JP2017060291A - Electric power conversion equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide electric power conversion equipment which has a reduced manufacturing cost and furthermore enables cooling efficiency of a power semiconductor module in the equipment to be improved.SOLUTION: The electric power conversion equipment comprises: power semiconductor module 10U, 10V and 10W for power conversion; a cooler 3 inside which a cooling medium circulates; and housings (5 and 4) in which a housing space S1 is formed. The power semiconductor module is joined to the cooler, and an opening part 8 communicated with the housing space is formed in an exterior wall of the housing 4. The cooler with the opening part closed is fixed in a detachable and attachable manner to the housing while the power semiconductor module inserted from the opening part is arranged in the housing space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a power conversion device including a power semiconductor module for power conversion and a cooler for cooling the power semiconductor module.

As this type of power conversion device, a power conversion device described in Patent Document 1 is known.
The power conversion device includes a cooler having a cooling chamber therein, a power semiconductor module installed on the cooler, a tubular member that forms a flow path communicating with the cooling chamber, a power semiconductor module, and a cooler A cover member that accommodates the tubular member, and a recessed space forming member that forms a recessed space recessed on the inner side of the cover member. Then, the coolant flows from the tubular member to the cooling chamber of the cooler, whereby the power semiconductor module is cooled by the cooler.

Japanese Patent No. 5425029

By the way, the power converter of patent document 1 has many operation | work which assembles components, maintaining a liquid-tight state (a connection part of a cover member and a concave space formation member, a connection part of a tubular member, a cooler, etc.), and assembly efficiency. There is a problem in terms of production, and the manufacturing cost may increase.
The present invention has been made paying attention to an unsolved problem of the above-described conventional example, and an object thereof is to provide a power conversion device capable of increasing the cooling efficiency of a power semiconductor module while reducing the manufacturing cost. It is said.

  In order to achieve the above object, a power conversion device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a power semiconductor module for power conversion, a cooler in which a cooling medium circulates, and a housing that forms a storage space. A power semiconductor module is joined to the cooler, and an opening is formed on the outer wall of the housing to communicate with the storage space, and the power semiconductor module inserted from the opening is disposed in the storage space. A cooler that is closed is detachably fixed to the housing.

  According to the power conversion device of the present invention, the opening formed in the housing is closed by the cooler joined with the power semiconductor module, and the cooler is used as a constituent member of the housing. Thus, the cooling efficiency of the power semiconductor module can be increased.

It is a perspective view showing the power converter of a 1st embodiment concerning the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the power converter device of 1st Embodiment which follows the plane A in FIG. It is sectional drawing of the power converter device of 1st Embodiment which follows the plane B orthogonal to the plane A in FIG. It is an expansion | deployment perspective view which shows the structural member of the power converter device of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the periphery of the opening part of the housing | casing by which the cooler is detachably fixed in the power converter device of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the cooler in the power converter device of 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the power semiconductor module used with the power converter device of 1st Embodiment. It is an equivalent circuit of the power semiconductor module used with the power converter device of a 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state by which the cooler was fixed to a part of housing | casing in the power converter device of 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the power converter device of 2nd Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the power converter device of 3rd Embodiment which concerns on this invention.

Next, first to third embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the relationship between the thickness and the planar dimensions, the ratio of the thickness of each layer, and the like are different from the actual ones. Therefore, specific thicknesses and dimensions should be determined in consideration of the following description. Moreover, it is a matter of course that portions having different dimensional relationships and ratios are included between the drawings.
In addition, the first to third embodiments shown below exemplify apparatuses and methods for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the technical idea of the present invention is the material of a component, The shape, structure, arrangement, etc. are not specified below. The technical idea of the present invention can be variously modified within the technical scope defined by the claims described in the claims.

[Power Converter of First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, the power converter of a 1st embodiment concerning one mode of the present invention is explained, referring to drawings suitably.
As shown in FIG. 1, the power conversion device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 2 and a cooler 3 that is detachably fixed to the bottom surface of the housing 2.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the housing 2 has three insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules 10U, 10V, and 10W joined to the cooler 3, and these IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W. A control circuit board 11, a smoothing capacitor 12, a DC input connector 13, and an AC output connector 14 on which a drive circuit and the like are mounted are housed.

