JP4552513B2 - Power control unit and unit case thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a power control unit and a unit case thereof, and more particularly, a first power conversion in which a capacitor for smoothing DC power and an input terminal for inputting DC power smoothed by the capacitor are arranged on the upper surface. The present invention relates to a power control unit including a device and a second power converter, and a unit case of such a power control unit.

Conventionally, as this type of power control unit, an inverter device in which a smoothing capacitor is arranged in a space vertically above an inverter unit (switching module) has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). In this device, a three-dimensional arrangement of the smoothing capacitors is realized by bending and joining the input conductor plates that connect the inverter unit and the smoothing capacitors, thereby saving space in the planar direction.
JP-A-9-308265

  However, although the above-described inverter device can save space in the plane direction, it takes a large space in the height direction, and therefore there is a restriction in the space in the height direction (for example, under the floor of the vehicle). It is difficult to adopt it when it is installed in a). Moreover, the connection part of an inverter part and a smoothing capacitor will become complicated, such as having to bend and join the input conductor board which connects an inverter part and a smoothing capacitor. Furthermore, when the number of heat generating components such as switching modules in such a unit increases, it is desirable to perform cooling more efficiently.

  An object of the power control unit and the unit case of the present invention is to further reduce the size of the unit. The power control unit of the present invention and the unit case of the power control unit are intended to improve the assembling property of the parts. Furthermore, it is an object of the power control unit and the unit case of the present invention to improve the cooling efficiency.

  The power control unit of the present invention and the unit case thereof employ the following means in order to achieve at least a part of the above-described object.

The power control unit of the present invention comprises:
A power control unit comprising: a capacitor for smoothing DC power; a first power converter having an input terminal for inputting DC power smoothed by the capacitor; and a second power converter. There,
The first power converter is disposed vertically above a heat sink that cools the first power converter and the second power converter, and the second power converter is vertically below the heat sink. And the capacitor is arranged vertically so that the input terminal of the first power converter and the connection terminal of the capacitor are substantially horizontal.

  In the power control unit of the present invention, the first power conversion device is disposed vertically above the heat sink portion, the second power conversion device is disposed vertically below, and the input terminal and the capacitor of the first power conversion device The capacitors are placed vertically so that their connection terminals are substantially horizontal. Therefore, since the capacitor is placed vertically, the space in the plane direction can be reduced. In addition, since the input terminal of the first power conversion device and the connection terminal of the capacitor are made to be substantially horizontal, it is possible to reduce the influence of the capacitor in the vertical direction and reduce the size of the unit. In addition, the assembling property between the first power converter and the capacitor can be improved. Furthermore, since the first power conversion device and the second power conversion device are arranged above and below the heat sink portion, the cooling efficiency can be improved.

  In such a power control unit of the present invention, the first power converter, the second power converter, and the capacitor so that the bottom surface of the second power converter and the bottom surface of the capacitor are substantially horizontal. Can also be arranged. In this way, the bottom surface of the unit can be made substantially horizontal.

  In the power control unit of the present invention, the first power conversion device may be an inverter, and the second power conversion device may be a DC / DC converter. By so doing, the present invention can be applied to a power control unit including an inverter and a DC / DC converter.

The unit case of the present invention is
A unit case of a power control unit comprising a capacitor for smoothing DC power and a first power converter and a second power converter having an input terminal for inputting DC power smoothed by the capacitor on the top surface Because
A heat sink for cooling the first power conversion device arranged on the upper vertical side and the second power conversion device arranged on the lower vertical side, and connection between the input terminal of the first power conversion device and the capacitor A case main body having a capacitor storage portion for vertically storing the capacitor so that the terminals are substantially horizontal;
A case cover covering the opening of the case body;
It is a summary to provide.

  In the unit case of the present invention, the first power converter and the second power converter are cooled by the heat sink portion, and the input terminal of the first power converter and the connection terminal of the capacitor are substantially horizontal. The capacitor is stored vertically in the capacitor storage section. Therefore, since the capacitor is placed vertically, the space in the plane direction can be reduced. In addition, since the input terminal of the first power conversion device and the connection terminal of the capacitor are made to be substantially horizontal, it is possible to reduce the influence of the capacitor in the vertical direction and reduce the size of the unit. In addition, the assembling property between the first power converter and the capacitor can be improved. Furthermore, since the first power conversion device and the second power conversion device are arranged above and below the heat sink portion, the cooling efficiency can be improved.

  In such a unit case of the present invention, the capacitor storage portion of the case main body may have a pressing portion that presses the stored capacitor toward the heat sink portion. By doing so, the capacitor is pressed against the heat sink portion, so that the cooling efficiency of the capacitor can be improved.

  Next, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described using examples.

  FIG. 1 is an external view of a power control unit (hereinafter referred to as a PCU) 20 as a power control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2 and 3 are top views of the PCU 20 with a case cover 32 removed. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2. PCU20 of an Example is comprised as what is mounted, for example in a motor vehicle, and as shown to FIGS. 1-4, the capacitor | condenser 40a-40c which smoothes direct-current power, and the direct current | flow smoothed by the capacitor | condenser 40a-40c Inverters 50a to 50c that convert electric power to AC power and a DC / DC converter 60 that converts DC power voltage are included, and these components are housed in a unit case 30 including a case cover 32 and a case body 34. Yes.

