Power conversion apparatus

• US 9,578,790 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2012
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Kodama, Katsuhisa, Fujii, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffberg, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US14/372,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20150208556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,800 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 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 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/22 Constructional details or arrangements of charging converters specially adapted for charging electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/025 Constructional details relating to cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/105 Cooling by special liquid or by liquid of particular composition
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/209 Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure H05K7/20909 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change
• 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 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A power converter includes: a first metal member; a second metal member to be connected to the first metal member to form a space in which a coolant flows; and a heating electric component main body to be housed in a concave portion formed on the first metal member so as to project into interior of the space.

Claims

1. A power converter, comprising:

a first metal member;

a second metal member connected to the first metal member, wherein only two sections are formed within the second metal member so that the sections are separated away from each other, and a coolant only flows in one of the two separated sections; and

at least one heating electric component main body to be respectively housed in at least one concave portion formed on the first metal member so as to project into a space provided between the first and second metal members through which the coolant flows, the space surrounded only by the first and second metal members.

2. The power converter according to claim 1, further comprising a semiconductor component for performing a high-frequency switching operation, the semiconductor component being mounted on a plane of the first metal member having the concave portion formed thereon.

3. The power converter according to claim 2, wherein distal end portions of terminals of the at least one heating electric component main body and the semiconductor component extend in a direction perpendicular to the plane.

4. The power converter according to claim 3, further comprising a circuit board provided so as to be opposed to the plane,

wherein the terminals are electrically connected to the circuit board.

5. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the at least one heating electric component main body is fixed inside the at least one concave portion with an insulating resin filled in the at least one concave portion.

6. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the at least one heating electric component main body is positioned in a center of the at least one concave portion by a resin holder for holding the at least one heating electric component main body.

7. The power converter according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one concave portion comprises a pair of concave portions formed so that the concave portions are separated away from each other,

wherein the concave portions are connected by a wall which forms a portion of an outgoing path and a portion of a return path for the coolant, and

wherein the coolant flowing into an inlet pipe in communication with the space passes through the outgoing path and the return path to flow outside through an outlet pipe in communication with the space.

8. The power converter according to claim 7,

wherein the power converter comprises an in-vehicle power converter, and

wherein the at least one heating electric component main body comprises a reactor main body and a transformer main body, the heating electric component main body being housed in one of the concave portions and the transformer main body being housed in another of the concave portions.