[Case]
The housing 2 includes a case 4, a cover 5, and a gasket 6.
The case 4 is formed by injection molding aluminum or an aluminum alloy. The case 4 includes a bottom portion 4a, a side wall portion 4b that rises from the entire circumference of the bottom portion 4a, and a polygonal upper opening portion 4c that opens at the upper end of the side wall portion 4b, and is long in the left-right direction in FIG. When the upper opening 4c is a member and is closed with the cover 5 via the gasket 6, a storage space S1 having a rectangular shape in plan view is formed at the center in the longitudinal direction, and storage spaces narrower than the storage space S1 are formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction. S2 and S3 are formed.

A mounting flange portion 7 is formed on the entire periphery of the upper end of the side wall portion 4 b of the case 4 so as to protrude outward, and a screw hole 7 a is formed at a predetermined location of the mounting flange portion 7.
A rectangular IGBT module opening 8 that opens in the storage space S <b> 1 is formed in the bottom 4 a of the case 4. The longitudinal direction of the IGBT module opening 8 is formed so as to extend in the short direction of the bottom 4a (oblique vertical direction in FIG. 4), and both ends of the IGBT module opening 8 in the longitudinal direction are sidewalls. It opens to the lower end of the part 4b.

In addition, a plurality of first female screw portions 25 are formed at predetermined intervals on the bottom portion 4a along one long side edge of the IGBT module opening 8, and the other length of the IGBT module opening 8 is formed. A plurality of second female screw portions 26 and third female screw portions 27 are formed at a predetermined interval in the bottom portion 4a along the side edge.
As shown in FIG. 5A, the first male screw portion 25 is a cap nut-shaped member that bulges inside the case 4, and has a female screw 25 a that opens downward.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the second male screw portion 26 is a cap nut-shaped member that bulges inside the case 4, and has a female screw 26 a that opens downward. The third female screw portion 27 is formed with a female screw 27 a that protrudes from the outer periphery of the second male screw portion 26 toward the IGBT module opening 8 and communicates toward the inside and the outside of the case 4.
As shown in FIG. 4, the cover 5 is a plate-like member made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy and formed in the same shape as the outer peripheral shape of the mounting flange portion 7 of the case 4. A screw insertion hole 5 a is formed at a position corresponding to the screw hole 7 a of the mounting flange portion 7 of the case 4 of the cover 5.
As shown in FIG. 4, the gasket 6 is formed in the same shape as the mounting flange portion 7, and a screw insertion hole 6 a is formed at a position corresponding to the screw hole 7 a of the mounting flange portion 7.

[Cooler]
The cooler 3 is a member formed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy as a material, and includes a cooling water supply port 15a and a cooling water discharge port 15b as shown in FIG. The block-shaped cooler body 15 provided with a rectangular joining surface 15c and a pair of plate-like fixing portions projecting outward from a pair of long sides of the joining surface 15c and provided with screw insertion holes 16a at a predetermined interval 16.

[IGBT module]
The IGBT module 10U shown in FIG. 7 has a rectangular parallelepiped resin package 17, an upper arm semiconductor chip, an upper arm wiring pattern portion, an upper arm wiring conductor plate, a lower arm semiconductor chip, and a lower arm wiring pattern (not shown). , A lower arm wiring conductor plate, a grounding wiring pattern, and the like are embedded.
On the first side surface 17a of the resin package 17, a positive side connection terminal 18 connected to the collector of the upper arm semiconductor chip via the upper arm wiring pattern portion, a ground wiring pattern portion, and a lower arm wiring conductor plate are provided. The negative electrode side connection terminal 19 connected to the emitter of the lower arm semiconductor chip protrudes outward through the second side surface 17b on the back surface with respect to the first side surface 17a, and the lower arm wiring pattern portion and the upper arm An output terminal 20 connected to the emitter of the upper arm semiconductor chip and the collector of the lower arm semiconductor chip protrudes outward through the wiring conductor plate.

Further, on the upper surface of the resin package 17, a plurality of upper arm lead frames 21 connected to a plurality of upper arm control electrodes (a gate electrode, an emitter current sense electrode, a temperature detection electrode, etc. described later), and a lower arm A plurality of lower arm lead frames 22 connected to a plurality of arm control electrodes are provided protruding upward.
The other two IGBT modules 10V and 10W also have the same configuration as the IGBT module 10U.