  The case main body 34 is formed in a substantially box shape, and a heat sink portion 35 in which a zigzag cooling medium passage through which the cooling medium passes is stretched on the bottom surface and a substantially cylindrical shape that sinks vertically downward to form capacitors 40a to 40c. Capacitor storage portions 36a to 36c for storing 40c are formed. Inverters 50a to 50c are disposed vertically above the heat sink portion 35, and a DC / DC converter 60 is disposed vertically below, and the bottom surface of the DC / DC converter 60 and the bottom surfaces of the capacitor storage portions 36a to 36c are arranged. Are positioned substantially horizontally. Capacitors 40a to 40c are arranged vertically in the capacitor storage portions 36a to 36c, and the connection terminals provided on the upper surface of the capacitors 40a to 40c arranged in the vertical direction and the capacitors 40a to 40c on the upper surfaces of the inverters 50a to 50c. An input terminal provided at the side end is connected by a bus bar 70 so as to be positioned substantially horizontally. As described above, the inverter 50a to 50c is arranged using the case body 34, the DC / DC converter 60 is arranged, and the capacitors 40a to 40c are arranged vertically, whereby the inverters 50a to 50c, the DC / DC converter 60, the capacitor are arranged. 40a-40c can be stored compactly. Moreover, since the connection terminals provided on the upper surfaces of the capacitors 40a to 40c placed vertically and the input terminals provided on the upper surfaces of the inverters 50a to 50c are positioned substantially horizontally, they are connected by the flat bus bar 70. can do.

  In addition, the inner wall surfaces of the capacitor storage portions 36a to 36c of the case body 34 are provided with a pressing member 37 having elasticity on the side opposite to the heat sink portion 35 side, and the stored capacitors 40a to 40c are connected to the heat sink portion 35 side. Is pressed. In addition, illustration was abbreviate | omitted about the control board which performs switching control, such as inverter 50a-50c.

  In the PCU 20 configured in this manner, the inverters 50a to 50c, the DC / DC converter 60, and the capacitors 40a to 40c pressed by the pressing member 37 on the upper and lower sides of the heat sink 35 of the case body 34 are heat sinks. It is cooled by the part 35.

  According to the PCU 20 of the embodiment described above, since the capacitors 40a to 40c are arranged vertically in the capacitor housing portions 36a to 36c, the space in the plane direction can be reduced. Further, the connection terminals of the capacitors 40a to 40c and the input terminals of the inverters 50a to 50c are arranged so as to be positioned substantially horizontally, and the bottom surface of the DC / DC converter 60 and the bottom surfaces of the capacitor storage portions 36a to 36c are approximately horizontal. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the influence in the height direction due to the vertical placement of the capacitors 40a to 40c, to reduce the size of the PCU 20, and to improve the assembling property when connecting by the bus bar 70. Can do. Furthermore, since the inverters 50a to 50c and the DC / DC converter 60 are arranged on the upper and lower sides of the heat sink portion 35 and the capacitors 40a to 40c are pressed to the heat sink portion 35 side by the pressing member 37, the cooling efficiency of each component is improved. Can do.

  Here, in PCU20 of an Example, inverter 50a-50c is equivalent to a 1st power converter device, and DC / DC converter 60 is equivalent to a 2nd power converter device.

  In the PCU 20 of the embodiment, the inverters 50a to 50c and the DC / DC converter 60 are arranged on the upper and lower sides of the heat sink portion 35. However, the number of the inverters 50a to 50c and the DC / DC converter 60 may be any number. Absent. Further, the inverters 50a to 50c and the DC / DC converter 60 may be provided with other power conversion devices.

  In the PCU 20 according to the embodiment, the bottom surface of the DC / DC converter 60 and the bottom surfaces of the capacitor storage portions 36a to 36c are positioned substantially horizontally.

  In the PCU 20 of the embodiment, the pressing member 37 is provided on the opposite side of the inner wall surface of the capacitor storage portions 36a to 36c from the heat sink portion 35 side, but the stored capacitors 40a to 40c are pressed toward the heat sink portion 35 side. If possible, other members may be used. Further, such a pressing member 37 may be omitted.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course, it can be implemented in the form.

It is an external view of PCU20 which is one Example of this invention. It is a top view of PCU20 in the state where case cover 32 was removed. It is a bottom view of PCU20. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  20 PCU, 30 unit case, 32 case cover, 34 case body, 35 heat sink part, 36a to 36c capacitor storage part, 37 pressing member, 40a to 40c capacitor, 50a to 50c inverter, 60 DC / DC converter, 70 bus bar.

Claims (3)

A power control unit comprising a capacitor for smoothing DC power, a first power converter having an input terminal for inputting DC power smoothed by the capacitor, and a second power converter. There,
The first power converter is disposed vertically above a heat sink that cools the first power converter and the second power converter, and the second power converter is vertically below the heat sink. Are arranged vertically so that the input terminal of the first power converter and the connection terminal of the capacitor are substantially horizontal, and the bottom surface of the second power converter and the capacitor The first power conversion device, the second power conversion device, and the capacitor are arranged so that the bottom surface of the first power conversion device is substantially horizontal .
Power control unit. The power control unit according to claim 1 ,
The first power converter is an inverter;
The second power conversion device is a DC / DC converter.
Power control unit. A unit case of a power control unit comprising a capacitor for smoothing DC power and a first power converter and a second power converter having an input terminal for inputting the DC power smoothed by the capacitor on the top surface Because
A heat sink for cooling the first power conversion device arranged on the vertical upper side and the second power conversion device arranged on the lower vertical side, and connection between the input terminal of the first power conversion device and the capacitor A case main body having a capacitor storage portion for vertically storing the capacitor so that the terminals are substantially horizontal;
A case cover covering the opening of the case body;
Equipped with a,
The capacitor storage portion of the case body has a pressing portion that presses the stored capacitor toward the heat sink portion.
Unit case.

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