JP2004312866A - Inverter device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stably store an inverter device in an inverter box without adding weight burden to a capacitor which is arranged under a cooling box where the semiconductor module of an inverter device is arranged. <P>SOLUTION: An inverter, which is equipped with the semiconductor module which is arranged on a cooling box installation surface and whose (+) power terminal and (-) terminal are connected to a DC power source via a (+) bus line and a (-) bus line, respectively, the capacitor which is arranged on a face opposed to the semiconductor module across the above cooling block and has a (+) charge/discharge terminal and a (-) charge/discharge terminals, and two or more connecting conductors which connect the (+), (-) power terminals of above semiconductor module with the (+), (-) charge/discharge terminals of the capacitor, respectively, is stored in an inverter box, and the above cooling block is supported and fixed with the edge of the box. Two or more semiconductor modules are placed on the above cooling block, and the bottom of the inverter box is provided with a curved surface, and the flank of the capacitor abuts on the curved surface. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a three-phase inverter device that drives and controls a traveling motor of a hybrid electric vehicle or a fuel cell vehicle.
[0002]
[Prior art]
7 is a diagram showing the structure of a parallel hybrid electric vehicle, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the structure of a series hybrid electric vehicle, and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the structure of a fuel cell vehicle.
As shown in FIG. 7, the structure of the parallel hybrid electric vehicle has two driving power sources including an engine 1 and an electric motor 6, and those powers are transmitted to driving wheels 9 in parallel. That is, the output shaft 7 of the engine 1 is connected to the driving wheels 9 via the clutch 8, the generator 2 is connected, the generated output is converted to DC by the converter 3, and the secondary battery 4 is charged. The voltage is converted into a three-phase alternating current by the inverter 5 to drive the electric motor 6 to rotate the driving wheels 9. The power relationship between the engine 1 and the electric motor 6 of the hybrid electric vehicle as described above greatly assists the electric motor 6 in a low-speed and large-torque region where engine efficiency is low, and as a result, fuel efficiency is increased.
[0003]
In the series hybrid electric vehicle, a generator 2, a converter 3, a secondary battery 4, an inverter 5, and an electric motor 6 are connected in series between an engine 1 and driving wheels 9, as shown in FIG. The power is exclusively used to drive the generator 2, the generated power is stored in the secondary battery 4 via the converter 3, and traveling is performed only by the motor 6 driven by the secondary battery 4 and the inverter 5. This hybrid or electric vehicle can be said to be a simple and excellent system in that high fuel efficiency can be obtained by operating the engine 1 that generates power at the rotational speed with the best energy efficiency and charging and driving the secondary battery 4. .
[0004]
Also, as shown in FIG. 9, the fuel cell vehicle is equipped with a fuel cell 12 that takes in oxygen 10 in the air and chemically reacts with hydrogen 11 to generate electricity, and includes a fuel cell 12, an inverter 5, an electric motor 6, and driving wheels. 9 are connected in series, and an auxiliary power supply 13 (for example, a capacitor or a Ni hydrogen battery) at the time of starting / acceleration is connected in parallel to the fuel cell 12, and travel is performed only by the electric motor 6 driven by the inverter 5. The future is expected as a car using a clean energy source.
[0005]
The inverter 5 used in FIGS. 7 to 9 is a device for converting DC power to AC power, and the converter 3 is used as a device for converting AC power to DC power, contrary to the inverter 5. The inverter 5 and the converter 3 can perform bidirectional power conversion by changing the control method, and the same device can be used.
[0006]
The inverter 5 and the converter 3 used in the hybrid electric vehicle and the fuel cell vehicle shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 are generally housed in a storage case such as an inverter box and sealed with the outside for the purpose of electrical insulation with the outside and prevention of intrusion of moisture. It is used by shutting off.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a conventional example of the inverter storage, and FIG.