  FIG. 8 shows an equivalent circuit of three IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W. Between the positive side connection terminal 18 and the negative side connection terminal 19, a reverse conducting IGBT module QU that constitutes an upper arm, The reverse conducting IGBT module QL constituting the lower arm is connected in series, and the output terminal 20 is provided between the reverse conducting IGBT module QU and the reverse conducting IGBT module QL. Here, reference numeral 21g is a gate electrode of the reverse conducting IGBT module QU, reference numeral 21es is an emitter current sensing electrode of the reverse conducting IGBT module QUA, reference numeral 22g is a gate electrode of the reverse conducting IGBT module QUI, and reference numeral 22es is It is an emitter current sense electrode of the reverse conducting IGBT module QL.

[Assembly of Power Converter of First Embodiment]
The three IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W are sintered at a position indicated by a two-dot chain line quadrilateral shape of the joint surface 15c of the cooler 3 shown in FIG. 6 (a position at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the joint surface 15c). It joins by the metal sintered material and solder by a process (refer FIG. 4).
The three IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W integrated with the cooler 3 are inserted into the IGBT module opening 8 of the case 4 from the bottom 4a side, and the IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W are inserted into the storage space S1 of the case 4. Place. And the fixing | fixed part 16 of the cooler 3 is contact | abutted to the bottom part 4a along a pair of long side edge part of the opening part 8 for IGBT modules, and a cooler is made to the 1st internal thread part 25 and the 2nd internal thread part 26 of the bottom part 4a. The screw members 30 (see FIG. 2) that have passed through the screw insertion holes 16a are screwed into the first female screw portion 25 and the second female screw portion 26, corresponding to the screw insertion holes 16a of the pair of three fixing portions 16.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the cooler 3 is detachably attached to the bottom portion 4 a of the case 4 in a state where the IGBT modules 10 </ b> U, 10 </ b> V, and 10 </ b> W are disposed in the storage space S <b> 1 of the case 4.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the AC output terminal blocks 29 and 31 and the substrate holding plate 32 are fixed so as to cross the storage space S <b> 1 of the case 4, and above the AC output terminal block 31 and the substrate holding plate 32. A control circuit board 11 is supported. Thereby, the control circuit board 11 is arrange | positioned in storage space S1 in the upper position of three IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W.
As shown in FIG. 3, the upper arm lead frame 21 and the lower arm lead frame 22 projecting from the upper surfaces of the three IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W pass through the substrate holding plate 32 and It is inserted through a through hole (not shown) having a land, and the upper arm lead frame 21, the lower arm lead frame 22 and the through hole are soldered.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a smoothing capacitor 12 is disposed adjacent to the three IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W in the storage space S1 of the case 4, and the positive side connection of the three IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W is connected. The terminal 18 and the negative electrode side connection terminal 19 are connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the smoothing capacitor 12.
In addition, the AC output connector 14 is disposed in the storage space S <b> 2 of the case 4, and the three output terminals 20 of the IGBT modules 10 </ b> U, 10 </ b> V, and 10 </ b> W and the AC output connector 14 are connected via the bus bar 33. The bus bar 33 is supported by AC output terminal blocks 29 and 31 arranged in the storage space S <b> 1 of the case 4.

Further, the DC input terminal block 28 and the DC input connector 13 are disposed in the storage space S3 of the case 4, and the DC input connector 13 and the smoothing capacitor 12 are connected via the bus bar 34. The bus bar 34 is supported on the upper part of the DC input terminal block 28.
2 and 3, the gasket 6 is placed on the mounting flange 7 of the case 4, the outer peripheral edge of the cover 5 is placed on the gasket 6, and the screw insertion hole 5 a of the cover 5 and the screw insertion of the gasket 6 are inserted. By screwing the screw member 35 inserted through the hole 6 a into the screw hole 7 a of the mounting flange 7, the upper opening of the case 4 is closed. As a result, the IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W, the control circuit board 11, the smoothing capacitor 12, the DC input connector 13, and the AC output connector 14 housed in the housing 2 are liquid-tightly sealed with the outside air. .

[Operation of Power Conversion Device of First Embodiment]
In this state, DC power is supplied from an external converter (not shown) via the DC input connector 13, and a gate signal composed of, for example, a pulse width modulation signal is supplied from the control circuit board 11 to the IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W. To do. That is, by controlling on / off with a gate signal shifted by 120 degrees with respect to the three IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W, a three-phase alternating current of U phase, V phase, and W phase is loaded via the AC output connector 14. Is output.
As described above, when the three IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W are in the operating state, the upper arm semiconductor chip and the lower arm semiconductor chip embedded in the resin package 17 of each IGBT module 10U, 10V, and 10W are in the heat generation state. .

