Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
  • H05K7/00—Constructional details common to different types of electric apparatus
  • H05K7/14—Mounting supporting structure in casing or on frame or rack
  • H05K7/1422—Printed circuit boards receptacles, e.g. stacked structures, electronic circuit modules or box like frames
  • H05K7/1427—Housings
  • H05K7/1432—Housings specially adapted for power drive units or power converters
  • H05K7/14324—Housings specially adapted for power drive units or power converters comprising modular units, e.g. DIN rail mounted units

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an integrated, modular and expandable unit for the electric power distribution and electrical voltage conversion.
• the integrated unit finds preferred but not exclusive application in the automotive technical sector and belongs to the type defined in the preamble of claim 1.
• Electrical power distribution units which provide power to electrical users of various kinds in response to the signals received from control units and exploiting appropriate available sources of electrical power.
• the sources of electric power are precisely batteries, including high voltage ones, and fuel cells.
• the users of electric power are instead electric motors, electric heaters and other vehicle auxiliaries.
• the distribution units must precisely manage the supply of electrical power, supplied as input from different sources, to different users connected to the outputs of the distribution unit itself.
• the different electrical power inputs are connected to each other and to the different electrical power outputs by means of jumpers made of conductive material (typically copper) which have straight portions and curved portions to be able to appropriately connect the power inputs to the power outputs.
• modular distribution units serving computer networks. These modular units have multiple outputs and are designed to distribute electrical power to computers and network devices within a designated rack or cabinet.
• the distribution units known in the automotive sector are subject to structural limits: in fact, due to the high amperage there is risk that the conventional connection jumpers, internal to a single module or between different modules, heat up excessively and weaken especially in the curved portions to the point of reducing the contact pressure between the conductive strips and the contact elements. This can reduce the current flow between modules.
• Electrical voltage conversion units are also known and also find application in the automotive sector. These are units that convert the output voltage from power distribution units (typically 700 V) into voltage values suitable for electrical consumers (for example, 400V for electric motors) or batteries (for example, 24 V). These are units that require a considerable size, have considerable costs and must be interfaced with the electrical power distribution unit, thus generating a rather complex electrical architecture.
• one aim of the present invention is to define an integrated, modular and expandable unit for the distribution of electrical power and the conversion of electrical voltage, hereinafter also defined only by the term " integrated unit".
• the aforementioned integrated unit includes a modular electrical power distribution unit.
• the basic electrical module is designed as a high voltage input/output interface (HV I/O).
• the basic electrical module may also include current sensors, power relays, fuse and other electrical components that assist the distribution of electrical power.
• the number of basic electrical modules can be increased based on the needs of the specific application, thus being able to define a modular distribution unit.
• multiple integrated units and therefore also multiple electrical power distribution units, can be stacked together.
• the voltage conversion unit is characterized in that it also provides more than one voltage conversion module, for example, a high voltage module (for example, 400V) and a low voltage module (for example, 24 V).
• a high voltage module for example, 400V
• a low voltage module for example, 24 V
• the invention is applicable to different types of motor vehicles, particularly electric or hybrid ones.
• the invention finds application above all, but not only, in large motor vehicles (trucks, buses and similar).
• an integrated, modular and expandable unit is provided for the distribution of electrical power and the conversion of electrical voltage having the characteristics set out in the independent claim, attached to the present description.
• FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an electrical voltage conversion unit, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 1 - figures 2a and 2b are two perspective views of the electrical voltage conversion unit of figure 1,
• FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an electric power distribution unit
• FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an integrated, modular and expandable unit for electrical power distribution and of electric voltage conversion, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention
• FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the integrated unit of figure 4 inserted in a containment casing
• figure 6 is an exploded view of the casing of figure 5, equipped with a lid,
• FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the casing of figure 5, equipped with a lid, e
• FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a group of two integrated units, in which the two units are stacked together.
• the integrated unit indicated with the reference 100 in figures 4 to 7, according to the present invention includes at least an electrical voltage conversion unit 50 and at least one modular electrical power distribution unit 10.
• the reference 50 illustrates an electrical voltage conversion unit 50, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
• the electric voltage conversion unit 50 is illustrated in an exploded view (figure 1) and in two perspective views (figures 2a and 2b).
• the electrical voltage conversion unit 50 is adapted to convert a direct current source from one voltage to another and includes a low voltage conversion module 60, for converting the output voltage from a power distribution unit (typically 700 V) in suitable voltage values or to batteries (for example, 24 V).
• a power distribution unit typically 700 V
• batteries for example, 24 V
• the electrical voltage conversion unit 50 may also include:
• a high voltage conversion module 80 to convert the output voltage from power distribution units (typically 700 V) into voltage values suitable for electrical users (for example, 400V for electric motors),
• a high voltage distribution module 90 electrically connected to the high voltage conversion module 80, serving the distribution of voltage to electrical users, and
• cooling plate 70 placed between the low voltage conversion module 60 and the high voltage conversion module 80, to remove the heat generated by the electrical voltage conversion.