[0007]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-7-298641 (pages 1-7, FIG. 3, FIG. 8)
[Patent Document 2]
JP 2001-86669 (pages 2-3, FIG. 3)
[Patent Document 3]
JP-A-11-346480 (pages 2-4, FIG. 1)
[0008]
10 and 11, the inverter 5 and the converter 3 are housed in the same case, a cooling block 15 is provided below the case 14, and the cooling liquid is circulated by two nipples 16, so that the entire inverter box is Cooling. On the upper surface of the cooling block, two inverters 5 and converters 3 having the same shape are arranged with the charge / discharge terminals of the capacitor 17 facing each other. In the configuration of the inverter 5 and the converter 3, the semiconductor module 18 is disposed on the upper surface of the cooling block 15, and the capacitor 17 is disposed on the upper surface of the semiconductor module 18. The (+) charge / discharge terminal 19 of the capacitor 17 and the (+) power supply terminal 20 of the semiconductor module 18, and the (−) charge / discharge terminal 21 of the capacitor 17 and the (−) power supply terminal 22 of the semiconductor module 18 are L-shaped, respectively. Are connected by connection conductors (bus lines) 23 and 24.
The power supply terminals of the inverter 5 and the converter 3 are respectively connected to the (+) power supply terminal and the (-) power supply terminal by bus lines 25 and 26, and the power supply terminals 28 are stacked in a state where the insulating paper 27 is interposed between the bus lines. Connect to Further, input terminal 29 of converter 3 is connected to generator 2 via external connection terminal 30, and output terminal 31 of inverter 5 is connected to motor 6 via external connection terminal 32.
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the above-described conventional three-phase inverter device, when the use as auxiliary power of a hybrid electric vehicle is assumed, the inverter power to be handled is mainly in the class of 10 to 20 kW.
However, in an electric vehicle such as a series-type hybrid electric vehicle or a fuel cell vehicle that is driven only by a driving motor, the inverter power to be handled is very large at 40 to 100 kW. It is necessary to suppress the induced voltage by connecting the connection conductor between the terminals of the phase inverter circuit as short as possible, and to suppress the heat generation due to the ripple current flowing through the capacitor, and to suppress the shortening of the life of the capacitor.
If a capacitor having a large rated ripple current is selected in order to reduce the life reduction due to heat generation, there is a problem that the capacitor becomes large, the connection conductor becomes long, and the induced voltage due to the wiring inductance becomes large.
[0010]
To solve these problems, an inverter device shown in FIG. 12 has been considered. Specifically, the semiconductor module 18 is mounted on the cooling block 33, and the capacitor 17 is disposed on a surface facing the mounting surface, and the (+) and (-) power supply terminals of the semiconductor module 18 and the (+) ), (-) The dimensions of the connection conductors 23 and 24 between the charging and discharging terminals are shortened to suppress the induced voltage due to line inductance, and the cooling block 15 suppresses the temperature rise due to the ripple current of the capacitor.
However, the inverter device shown in FIG. 12 has a structure in which the condenser 17 is arranged on the lower surface of the cooling block 15 and thus has a problem that it is difficult to store it in the inverter box. That is, when the lower surface of the capacitor 17 is fixed to the inverter box, since the weight of the cooling block 15 and the semiconductor module 18 is entirely applied to the capacitor 17, the capacitor 17 cannot withstand the weight due to acceleration or the like during running and is deformed. There's a problem.
For example, when a load was applied to the center of the capacitor from the side of a 51 × 70L aluminum electrolytic capacitor, case deformation was confirmed. At approximately 166N, resilient deformation began to occur, and at approximately 196N or more, deformation that could not be restored occurred. Make sure you do. Assuming now that the weight of the cooling block and the semiconductor module is 5 kg, the capacitor will be deformed when a gravitational acceleration of about 3.4 G is applied.
