Power converter including smoothing capacitor and discharge resistor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9300221-B2
Application number	US-201414307872-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2014
Priority date	Jun 18, 2013
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A power converter includes a body including a switching element; a plurality of semiconductor modules each having a control terminal projected from the body; a circuit board controlling the switching element; a cooler that cools the semiconductor modules; a smoothing capacitor smoothing direct-current voltage applied to the switching element; a discharge resistor disposed on a surface of the circuit board and electrically connected parallel to the smoothing capacitor. The semiconductor modules are mounted on the circuit board with the control terminal, the discharge resistor includes a first connecting portion at one end of the discharge resistor in a longitudinal direction thereof and a second connecting portion at an other end of the discharge resistor in the longitudinal direction, and the first connecting portion is connected to the control terminal via a wiring pattern provided on the surface of the circuit board.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power converter that converts a direct-current voltage received by the power converter to an alternating-current voltage, comprising:
a body including a switching element;
a plurality of semiconductor modules each having a control terminal projected from the body;
a circuit board that controls the switching element to be ON and OFF;
a cooler that cools the semiconductor modules;
a smoothing capacitor that smooth direct-current voltage applied to the switching element;
a discharge resistor disposed on a surface of the circuit board and electrically connected parallel to the smoothing capacitor,

wherein
the semiconductor modules are mounted on the circuit board with the control terminal;
the discharge resistor includes a first connecting portion at one end of the discharge resistor in a longitudinal direction thereof and a second connecting portion at an other end of the discharge resistor in the longitudinal direction thereof;
the first connecting portion is connected to the control terminal via a wiring pattern provided on the surface of the circuit board;
the discharge resistor is provided with a series-connected unit in which a plurality of parallel-connected resister elements are connected in series; and
the power converter is configured such that at least a part of the discharge resistor overlaps the cooler when viewing from the surface of the circuit board;
the switching element is provided with a series-connected element including an upper arm switching element and a lower arm switching element;
the circuit board controls the upper arm switching element and the lower arm switching element to be ON and OFF so as to convert the direct-current voltage to the alternating-current voltage;
the smoothing capacitor is connected in parallel to the series-connected element;
the second connecting portion is connected to one end of the smoothing capacitor via a connector provided on the circuit board and an electrically conductive connection member;
the control terminal includes a detection terminal that is short-circuited to one of both ends of the series-connected element, the one of the both ends of the series-connected element being an end to which the second connecting portion is not connected; and
the first connecting portion is connected to one of both ends of the smoothing capacitor via the wiring pattern and the detection terminal, the one of the both ends of the smoothing capacitor being an end to which the second connecting portion is not connected.

2. The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein
the cooler includes:
an inlet pipe that charges a cooling fluid for cooling the semiconductor modules;
an outlet pipe that externally discharges the cooling fluid; and
a plurality of cooling members that connects between the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe and allows the cooling fluid to flow from the inlet pipe to the outlet pipe,

each of the plurality of cooling members are alternately stacked with each of the plurality of semiconductor modules, and the power converter is configured such that at least a part of the discharge resistor overlaps the inlet pipe when viewing from the surface of the circuit board.

3. The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein
the power converter is configured such that at least a part of the discharge resistor overlaps a part of an inlet pipe side among the plurality of cooling members when viewing from the surface of circuit board.

4. The power converter according to claim 1 , wherein
the switching element is provided with a plurality of the series-connected element;
the first connecting portion is connected to one of both ends of the smoothing capacitor via the wiring pattern and one detection terminal among a plurality of detection terminals, the one of the both ends of the smoothing capacitor being an end to which the second connecting portion is not connected.

5. The power converter according to claim 4 , wherein
the cooler includes:
an inlet pipe that charges a cooling fluid for cooling the semiconductor modules;
an outlet pipe that externally discharges the cooling fluid; and
a plurality of cooling members that connects between the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe and allows the cooling fluid to flow from the inlet pipe to the outlet pipe,

each of the plurality of cooling members are alternately stacked with each of the plurality of semiconductor modules, and the power converter is configured such that at least a part of the discharge resistor overlaps the inlet pipe when viewing from the surface of the circuit board.

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Asako Yousuke

Classifications

• H02M7/003 Primary

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

• H02M2001/327

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05K7/20927

  Liquid coolant without phase change · CPC title

• H02M7/797

  using semiconductor devices only · CPC title

• H02M1/327

  against abnormal temperatures · CPC title