Power conversion apparatus

• US 9,306,445 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sawada, Hiroyoshi, Okamura, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Kitov, Zeev V
• Application Number:
  US13/845,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20130264891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/147 electro magnetic [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/143 using compensating arrangements for reducing noise from the supply in transmission systems H04B15/005
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1432 specially adapted for power drive units or power converters
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/14329 specially adapted for the configuration of power bus bars
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

The power conversion apparatus includes a power module constituting a switching circuit, a capacitor electrically connected to the power module, and a pair of DC bus bars for transferring electric power to and from the pair of the DC bus bars. The pair of the DC bus bars includes a bus bar extension section which is located along a surface of the capacitor at least at part of a portion thereof constituting a current path between the power module and the capacitor.

Claims

1. A power conversion apparatus comprising:

a power module constituting a switching circuit;

a capacitor electrically connected to the power module; and

a pair of DC bus bars for transferring electric power to and from the power module,

wherein the pair of the DC bus bars includes a bus bar extension section which is located along a surface of the capacitor at least at part of a portion thereof constituting a current path between the power module and the capacitor,

the capacitor includes a capacitor body and a pair of capacitor bus bars drawn from a pair of electrodes of the capacitor body and connected to the pair of the DC bus bars,

the pair of the capacitor bus bars including a capacitor extension section which is located along the surface of the capacitor between the capacitor and the bus bar extension section, and

a principal surface of the capacitor extension section faces a principal surface of the bus bar extension section.

2. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bus bar extension section and the capacitor extension section are disposed such that direction of a current flowing through the bus bar extension section and direction of a current flowing through the capacitor extension section are opposite to each other.

3. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of connecting portions for connection between the DC bus bars and the pair of the capacitor bus bars,

the pair of the connecting portions including a pair of bus bar terminals provided in the pair of the DC bus bars and a pair of capacitor terminals provided in the pair of the capacitor bus bars,

the pair of the bus bar terminals and the pair of the capacitor terminals being connected to each other in a state where the pair of the bus bar terminals and the pair of the capacitor terminals are facing a same direction.

4. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bus bar extension section and the capacitor extension section are located between the capacitor and the power module.

5. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bus bar extension section is located adjacent to the capacitor such that each adjacent two of directions of currents respectively flowing through the bus bar extension section, the capacitor extension section and the capacity body are opposite to each other.

6. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bus bar extension section is located between the capacitor and the power module.

7. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capacitor body, the capacitor extension section, the bus bar extension section and the power module are arranged in this order.