Power electronics device

• US 9,282,677 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2013
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vacon Oy (Danfoss A/S)
• Original Assignee: Vacon Oyj (Danfoss A/S)
• Inventors: Miettinen, Osmo, Jaskari, Jukka, Strandberg, Stefan, Bjrkgren, Trygve, Sarn, Hannu, Hortans, Magnus
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahmad, Yahya
• Application Number:
  US14/072,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20140140005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 361688-723, 363 1-178
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20272 Accessories for moving fluid, for expanding fluid, for connecting fluid conduits, for distributing fluid, for removing gas or for preventing leakage, e.g. pumps, tanks or manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

Power electronics device, such as a frequency converter, which includes liquid-cooled power units (REC₅, REC₆, AFE₅, AFE₆, INU₄, INU₅, DC/DC, DC/AC) and also a substrate arrangement. The power units include at least one power semiconductor component, e.g. an IGBT or a diode, connected to at least one power circuit connecting them. The power units are mechanically separate and they are disposed on at least one substrate provided with liquid cooling ducts. The substrate is common to more than one power unit, wherein the substrate includes liquid cooling interfaces and power circuit interfaces for each power unit that can be connected to it. In addition, the substrate includes one liquid cooling interface and one power circuit interface (DC+, DC−) to outside the substrate.

Claims

1. A power electronics device that is a frequency converter, the power electronics device comprising:

liquid-cooled power units including at least one power semiconductor component that is an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) or a diode, wherein the power units are mechanically separate;

a substrate, among at least one substrate, and on which the power units are disposed, wherein the substrate includes liquid cooling ducts and is common to more than one power unit;

an electrical interface connected to each power unit via a power circuit interface on a side surface of each power unit, and connected to the substrate via a supporting insulator on a top surface of the substrate, wherein each power unit is connected, via a liquid cooling interface on a bottom surface of each power unit, to a liquid cooling interface on the top surface of the substrate;

electrical connectors on a top surface of each power unit for connecting to outside each power unit; and

one liquid cooling interface and one power circuit interface on a side surface of the substrate for connecting to outside the substrate.

2. The power electronics device according to claim 1, wherein:

all the liquid cooling interfaces of the liquid cooling ducts in the substrate to the power units are essentially the same shape, and

cross-sectional areas and shapes of the liquid cooling ducts are dimensioned in such a way that pressure differences between the incoming and outgoing liquid connection points of power units disposed on the same substrate are essentially equal.

3. The power electronics device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid cooling ducts arranged in the substrate and cooling liquid flows of the liquid cooling interfaces of each power unit to be connected to the liquid cooling ducts arranged in the substrate are configured in such a way that the cooling liquid flows of the power units intended for the same operation are equal.

4. The power electronics device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid cooling ducts are designed to be compatible in such a way that a waterproof interface forms between a power unit and the substrate at the same time as the unit is fixed to the substrate and to the power circuit, without separate fixing parts being connected to the liquid cooling interface on each power unit or the liquid cooling interface substrate.

5. The power electronics device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a bulbar arrangement, via which the power units disposed on the substrate are connected to a common power circuit, comprising one interface to outside the substrate and which arrangement comprises at least two rails.

6. The power electronics device according to claim 1, wherein the impedances to common power interface points of electrical connections inside the power units intended for the same operation are configured to be essentially equal in such a way that the electrical connections inside the power units intended for the same operation are arranged with switching parts that are similar or are mirror images with respect to each other.

7. The power electronics device according to claim 1, wherein the power units that comprise controllable semiconductor components comprise at least one capacitor connected to a common power circuit interface and fitted near the controllable power semiconductor components.

8. The power electronics device according to claim 1, wherein:

the poles of an energy storage unit belonging to a DC intermediate circuit of the frequency converter are connected to the power circuit interface of the substrate, and

the energy storage unit is disposed outside the substrate structure.

9. The power electronics device according to claim 1, wherein the power units that comprise a controllable semiconductor component and are disposed on the same substrate are connected with a fast communications bus to a common control unit from where the physically similar units are configured to be programmably configurable for different tasks.

10. The power electronics device according to claim 1, wherein some or all of the power units belonging to the same substrate are configured to be similar and configured to receive from the control unit the same type of control signals and are connected in parallel to supply the same load.

11. The power electronics device according to claim 1, wherein some of inverter units belonging to the same substrate are configured to supply a load and some to function as a connection unit towards a supply network.

12. The power electronics device according to claim 1, wherein when multiple power units are connected in parallel, and when one power unit fails, the failed unit in question can be controlled out of use, in which case the other units continue to operate.

13. The power electronics device according to claim 1, wherein when multiple power units are connected in parallel, for saving energy some of the multiple power units connected in parallel are configured to be stopped when a total power requirement does not require an operation of all the power units.

14. The power electronics device according to claim 1, wherein the control signals required by the controllable power semiconductor components of the power units are formed in a power unit timed by a common control unit or the control signals are formed in the common control unit, in which case they are configured to be transmitted to the power units via a fast communications bus.

15. The power electronics device according to claim 2, wherein the liquid cooling ducts arranged in the substrate and cooling liquid flows of the liquid cooling interfaces of each power unit to be connected to the liquid cooling ducts arranged in the substrate are configured in such a way that the cooling liquid flows of the power units intended for the same operation are equal.

16. The power electronics device according to claim 2, wherein the liquid cooling ducts are designed to be compatible in such a way that a waterproof interface forms between a power unit and the substrate at the same time as the unit is fixed to the substrate and to the power circuit, without separate fixing parts being connected to the liquid cooling interface on each power unit or the liquid cooling interface substrate.

17. The power electronics device according to claim 3, wherein the liquid cooling ducts are designed to be compatible in such a way that a waterproof interface forms between a power unit and the substrate at the same time as the unit is fixed to the substrate and to the power circuit, without separate fixing parts being connected to the liquid cooling interface on each power unit or the liquid cooling interface substrate.

18. The power electronics device according to claim 2, wherein the substrate comprises a busbar arrangement, via which the power units disposed on the substrate are connected to a common power circuit, comprising one interface to outside the substrate and which arrangement comprises at least two rails.

19. The power electronics device according to claim 3, wherein the substrate comprises a busbar arrangement, via which the power units disposed on the substrate are connected to a common power circuit, comprising one interface to outside the substrate and which arrangement comprises at least two rails.

20. The power electronics device according to claim 4, wherein the substrate comprises a busbar arrangement, via which the power units disposed on the substrate are connected to a common power circuit, comprising one interface to outside the substrate and which arrangement comprises at least two rails.