[0011]
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and by supporting and fixing a cooling block portion of an inverter at an edge of an inverter box, without imposing a weight burden on a capacitor disposed on a lower surface of the cooling block. Another object of the present invention is to provide a technique for stably storing an inverter in an inverter box.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
That is, the semiconductor is disposed on the mounting surface of the cooling block 15, and the (+) power terminal 20 and the (−) power terminal 22 are connected to the DC power supply via the (+) bus line 25 and the (−) bus line 26, respectively. A capacitor 17 having a (+) charge / discharge terminal 19 and a (−) charge / discharge terminal 20 disposed on a surface facing the semiconductor module 18 with the cooling block 15 interposed therebetween; ) Inverter 5 including a plurality of connection conductors 23 and 24 for connecting power supply terminal 20, (−) power supply terminal 22 and (+) charge / discharge terminal 19 and (−) charge / discharge terminal 21 of capacitor 17, respectively. Is stored in an inverter box 34, and the cooling block 15 is supported and fixed at an edge 46 of the box 34.
[0013]
Further, the inverter device is characterized in that a plurality of semiconductor modules 18 are mounted on the cooling block 15.
[0014]
Further, the inverter device is characterized in that a curved surface portion 49 is provided at the bottom of the inverter box 34, and the side surface of the capacitor is brought into contact with the curved surface portion 49.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The (+) power supply terminal 20, (-) power supply terminal 22 of the semiconductor module 18 and the (+) charge / discharge terminal 19, (-) charge / discharge terminal 21 of the capacitor 17 are connected by a plurality of connection conductors 23, 24, respectively. The inverter 5 is stored in an inverter box 34, and the cooling block 15 is supported and fixed by an edge 46 of the box 34.
According to the above configuration, the weight of the cooling block 15 and the semiconductor module 18 can be stably stored in the inverter box 34 without being applied to the capacitor.
[0016]
Further, a plurality of semiconductor modules 18 are mounted on the cooling block 15.
According to the above configuration, when the inverter and the converter used in the series hybrid electric vehicle and the parallel hybrid electric vehicle are stored in the same inverter box 34, one cooling block can be shared and the limited area is efficiently used. Inverters can be stored.
[0017]
Further, a curved surface portion 49 is provided at the bottom of the inverter box 34, and the side surface of the capacitor 17 is brought into contact with the curved surface portion 49.
With the above configuration, the heat dissipation of the capacitor is further enhanced.
[0018]
【Example】
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
An inverter device using the present invention will be described with reference to an inverter device used in a fuel cell vehicle shown in FIG. 9 as an example.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view when the inverter device is stored in an inverter box and fixed with screws, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view when the inverter device is covered with a lid and fixed with screws. FIG. 3 is a vertical side view of the inverter device shown in FIG.
In the inverter 5 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the semiconductor module 18 is disposed on the mounting surface 33 of the cooling block 15 made of aluminum via thermal conductive grease. A three-phase inverter circuit including U, V, and W phases is built in the semiconductor module 18 and is connected to an external controller via a connection terminal 35.
[0019]
A (+) power terminal 20 and a (-) power terminal 22 are arranged on the surface of the semiconductor module 18 on the power terminal side, and have a structure that can be connected to external wiring by screwing from the side of the semiconductor module 18. I have. The capacitor 17 is disposed on a surface facing the mounting surface 33 of the cooling block 15 with the (+) charging / discharging terminal 19 and the (−) charging / discharging terminal 21 protruding in a direction parallel to the cooling block mounting surface 33. Is done.
The (-) power supply terminal 22 of the semiconductor module 18 and the (-) charge / discharge terminal 21 of the capacitor 17 are connected by a (-) bus line 24, and the (+) power supply connection terminal 20 and the (+) charge / discharge terminal 19 are (+). The insulation sheet 27 is connected between the (+) bus lines 23 and the (−) bus lines 24.
[0020]
A U-phase output terminal 36, a V-phase output terminal 37, and a W-phase output terminal 38 are arranged on the output terminal side surface of the semiconductor module 18, and the U-phase bus line 40 is provided through the hollow holes of the current sensors 39 a, 39 b, and 39 c. The V-phase bus line 41 and the W-phase bus line 42 are connected. The (+) bus line 23 and the (−) bus line 24 on the input terminal side of the inverter 5 are connected to the fuel cell via the external connection terminal 43, and the output terminal side bus lines 40 to 42 of the inverter 5 are The motor is connected to the motor via the external connection terminal 44.
