Vehicle power module assemblies and manifolds

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9867319-B2
Application number	US-201615162913-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2016
Priority date	May 24, 2016
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle power module assembly includes a modular manifold, an upper frame, and a plurality of power stages. The modular manifold includes a first base unit defining an inlet chamber, a second base unit defining an outlet chamber, a mid-unit defining one or more ports open to the chambers, and an upper unit defining a first set of slots and a second set of slots in fluid communication with the chambers via the ports. The plurality of power stages is housed within the frame and each of the power stages are spaced from one another to define inner channels therebetween. The chambers, channels, and ports are arranged with one another such that coolant flowing through the inner channels is in thermal communication with the power stages. The mid-unit may further include flow guides each sized to partially extend into one of the inner channels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle power module assembly comprising:
a modular manifold including base units defining inlet and outlet chambers, a mid-unit defining ports open to the chambers, and an upper unit defining slots fluidly connected to the chambers via the ports; and
a frame supported by the manifold and housing power stages defining inner channels between one another,
wherein the chambers, channels, and ports are arranged so coolant flowing therethrough thermally communicates with the power stages.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mid-unit further comprises flow guides spaced apart from one another and each sized to extend into one of the inner channels, and wherein the flow guides direct coolant flowing therethrough about exterior surfaces of each of the power stages.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mid-unit comprises a first mid-unit sized for disposal within a cavity defined by one of the base units and defines a first set of the ports, and a second mid-unit sized for disposal within a cavity defined by the other of the base units and defines a second set of the ports.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein each of the cavities are sized such that the mid-unit and upper unit are located above the inlet chamber and outlet chamber.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an inlet open to the inlet chamber and an outlet open to the outlet chamber.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mid-unit and upper unit are formed as a single component.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mid-unit further defines a wall dividing a cavity of the mid-unit such that the ports are not all in fluid communication with one another when the upper unit is mounted to the mid-unit.

8. A vehicle power module assembly comprising: a modular manifold including two component base units, a mid-unit disposed upon the two component base units, and an upper unit disposed upon the mid-unit; an upper frame housing power stages spaced from one another to define inner channels each open to one of two base unit cavities via transition channels of the mid-unit; and an inlet and outlet each open to one of the two base unit cavities such that coolant travels therebetween via the cavities and the channels, wherein the upper unit includes flow guides spaced from one another and each extending into one of the inner channels and defining a guide plane parallel with a partition plane defined by the partition.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the upper frame further comprises a plurality of frames each sized to house one of the power stages.

10. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein each of the power stages includes electrical components extending therefrom, and wherein the upper frame is over molded about the power stages such that the electrical components extend therethrough.

11. The assembly of claim 8 , further comprising screens disposed within each transition channel defined by the mid-unit to influence a flow of coolant traveling therethrough.

12. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein each of the two component base units further defines a ridge extending about a perimeter of a respective base unit cavity sized for the upper frame to rest thereupon.

13. A multi-component manifold for a power module assembly comprising:
a base unit including an inlet and an outlet, and defining an inlet chamber open to the inlet and an outlet chamber open to the outlet;
a mid-unit sized for mounting to the base unit and defining a plurality of spaced ports separated from one another by a mid-unit wall; and
an upper unit sized for mounting to the mid-unit and defining a first set of slots open to the inlet chamber via respective ports and a second set of slots open to the outlet chamber via respective ports,
wherein the units are arranged with one another to receive an upper frame thereupon and such that inner channels of the upper frame are in fluid communication with the chambers for coolant to flow therethrough and in fluid communication with power stages disposed adjacent the inner channels.

14. The manifold of claim 13 , wherein the units are further arranged with one another to receive the upper frame over molded upon the power stages.

15. The manifold of claim 13 , wherein the units are further arranged with one another to receive the upper frame comprising a stack of frames.

16. The manifold of claim 13 , wherein the base unit further defines a ridge offset from an upper edge of the base unit such that the mid-unit rests upon the ridge and within an upper portion of the base unit.

17. The manifold of claim 13 , wherein the upper unit include a set of flow guides located along a central axis, spaced apart from one another, extending from between two of the slots, and each sized to extend into one of the inner channels, and wherein the flow guides direct coolant flowing therethrough about exterior surfaces of each of the power stages.

18. The manifold of claim 13 further comprising an insert unit including a lower portion sized for disposal within a cavity of the mid-unit, wherein the lower portion separates the cavity of the mid-unit into two chambers and includes extensions to influence a flow of coolant therein.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Lei Guangyin
• Degner Michael W
• Jih Edward Chan-Jiun
• Chen Chingchi

Classifications

• B60K6/383

  One-way clutches or freewheel devices · CPC title

• B60K6/40

  characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components · CPC title

• Y10S903/918

  Continuously variable · CPC title

• H02M7/003

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

• H05K7/2089 Primary

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