Power converter

• US 7,978,468 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2010
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Saito, Ryuichi, Nakatsu, Kinya, Funato, Hiroki, Suga, Takashi, Nakamura, Takayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERVINSKY, BORIS LEO
• Application Number:
  US12/715,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20100188814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 361/689
• 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 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/14 Synchronous machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/42 with use of more than one motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/26 Transition between different drive modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48139 with an intermediate bond, e.g. continuous wire daisy chain
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• 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 7/2089 : for power electronics, e.g. for inverters for controlling motor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 : Liquid coolant without phase change
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

The object is to provide a power converter which is capable of minimizing an extent to which the power converter components other than the semiconductor module are thermally affected by the heat originating from the semiconductor module.

A casing houses: semiconductor modules 20, 30 constituting a main circuit for power conversion; a capacitor 50 electrically connected to the main circuit; drive circuits 70, 71 that provide main circuit with a drive signal used in power conversion operation; a control circuit 74 that provides the drive circuit with a control signal used to prompt the drive circuit to provide the drive signal. Within the casing, a cooling chamber including a coolant passage 28 is formed, and a chamber wall of the cooling chamber is formed with a thermally conductive material. At least the semiconductor modules 20, 30 are housed inside the cooling chamber, and at least the capacitor 50 and the control circuit 74 are disposed outside the cooling chamber

Claims

1. A power converter, comprising:

a semiconductor module that includes a plurality of power semiconductor elements and converts DC power to AC power;

a capacitor for smoothing the DC power;

a DC-side connecting conductor that electrically connects the semiconductor module and the capacitor; and

a casing that houses the semiconductor module, the capacitor and the DC-side connecting conductor, wherein;

the casing includes a first upper case that has an opening, a lower case that closes the opening of the first upper case, and a second base held by the first upper case;

the semiconductor module is fixed to the second base in a space between the first upper case and the second base via a first base that forms a coolant passage;

the capacitor is disposed in a space between the second base and the lower case;

an opening is formed in the second base at a position facing a space between a side of the first base and an inner wall of the first upper case; and

the DC-side connecting conductor passes through the opening of the second base and extends through the space between the side of the first base and the inner wall of the first upper case so as to connect the semiconductor module and the capacitor.

2. A power converter according to claim 1, wherein:

the DC-side connecting connector includes a DC positive pole-side bus bar, a DC negative pole-side bus bar, and an insulating sheet sandwiched between the DC positive pole-side bus bar and the DC negative pole-side bus bar.

3. A power converter according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second upper case fixed to an outer wall of the first upper case; and

a board that transmits a signal for driving the plurality of the power semiconductor elements of the semiconductor module, wherein;

the board is housed in a space between the first upper case and the second upper case.

4. A power converter according to claim 1, further comprising:

a hollow mounting leg through which a power cable for supplying the DC power to a motor is inserted.

5. A power converter according to claim 1, wherein:

the semiconductor module is formed in a substantially rectangular shape;

a DC positive pole-side terminal and a DC negative pole-side terminal are disposed along one of longer sides of the semiconductor module; and

a plurality of AC-side mounted module terminals that are connected to an AC bus bar for transmitting the AC power to a motor are disposed along another of the longer sides of the semiconductor module.

6. A power converter according to claim 1, wherein:

the capacitor is fixed by the second base and the lower case.

7. A power converter according to claim 1, wherein:

the semiconductor module includes a heat transfer plate that holds an insulating substrate on which the plurality of power semiconductor elements are mounted;

the first base forms an opening leading to the coolant passage; and

the heat transfer plate closes the opening of the first base so that coolant flowing through the coolant passage directly contacts the heat transfer plate.