Power inverter

• US 7,710,721 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Matsuo, Takeshi, Nishihara, Atsuo, Musou, Masanori, Hamada, Haruki
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERVINSKY, BORIS LEO
• Application Number:
  US11/581,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20070253164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 361687-699, 174/15.1
• US Class Current: 361/699
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

Water paths for feeding a coolant water through a power converter mounted on an automobile are arranged in parallel, openings are formed on the water paths respectively, heat radiating fins project from the openings, and the openings are closed by a base plate of the power module. Further, the base plate of the power module includes a metal in addition to copper to increase a hardness of the base plate, so that a deterioration of the flatness during fixing the fins with brazing is restrained.

Claims

1. A power inverter for supplying an ac power to a rotary motor mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

a metallic housing,

a coolant passage forming body arranged in the metallic housing and including a coolant passage and an opening communicating with the coolant passage,

a power module including a plurality of power switching elements, a heat radiating fin, a metallic base having a surface on which the power switching elements are held and another surface on which the heat radiating fin is arranged, a direct current terminal and an alternating current terminal so that an electric power of direct current supplied from the direct current terminal is converted to an electric power of alternating current by switching operation of the power switching elements to be output from the alternating current terminal, and arranged in such a manner that the heat radiating fin extends into the coolant passage through the opening of the coolant passage forming body and the opening is closed by the metallic base, and

a capacitor module held on the metallic housing and including a capacitor cell, a case containing the capacitor cell, and an electrically conductive connecting plate connected to the capacitor cell in the case and projecting from the case, and

a switching drive circuit substrate for driving the power switching elements,

wherein the capacitor module faces to the power module to form a space therebetween, and the switching drive circuit substrate is arranged in the space.

4. The power inverter according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the heat radiating fin arranged at the another surface of the metallic base of the power module projects into the coolant passage from the opening formed on the coolant passage forming body, the opening is closed by the another surface of the metallic base, and a difference between a height of the heat radiating fin and a depth of the coolant passage is not more than 3 mm.

5. The power inverter according to claim 4, wherein the direct current terminal of the capacitor module is connected to the direct current terminal of the power module, the capacitor module has another direct current terminal to which a direct current power is supplied, and the another direct current terminal is arranged on another side of the capacitor module different from the side of the capacitor module at which the direct current terminal of the capacitor module is arranged so that the direct current power is supplied from the another direct current terminal, and is supplied to the power module through the direct current terminal of the capacitor module.

6. The power inverter according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the heat radiating fin is fixed to the another surface of the metallic base of the power module by brazing.

7. The power inverter according to claim 6, wherein the another surface of the metallic base to which the heat radiating fin is fixed by the brazing has a copper alloy of hardness not less than HV 50.

8. The power inverter according to claim 7, wherein the heat radiating fin is fixed by the brazing to the another surface of the metallic base having a thickness not less than 2 mm and not more than 4 mm and a thermal conductivity not less than 200 W/mK.

9. The power inverter according to claim 1, wherein the direct current terminal is arranged on a side surface of the power module which side surface faces to the capacitor module, and the electrically conductive plate extends at an outside of the switching drive circuit substrate to be connected to the direct current terminal.

2. A power inverter for supplying an ac power to a rotary motor mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

a metallic housing including inlet and outlet pipes for water as the coolant,

a coolant passage forming body arranged in the metallic housing and including a coolant passage into which the coolant is supplied through the inlet pipe and from which the coolant is discharged through the outlet pipe, and an opening communicating with the coolant passage,

a power module including a plurality of power switching elements, a heat radiating fin, a metallic base having a surface on which the power switching elements are held and another surface on which the heat radiating fin is arranged, a direct current terminal and an alternating current terminal so that an electric power of direct current supplied from the direct current terminal is converted to an electric power of alternating current by switching operation of the power switching elements to be output from the alternating current terminal, and arranged in such a manner that the heat radiating fin extends into the coolant passage through the opening of the coolant passage forming body and the opening is closed by the metallic base,

a capacitor module held on the metallic housing and including a capacitor cell, a case containing the capacitor cell, and an electrically conductive connecting plate connected to the capacitor cell in the case and projecting from the case, and

a switching drive circuit substrate for driving the power switching elements,

wherein the capacitor module faces to the power module to form a space therebetween, and the switching drive circuit substrate is arranged in the space.

3. A power inverter for supplying an ac power to a rotary motor mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

a metallic housing including inlet and outlet pipes for water as the coolant,

a coolant passage forming body arranged at a lower part of the metallic housing and including a coolant passage into which the coolant is supplied through the inlet pipe and from which the coolant is discharged through the outlet pipe, and an opening arranged at an upper side thereof and communicating with the coolant passage,

a power module including a plurality of power switching elements, a heat radiating fin, a metallic base having a surface on which the power switching elements are held and another surface on which the heat radiating fin is arranged, a direct current terminal and an alternating current terminal so that an electric power of direct current supplied from the direct current terminal is converted to an electric power of alternating current by switching operation of the power switching elements to be output from the alternating current terminal, and fixed to an upper side of the coolant passage forming body in such a manner that the heat radiating fin extends into the coolant passage through the opening formed on the upper side of the coolant passage forming body and the opening is closed by the metallic base,

a capacitor module held on the metallic housing and including

a capacitor cell, a case containing the capacitor cell, and an electrically conductive connecting plate connected to the capacitor cell in the case and projecting from the case, and

a switching drive circuit substrate for driving the power switching elements,

wherein the capacitor module faces to the power module to form a space therebetween, and the switching drive circuit substrate is arranged in the space.

