Power inverter

• US 8,699,254 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishikimi, Fusanori, Nakatsu, Kinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Nguyen
• Application Number:
  US12/188,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20090040724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• Field of Search: 363/141, 363/95, 363/98, 363/131, 363/132, 363/135, 361/271, 361/274.2, 361/274.3, 361/676, 361/677, 361/679.46, 361/679.47, 361/687, 361/697, 361/709, 361/711, 361/712, 361/713, 361/714
• US Class Current: 363/141
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• 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 2924/1305 Bipolar Junction Transistor [BJT]
• 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 2924/19107 off-chip wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/219 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/5387 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

In a power inverter, a coolant passage is fixed to a chassis to cool the chassis; the chassis is divided into a first region and a second region by providing the coolant passage in the chassis; a power module is provided in the first region as fixed to the coolant passage; a capacitor module is provided in the second region; and the DC terminal of the capacitor module is directly connected to the DC terminal of the power module.

Claims

1. A power inverter, comprising:

a power module that comprises a plurality of switching devices for an upper arm and a lower arm that make up an inverter circuit, and a DC terminal;

a smoothing capacitor module;

a gate drive circuit that drives the power module;

a coolant passage through which coolant flows; and

a chassis that houses the power module, the capacitor module, and the coolant passage, wherein;

the chassis is divided into a first region and a second region by providing the coolant passage in the chassis, and the chassis comprises a space that links the first region and the second region;

the power module is provided in the first region as fixed to the coolant passage;

the capacitor module is provided in the second region; and

the capacitor module comprises;

a capacitor case;

a positive busbar and a negative busbar sandwiching an insulation material to form a laminated structure;

a plurality of capacitor cells that are connected to the positive busbar and the negative busbar respectively; and

a filling material that fixes the plurality of capacitor cells, the positive busbar and the negative busbar to the capacitor case, wherein;

the positive busbar and the negative busbar that are laminated with the insulation material protrude from the filling material and extend to the space, and an end of the positive busbar and an end of the negative busbar that make up the protruded laminated busbar are bent in opposite directions to each other such that internal surfaces at an the end of the positive busbar and the negative busbar having been laminated are opened to provide connecting surfaces; and

the positive busbar and the negative busbar are electrically connected to the DC terminal of the power module via the connecting surface of the positive busbar and the connecting surface of the negative busbar, respectively.

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

the chassis is formed with an upper opening opened at an upper end and a lower opening at a lower end of the chassis;

the first region exists between the coolant passage and the upper opening;

the second region exists between the coolant passage and the lower opening;

the lower opening is covered with a lower cover and the upper opening is covered with an upper cover; and

a heat conduction passage is formed between the lower cover and the capacitor module.

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

a gate drive circuit that drives the power module, wherein;

the chassis is formed with a heat conduction member, and

the capacitor module and the gate drive circuit are cooled by coolant flowing through the coolant passage via the chassis.

4. A power inverter according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the capacitor cells comprises a wound film conductor and is arranged such that an outer circumference surface of each of the capacitor cells faces the planar section of the laminated busbar; and

each of end faces of the capacitor cells formed with the wound film conductor is electrically connected to the laminated busbar.

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

the DC terminal of the power module comprises a laminated busbar made up of a positive busbar and a negative busbar;

each of the positive busbar and the negative busbar that make up the laminated busbar, comprises a connection section;

the connection section of the positive busbar and the connection section of the negative busbar are bent in opposite directions to each other such that internal surfaces of the positive busbar and the negative busbar having been laminated are opened to provide connecting surfaces at the connection sections; and

the DC terminal of the power module is electrically connected to the positive busbar and the negative busbar of the capacitor module via the connecting surface of the positive busbar and the connecting surface of the negative busbar.

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

the power module comprises a AC terminal that is shaped in a plate and protrudes from the power module;

the AC terminal is provided with a hole into which a protrusion or a pin provided in a case of the power module is inserted; and

the AC terminal is sustained by the protrusion or the pin and the hole against outer vibration to the AC terminal fixed on the case of the power module.