Inverter system

• US 8,289,709 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2010
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NXTII LLC
• Original Assignee: Nextronex Inc. (Price Energy Systems LLC)
• Inventors: Feltner, David, Olin, David E., Gerhardinger, Peter, Ashton, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Datskovskiy, Michail V
• Application Number:
  US12/907,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20110110039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 36167946-67954, 361690-697, 361704-712, 361722-728, 165/80.2, 165/80.3, 165/104.33, 165/104.34, 165121-126, 165/185, 312/223.1, 312/223.2, 312/223.3, 312/236, 454/184, 363/15, 363/26, 363/39, 363 63- 75, 363141-143, 363243-246, 363/251, 363/255, 363/292, 307/44, 307/75, 307/77, 307/112, 307143-148
• US Class Current: 361/695
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20909 Forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components

Abstract

A housing includes a first chamber having an exhaust aperture to provide fluid communication with an outside environment, a wall disposed in the first chamber and containing an electrical component, wherein a thermal energy generated by the electrical component is transferred from the first chamber to the outside environment through the exhaust aperture, a second chamber formed adjacent the first chamber and including a control means for the electrical component, and a means for selectively providing access to the first chamber and the second chamber.

Claims

1. A housing comprising:

a first chamber having an exhaust aperture to provide fluid communication with an outside environment;

a wall disposed in the first chamber and containing an electrical component, wherein a thermal energy generated by the electrical component is transferred from the first chamber to the outside environment through the exhaust aperture;

a second chamber formed adjacent the first chamber and including a control means for the electrical component; and

a means for selectively providing access to the first chamber and the second chamber.

2. The housing according to claim 1, further comprising a fan assembly in fluid communication with the exhaust aperture formed in the first chamber.

3. The housing according to claim 1, further comprising a heatsink assembly disposed adjacent the wall and in thermal communication therewith.

4. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the electrical component is an inverter.

5. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the control means includes a disconnect plate.

6. The housing according to claim 1, wherein the second chamber is further divided to define a choke section including a choke magnet disposed therein, the choke magnet spaced from the electrical component and the control means.

7. The housing according to claim 6, wherein the choke section includes a means for ventilating to the outside environment.

8. The housing according to claim 1, further comprising a control transformer disposed in the first chamber and in electrical communication with the electrical component.

9. A housing comprising:

a first chamber having an exhaust aperture to provide heat transfer with an outside environment;

a second chamber formed adjacent the first chamber and including a disconnect plate;

a wall separating at least a portion of the first chamber to define a third chamber, the wall containing an inverter assembly in electrical communication with the disconnect plate, wherein at least a portion of the thermal energy generated by the inverter assembly is transferred from the first chamber to the outside environment through the exhaust aperture; and

a means for selectively providing access to the first chamber and the second chamber.

10. The housing according to claim 9, further comprising a fan assembly in fluid communication with the exhaust aperture formed in the first chamber.

11. The housing according to claim 9, further comprising a heatsink assembly disposed in the first chamber adjacent the wall and in thermal communication with the inverter assembly.

12. The housing according to claim 11, wherein the inverter assembly includes a heat exchanger extending through the wall, the heat exchanger in thermal communication with the heatsink assembly.

13. The housing according to claim 11, wherein the inverter assembly includes a heat sink in thermal communication with the heatsink assembly.

14. The housing according to claim 9, wherein the inverter assembly includes an inverter for converting direct current to alternating current.

15. The housing according to claim 9, wherein the inverter assembly includes a heat exchanger extending through the wall.

16. The housing according to claim 9, wherein the second chamber is further divided to define a choke section including a choke magnet disposed therein, the choke magnet spaced from the electrical component and the control means.

17. A housing for an inverter comprising:

a floor having a means to mount the housing in a substantially static position;

a plurality of side walls coupled to the floor and at least partially defining;

a first chamber having an exhaust aperture to provide fluid communication with an outside environment; and

a second chamber adjacent the first chamber and including a control means;

a chamber wall separating at least a portion of the first chamber to define a third chamber, the chamber wall containing an inverter assembly in electrical communication with the control means, wherein at least a portion of the thermal energy generated by the inverter assembly is transferred from the first chamber to the outside environment through the exhaust aperture;

a heatsink assembly disposed in the first chamber adjacent the chamber wall and in thermal communication with the inverter assembly; and

a means for selectively providing access to the first chamber and the second chamber.

18. The housing according to claim 17, wherein the inverter assembly includes a heat exchanger extending through the chamber wall and in direct thermal communication with the heat sink.

19. The housing according to claim 17, wherein the second chamber is further divided to define a choke section including a choke magnet disposed therein, the choke magnet spaced from the electrical component and the control means.

20. The housing according to claim 17, further comprising a control transformer mounted to the floor in the first chamber and in electrical communication with the electrical component.