Electric vehicle and method of cooling vehicular DC/DC converter

• US 8,159,823 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2009
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Murakami, Tomoatsu
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, COURTNEY L
• Application Number:
  US12/521,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20100315780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 361/716
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/005 the electric storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/28 including control of fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 3/12 Elements constructed in the shape of a hollow panel, e.g. with channels F28D1/02, F28D1/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/20 Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electric vehicle and a method of cooling a vehicular DC/DC converter. A fuel cell vehicle, as one example of an electric vehicle, includes a DC/DC converter connected between an electricity storage device and a fuel cell for converting a voltage generated by the electricity storage device and applying the converted voltage to a motor, and converting a regenerated voltage produced by the motor in a regenerative mode or a voltage generated by the fuel cell and applying the converted voltage to the electricity storage device, and a cooling apparatus for cooling the DC/DC converter. The cooling apparatus includes a cooling fluid passage therein for a cooling fluid that flows therethrough, the cooling fluid passage including a bend. The cooling apparatus is constructed such that the cooling fluid flowing upstream of the bend cools upper arm devices, while the cooling fluid flowing downstream of the bend cools lower arm devices.

Claims

1. An electric vehicle comprising:

an electric motor for rotating wheels;

an electric generating device and an electricity storage device for supplying electric power in a parallel fashion to the electric motor;

a DC/DC converter connected between the electricity storage device and the electric generating device, for converting a voltage generated by the electricity storage device and applying the converted voltage to the electric motor, and converting a regenerated voltage produced by the electric motor in a regenerative mode or a voltage generated by the electric generating device and applying the converted voltage to the electricity storage device; and

a cooling apparatus for cooling the DC/DC converter, the cooling apparatus having a cooling fluid passage therein through which a cooling fluid flows, the cooling fluid passage including a bend;

wherein the DC/DC converter has phase arm devices including at least one set of upper arm devices and lower arm devices disposed between the electricity storage device and the electric motor; and

wherein the cooling apparatus is constructed such that the cooling fluid flowing through a first straight portion upstream of the bend cools the upper arm devices arranged along the first straight portion before the bend and the cooling fluid flowing through a second straight portion downstream of the bend cools the lower arm devices arranged along the second straight portion after the bend.

2. An electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the DC/DC converter has a reactor for discharging and storing energy when converting the voltage between the electricity storage device and the electric motor;

and

wherein the cooling apparatus is constructed such that the cooling fluid flowing in the bend cools the reactor.

3. An electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electric generating device comprises a fuel cell.

6. The electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the upper arm devices and the lower arm devices are aligned in a switching module of the DC/DC converter.

7. The electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid flowing upstream of the bend flows through a first straight portion, and the cooling fluid flowing downstream of the bend flows through a second straight portion.

4. An electric vehicle comprising:

an electric motor for rotating wheels;

an electricity storage device for supplying electric power to the electric motor;

a DC/DC converter connected between the electricity storage device and the electric motor, for converting a voltage generated by the electricity storage device and applying the converted voltage to the electric motor, and converting a regenerated voltage produced by the electric motor in a regenerative mode and applying the converted voltage to the electricity storage device; and

a cooling apparatus for cooling the DC/DC converter, the cooling apparatus having a cooling fluid passage therein through which a cooling fluid flows, the cooling fluid passage including a bend;

wherein the DC/DC converter has phase arm devices including at least one set of upper arm devices and lower arm devices disposed between the electricity storage device and the electric motor; and

wherein the cooling apparatus is constructed such that the cooling fluid flowing through a first straight portion upstream of the bend cools the upper arm devices arranged along the first straight portion before the bend and the cooling fluid flowing through a second straight portion downstream of the bend cools the lower arm devices arranged along the second straight portion after the bend.

5. A method of cooling a vehicular DC/DC converter, comprising the steps of:

providing a bend in a cooling fluid passage through which a cooling fluid flows to cool a DC/DC converter, which is connected between an electric motor for rotating wheels and an electricity storage device for supplying electric power to the electric motor, and which has phase arm devices including at least one set of upper arm devices and lower arm devices;

cooling the upper arm devices arranged along a first straight portion before the bend with the cooling fluid flowing through the first straight portion upstream of the bend; and

cooling the lower arm devices arranged along a second straight portion after the bend with the cooling fluid flowing through the second straight portion downstream of the bend.