the parallel circuit is electrically connected between the power supply source and the power supply destination;

the drive section comprises a drive circuit, a first signal wire and a second signal wire;

the drive circuit is provided so as to correspond to a first semiconductor element which is one of the semiconductor elements constituting the parallel circuit;

wherein

the drive circuit outputs drive signals for operating the first semiconductor element;

so that the first semiconductor element operates by receiving the drive signals output from the drive circuit;

the first signal wire connects to the drive circuit and transmits the drive signals to the first semiconductor element from the drive circuit;

the second signal wire branches from the first signal wire and transmits the drive signals branched from the first signal wire to a second semiconductor element which is another, different semiconductor element constituting the parallel circuit; and

the second semiconductor element receives the branched drive signals and operates in the same manner as the first semiconductor element.

2. The power converter of claim 1, wherein the plurality of semiconductor modules comprises:

identical module cases;

identical module bases which conduct heat;

identical insulating substrates;

identical input-side terminals; and

identical output-side terminals;

the semiconductor elements which are mounted on the module bases via the insulating substrates so as to have identical arrangement in the plurality of semiconductor modules are stored in the module cases; and

the semiconductor elements and the input-side terminals, as well as the semiconductor elements and the output-side terminals are electrically connected by the same connection method such that the connection configuration is identical in the plurality of semiconductor modules.

3. The power converter of claim 1, wherein the drive section comprises:

a power source that applies operating voltage to the drive circuit; and

reference potential wires which electrically connect the reference potential side of power source, the reference potential side of the drive circuit, and the electrodes which will represent the reference potential side of the first and second semiconductor elements; and

of the reference potential wires, the reference potential wires which extend to a plurality of the modules are configured such that the current cross-section area of the portion that extends to the plurality of modules is larger than the current cross-section area for the other portions.

4. The power converter of claim 3, wherein of the reference potential wires, those reference potential wires which extend to a plurality of the modules are such that the number of the portions that extend to the plurality of modules are more than the number of the other portions.

5. The power converter of claim 3, wherein of the reference potential wires, those reference potential wires which extend to a plurality of the modules have a means for limiting the current amount.

6. The power converter of claim 1, wherein

the first signal wire extends from the drive circuit to the first semiconductor element side;

the second signal wire that branches from the first signal wire reaches to the second semiconductor element; and

the wire distance of the first signal wire and the second signal wire are substantially the same.

7. The power converter of claim 1, wherein the drive circuit comprises:

a first substrate that is loaded in a first semiconductor module which is one of the plurality of semiconductor modules; and

a second substrate that is loaded in a second semiconductor module which is another of the plurality of semiconductor modules which is separate from the first semiconductor module; and

the first substrate comprises;

the drive circuit;

a first input terminal for receiving control signals output from control devices; and

a first output terminal for outputting the drive signals to the second substrate side; and

the second substrate comprises a second input terminal for receiving the drive signals output from the first output terminal.

8. The power converter of claim 7, wherein the drive section comprises:

a power source that applies operating voltage to the drive circuit;

reference potential wires which electrically connect the reference potential side of power source, the reference potential side of the drive circuit, and the electrodes which will represent the reference potential side of the first and second semiconductor elements; and

the first substrate has the power source and the reference potential wires; and

the second substrate has the reference potential wires that spans from the first substrate; and

of the reference potential wires, the reference potential wire which spans from the first substrate to the second substrate is configured such that the current cross-section area of the portion that spans to the first substrate, and second substrate is larger than the current cross-section area for the other portions.

9. The power converter of claim 1, wherein the drive section comprises one substrate that spans to and is loaded in the plurality of semiconductor modules;

and

the substrate comprises;

the drive circuit;

an input terminal for receiving control signals output from control devices;

wherein the first signal wire extends from the drive circuit and reaches to the first semiconductor element side; and

the second signal wire that branches from the first signal wire reaches to the second semiconductor element; and

the wire distance of the first signal wire and the second signal wire are substantially the same.

10. A power converter which converts direct current output from a power supply source to alternating current and outputs the converted alternating current power to a power supply destination, the power converter comprising:

a module section; and

a drive section for operating the module section;

the module section comprises a plurality of semiconductor modules;

the plurality of semiconductor modules have a plurality of serial circuits, each serial circuit formed by electrically connecting a plurality of semiconductor elements for power conversion serially;

parallel circuits of corresponding phases, each parallel circuit comprising a plurality of the serial circuits that are electrically connected to each other in parallel;

the parallel circuits are electrically connected between the corresponding power supply source and the corresponding power supply destination;

the drive section comprises a drive circuit, a first signal wire and a second signal wire; and

the drive circuit is provided so as to correspond to a first serial circuit which is one of the serial circuits constituting the parallel circuits;

wherein the drive circuit outputs drive signals for operating the semiconductor element constituting the first serial circuit;

the semiconductor elements constituting the first serial circuit operate by receiving drive signals output from the drive circuit;

the first signal wire connects to the drive circuit and transmits the drive signals to a corresponding semiconductor element constituting the first serial circuit from the drive circuit;

the second signal wire branches from the first signal wire, and transmits the drive signals branched from the first signal wire to a corresponding semiconductor element constituting the second serial circuit which is another different serial circuit constituting the parallel circuits; and

the semiconductor element constituting the second serial circuit receives the branched drive signals and operates in the same manner as the semiconductor element constituting the first serial circuit.

11. The power converter of claim 10, wherein the plurality of semiconductor modules comprise:

identical module cases;

identical module bases which conduct heat;

identical insulating substrates;

identical input-side terminals; and

identical output-side terminals; and

the semiconductor elements which are mounted on the module bases via the insulating substrates so as to have identical arrangement in the plurality of semiconductor element modules are stored in the module cases; and

the semiconductor elements and the input-side terminals, as well as the semiconductor elements and the output-side terminals are electrically connected by the same connection method such that the connection configuration is identical in the plurality of semiconductor modules.

12. The power converter of claim 10, wherein the drive circuit section comprises:

a plurality of high potential side power sources that apply operating voltage to the drive circuit and are provided to correspond to the high potential side of the parallel circuit of each phase;

a low potential side power source that applies operating voltage to the drive circuit and is provided so as to be shared at the low potential side of the parallel circuit for each phase;

a plurality of high potential side reference potential wires which electrically connect the reference potential side of power source, the reference potential side of the drive circuit, and the electrodes which will represent the reference potential side of the plurality of semiconductor elements at the high potential side of the plurality of serial circuits comprising the parallel circuit;

a low potential side reference potential wire which electrically connects the reference potential side of the low potential power source, the reference potential side of the drive circuit, and the electrodes which will represent the reference potential side of the plurality of semiconductor elements at the low potential side of the plurality of serial circuits comprising the parallel circuit for each phase; and

of the high potential reference potential wires and the low potential reference potential wires, the reference potential wires which span to a plurality of the modules are configured such that the current cross-section area of the portion that spans to the plurality of modules is larger than the current cross-section area for the other portions.

13. The power converter of claim 10, wherein:

the first signal wire extends from the drive circuit and reaches to the first semiconductor element side; and

the second signal wire that branches from the first signal wire reaches to the second semiconductor element; and

the wire distance of the first signal wire and the second signal wire are substantially the same.