Phase module for a power converter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10985669-B2
Application number	US-201716300402-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2017
Priority date	May 10, 2016
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

A phase module for a power converter includes first and second busbars and at least two semiconductor modules. The first busbar is connected to AC voltage connections of the semiconductor modules. The second busbar is connected to DC voltage connections of the semiconductor modules. At least one section of the first and second busbars is arranged at a distance to one another, the value of which is less than half the value of the distance between the AC voltage connection and the DC voltage connection of one of the semiconductor modules. At least one of the busbars has a separator arranged at a right angle on the remaining part of the busbar and connecting the busbar to at least one of the DC voltage connections or one of the AC voltage connections of one of the semiconductor modules. The separator is arranged along a surface of the one semiconductor module.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A phase module for a power converter, said phase module comprising:
at least two parallel semiconductor modules having each an AC voltage connection and a DC voltage connection which are spaced apart in a module direction;
a first busbar having a longitudinal extent perpendicular to the module direction and connected to the DC voltage connection of each of the semiconductor modules; and
a second busbar having a longitudinal extent substantially parallel to the longitudinal extent of the first busbar and comprising for each of the at least two parallel semiconductor modules a separator which is arranged on a surface of each of the semiconductor modules in the module direction between the AC voltage connection and the DC voltage connection at a right angle to the longitudinal extent of the second busbar and has a distal end connected to the AC voltage connection of a respective semiconductor module the separator defining an AC current path for an AC current flowing from the second busbar through the separator to the AC voltage connection of the respective semiconductor module in a first current flow direction and being routed back inside the respective semiconductor module to the first busbar in a second current flow direction opposing the first current flow directon, thereby reducing magnetic coupling to others of the at least two parallel semiconductor modules.

2. The phase module of claim 1 , wherein the first and second busbars are embodied and/or arranged such that, during operation of the phase module, areas spanned by meshes of module currents of individual ones of the semiconductor modules are substantially identical.

3. The phase module of claim 1 , wherein a value of a distance in at least one section of the first and second busbars is of an order of magnitude that ensures reliable insulation between the first and second busbars.

4. The phase module of claim 1 , wherein a value of a distance in at least one section of the first and second busbars is less than a value of a width or thickness of at least one of the first and second busbars.

5. The phase module of claim 1 , wherein the first and second busbars are arranged parallel to one another in a region of the semiconductor modules.

6. The phase module of claim 1 , further comprising an insulating material arranged between the first busbar and the second busbar.

7. The phase module of claim 1 , further comprising a third busbar connected to a further DC voltage connection of each of the semiconductor modules, said first, second and third busbars being arranged at least partially overlapping in proximity of the semiconductor modules.

8. A power converter, comprising at least two phase modules, in particular three phase modules, each of the phase modules comprising at least two parallel semiconductor module having each an AC voltage connection and a DC voltage connection which are spaced apart in a module direction, a first busbar having a longitudinal extent perpendicular to the module direction and connected to the DC voltage connection of each of the semiconductor modules, and a second busbar having a longitudinal extent substantially parallel to the longitudinal extent of the first busbar and comprising for each of the at least two parallel semiconductor modules a separator which is arranged on a surface of each of the semiconductor modules in the module direction between the AC voltage connection and the DC voltage connection at a right angle to the longitudinal extent of the second busbar and has a distal end connected to the AC voltage connection of a respective semiconductor module separator defining an AC current path for an AC current flowing from the second busbar through the separator to the AC voltage connection of the respective semiconductor module in a first current flow direction and being routed back inside the respective semiconductor module to the first busbar in a second current flow direction opposing the first current flow direction, wherein the AC voltage connections of the phase modules form phases of the power converter.

9. The power converter of claim 8 , wherein the first and second busbars are embodied and/or arranged such that, during operation of the phase module, areas spanned by meshes of module currents of individual ones of the semiconductor modules are substantially identical.

10. The power converter of claim 8 , wherein a value of a distance in at least one section of the first and second busbars is of an order of magnitude that ensures reliable insulation between the first and second busbars.

11. The power converter of claim 8 , wherein a value of a distance in at least one section of the first and second busbars is less than a value of a width or thickness of at least one of the first and second busbars.

12. The power converter of claim 8 , wherein the first and second busbars are arranged parallel to one another in a region of the semiconductor modules.

13. The power converter of claim 8 , wherein the phase module includes an insulating material arranged between the first busbar and the second busbar.

14. The power converter of claim 8 , a third busbar connected to a further DC voltage connection of each of the semiconductor modules, said first, second and third busbars being arranged at least partially overlapping in proximity of the semiconductor modules.

15. A method for operating a phase module having at least two parallel semiconductor modules having each an AC voltage connection and a DC voltage connection which are spaced apart in a module direction, a first busbar having a longitudinal extent perpendicular to the module direction and connected to the DC voltage connection of each of the semiconductor modules, and a second busbar having a longitudinal extent substantially parallel to the longitudinal extent of the first busbar and comprising for each of the at least two parallel semiconductor modules a separator which is arranged on a surface of each of the semiconductor modules in the module direction between the AC voltage connection and the DC voltage connection at a right angle to the longitudinal extent of the second busbar and has a distal end connected to the AC voltage connection of each of the semiconductor modules, said separator being arranged on a surface of each of the semiconductor modules in the module direction between the AC voltage connection and the DC voltage connection, of a respective semiconductor module the separator defining an AC current path for an AC current flowing from the second busbar through the separator to the AC voltage connection of the respective semiconductor module in a first current flow direction and being routed back inside the respective semiconductor module to the first bulbar in a second current flow direction opposing the first current flow direction, said method comprising controlling the at least two parallel semiconductor modules of the phase module independently of a module current through respective ones of the at least two parallel semiconductor modules.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least two_parallel semiconductor modules are controlled synchronously.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Böhmer Jurgen
• Kleffel Rüdiger
• Krafft Eberhard Ulrich
• Weigel Jan
• Boigk Stefan

Classifications

• H10W90/00 Primary

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H10W44/501

  Inductive arrangements (H10W44/20 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02B1/20 Primary

  Bus-bar or other wiring layouts, e.g. in cubicles, in switchyards (installations of bus-bars H02G5/00) · CPC title

• H02M7/003 Primary

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

• H05K7/14329

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