Power converter, power system provided with same, and mobile body

• US 7,859,105 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2003
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Takahashi, Masato, Iwanaka, Mitsufumi, Saito, Ryuichi, Hamada, Haruki, Nakatsu, Kinya, Yahata, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro; Bentsu
• Assistant Examiner(s): GLASS, ERICK DAVID
• Application Number:
  US10/505,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20050161809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,825 Days
• Field of Search: 257/734, 318/400.37, 318/400.38
• US Class Current: 257/734
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/202 using Hall-effect devices Hall elements in arrangements for measuring electrical power G01R21/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/207 Constructional details independent of the type of device used
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45124 Aluminium (Al) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• 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 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• 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: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0009 Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections

Abstract

To provide a power converter equipped with a current detector which is small and can carry out highly accurate current detection, in the power converter equipped with a power module 16 having a power controlling semiconductor element 7 disposed on the power module base 27 with a ceramic substrate 28 interposed, and a control unit 26 for controlling the operation of the power controlling semiconductor element 7, a current detector 40 having a magnetic detecting unit 47 which is disposed in the detection conductor 11, electrically connected to the power controlling semiconductor element 7 and disposed on the power module base 27 with the ceramic substrate 28 interposed, and has a magnetic detecting semiconductor element 43 electrically connected to the control unit 26 is provided in the power module 16; and relative distance between the detection conductor 11 and the power module base 27 is larger than the relative distance between the current detection electrode 42 and the power module base 27.

Claims

1. A power converter comprising

a power module having

a power controlling semiconductor element, and

a current detector for detecting current inputted into said power controlling semiconductor element or outputted from said power controlling semiconductor element;

a control unit for controlling operation of said power controlling semiconductor element; and

a planar conductive member through which induction current flows at the surface due to electromagnetic induction generated by current flowing through said current detector, wherein

said current detector has

a conductor electrically connected to said power controlling semiconductor element, and

a magnetic detecting unit for detecting a magnetic flux which is generated by the current flowing through said conductor, and

the magnetic detection surface of said magnetic detecting unit being parallel to the surface of said planar conductive member so that said magnetic detecting unit detects a component which is vertical to the surface of said planar conductive member, among magnetic flux generated by the current flowing through said conductor.

2. A power converter according to claim 1, wherein

said conductor has a portion which protrudes in the direction away from said conductive member, and among magnetic flux generated by said conductor portion protruding in the direction away from said conductive member;

and

said magnetic detecting unit detects magnetic flux having a component parallel to the perpendicular line which vertically intersects with said conductive member.

3. A power converter according to claim 1, wherein

said conductor has a portion which protrudes in the direction away from said conductive member and is parallel to said conductive member;

and

said magnetic detecting unit is disposed in said conductor portion which protrudes in the direction away from said conductive member and is parallel to said conductive member so that the magnetic detection surface of said magnetic detecting semiconductor element is parallel to said conductive member and is vertical and parallel to said conductor portion which protrudes in the direction away from said conductive member and is parallel to said conductive member.

4. A mobile body comprising:

a body;

a driven device provided in said body;

a motor for being driven by an external power source or electric power supplied from an internal power source mounted to said body thereby driving said driven device; and

a power converter for controlling electric power supplied from said power source to said motor, wherein a power converter according to claim 1 is used as said power converter.

5. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein said planar conductive member being a metal base plate on which said power controlling semiconductor elements are arranged with an insulation member interposed.