Power conversion device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12089380-B2
Application number	US-202217833195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2022
Priority date	Jan 22, 2020
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

A power conversion device includes a semiconductor module group including a plurality of semiconductor modules having a semiconductor element and a main terminal, a dummy module, a cooler having a plurality of heat exchange portions, a capacitor module, and a bus bar. The semiconductor module and the dummy module are arranged side by side, and the heat exchange portions are arranged so as to sandwich each of the semiconductor module and the dummy module from both sides so as to form a laminated body. The bus bar electrically connects the capacitor module and the main terminal. The dummy module has a metal body and a dummy terminal which continues from the metal body and connects to the bus bar. The metal body forms at least a part of the surface of the dummy module sandwiched by the heat exchange portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power conversion device, comprising:
a semiconductor module group including a plurality of semiconductor modules, each of the semiconductor modules having at least one semiconductor element constituting a power conversion circuit and at least two main terminals electrically connected to the semiconductor element,
at least one dummy module that does not have a semiconductor element and is arranged side by side with at least some of the semiconductor modules,
a cooler including a plurality of heat exchange portions having a flow path through which a refrigerant flows respectively and being arranged so as to sandwich each of the semiconductor modules and the dummy module from both sides in an arrangement direction of the semiconductor modules and the dummy module,
a capacitor, and
at least one bus bar that electrically connects the capacitor and the main terminals,
wherein
the dummy module has a metal body, and a dummy terminal which continues from the metal body and is connected to the bus bar,
the metal body forms at least a part of a surface of the dummy module sandwiched by the heat exchange portions, and
the dummy terminal is connected to the bus bar at a position closer to the main terminals connected to the bus bar with respect to a connection portion of the capacitor in the bus bar.

2. The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein
the dummy module is sandwiched by the heat exchange portions closest to an introduction port of the refrigerant in the cooler.

3. The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein
the dummy module has a sealing resin body that seals the metal body,
the dummy terminal protrudes outside the sealing resin body and is connected to the bus bar, and
the metal body is exposed from at least one of both sides sandwiched by the heat exchange portions in the sealing resin body.

4. The power conversion device according to claim 3 , wherein
each semiconductor module of the semiconductor module group has a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal as the main terminals,
the capacitor has a positive electrode and a negative electrode,
the bus bar has a positive electrode bus bar connected to the positive electrode of the capacitor and the positive electrode terminal, and a negative electrode bus bar connected to the negative electrode of the capacitor and the negative electrode terminal,
the dummy module has a first metal body and a second metal body electrically separated from the first metal body as the metal body, and the dummy terminal comprises:
a first dummy terminal which continues from the first metal body, protrudes outside the sealing resin body and connects to the positive electrode bus bar, and
a second dummy terminal which continues from the second metal body, protrudes outside the sealing resin body and connects to the negative electrode bus bar, and

each of the first metal body and the second metal body is exposed from at least one of both sides sandwiched by the heat exchange portions in the sealing resin body.

5. The power conversion device according to claim 4 , wherein
the sealing resin body has a first surface, which is one of both sides, and a second surface, which is the other one of both sides and is opposite to the first surface, and
both the first metal body and the second metal body are exposed on each of the first surface and the second surface.

6. The power conversion device according to claim 4 , wherein
the sealing resin body has a first surface, which is one of both sides, and a second surface, which is the other one of both sides and is opposite to the first surface, and
only the first metal body is exposed on the first surface, and only the second metal body is exposed on the second surface.

7. The power conversion device according to claim 6 , wherein
each of the first metal body and the second metal body has a thick portion and a thin portion which continues from the thick portion, and is thinner in the arrangement direction than the thick portion,
in the arrangement direction, the first metal body and the second metal body are arranged in such a manner that the thick portion of the first metal body faces the thin portion of the second metal body, and the thin portion of the first metal body faces the thick portion of the second metal body, and
the thick portion and the thin portion of the first metal body are exposed from the first surface, and the thick portion and the thin portion of the second metal body are exposed from the second surface.

8. The power conversion device according to claim 4 , wherein
the sealing resin body has a first surface, which is one of both sides, and a second surface, which is the other one of both sides and is opposite to the first surface, and
the first metal body and the second metal body are exposed only from the first surface of the first surface and the second surface.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• NISHIMACHI Seiichiro

Classifications

• H10W72/884

  Die-attach connectors and bond wires · CPC title

• H10W90/756

  between a chip and a stacked lead frame, conducting package substrate or heat sink · CPC title

• H10W90/00

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H10W72/347

  Dispositions of multiple die-attach connectors · CPC title

• H10W72/07354

  changes in dispositions · CPC title