The heat generated by these upper arm semiconductor chip and lower arm semiconductor chip is conducted to the cooler body 15 because the IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W are joined to the joint surface 15c of the cooler body 15 of the cooler 3. . The heat transferred to the cooler body 15 is supplied from the cooling water supply port 15a of the cooler 3 and is cooled by the cooling water that circulates inside and is discharged from the cooling water discharge port 15b. Thus, the IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W integrated with the cooler 3 are efficiently cooled.
Here, the power semiconductor module according to the present invention corresponds to the IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W, the housing according to the present invention corresponds to the case 4, the storage space according to the present invention corresponds to the storage space S1, The opening according to the invention corresponds to the IGBT module opening 8.

[Effect of the power conversion device of the first embodiment]
Next, the effect of the power converter device 1 of 1st Embodiment is demonstrated.
Since the cooler 3 that is fixed by closing the IGBT module opening 8 of the case 4 is used as a constituent member of the case 4, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and the size of the case 4 can be reduced. Weight reduction can be achieved.
Further, only by fixing the cooler 3 to the case 4, the three IGBT modules 10 U, 10 V, and 10 W integrated with the cooler 3 are arranged in the storage space S 1 of the case 4 and circulate in the cooler 3. Since it is not necessary to maintain the water tightness of the water, the apparatus can be easily assembled.

In addition, since the cooler 3 is externally attached to the case 4, there is a possibility that the cooling water of the cooler 3 may enter the inside of the case 3 when the hose is detached from the cooling water supply port 15 a and the cooling water discharge port 15 b. Absent.
In addition, since the fixing portion 16 of the cooler 3 is detachably fixed to the edge of the IGBT module opening 8 of the case 4, it is easy to check the cooling water leakage of the cooler 3 removed from the case 4. It can be carried out.

Further, in the power conversion device 1 of the first embodiment, both the case 4 and the cooler 3 are formed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and the case and the cooler are formed of copper or a copper alloy. Thus, the power converter 1 can be reduced in weight.
Further, since both the case 4 and the cooler 3 are made of aluminum or aluminum alloy having high thermal conductivity, the heat generated by the IGBT module 10U, 10V, 10W can be discharged from the case 4 to the outside air, and the IGBT module 10U. The cooling efficiency of 10V and 10W can be increased.
Furthermore, since both the case 4 and the cooler 3 are made of the same material, a temperature difference is hardly generated in both the case 4 and the cooler 3, and early deterioration of the case 4 and the cooler 3 due to the generation of thermal stress is prevented. can do.

[Power Converter of Second Embodiment]
Next, the power converter device 40 of 2nd Embodiment which concerns on 1 aspect of this invention is demonstrated with reference to FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same component as the power converter device of 1st Embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-9, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
The power conversion device 40 according to the second embodiment includes a housing 41 and a cooler 3 that is detachably fixed to the bottom surface of the housing 41.
The housing 41 includes a case 42, a cover 43, and a gasket 6.
The case 42 is formed using a synthetic resin as a material, and the shape thereof is the same as that of the case 4 of the first embodiment.

The cover 43 is also made of synthetic resin, and the shape thereof is the same as that of the cover 5 of the first embodiment.
The cooler 3 is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy as a material, as in the first embodiment.
As in the first embodiment, the casing 41 is mounted with three IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W joined to the cooler 3, and a drive circuit that drives the IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W. The control circuit board 11, the smoothing capacitor 12, the DC input connector 13, and the AC output connector 14 are accommodated.

According to the power conversion device 40 of the second embodiment, the heat generated by the operation of the three IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W is conducted to the cooler body 15 and is cooled by the cooling water circulating through the cooler body 15. The IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W can be efficiently cooled.
And since the power converter device 40 of 2nd Embodiment uses the synthetic resin as a material of case 42, it compares with the power converter device 1 of 1st Embodiment which made the material of case 4 aluminum or aluminum alloy. Thus, the weight can be reduced.
Moreover, since the case 42 made of synthetic resin can be manufactured at a lower cost than the case 4 made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, the second embodiment is compared with the power conversion device 1 of the first embodiment. The manufacturing cost of the power converter 40 can be reduced.