10. A power inverter for supplying an ac power to a rotary motor mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

a metallic housing including inlet and outlet pipes for water as the coolant,

a coolant passage forming body arranged in the metallic housing and including a coolant passage into which the coolant is supplied through the inlet pipe and from which the coolant is discharged through the outlet pipe, and an opening arranged at a side thereof and communicating with the coolant passage,

a power module including a plurality of power switching elements, a heat radiating fin, a metallic base having a surface on which the power switching elements are held and another surface on which the heat radiating fin is arranged, a direct current terminal and an alternating current terminal so that an electric power of direct current supplied from the direct current terminal is converted to an electric power of alternating current by switching operation of the power switching elements to be output from the alternating current terminal, and fixed to a side of the coolant passage forming body in such a manner that the heat radiating fin extends into the coolant passage through the opening formed on an upper side of the coolant passage forming body and the opening is closed by the metallic base, and

a capacitor module held in a space in the metallic housing which space is arranged at another side of the coolant passage forming body, and including a direct current terminal to be connected to the power module, and a plurality of film capacitors,

wherein a side of the power module has the direct current terminal, and another side thereof has the alternating current terminal, and

the direct current terminal of the capacitor module is electrically connected to the direct current terminal of the power module to output the electric power of alternating current to the rotary motor mounted on the alternating current terminal vehicle from the alternating current terminal of the power module.

13. The power inverter according to any one of claims 10 and 11, wherein the heat radiating fin arranged at the another surface of the metallic base of the power module projects into the coolant passage from the opening formed on the coolant passage forming body, the opening is closed by the another surface of the metallic base, and a difference between a height of the heat radiating fin and a depth of the coolant passage is not more than 3 mm.

14. The power inverter according to any one of claims 10 and 11, wherein the inlet pipe for taking in the water as the coolant and the outlet pipe for discharging the coolant are fixed to the housing, an inlet part of the coolant passage is deeper than a part of the coolant passage at which the heat radiating fin projects, and an outlet part of the coolant passage is deeper than a part of the coolant passage at which the heat radiating fin projects.

15. The power inverter according to claim 14, an insulating substrate is fixed to a surface of the metallic base through a solder layer, a plurality of chips are fixed to the insulating substrate through the solder layer, and the heat radiating fin is fixed to another surface of the metallic base of the power module by brazing.

16. The power inverter according to claim 15, wherein the heat radiating fin is fixed by the brazing to the another surface of the metallic base having a thickness not less than 2 mm and not more than 4 mm and a thermal conductivity not less than 200 W/mK.

17. The power inverter according to claim 16, wherein a base plate of the power module includes copper as a main component thereof and the other metal, the another surface of the copper alloy has a hardness not less than MV 50 when the heat radiating fin is fixed to the base plate.

18. The power inverter according to claim 17, wherein the heat radiating fin is fixed by the brazing to a surface of the base plate having a thickness not less than 2 mm and not more than 4 mm and a thermal conductivity not less than 200 W/mK.

19. The power inverter according to claim 17, wherein the base plate is plated with nickel having a thickness not less than 3 μ

m and not more than 9 μ

m.

11. A power inverter for supplying an ac power to a rotary motor mounted on a vehicle, comprising;

a metallic housing including inlet and outlet pipes for water as the coolant at a first surface of the metallic housing,

a coolant passage forming body arranged in the metallic housing and including a bent coolant passage including a side coolant passage into which the coolant is supplied through the inlet pipe, another side coolant passage from which the coolant is discharged through the outlet pipe and a bent connection passage connecting the side coolant passage and the another side coolant passage to each other, a first opening arranged on the coolant passage forming body to open to the side coolant passage, and a second opening arranged on the coolant passage forming body to open to the another side coolant passage,

a first power module including a plurality of power switching elements, a heat radiating fin, a metallic base having a surface on which the power switching elements are held and another surface on which the heat radiating fin is arranged, a direct current terminal and an alternating current terminal so that an electric power of direct current supplied from the direct current terminal is converted to an electric power of alternating current by switching operation of the power switching elements to be output from the alternating current terminal, and fixed to the coolant passage forming body in such a manner that the heat radiating fin extends into the side coolant passage through the first opening of the coolant passage forming body and the first opening is closed by the metallic base,

a second power module including a plurality of power switching elements, a heat radiating fin, a metallic base having a surface on which the power switching elements are held and another surface on which the heat radiating fin is arranged, a direct current terminal and an alternating current terminal so that an electric power of direct current supplied from the direct current terminal is converted to the electric power of alternating current by switching operation of the power switching elements to be output from the alternating current terminal, and fixed to the coolant passage forming body in such a manner that the heat radiating fin extends into the another side coolant passage through the second opening of the coolant passage forming body and the second opening is closed by the metallic base, and

a capacitor module arranged in a side of the metallic housing opposite to the first and second power modules through the coolant passage forming body, and including a direct current terminal to be connected to the power modules, and a plurality of film capacitors,

wherein the first and second power modules are arranged in such a manner that the direct current terminals are at respective sides opposite to each other, and the alternating current terminal is arranged at a side opposite to the metallic housing, and

the direct current terminal of the capacitor module is electrically connected to the direct current terminal of the power module by an electrically conductive member extending from the another side of the coolant passage forming body to the side of the coolant passage forming body while extending in the vicinity of one of the coolant passage and the another coolant passage.

12. The power inverter according to claim 11, wherein the first and second direct current terminals fixed to the coolant passage forming body are arranged at respective sides opposite to each other, and the alternating current terminals are arranged in respective directions opposite to a side surface of the metallic housing.