The plurality of capacitors 17 are integrated with a holding metal fitting 45 and fixed to the cooling block 15 with screws. The cooling block 15 circulates the cooling liquid through the two nipples 16 to cool the semiconductor module 18 and the capacitor 17.
[0021]
When the inverter 5 is stored in the inverter box 34, a fitting portion 46 a that can be fitted to the cooling block 15 of the inverter 5 is provided on the edge 46 of the inverter box 34, and the inverter 5 is fitted with a screw. Secure with screws 47a.
At this time, by applying a liquid gasket or the like to the fitting portion 46, entry of moisture into the inverter can be prevented.
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the inverter device incorporated in the inverter box is sealed with a lid 47 and fixed with screws. At this time, a liquid gasket is applied to the joint surface in the same manner as described above to increase the airtightness and suppress the intrusion of moisture from the outside.
As described above, when storing the inverter 5 in the inverter box 34, the both ends of the cooling block 15 are fitted to the fitting portions 46 of the inverter box 34 and supported and fixed. The inverter can be easily stored.
[0022]
Further, FIGS. 4 and 5 show perspective views of an inverter device used for a series hybrid electric vehicle (FIG. 7) and a parallel hybrid electric vehicle (FIG. 8) when the inverter and the converter are stored in the same inverter box. FIG. 4 is a perspective view when the inverter and the converter are incorporated in the inverter box and fixed by screws, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view when the inverter and the converter incorporated in the inverter box are sealed with a lid. As described above, an inverter is a device that converts DC power into AC power, and a converter is used as a device that converts AC power into DC power, as opposed to an inverter, but these inverters and converters change their control method. , Power conversion can be performed bidirectionally, and the same device can be used. Therefore, the inverters and converters shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 have the same basic configuration as those shown in FIGS.
[0023]
In FIG. 4, both the inverter 5 and the converter 3 are arranged such that the semiconductor modules 18 are arranged on the mounting surface 33 of the cooling block 15.
The (+) power supply terminal 20 and the (−) power supply terminal 22 of the inverter 5 and the converter 3 are respectively connected to the (+) charge / discharge terminal 19 of the capacitor 17 disposed on the surface facing the mounting surface 33 of the cooling block 15, −) The charging / discharging terminal 21 is connected to the (+) bus line 23 and the (−) bus line 24.
The (+) power supply terminal 20 and the (-) power supply terminal 22 of the inverter 5 and the converter 3 are connected by the same bus line, and the capacitor 17 is shared to further stabilize the bus line voltage.
Further, the (+) bus line 23 and the (−) bus line 24 connected to the inverter 5 and the converter 3 are connected to the secondary battery via the external connection terminal 43, and the output terminal side bus lines 40 to 40 of the inverter 5 are connected. Reference numeral 42 is connected to the electric motor via an external connection terminal 44, and output terminal side bus lines 40 to 42 of the converter 3 are connected to the generator via an external connection terminal 48.
[0024]
When storing the inverter 5 and the converter 3 in the same inverter box 34, the cooling block 15 is directly fitted to the inverter box 34 and fixed by screws 47a. At this time, by applying a liquid gasket or the like to the fitting portion 46a, entry of moisture into the inverter is prevented. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the inverter device incorporated in the inverter box 34 is sealed with a lid 47 and fixed with screws. At this time, a liquid gasket is applied to the joint surface in the same manner as described above to increase the airtightness and suppress the intrusion of moisture from the outside.
As described above, when the inverter 5 and the converter 3 are stored in the same inverter box 34, both ends of the cooling block 15 are fitted to the fitting portions 46 of the inverter box 34, and are supported and fixed, so that the capacitor 17 bears a weight. It is possible to easily store the inverter without applying any cost. Further, by connecting the power supply terminals of the inverter 5 and the converter 3 to each other and sharing the capacitor 17 connected to the input stage of the inverter, the bus line voltage between the secondary battery and the inverter can be stabilized.
