Support structure for power electronics

• US 9,999,151 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2016
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Energy Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Lindblom, Marcus, Weiss, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Courtney
• Application Number:
  US15/088,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20160219743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14 Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1432 specially adapted for power drive units or power converters
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14325 for cabinets or racks
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0062 Structures of standardised dimensions, e.g. 19" rack, chassis for servers or telecommunications

Abstract

The application concerns a support structure for power electronics, comprising a holder for the insertion of at least one power electronics module and an electrically conductive external geometry which surrounds the holder and has rounded corners and edges with a radius of curvature which is greater than a predetermined minimum radius.

Claims

1. A support structure arrangement for a modular converter, the support structure arrangement comprises:

a plurality of support structures each of the plurality of support structures comprises;

a holder for the insertion of at least one power electronics module;

a support frame which is composed of pipes which are connected to one another and form corners and edges of an electrically conductive outer geometry of the support structure, which outer geometry surrounds the holder,

wherein the corners and edges have a radius of curvature which is greater than a prespecified minimum radius, the prespecified minimum radius corresponding to a desired system voltage of the power electronics module, and wherein the outer geometry is designed to homogenize an electrical field strength on an outside of the support structure; and

wherein the support structures are arranged in a row;

a coolant pipe, which is composed of insulating material, for providing cooling liquid for each of the at least one power electronics modules in the plurality of the support structures;

wherein the coolant pipe is guided along the row within the outer geometries of the support structures;

at least one electrode, which is arranged in the coolant pipe, within the outer geometry of each of the plurality of the support structures which is electrically conductively connected to each of the plurality of the support structures and/or to each of the at least one power electronics modules in the plurality of the support structures in such a way that the electrode is at the potential of each of the plurality of the support structures and/or of each of the at least one power electronics modules;

wherein the electrode is arranged in a first support structure in the row, and a further electrode is arranged in the last support structure of the row.

2. The support structure arrangement as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the outer geometry of each of the plurality of the support structures is cuboidal.

3. The support structure arrangement as claimed in claim 2,

wherein each of the plurality of the support structures comprises two rectangular pipe rings with rounded corners, which pipe rings are arranged parallel in relation to one another and are connected by means of pipes which run orthogonally in relation to the pipe rings.

4. The support structure arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one side panel which provides a flat outer surface of the outer geometry of each of the plurality of the support structures.

5. The support structure arrangement as claimed in claim 4,

wherein the at least one side panel is provided between pipes of the support frame of each of the plurality of the support structures.

6. The support structure arrangement as claimed in claim 1,

wherein at least two of the power electronics modules can be inserted into the holder one behind the other.

7. The support structure arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

at least two sliding rails which are arranged in the holder and on which the at least one power electronics module can be inserted into the holder.

8. The support structure arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of insulators which are fitted to the outer geometry of each of the plurality of the support structures.

9. The support structure arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coolant pipe is guided beneath rails in the support structures.

10. The support structure arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a connecting pipe, which is composed of an insulating material, for connecting the coolant pipe to a main system pipe;

an electrode which is arranged in the connecting pipe and is electrically connected to a ground potential of the converter.

11. The support structure arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a first group of support structures in the row, and a second group of support structures in the row adjoining the first group;

a further coolant pipe for the second group of support structures, which further coolant pipe is guided through the support structures of the first group.

12. The support structure arrangement as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

at least one side panel which provides a flat outer surface of the outer geometry of each of the plurality of the support structures.

13. The support structure arrangement as claimed in claim 2,

wherein at least two of the at least one power electronics modules can be inserted into the holder one behind the other.

14. The support structure arrangement as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

at least two sliding rails which are arranged in the holder and on which at least one power electronics module can be inserted into the holder.