Power conversion device with semiconductor temperature protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12476547-B2
Application number	US-202218072233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2022
Priority date	Jun 28, 2022
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

The power conversion device includes a transformer having primary and secondary windings, an inverter circuit that carries out a supply of power to the primary winding, a rectifying circuit that rectifies power from the secondary winding, a cooler that cools semiconductor elements configuring the inverter circuit and semiconductor elements configuring the rectifying circuit, and a temperature detector that detects a temperature of the semiconductor elements configuring the inverter circuit and the semiconductor elements configuring the rectifying circuit. The cooler has a refrigerant channel along which a refrigerant is caused to circulate, the inverter circuit, the rectifying circuit, and the temperature detector are disposed above the refrigerant channel, and the temperature detector is disposed neighboring at least either one of the inverter circuit or the rectifying circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A power conversion device, comprising:
a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding; an inverter circuit that carries out a supply of power to the primary winding; a rectifying circuit that rectifies power from the secondary winding; a cooler that cools semiconductor elements configuring the inverter circuit and semiconductor elements configuring the rectifying circuit; and a temperature detector that detects a temperature of the semiconductor elements configuring the inverter circuit and the semiconductor elements configuring the rectifying circuit, wherein the cooler has a refrigerant channel along which a refrigerant is caused to circulate, the inverter circuit, the rectifying circuit, and the temperature detector are disposed above the refrigerant channel when viewed in a cross-section, and the temperature detector is disposed between or beside the inverter circuit and the rectifier circuit when viewed in a plan and is neighboring at least either one of the inverter circuit or the rectifying circuit, wherein the inverter circuit and the rectifying circuit include a multiple of semiconductor elements, the inverter circuit includes a first semiconductor element whose distance to the temperature detector is shortest and a second semiconductor element whose distance to the temperature detector is longest among the multiple of semiconductor elements included in the inverter circuit, the rectifying circuit includes a third semiconductor element whose distance to the temperature detector is shortest and a fourth semiconductor element whose distance to the temperature detector is longest among the multiple of semiconductor elements included in the rectifying circuit, a distance between the first semiconductor element and the temperature detector is shorter than a distance between the second semiconductor element and the third semiconductor element, and a distance between the third semiconductor element and the temperature detector is shorter than a distance between the first semiconductor element and the fourth semiconductor element.

2 . The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature detector is disposed in the same plane as at least either one of the inverter circuit or the rectifying circuit.

3 . The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature detector is disposed on a high face with respect to faces on which the inverter circuit and the rectifying circuit are disposed.

4 . The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature detector is a thermistor fixed by screwing.

5 . The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor elements configuring the inverter circuit are configured of an insulated package.

6 . The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the inverter circuit and the rectifying circuit are configured of an integrated module.

7 . The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the inverter circuit, the rectifying circuit, and the temperature detector are configured of an integrated module.

8 . The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant is a liquid.

9 . The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature detector is disposed in the same plane as at least either one of the inverter circuit or the rectifying circuit.

10 . The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature detector is disposed on a high face with respect to faces on which the inverter circuit and the rectifying circuit are disposed.

11 . The power conversion device according to claim 1 wherein the temperature detector is a thermistor fixed by screwing.

12 . The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor elements configuring the inverter circuit are configured of an insulated package.

13 . The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the inverter circuit and the rectifying circuit are configured of an integrated module.

14 . The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the inverter circuit, the rectifying circuit, and the temperature detector are configured of an integrated module.

15 . The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant is a liquid.

16 . A power conversion device, comprising:
a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding; an inverter circuit that carries out a supply of power to the primary winding; a rectifying circuit that rectifies power from the secondary winding; a cooler that cools semiconductor elements configuring the inverter circuit and semiconductor elements configuring the rectifying circuit; and a temperature detector that detects a temperature of the semiconductor elements configuring the inverter circuit and the semiconductor elements configuring the rectifying circuit, wherein the cooler has a refrigerant channel along which a refrigerant is caused to circulate, the inverter circuit, the rectifying circuit, and the temperature detector are disposed above the refrigerant channel when viewed in a cross-section, and the temperature detector is disposed between or beside the inverter circuit and the rectifier circuit when viewed in a plan and is neighboring at least either one of the inverter circuit or the rectifying circuit, wherein the inverter circuit and the rectifying circuit include a multiple of semiconductor elements, the inverter circuit includes a first semiconductor element whose distance to the temperature detector is shortest and a second semiconductor element whose distance to the temperature detector is longest among the multiple of semiconductor elements included in the inverter circuit the rectifying circuit includes a third semiconductor element whose distance to the temperature detector is shortest and a fourth semiconductor element whose distance to the temperature detector is longest among the multiple of semiconductor elements included in the rectifying circuit, and a distance between the first semiconductor element and the temperature detector is longer than a distance between the fourth semiconductor element and the temperature detector, or a distance between the third semiconductor element and the temperature detector is longer than a distance between the second semiconductor element and the temperature detector.

17 . The power conversion device according to claim 16 , wherein the temperature detector is neighboring a circuit that includes a semiconductor element, among the multiple of semiconductor elements included in the inverter circuit and the rectifying circuit, whose junction temperature when cooling is normal is nearest to a rated junction temperature.

18 . A power conversion device, comprising:
a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding; an inverter circuit that carries out a supply of power to the primary winding; a rectifying circuit that rectifies power from the secondary winding; a cooler that cools semiconductor elements configuring the inverter circuit and semiconductor elements configuring the rectifying circuit; and a temperature detector that detects a temperature of the semiconductor elements configuring the inverter circuit and the semiconductor elements configuring the rectifying circuit, wherein the cooler has a refrigerant channel along which a refrigerant is caused to circulate, the inverter circuit, the rectifying circuit, and the temperature detector are disposed above the refrigera

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Takahashi Yuya

Classifications

• H02M3/003 Primary

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

• H02M1/327 Primary

  against abnormal temperatures · CPC title

• H02M3/33573 Primary

  Full-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer · CPC title

• H02H7/1213

  for DC-DC converters · CPC title

• H02H5/04

  responsive to abnormal temperature {(specially adapted for electric machines H02H7/0852)} · CPC title