Power converter for railroad vehicle

• US 9,943,007 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2017
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Electric Company Limited (Fuji Electric Systems Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Electric Company Limited (Fuji Electric Systems Company Limited)
• Inventors: Enami, Yoshiaki, Uehara, Yoshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, COURTNEY L
• Application Number:
  US15/468,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20170303430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 17/00 Arrangement or disposition of parts; Details or accessories not otherwise provided for; Use of control gear and control systems
• CPC Class Codes: B61C 3/00 Electric locomotives or railcars characterised by power transmission B61C9/00; electrical features B60L; H02
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 27/0072 Means for cooling only cooling in general F25
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20145 Means for directing air flow, e.g. ducts, deflectors, plenum or guides
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20409 Outer radiating structures on heat dissipating housings, e.g. fins integrated with the housing
• 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 7/20918 the components being isolated from air flow, e.g. hollow heat sinks, wind tunnels or funnels

Abstract

A power converter for a railroad vehicle includes an air guide duct that takes air from a lateral side of one of a first heat radiating fin and a second heat radiating fin, guides the taken air to a region between the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin, and then guides the taken air to an end of the other of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin in a running direction when the railroad vehicle is running.

Claims

1. A power converter for a railroad vehicle comprising:

a power converter body;

a first heat radiating fin that is arranged on a first side of the power converter body in a running direction of the railroad vehicle to extend along the running direction and radiates heat of the power converter body mounted on the railroad vehicle;

a second heat radiating fin that is arranged at a predetermined interval from the first heat radiating fin on a second side of the power converter body in the running direction to extend along the running direction and radiates the heat of the power converter body;

an air guide duct that takes air from a lateral side of one of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin, guides the taken air to a region between the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin, and then guides the taken air to an end of the other of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin in the running direction when the railroad vehicle is running,

the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin are arranged apart from one another in a longitudinal direction of the railroad vehicle,

the air guide duct is provided on side portions of each of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin, and

the air guide duct includes a bending portion configured such that a side surface of the air guide duct is bent toward a central portion in the region so that the taken air from the side portions of one of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin is guided toward the central portion in the region.

2. The power converter for a railroad vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the air guide duct is provided across the region between the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin.

3. The power converter for a railroad vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the air guide duct is provided on opposite side ends of each of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin in a direction perpendicular to the running direction, and

in a state where the air has been taken from opposite lateral sides of one of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin and the taken air has been guided toward the central portion in the region through the air guide duct, the air guide duct introduces the air to an end of the other of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin in the running direction by the bending portion.

4. The power converter for a railroad vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the air guide duct is configured such that the bending portion guides the air toward the central portion in the region by bending a side surface of the air guide duct toward the central portion in the region, and introduces the air to the end of the other of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin in the running direction.

5. The power converter for a railroad vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the air guide duct takes air from the opposite lateral sides, and guides the taken air toward the central portion in the region in a state where the taken air is bent toward the power converter body in a vicinity of the region.

6. The power converter for a railroad vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the air guide duct guides the air toward the central portion in the region in a state where a surface of the air guide duct opposite to the power converter body is bent toward the power converter body in the region to bend the air toward the power converter body in the vicinity of the region.

7. The power converter for a railroad vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin are placed in an underfloor space of the railroad vehicle, and

the air guide duct discharges air that has cooled one of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin to the region between the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin, and guides the air taken from the lateral side of one of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin to the end of the other of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin in the running direction through the region.

8. The power converter for a railroad vehicle according to claim 7, wherein

the air guide duct includes an opening that is open outward in the region, and

the air guide duct discharges the air that has cooled one of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin outward through the opening, and guides the air taken from the lateral side of one of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin to the end of the other of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin in the running direction through the region.

9. The power converter for a railroad vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the air guide duct extends along a side end of each of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin along the running direction in a state where a surface of each of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin opposite to the power converter body is at least partially exposed.

10. The power converter for a railroad vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the air guide duct covers, from a side opposite to the power converter body, an end of each of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin in a direction perpendicular to the running direction, the end that extends along the running direction, and extends along the end in the direction perpendicular to the running direction.

11. The power converter for a railroad vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the air guide duct protrudes to a windward side beyond an end of the first heat-radiating fin or the second heat radiating fin on a side from which air is taken when the railroad vehicle is running.

12. The power converter for a railroad vehicle according to claim 7, wherein

the air guide duct surrounds the region between the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin, and

the air guide duct mixes the air that has cooled one of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin and the air taken from the lateral side of one of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin and guided to the region, and guides the mixed air to the end of the other of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin in the running direction.

13. The power converter for a railroad vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the air guide duct is integrally provided from the first heat radiating fin to the second heat radiating fin.

14. The power converter for a railroad vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin extend downward of the railroad vehicle, and

the air guide duct extends along the running direction on the opposite side ends of each of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin in a direction of crossties.

15. The power converter for a railroad vehicle according to claim 3, wherein

the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin extend laterally of the railroad vehicle, and

the air guide duct extends along the running direction on the opposite side ends of each of the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin in a vertical direction.

16. The power converter for a railroad vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the air guide duct has a symmetric shape in the running direction with respect to a centerline along a direction perpendicular to the running direction in the region between the first heat radiating fin and the second heat radiating fin.