Power converter for electric vehicle drive systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10790758-B2
Application number	US-201816051176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2018
Priority date	Mar 8, 2018
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

Provided herein are power converter of a drive unit for an electric vehicle. The power converter includes an inverter having a first transistor, a second transistor, and a capacitor, and a laminated bus-bar having a positive bus-bar segment, a negative bus-bar segment and a phase bus-bar segment. The positive bus-bar segment, the negative bus-bar segment, and the phase bus-bar segment can be disposed about the capacitor to form a lead frame coupled with the capacitor. The lead frame can include a first lead coupled with the first transistor. The first lead can include portions of the positive bus-bar segment and the phase bus-bar segment. The lead frame can include a second lead coupled with the second transistor. The second lead can include portions of the negative bus-bar segment and the phase bus-bar segment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power converter component to power a drive unit of an electric vehicle, comprising:
an inverter, the inverter having a first transistor, a second transistor, and a capacitor;
a laminated bus-bar having a positive bus-bar segment, a negative bus-bar segment and a phase bus-bar segment;
the positive bus-bar segment, the negative bus-bar segment, and the phase bus-bar segment disposed about the capacitor to form a lead frame coupled with the capacitor;
the lead frame having a first lead coupled with the first transistor, the first lead including a portion of the positive bus-bar segment and a first portion of the phase bus-bar segment; and
the lead frame having a second lead coupled with the second transistor, the second lead including a portion of the negative bus-bar segment and a second portion the phase bus-bar segment.

2. The power converter component of claim 1 , comprising:
the first lead coupled with a first transistor lead frame of the first transistor; and
the second lead coupled with a second transistor lead frame of the second transistor.

3. The power converter component of claim 1 , comprising
the first lead coupled with a first transistor lead frame of the first transistor and not coupled with a first intermediate bus-bar between the first transistor and the lead frame; and
the second lead coupled with a second transistor lead frame of the second transistor and not coupled with a second intermediate bus-bar between the second transistor and the lead frame.

4. The power converter component of claim 1 , comprising:
the first lead coupled with a first transistor lead frame of the first transistor through at least one of a first soldered connection and a first resistive welded connection; and
the second lead coupled with a second transistor lead frame of the second transistor through at least one of a second soldered connection and a second resistive welded connection.

5. The power converter component of claim 1 , comprising:
an insulation layer disposed between the phase bus-bar segment and the capacitor; and a first distance between the phase bus-bar segment and the capacitor corresponding to a thickness of the insulation layer disposed between the phase bus-bar segment and the capacitor.

6. The power converter component of claim 1 , comprising:
one or more insulation layers disposed between the phase bus-bar segment and the positive bus-bar segment, and between the phase bus-bar segment and the negative bus-bar segment;
a second distance between the phase bus-bar segment and the positive bus-bar segment corresponding to a thickness of the one or more insulation layers disposed between the phase bus-bar segment and the positive bus-bar segment, and
a third distance between the phase bus-bar segment and the negative bus-bar segment corresponding to the thickness of the one or more insulation layers disposed between the phase bus-bar segment and the negative bus-bar segment.

7. The power converter component of claim 1 , comprising:
portions of the phase bus-bar segment disposed within a body of the capacitor.

8. The power converter component of claim 1 , comprising:
the first and second transistors and the capacitor forming a half-bridge inverter circuit for a power converter.

9. The power converter component of claim 1 , comprising:
the capacitor having a first input and a second input that operate as inputs to a half-bridge inverter circuit of the power converter; and
the capacitor having an output that operates as an output of the half-bridge inverter circuit.

10. The power converter component of claim 1 , comprising:
an epoxy layer disposed about the positive bus-bar segment, the negative bus-bar segment and the phase bus-bar segment.

11. The power converter component of claim 1 , comprising:
an inductance loop formed by the capacitor, the first transistor and second transistor, the inductance loop having an inductance value based on a distance between the laminated bus-bar and the capacitor; and
an insulation layer disposed between the laminated bus-bar and the capacitor, the insulation layer in contact with the laminated bus-bar and the capacitor.

12. The power converter component of claim 1 , comprising:
an inductance loop formed by the capacitor, the first transistor and second transistor, the inductance loop having an inductance value based on a distance between the laminated bus-bar and the capacitor; and
the inductance value ranging from 10 nanohenries to 15 nanohenries.

13. The power converter component of claim 1 , comprising:
the laminated bus-bar including a DC bus-bar and an AC bus-bar.

14. The power converter component of claim 1 , comprising:
the power converter component provided in a drive unit.

15. The power converter component of claim 1 , comprising:
the power converter component provided in a drive unit of an electric vehicle.

16. The power converter component of claim 1 , comprising:
the power converter component provided in an electric vehicle and configured to provide electrical power to a drive unit of the electric vehicle.

17. The power converter component of claim 1 , comprising:
the positive bus-bar segment, the negative bus-bar segment, and the phase bus-bar segment integrally formed with the lead frame of the capacitor.

18. A method of providing a power converter component to power a drive unit of an electric vehicle, comprising:
providing an inverter, the inverter having a first transistor, a second transistor, and a capacitor;
forming a laminated bus-bar having a positive bus-bar segment, a negative bus-bar segment and a phase bus-bar segment;
disposing the positive bus-bar segment, the negative bus-bar segment, and the phase bus-bar segment about the capacitor to form a lead frame coupled with the capacitor;
coupling a first lead of the lead frame with the first transistor, the first lead including a portion of the positive bus-bar segment and a first portion of the phase bus-bar segment; and
coupling a second lead of the lead frame with the second transistor, the second lead including a portion of the negative bus-bar segment and a second portion the phase bus-bar segment.

19. The method of claim 18 , comprising:
disposing a first insulation layer between the phase bus-bar segment and the capacitor such that a first distance between the phase bus-bar segment and the capacitor corresponds to a first thickness of the insulation layer disposed between the phase bus-bar segment and the capacitor;
disposing a second insulation layer between the phase bus-bar segment and the positive bus-bar segment such that a second distance between the phase bus-bar segment and the positive bus-bar segment corresponds to a second thickness of the second insulation layer disposed between the phase bus-bar segment and the positive bus-bar segment; and
disposing a third insulation layer between the phase bus-bar segment and the negative bus-bar segment such that a third distance between the phase bus-bar segment and the negative bus-bar segment corresponds to a third thickness of the third insulation layer disposed between the phase bus-bar segment and the negative bus-bar segment.

20. A method, comprising:
providing a power converter component to power a drive unit of an electric vehicle, the power converter component comprising:
an inverter, the inverter having a first transistor, a second transistor, and a capacitor;
a laminated bus-bar having a positive bus-bar segment, a negative bus-bar segment and

Assignees

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

Inventors

• Chung Nathan
• Mao Kangwei
• Nie zhong
• Wang Duanyang
• Tang Yifan
• Li Jinzhu

Classifications

• H10W70/464

  Additional interconnections in combination with leadframes · CPC title

• H10W90/00

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H05K7/14329

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

• H02M7/003 Primary

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

• H10W70/481

  for devices being provided for in groups H10D8/00 - H10D48/00 · CPC title