• the modular electrical power distribution unit is illustrated with the reference 10.
• the distribution unit 10 is obtained by assembling two or more base electric modules 1 (four in the example of figure 3) and connecting them electrically to each other by means of intermodular bus bars 15.
• the base electric module 1 includes at least one input port 2, at least one output port 3, a plurality of electrical cables 4 and bus bars 5 for electrical connection.
• the input port 2 is an electrical connector and will be connected via appropriate wiring (of a known type and therefore not shown in the figure) to an electrical power source.
• the output port 3 is also an electrical connector and will be connected to appropriate electrical users.
• these users may be one or more electric motors, one or more electric heaters, as well as further electrical accessories present in motor vehicles.
• the electrical cables 4 and the bus bars 5 are high voltage electrical connection elements, both for the positive line and for the negative line. Their function is to establish an electrical connection between the input port 2 and the output port 3, as well as, as we will see below, between the ports and further electrical components which, depending on needs, can be assembled on the module basic electric.
• bus bars 5 are made of conductive material, for example aluminum, and are suitable for carrying currents even of high amperage under high voltage. They are elements with an almost linear development and include rectilinear portions and curvilinear portions in order to create a topological development that ensures all the necessary electrical connections.
• the intermodular bus bars 15, as well as the bus bars 5 of the base electric module 1, are made of conductive material and are suitable for carrying high amperage currents under high voltage. They too have an almost linear development and include rectilinear portions and curvilinear portions in order to create a topological development that ensures all the necessary electrical connections.
• the base electric module may include further electrical components, for example relays, fuses, current or voltage sensors.
• the basic electrical module therefore, has characteristics of high standardization and flexibility: depending on the application, it may contain only the basic components or also additional electrical components.
• the standardization is due to the basic architecture of the electrical module. Flexibility is linked to the fact that it can easily integrate (or eliminate) further components.
• the number of base electrical modules 1 is determined based on the needs of the specific application, thus being able to define modular distribution units that are very flexible even if created starting from standard elements.
• the number of basic electrical modules will be determined by the number of high voltage ports (input and/or output) that the specific application requires.
• Figure 4 illustrates, in a perspective view, the integrated unit 100 which therefore includes an electrical voltage conversion unit 50 and a modular electrical power distribution unit 10.
• the electrical voltage conversion unit 50 and the modular electrical power distribution unit 10 are electrically connected to each other so that the conversion unit converts the direct current source coming from the modular electrical power distribution unit 10 from a voltage value, for example a voltage of 700 V, in voltage values suitable for electrical users (for example, 400V for electric motors) and/or batteries (for example, 24 V) of the vehicle.
• the electric voltage conversion unit 50 uses the modules already previously described, i.e. the low voltage conversion module 60 and the high voltage conversion module 80.
• the integrated unit 100 can comprise and, therefore, be housed in a special casing 20, which can be provided with a cover 21.
• the cover 21 can also be provided with one or more service panels 22, which, as we will see below, can be dismantled and allow the connection of two integrated units 100 one above the other.
• the integrated unit 100 can work with high voltage values, for example 700 V.
• the modular distribution unit 10 can be provided with a high voltage interlock circuit (HVIL, the acronym in English which stands for High Voltage Interlock Loop).
• HVIL high voltage interlock circuit
• the high-voltage interlock circuit is a safety feature of hybrid or all-electric vehicles to protect users from high voltage during the assembly, repair, maintenance and operation of a vehicle.
• the HVIL circuit acts as a kind of circuit breaker that sends a warning or error code to the driver if a high-voltage connection becomes loose, disconnected, or damaged during vehicle operation.
• the modular distribution unit 10 of the integrated unit 100 will be able to simultaneously manage two voltage levels, for example 400 V and 700 V.
• the integrated unit 100 is expandable. Expandable means that two or more integrated units 100 could be mechanically and electrically connected to each other to increase the number of high voltage ports if necessary. In this way, a group 500 of integrated units 100 is created in which each integrated unit 100 following the first is stacked on an integrated unit 100 preceding it.
• FIG 8 is a side view illustrating a pair of inter-unitary bus bars 55, for the electrical connections between the two integrated units 100', 100".
• an integrated unit 100 with an electrical power distribution unit 10.
• each single integrated unit 100 can simultaneously manage two voltage levels.
• the two integrated units 100 will be able to manage two different voltage levels, for example a first integrated unit 100' will be able to manage the inputs and outputs at a voltage of 400 V, while a second integrated unit 100" will be able to manage the inputs and voltage outputs of 700 V.
• This will reduce the overall volume required: a stacked solution of two integrated units to handle voltage levels of 400 V and 700 V will require less volume than the solution with two integrated units between of them separated.
• the electrical voltage conversion unit 50 may be without the high voltage module 80 and the high voltage distribution module 90.
• the number of integrated units may be greater than two.
• the integrated unit 100 for the distribution of electrical power and voltage conversion, according to the dictates of the present invention, has the following advantages:

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
• Electric Propulsion And Braking For Vehicles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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• 2022
  • 2022-12-15 IT IT102022000025689A patent/IT202200025689A1/it unknown
• 2023
  • 2023-12-05 EP EP23834277.8A patent/EP4635263A1/de active Pending
  • 2023-12-05 WO PCT/IB2023/062227 patent/WO2024127154A1/en not_active Ceased

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