[0025]
Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a curved surface portion 49 is provided at the bottom of the inverter box 34 so as to be in close contact with the side surface of the capacitor 17 so that the heat conductive sheet 50 is sandwiched between the capacitor 17 and is fitted and fitted. With this configuration, the heat generated by the capacitor 17 due to the ripple current can be radiated to the inverter box 34, and the cooling capacity can be further increased by radiating the heat from the box to the cooling block. Further, the heat conductive sheet 50 can be used as a shock absorbing material so that no load is applied to the capacitor 17.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the inverter is stored in the inverter box, and the cooling block is supported and fixed at the edge of the box, so that the weight of the cooling block and the semiconductor module is not applied to the capacitor and the inverter box can be stably mounted. Can be stored.
In addition, with a configuration in which a plurality of semiconductor modules are mounted on the cooling block, a single cooling block can be shared when the inverter and the converter are stored in the same inverter box. Can be stored.
Further, by providing a curved surface portion at the bottom of the inverter box and closely contacting the side surface of the capacitor with the curved surface portion, the heat dissipation of the capacitor can be further improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inverter device during assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view when a lid is attached to the inverter device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a vertical side transparent view of the inverter device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an inverter device at the time of assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view when a lid is attached to the inverter device of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an inverter device at the time of assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a structure of a parallel hybrid electric vehicle.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a structure of a series hybrid electric vehicle.
FIG. 9 is a view showing the structure of a fuel cell vehicle.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an inverter device according to a conventional example.
FIG. 11 is a vertical side transparent view of the inverter device of FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an inverter device according to another conventional example.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Engine 2 Generator 3 Converter 4 Secondary battery 5 Inverter 6 Motor 7 Output shaft 8 Clutch 9 Drive wheel 10 Oxygen 11 Hydrogen 12 Fuel cell 13 Auxiliary power supply 14 Inverter box 15 Cooling block 16 Nipple 17 Capacitor 18 Semiconductor module 19 (+) Charge / discharge terminal 20 (+) power terminal 21 (-) charge / discharge terminal 22 (-) power terminal 23 (+) bus line (connection conductor)
24 (-) bus line (connection conductor)
25 (+) bus line (connection conductor, fuel cell side)
26 (-) bus line (connection conductor, fuel cell side)
27 Insulating paper 28 Power supply terminal 29 Converter input terminal 30 External connection terminal 31 Inverter output terminal 32 External connection terminal 33 Cooling block mounting surface 34 Inverter box 35 External controller connection terminal 36 U-phase output terminal 37 V-phase output terminal 38 W-phase output Terminals 39a, 39b, 39c Current sensor 40 U-phase bus line 41 V-phase bus line 42 W-phase bus line 43 External connection terminal (fuel cell side)
44 External connection terminal (motor side)
45 Hold-down fitting 46 Edge 46a Fitting part 47 Cover 47a, 47b Screw 48 External connection terminal 49 Curved surface 50 High heat conductive sheet

Claims (3)

A semiconductor module disposed on the cooling block mounting surface, wherein the (+) power terminal and the (-) power terminal are connected to a DC power supply via a (+) bus line and a (-) bus line, respectively; A capacitor having a (+) charge / discharge terminal and a (-) charge / discharge terminal, and a capacitor disposed between the (+) and (-) power supply terminals and the (+) and (+) terminals of the semiconductor module; (-) An inverter including a plurality of connection conductors for connecting the charge / discharge terminals to each other is stored in an inverter box, and the cooling block is supported and fixed at an edge of the box. Inverter device. 2. The inverter device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of semiconductor modules are mounted on the cooling block. 2. The inverter device according to claim 1, wherein a curved portion is provided at a bottom portion of the inverter box, and a side surface of the capacitor is brought into contact with the curved portion.

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