Switching device

• US 8,542,467 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2011
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Nobuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Leja, Ronald W
• Application Number:
  US13/014,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20110181993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 361/18
• US Class Current: 361/18
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/5387 in a bridge configuration

Abstract

A switching device includes a plurality of semiconductor switching elements coupled in series, a smoothing capacitor, and snubber circuit. Each of the semiconductor switching elements includes a free wheel diode. The smoothing capacitor is coupled in parallel with a direct current power source and the semiconductor switching elements. The smoothing capacitor smoothes an output of the direct current power source and supplies the smoothed output to the semiconductor switching elements. The snubber circuit is coupled between a first connecting point and a second connecting point in parallel with the semiconductor switching elements. An inductance of a first channel provided from the first connecting point to the second connecting point through the smoothing capacitor is equal to or more than 10 times as large as an inductance of a second channel including the semiconductor switching elements and the snubber circuit.

Claims

1. A switching device comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor switching elements coupled in series, each of the plurality of semiconductor switching elements including a free wheel diode;

a smoothing capacitor coupled in parallel with a direct current power source and the plurality of semiconductor switching elements, the smoothing capacitor smoothing an output of the direct current power source and supplying the smoothed output to the plurality of semiconductor switching elements; and

a snubber circuit coupled between a first connecting point and a second connecting point in parallel with the plurality of semiconductor switching elements,

wherein an inductance of a first channel provided from the first connecting point to the second connecting point through the smoothing capacitor is equal to or more than 10 times as large as an inductance of a second channel including the plurality of semiconductor switching elements and the snubber circuit so as to reduce a power dissipation associated with a recovery current of the free wheel diode.

2. The switching device according to claim 1, wherein

the inductance of the first channel includes stray inductances of the smoothing capacitor and wirings in the first channel, and

the inductance of the second channel includes stray inductances of the plurality of semiconductor switching elements, the snubber circuit, and wirings in the second channel.

3. The switching device according to claim 1, further comprising a coil dispose in the first channel, wherein

the inductance of the first channel includes stray inductances of the smoothing capacitor and wirings in the first channel and an inductance of the coil, and

the inductance of the second channel includes stray inductances of the plurality of semiconductor switching elements, the snubber circuit, and wirings in the second channel.

4. The switching device according to claim 1, wherein

the snubber circuit includes a capacitor or a capacitor and a resistor coupled in series.

5. The switching device according to claim 1, wherein the snubber circuit includes

a rectifying element and a capacitor coupled in series, and

a resistor coupled in parallel with the rectifying element.

6. The switching device according to claim 1, wherein the snubber circuit includes

a first resistor, a rectifying element, and a capacitor coupled in series, and

a second resistor coupled in parallel with the rectifying element.

7. The switching device according to claim 1, wherein the snubber circuit includes

a first resistor, a rectifying element, and a capacitor coupled in series, and

a second resistor coupled in parallel with the first resistor and the rectifying element coupled in series.

8. The switching device according to claim 7, wherein

the first resistor is an internal resistor of the rectifying element.

9. The switching device according to claim 5, wherein

the rectifying element includes a diode.

10. The switching device according to claim 9, wherein

the rectifying element includes a silicon carbide schottky barrier diode.

11. The switching device according to claim 9, wherein

the rectifying element includes a silicon carbide junction barrier schottky diode.

12. The switching device according to claim 1, wherein

the inductance of the second channel is equal to or less than 10 nH.

13. A power converter comprising the switching device according to claim 1, wherein the switching device is configured to convert a power from the direct current power source.