High-frequency direct current bulk capacitors with interleaved busbar packages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10717366-B1
Application number	US-201916405491-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 7, 2019
Priority date	May 7, 2019
Publication date	Jul 21, 2020
Grant date	Jul 21, 2020

Abstract

Presented are electrical capacitors with interleaved busbar architectures, methods for making/operating such capacitors, and electric-drive vehicles equipped with such capacitors. A bulk capacitor includes multiple capacitor devices disposed within an outer housing and operable to modify electric current transmitted between a power source and an electrical load. An interleaved busbar package is interposed between the capacitor devices and outer housing. The interleaved busbar package includes a first busbar plate that electrically connects to first terminals of the capacitor devices and defines a busbar pocket. A second busbar plate is seated within the busbar pocket and electrically connects to second terminals of the capacitor devices. The second busbar plate includes a capacitor basin that seats therein the capacitor devices. An isolator sheet is interleaved between and electrically insulates the first and second busbar plates. The capacitor devices and interleaved busbar package may be partially submerged in an epoxy endfill composition.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A bulk capacitor, comprising:
an outer housing;
a plurality of capacitor devices disposed within the outer housing and operable to modify an electric current transmitted between a power source and an electrical load, the capacitor devices being grouped into a stack of the capacitor devices;
a lining jacket wrapped around and electrically insulating an outer perimeter of the stack of the capacitor devices;
a plurality of isolation endcaps mounted on and electrically insulating longitudinal ends of the capacitor devices; and
an interleaved busbar package interposed between the capacitor devices and the outer housing, the interleaved busbar package including:
a first busbar plate electrically connected to first terminals of the capacitor devices and defining a busbar pocket;
a second busbar plate seated within the busbar pocket and electrically connected to second terminals of the capacitor devices, the second busbar plate defining a capacitor basin seating therein the capacitor devices; and
an isolator sheet interleaved between the first and second busbar plates and electrically insulating the first busbar plate from the second busbar plate.

2. The bulk capacitor of claim 1 , wherein the first busbar plate has a first U-shaped cross-section, and the second busbar plate has a second U-shaped cross-section narrower than the first U-shaped cross-section.

3. The bulk capacitor of claim 2 , wherein the first U-shaped cross-section has a pair of first sidewalls connected via a first base, and the second U-shaped cross-section has a pair of second sidewalls connected via a second base, the second base being substantially parallel with the first base, and the second sidewalls being substantially parallel with the first sidewalls.

4. The bulk capacitor of claim 3 , wherein the isolator sheet has a third U-shaped cross-section narrower than the first U-shaped cross-section and wider than the second U-shaped cross-section.

5. The bulk capacitor of claim 4 , wherein the third U-shaped cross-section has a pair of third sidewalls connected via a third base, the third base laying substantially flush against the first and second bases, and the third sidewalls each laying substantially flush against a respective one of the first sidewalls and a respective one of the second sidewalls.

6. The bulk capacitor of claim 1 , wherein the first busbar plate has a pair of first sidewalls connected via a first base, and multiple first windows extending through each of the first sidewalls, the first windows being aligned with the longitudinal ends of the capacitor devices.

7. The bulk capacitor of claim 6 , wherein the first busbar plate further includes multiple first electrical fingers projecting into each window of a subset of the first windows and electrically connecting to the first terminals of the capacitor devices.

8. The bulk capacitor of claim 7 , wherein the first busbar plate further includes a first connector pad projecting from one of the first sidewalls and configured to electrically connect, directly or indirectly, to the electrical load, and a first connector tab projecting from another of the first sidewalls and configured to electrically connect, directly or indirectly, to the power source.

9. The bulk capacitor of claim 8 , wherein the second busbar plate has a pair of second sidewalls connected via a second base, and multiple second windows extending through each of the second sidewalls, the second windows being aligned with the first windows and with the longitudinal ends of the capacitor devices.

10. The bulk capacitor of claim 9 , wherein the second busbar plate further includes multiple second electrical fingers projecting into each window of a subset of the second windows and electrically connecting to the second terminals of the capacitor devices.

11. The bulk capacitor of claim 10 , wherein the second busbar plate further includes a second connector pad projecting from one of the second sidewalls and configured to electrically connect, directly or indirectly, to the electrical load, and a second connector tab projecting from another of the second sidewalls and configured to electrically connect, directly or indirectly, to the power source.

12. The bulk capacitor of claim 11 , wherein the isolator sheet further includes a pair of third sidewalls connected via a third base, a pad isolator projecting from one of the third sidewalls and interleaved between the first and second connector pads, and a tab isolator projecting from another of the third sidewalls and interposed between the first and second connector tabs.

13. The bulk capacitor of claim 12 , wherein the isolator sheet further includes multiple third windows extending through each of the third sidewalls, the third windows being aligned with the first and second windows and with the longitudinal ends of the capacitor devices.

14. The bulk capacitor of claim 1 , wherein the stack of the capacitor devices are arranged in an array of rows and columns, the bulk capacitor further comprising an epoxy endfill composition submerging the capacitor devices in the outer housing.

15. An electric-drive vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body with a plurality of road wheels;
a traction motor attached to the vehicle body and configured to drive one or more of the road wheels to thereby propel the electric-drive vehicle;
a traction battery pack attached to the vehicle body and configured to transmit an electric current with the traction motor; and
a bulk capacitor including:
an outer housing attached to the vehicle body;
a plurality of capacitor devices grouped into a stack of the capacitor devices, disposed within the outer housing, and operable to modify the electric current transmitted between the traction battery pack and the traction motor;
a lining jacket wrapped around and electrically insulating an outer perimeter of the stack of the capacitor devices;
a plurality of isolation endcaps mounted on and electrically insulating longitudinal ends of the capacitor devices; and
an interleaved busbar package placed between the capacitor devices and the outer housing, the interleaved busbar package including a first busbar plate electrically connected to first terminals of the capacitor devices and defining a busbar pocket, a second busbar plate seated within the busbar pocket and electrically connected to second terminals of the capacitor devices, the second busbar plate defining a capacitor basin seating therein the capacitor devices, and an isolator sheet interleaved between the first and second busbar plates and electrically insulating the first busbar plate from the second busbar plate.

16. A method of assembling a bulk capacitor, the method comprising:
placing a plurality of capacitor devices within an outer housing, the capacitor devices being grouped into a stack of the capacitor devices and operable to modify an electric current transmitted between a power source and an electrical load;
wrapping an electrically insulating lining jacket around an outer perimeter of the stack of the capacitor devices;
mounting a plurality of electrically insulating isolation endcaps onto longitudinal ends of the capacitor devices; and
positioning an interleaved busbar package between the capacitor devices and the outer housing, the positioning of the interleaved busbar package including:
electrically connecting a first busbar plate to first terminals of the capacitor devices, the first busbar plate defining a busbar pocket;
electrically connecting a second busbar plate to second terminals of the capacitor devices, the second busbar plate bei

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Jaksic Marko
• Stancu Constantin C
• Abu-Zama Dawud S

Classifications

• H01M50/522

  Inorganic material · CPC title

• B60L50/64

  Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• H01M50/516

  by welding, soldering or brazing · CPC title

• H01M50/507

  comprising an arrangement of two or more busbars within a container structure, e.g. busbar modules · CPC title

• H01M50/503

  characterised by the shape of the interconnectors · CPC title