Power conversion apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11056417-B2
Application number	US-201916507185-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2019
Priority date	Jul 11, 2018
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

A power conversion apparatus includes a plurality of semiconductor modules each having a semiconductor element integrated thereto; a plurality of cooling pipes that cools the semiconductor modules; a plurality of dummy modules with no integrated semiconductor element; and a pair of DC bus bars that constitute a current path between a DC power source and respective semiconductor modules. The semiconductor modules or the dummy modules, and the cooling pipes are alternately stacked to form a stack; m the plurality of semiconductor modules constitute an inverter circuit that converts a DC power supplied from the DC power source into a multi-phase AC power in which a plurality of types of AC outputs having mutually different phases are combined; and the dummy modules are each interposed between two semiconductor modules having mutually different phases of the AC outputs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power conversion apparatus comprising:
a plurality of semiconductor modules each having a semiconductor element integrated therewith, each of the semiconductor modules being provided with a body that integrates the semiconductor element and a pair of DC terminals protruding from the body, each of the DC terminals being connected to the body;
a plurality of cooling pipes configured to cool the semiconductor modules;
a plurality of dummy modules with no integrated semiconductor element;
a pair of DC bus bars that constitute a current path between a DC power source and respective semiconductor modules;
a stack of the semiconductor modules or the dummy modules, and the cooling pipes, alternately stacked;
two terminal cutout portions of one of the DC bus bars, two of the DC terminals being respectively inserted and electrically connected to the two terminal cutout portions;
a dummy cutout portion of the one DC bus bar, the dummy cutout portion being disposed between the two terminal cutout portions in a stack direction of the stack; and
an inverter circuit composed of the plurality of semiconductor modules, the inverter circuit being configured to convert DC power supplied from the DC power source into multi-phase AC power in which a plurality of types of AC outputs having mutually different phases are combined,
wherein the dummy modules are each interposed between two semiconductor modules having mutually different phases of the AC outputs.

2. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of semiconductor modules are configured to simultaneously perform a switching operation to output a single AC output;
the plurality of semiconductor modules outputting the single AC output constitute a semiconductor module group;
respective semiconductor modules included in the semiconductor module group are disposed to be adjacent via the cooling pipes; and
the dummy modules are interposed between two semiconductor modules located to be mutually adjacent in the stack direction of the stack.

3. The power conversion apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
a plurality of the dummy modules are interposed between the two semiconductor modules.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Yamaura Satoshi
• Mizushiri Keisuke

Classifications

• H10W90/00

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H10W72/00

  Interconnections or connectors in packages · CPC title

• H10W40/47 Primary

  by flowing liquids, e.g. forced water cooling · CPC title

• H02M1/32

  Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection · CPC title

• H02M7/003 Primary

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