Inverter module of an electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10778117-B2
Application number	US-201816233826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2018
Priority date	Apr 17, 2018
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

Provided herein is an inverter module to power an electric vehicle. The inverter module can include a power module or multiple power modules. The power module can include a capacitor and a heat sink coupled with the capacitor. The power module can include a ceramic plate coupled with the heat sink. The power module can include a locator having a plurality of slots and a plurality of transistors disposed within the plurality of slots. The locator and the plurality of transistors can be disposed over a first surface of the ceramic plate. The power module can include a laminated bus bar disposed over a first surface of the locator. The power module can include a gate drive printed circuit board coupled with the laminated bus bar. The power module can include a dielectric gel tray disposed over a first surface of the gate drive printed circuit board.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inverter module to power an electric vehicle, comprising:
a power module, the power module comprising:
a capacitor;
a heat sink coupled with a first surface of the capacitor;
a first ceramic plate coupled with a first surface of the heat sink;
a second ceramic plate coupled with the first surface of the heat sink;
a locator having a plurality of slots;
a plurality of transistors disposed within the plurality of slots;
the locator and the plurality of transistors disposed over a first surface of the first ceramic plate and a first surface of the second ceramic plate;
a laminated bus bar disposed over a first surface of the locator;
a gate drive printed circuit board coupled with a first surface of the laminated bus bar; and
a dielectric gel tray disposed over a first surface of the gate drive printed circuit board.

2. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:
the dielectric gel tray defining an inner region;
the inner region having the gate drive printed circuit board, the laminated bus bar, the plurality of transistors, the locator, the first ceramic plate, the second ceramic plate and the heat sink disposed therein; and
the dielectric gel tray coupled with the capacitor through at least one fastener.

3. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:
at least one clip coupling the plurality of transistors with the plurality of slots of the locator.

4. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:
a positive DC bus bar coupled with a side surface of the power module through a holder.

5. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:
a negative DC bus bar coupled with a side surface of the power module through a holder.

6. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:
a positive Y-capacitor bus bar coupled with a side surface of the power module through a holder; and
the positive Y-capacitor bus bar having a first positive portion extending along a first side surface of the holder and a second positive portion extending along a second side surface of the holder.

7. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:
a negative Y-capacitor bus bar coupled with a side surface of the power module through a holder; and
the negative Y-capacitor bus bar having a first negative portion extending along a first side surface of the holder and a second negative portion extending along a second side surface of the holder.

8. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:
a ground Y-capacitor bus bar coupled with a positive DC bus bar of the power module through a holder; and
the ground Y-capacitor bus bar coupled with a first side surface of the holder.

9. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:
an inverter housing assembly defining an inner region; and
multiple power modules disposed within the inner region.

10. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:
an electromagnetic interference shield disposed over first surfaces of multiple power modules disposed within an inner region of the inverter module, the electromagnetic interference shield disposed within the inner region; and
a control board disposed over a first surface of the electromagnetic interference shield, the control board disposed within the inner region.

11. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:
at least one voltage connector disposed within an inner region of the inverter module.

12. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:
a first temperature sensor disposed adjacent to an inlet of an inverter housing assembly, the first temperature sensor disposed within the inner region; and
a second temperature sensor disposed adjacent to an outlet of the inverter housing assembly, the second temperature sensor disposed within the inner region.

13. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:
a thermal pad;
a discharge board coupled with the thermal pad;
a holder coupled with the discharge board;
a temperature sensor;
a clip coupled with the temperature sensor, the holder, the discharge board, and the thermal pad; and
the thermal pad, the discharge board, the holder, the temperature sensor and the clip disposed within an inner region of the inverter module.

14. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:
three power modules coupled in a triplet configuration within the inverter module; and
the inverter module disposed in an electric vehicle.

15. A method to provide electrical power via an inverter module to power an electric vehicle, the method comprising:
providing a capacitor;
coupling a heat sink with a first surface of the capacitor;
disposing a first ceramic plate with a first surface of the heat sink;
disposing a second ceramic plate with the first surface of the heat sink;
providing a locator having a plurality of slots;
disposing a plurality of transistors within the plurality of slots, the locator and the plurality of transistors disposed over a first surface of the first ceramic plate and a first surface of the second ceramic plate;
providing a laminated bus bar over a first surface of the locator;
coupling a gate drive printed circuit board with a first surface of the laminated bus bar; and
disposing a dielectric gel tray over a first surface of the gate drive printed circuit board.

16. The method of claim 15 , comprising:
providing the dielectric gel tray defining an inner region;
disposing each of the gate drive printed circuit board, the laminated bus bar, the plurality of transistors, the locator, the first ceramic plate, the second ceramic plate and the heat sink within an inner region defined by the dielectric gel tray; and
coupling the dielectric gel tray with the capacitor through at least one fastener.

17. The method of claim 15 , comprising:
providing a holder proximate to a side surface of the power module;
coupling a positive DC bus bar with the side surface of the power module using the holder; and
coupling a negative DC bus bar coupled with the side surface of the power module using the holder.

18. The method of claim 15 , comprising:
providing a holder proximate to a side surface of the power module;
coupling a positive Y-capacitor bus bar with the side surface of the power module using the holder;
the positive Y-capacitor bus bar having a first positive portion extending along a first side surface of the holder and a second positive portion extending along a second side surface of the holder;
coupling a negative Y-capacitor bus bar with the side surface of the power module using the holder; and
the negative Y-capacitor bus bar having a first negative portion extending along a first side surface of the holder and a second negative portion extending along a second side surface of the holder.

19. The method of claim 15 , comprising:
providing an inverter housing assembly defining an inner region of the inverter module;
disposing multiple power modules within an inner region;
disposing an electromagnetic interference shield over first surfaces of the multiple power modules, the electromagnetic interference shield disposed within the inner region; and
providing a control board over a first surface of the electromagnetic interference shield, the control board disposed within the inner region.

20. An electric vehicle, comprising:
an inverter module to power the electric vehicle, the inverter module comprising:
a power module, the power module comprising:
a capacitor;
a heat sink coupled with a first surface of the capacitor;
a first ceramic plate coupled with a first surface of the heat sink;
a second cer

Assignees

• Sf Motors Inc
• Chongqing Jinkang New Energy Vehicle Co Ltd

Inventors

• Song Yunan
• Mao Kangwei
• Li Jinzhu
• Haag Colin
• Chung Nathan
• Nie zhong
• Wang Duanyang
• Tang Yifan

Classifications

• H05K5/30

  Side-by-side or stacked arrangements · CPC title

• H05K7/14329

  specially adapted for the configuration of power bus bars · CPC title

• H05K7/20945

  Thermal management, e.g. inverter temperature control · CPC title

• H05K9/0007

  Casings (standardised racks H05K9/0062) · CPC title

• H05K2201/10015

  Non-printed capacitor · CPC title