Modular power electronics system with electrically-conductive heatsink polarization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12464688-B2
Application number	US-202118246991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2021
Priority date	Sep 28, 2020
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

A power electronic system including a plurality of power components and a plurality of electrically-conductive heatsinks, each of said power components being disposed between two electrically-conductive heatsinks of the plurality of electrically-conductive heatsinks, at least one electrically-conductive heatsink being configured to be polarised according to a phase potential, called phase heatsink, at least one electrically-conductive heatsink being configured to be polarised according to a +DC potential, called cathode heatsink, and at least one electrically-conductive heatsink configured to be polarised according to a −DC potential, called anode heatsink, the system further includes at least one external phase connection, and at least one external +DC connection, and at least one external −DC connection respectively connected to the phase heatsink, to the cathode heatsink and to the anode heatsink.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A power electronic system comprising a plurality of power components and a plurality of electrically-conductive heatsinks, each of said power components being disposed between two electrically-conductive heatsinks of the plurality of electrically-conductive heatsinks, at least one electrically-conductive heatsink being configured to be polarised according to a phase potential, called phase heatsink, at least one electrically-conductive heatsink being configured to be polarised according to a +DC potential, called cathode heatsink, and at least one electrically-conductive heatsink configured to be polarised according to a −DC potential, called anode heatsink, wherein the system further comprises at least one external phase connection, and at least one external +DC connection, and at least one external −DC connection respectively connected to the phase heatsink, to the cathode heatsink and to the anode heatsink; wherein the power components and the electrically-conductive heatsinks are assembled so as to form elementary switching cells connected in parallel, each elementary switching cell comprising:
a first elementary power electronics module, called first elementary module,
a second elementary power electronics module, called second elementary module,
the first elementary module comprising:
an electrically-conductive heatsink configured to be polarised according to a-DC potential, called anode heatsink, and
an electrically-conductive heatsink configured to be polarised according to a phase potential, called first phase heatsink,
a first power component disposed between the anode heatsink and the first phase heatsink,
the second elementary module comprising:
an electrically-conductive heatsink configured to be polarised according to a +DC potential, called cathode heatsink,
an electrically-conductive heatsink configured to be polarised according to the phase potential, called second phase heatsink,
a second power component disposed between the cathode heatsink and the second phase heatsink,
said first and second elementary modules being adjacent according to a lateral connection direction and connected together by a conductive lateral electrical connection between the first and second phase heatsinks, and by a capacitive lateral electrical connection between the anode and cathode heatsinks.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the anode and cathode heatsinks and the phase heatsinks of the elementary switching cells are configured to let a cooling fluid pass according to an axial direction normal to the lateral connection direction.

3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the elementary switching cells are assembled one behind the other according to the axial direction, so that the anode heatsinks of said cells are aligned one behind the other according to the axial direction, and that the cathode heatsinks of said cells are aligned one behind the other according to the axial direction, and that the first phase heatsinks of said cells are aligned one behind the other according to the axial direction, and that the second phase heatsinks of said cells are aligned one behind the other according to the axial direction.

4 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein the external phase connection is made on a first side of the cells formed by the first and second phase heatsinks, and the external +DC and −DC connections are made on a second side of the cells formed by the anode and cathode heatsinks, said second side being opposite to the first side.

5 . The system according to claim 3 , comprising at least a first block and a second block of elementary switching cells assembled one behind the other according to the axial direction, said at least first and second blocks being adjacent and connected according to a central connection direction so that the first and second phase heatsinks of the first block are connected to the first and second phase heatsinks of the second block.

6 . The system according to claim 5 , wherein the external +DC and −DC connections respectively comprise +DC and −DC connectors configured to respectively connect the cathode heatsinks of the second block with the cathode heatsinks of the first block, and the anode heatsinks of the second block with the anode heatsinks of the first block.

7 . The system according to claim 3 , comprising at least a first block and a second block of elementary switching cells assembled one behind the other according to the axial direction, said at least first and second blocks being adjacent and separated according to the lateral connection direction by a separation space.

8 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the separation space comprises at least one control board configured to control the power components of the elementary switching cells of each of the first and second blocks, and a draughtproofing configured to block a passage of the cooling fluid.

9 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the cathode heatsinks of the first and second blocks border the separation space or wherein the anode heatsinks of the first and second blocks border the separation space.

10 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the cathode and anode heatsinks of the first and second blocks border the separation space and wherein the first and second phase heatsinks of the first block are located on a side of the cells of the first block opposite to the separation space and wherein the first and second phase heatsinks of the second block are located on a side of the cells of the second block opposite to the separation space.

11 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the separation space comprises the external +DC and −DC connections and wherein the external phase connection comprises a phase connector configured to connect the first and second phase heatsinks of the second block with the first and second phase heatsinks of the first block.

12 . The system according to claim 7 wherein the elementary switching cells of each of the first and second blocks are assembled one behind the other according to the axial direction, so that the anode heatsink of a given cell is aligned with one amongst the first and second phase heatsinks of an immediately adjacent cell according to the axial direction, and that the cathode heatsink of said given cell is aligned with the other one amongst the first and second phase heatsinks of the immediately adjacent cell according to the axial direction, said anode and cathode heatsinks being electrically insulated with respect to said first and second phase heatsinks.

13 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the elementary switching cells are assembled one behind the other according to the axial direction, so that an anode heatsink of a given cell is aligned with a cathode heatsink of an immediately adjacent cell according to the axial direction, and vice versa, and that the first phase heatsinks of said cells are aligned one behind the other according to the axial direction, and that the second phase heatsinks of said cells are aligned one behind the other according to the axial direction.

14 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein all elementary switching cells are assembled side-by-side according to the lateral connection direction and/or according to a central connection direction normal to the axial direction, so as to reduce pressure drops during a flow of the cooling fluid according to the axial direction.

15 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the external +DC and −DC connections are connected to a busbar, and wherein the busbar is disposed transversely

Assignees

• Inst Polytechnique Grenoble
• Univ Grenoble Alpes
• Centre Nat Rech Scient

Inventors

• Avenas Yvan
• Bikinga Wendpanga
• Mezrag Bachir

Classifications

• H05K9/0024

  Shield cases mounted on a PCB, e.g. cans or caps or conformal shields · CPC title

• H02M7/003

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

• H05K7/209 Primary

  Heat transfer by conduction from internal heat source to heat radiating structure (H05K7/20909 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K7/2089 Primary

  for power electronics, e.g. for inverters for controlling motor · CPC title