[Power Converter of Third Embodiment]
Next, the power converter device 45 of 3rd Embodiment which concerns on 1 aspect of this invention is demonstrated with reference to FIG.
The power conversion device 45 of the third embodiment includes a housing 41 and a cooler 46 that is detachably fixed to the bottom surface of the housing 41.
The casing 41 is a case 42 and a cover 43 made of synthetic resin, similarly to the power conversion device 40 of the second embodiment.
The cooler 46 is made of copper or a copper alloy as a material, and has the same shape as the cooler 3 of the power conversion device 1 of the first embodiment. That is, reference numeral 46a in FIG. 11 is a cooling water supply port made of copper or copper alloy, and reference numeral 46b is a cooling water discharge port made of copper or copper alloy.

As in the first embodiment, three IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W joined to the cooler 46 and a drive circuit that drives these IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W are mounted on the casing 41. The control circuit board 11, the smoothing capacitor 12, the DC input connector 13, and the AC output connector 14 are accommodated.
The cooler 46 of the power conversion device 45 of the third embodiment is made of aluminum or copper or copper alloy having a higher thermal conductivity than aluminum or an aluminum alloy, so the cooler 3 is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. Compared with the power conversion device 1 of the first embodiment and the power conversion device 40 of the second embodiment, the cooling capacity of the cooler 46 for the IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W can be increased.

Moreover, since the power converter device 45 of 3rd Embodiment also uses synthetic resin as a material of case 42, while being able to achieve weight reduction, it can aim at reduction of manufacturing cost.
If the case 4 made of aluminum or aluminum alloy of the power conversion device 1 of the first embodiment is used instead of the synthetic resin case 42 of the power conversion device 45 of the third embodiment, the IGBT modules 10U, 10V are used. Heat of 10W can be discharged from the case 4 to the outside air, and the cooling efficiency of the IGBT modules 10U, 10V, and 10W can be increased.
In addition, although the case of the power converter device 45 of 3rd Embodiment was formed with the synthetic resin, aluminum, or aluminum alloy, you may form a case with copper or other materials whose heat conductivity is lower than copper alloy. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,40,45 Power converter 2,41 Case 3,46 Cooler 4,42 Case 4a Bottom part 4b Side wall part 4c Upper opening part 5,43 Cover 5a Screw insertion hole 6 Gasket 6a Screw insertion hole 7 Mounting flange part 7a Screw hole 8 IGBT module opening 10U, 10V, 10W IGBT module 11 Control circuit board 12 Smoothing capacitor 13 DC input connector 14 AC output connector 15 Cooler body 15a, 46a Cooling water supply port 15b, 46b Cooling water discharge port 15c Surface 16 Fixed portion 16a Screw insertion hole 17 Resin package 17a First side surface 17b Second side surface 18 Positive side connection terminal 19 Negative side connection terminal 20 Output terminal 21 Upper arm lead frame 21g Gate electrode 21es of reverse conducting IGBT module QU Emitter of reverse conducting IGBT module QU Current sense electrode 22 Lower arm lead frame 22
22g Gate electrode 22es of reverse conducting IGBT module QU Emitter current sensing electrode 25 of reverse conducting IGBT module QL First female screw portion 25a Female screw 26 Second female screw portion 26a Female screw 27 Third female screw portion 27a Female screw 28 DC input terminal block 29, 31 AC Output terminal block 30 Screw member 32 Substrate holding plates 33, 34 Busbars S1, S2, S3 Storage space QU Reverse conducting IGBT module QL Reverse conducting IGBT module

Claims (5)

A power semiconductor module for power conversion, a cooler in which a cooling medium circulates, and a housing forming a storage space,
The power semiconductor module is joined to the cooler,
An opening communicating with the storage space is formed on the outer wall of the housing,
The power converter, wherein the power semiconductor module inserted from the opening is disposed in the storage space, and the cooler closing the opening is detachably fixed to the housing. . The cooler includes a cooler body in which a cooling medium circulates inside and a bonding surface for bonding the power semiconductor module is formed;
The electric power according to claim 1, further comprising: a fixing portion that protrudes outward from an outer periphery of the joint surface of the cooler main body, contacts a peripheral edge of the opening, and is fixed to the housing. Conversion device.   The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the cooler and the casing are made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy.   The power converter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cooler is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and the casing is made of a synthetic resin.   The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the cooler is formed of copper or a copper alloy, and the casing is formed of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the copper or the copper alloy. .

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