Power converter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10279653-B2
Application number	US-201515518303-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2015
Priority date	Nov 13, 2014
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

The present invention aims to suppress a coolant from bypassing a non-cooling unit without lowering the productivity.
The power converter according to the present invention includes: a power semiconductor module; and a flow path forming body having a flow path in which the power semiconductor module is disposed and an opening which is connected with the flow path, wherein the power semiconductor module includes a first fin formed on one surface and a second fin formed on another surface which faces the one surface so as to sandwich the semiconductor element, the flow path forming body has a first coolant control unit and a second coolant control unit which are arranged so as to sandwich the first fin, the first coolant control unit and the second coolant control unit are formed to be overlapped with a region of the power semiconductor module where the first fin is not formed, and a first flow path is formed along the first coolant control unit and the second coolant control unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power converter comprising:
a power semiconductor module having a semiconductor element; and
a flow path forming body including a flow path in which the power semiconductor module is disposed and an opening which is connected with the flow path, wherein
the power semiconductor module includes a first fin formed on one surface and a second fin formed on another surface, so as to sandwich the semiconductor element,
the flow path forming body has a first coolant control unit and a second coolant control unit which are disposed so as to sandwich the first fin,
the first coolant control unit and the second coolant control unit are formed integrally with the flow path forming body, being formed to be overlapped with a region of the power semiconductor module where the first fin is not formed, when being seen from a direction perpendicular to the one surface of the power semiconductor module, and the first coolant control unit and the second coolant control unit are formed along an insertion direction for inserting the power semiconductor module from the opening into the flow path, and
a first flow path which is formed along the first coolant control unit and the second coolant control unit; a turning flow path which is formed on a side opposite to the opening via the power semiconductor module; and a second flow path which is formed along the power semiconductor module to have a flowing direction reverse to that of the first flow path are provided.

2. The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein
the power semiconductor module includes a circuit body having the semiconductor element and a case which stores the circuit body,
the case includes: a heat dissipation base unit having a fin; a frame body which is connected with the heat dissipation base unit via a connecting unit; and a seal portion which closes the opening of the flow path forming body, and
the flow path forming body faces the connecting unit which is provided at a position close to the seal portion and is provided with an inlet that is connected with the first flow path.

3. The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein
the semiconductor element of the power semiconductor module includes: plural upper arm-side semiconductor elements which constitute an upper arm of an inverter circuit; and plural lower arm-side semiconductor elements which constitute a lower arm of the inverter circuit, and
the plural upper arm-side semiconductor elements and the plural lower arm-side semiconductor elements are arranged in a direction traversing the flowing direction of the coolant that flows in the first flow path.

4. The power converter according to claim 3 , wherein
the semiconductor element includes: a first electrode plane and a controlling electrode plane formed on one surface; and a second electrode plane formed on another surface, and
the semiconductor element further has an arrangement that the second electrode plane is positioned closer to the first flow path than the second flow path.

5. The power converter according to claim 2 , wherein the inlet connected with the flow path faces the fin and the connecting unit provided at the position close to the seal portion.

Assignees

• Hitachi Automotive Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Takagi Yusuke
• Shimura Takahiro
• Kuboki Takashi
• Matsushita Akira

Classifications

• H05K7/20927

  Liquid coolant without phase change · CPC title

• H02M7/003 Primary

  Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections · CPC title

• H02M7/537

  using semiconductor devices only, e.g. single switched pulse inverters · CPC title

• B60H1/00914 Primary

  where the flow direction of the refrigerant does not change and there is a bypass of the condenser · CPC title

• H10W70/20

  Conductive package substrates serving as an interconnection, e.g. metal plates (leadframes H10W70/40) · CPC title