JP7418276B2 - element module - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an element module.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a power conversion device that includes a plurality of elements arranged on a substrate in a predetermined direction. The power conversion device includes a plurality of temperature sensors arranged between adjacent elements, etc., in order to monitor the heat generation state of each of the plurality of elements.
However, as the number of elements constituting a power conversion device increases, the number of temperature sensors that detect the temperature of each element increases, which increases the cost of configuring the device and potentially increases the size of the device. was there.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-215572

An object of the present invention is to provide an element module that can reduce the size of the device by suppressing an increase in the number of sensors that detect the states of a plurality of elements.

The element module of the embodiment includes an element group, a sensor, a positive terminal, and a negative terminal. The element group is arranged on a virtual spherical surface and includes multiple types of elements. The sensors are arranged at the same distance from the same type of elements among the plurality of elements provided in the element group. The sensor detects the state of each element. The positive terminal and the negative terminal are electrically connected to the element group . It has multiple element groups. Each element group is arranged along the circumferential direction of at least one predetermined circumference . Each element in a single element group includes elements of the same type arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The positive terminal and the negative terminal are arranged so that each wiring has the same length for each element group .

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an element module in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a power conversion device including an element module according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a power conversion device including an element module according to an embodiment, and a diagram showing a part of a plurality of semiconductor elements. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a power conversion device including an element module according to a modification of the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a power conversion device including an element module according to a modification of the embodiment, and is a diagram showing a part of a plurality of semiconductor elements.

Hereinafter, element modules of embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an element module 1 in an embodiment. In the following, the directions of the X, Y, and Z axes, which are orthogonal to each other in a three-dimensional space, are parallel to each axis. For example, the vertical direction of the element module 1 is parallel to the Z-axis direction. The direction perpendicular to the vertical direction of the element module 1 is parallel to the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the element module 1 is a power module that constitutes a power conversion device or the like installed in, for example, a power generation system, a power supply device, a motor drive device, or the like.
As shown in FIG. 1, the element module 1 of the embodiment includes a plurality of element groups 3, one temperature sensor 5, and a substrate 7.

Each of the plurality of element groups 3 includes at least one element. Each element is a semiconductor element such as a transistor or a diode. The plurality of element groups 3 include a first element group 3-1, a second element group 3-2, . . . , an n-th element group 3-n, depending on an arbitrary natural number n, for example.
The plurality of element groups 3 are arranged on a virtual spherical surface S. For example, the plurality of element groups 3 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction (that is, the arrangement direction) of an arbitrary circumference F on the virtual spherical surface S.

The temperature sensor 5 is arranged at the same distance from the plurality of elements constituting the plurality of element groups 3. For example, the temperature sensor 5 is arranged at the same distance from at least a plurality of elements of the same type among all the elements constituting the plurality of element groups 3. For example, when the plurality of element groups 3 include a plurality of first elements (e.g., transistors, etc.) and a plurality of second elements (e.g., diodes, etc.), the temperature sensor 5 selects a predetermined first element from the plurality of first elements. and a predetermined second distance from the second element. The predetermined first distance and second distance may be, for example, the same or different.
The temperature sensor 5 is placed at the center O of the virtual spherical surface S. The virtual spherical surface S is a spherical surface of arbitrary size. The temperature sensor 5 detects the temperature of a plurality of elements constituting the plurality of element groups 3.
The substrate 7 holds a plurality of element groups 3 and a temperature sensor 5.

Hereinafter, a power conversion device 10 including the element module 1 of the embodiment described above will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the power conversion device 10 including the element module 1.
As shown in FIG. 2, the power conversion device 10 is provided, for example, in a motor drive device. The power conversion device 10 is, for example, a neutral point clamped (NPC) converter among three-phase three-level converters.

Power conversion device 10 includes three single-phase (that is, three-phase) converters. The power conversion device 10 includes, for example, four transistors and six diodes as a plurality of semiconductor elements in each of three phases. The four transistors are a first transistor Q1, a second transistor Q2, a third transistor Q3, and a fourth transistor Q4. The six diodes are a first diode D1, a second diode D2, a third diode D3, a fourth diode D4, a positive diode DP, and a negative diode DN.

The power conversion device 10 includes a first transistor Q1 and a first diode D1, a second transistor Q2 and a second diode D2, which are arranged sequentially from the positive side to the negative side, and a second transistor Q2 and a second diode D2, which are arranged in each of three phases in order from the positive side to the negative side. It includes a diode DP and a negative diode DN, a third transistor Q3 and a third diode D3, and a fourth transistor Q4 and a fourth diode D4.

Each of the transistors Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 is a switching element such as an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor). Each transistor Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 is connected to each diode D1, D2, D3, D4 in a forward direction from the emitter to the collector between the collector and emitter.

A collector of the first transistor Q1 is connected to a positive terminal P by a positive wiring PL. The emitter of the first transistor Q1 is connected to the collector of the second transistor Q2. A connection point between the emitter of the first transistor Q1 and the collector of the second transistor Q2 is connected to the cathode of the positive diode DP.

The emitter of the second transistor Q2 and the collector of the third transistor Q3 are connected to the input/output wiring SL. The emitter of the third transistor Q3 is connected to the collector of the fourth transistor Q4. A connection point between the emitter of the third transistor Q3 and the collector of the fourth transistor Q4 is connected to the anode of the negative diode DN. The emitter of the fourth transistor Q4 is connected to the negative terminal N by the negative wiring NL. The anode of the positive diode DP and the cathode of the negative diode DN are connected to a reference terminal C by a reference wiring CL.

The three-phase input/output wiring SL of the power conversion device 10 is connected to the three-phase coils of the motor M. The motor M is a three-phase induction motor, a three-phase synchronous motor, or the like.
The power conversion device 10 includes a capacitor E that is connected between the positive terminal P and the reference terminal C and between the negative terminal N and the reference terminal C, respectively, in common for each of the three phases.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the power conversion device 10 including the element module 1, and is a diagram showing a part of a plurality of semiconductor elements.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the power conversion device 10 includes three element groups 3 corresponding to three phases. For example, in the case of three phases of U phase, V phase, and W phase, the three element groups 3 include a first element group 3-1 corresponding to the U phase and a second element group 3-2 corresponding to the V phase. and a third element group 3-3 corresponding to the W phase.
The three element groups 3 are arranged on the substrate 7 at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of an arbitrary circumference F. The three element groups 3 are arranged around a common center O of the virtual spherical surface S and the circumference F at intervals of 120°.

The transistors Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 included in the three element groups 3 are arranged along an arbitrary first circumference with respect to the center O in the same arrangement order. The diodes D1, D2, D3, and D4 provided in the three element groups 3 are arranged along an arbitrary second circumference with respect to the center O in the same arrangement order. The first circumference and the second circumference may be the same or different. For example, the diameter of the first circumference is smaller than the diameter of the second circumference.
The transistors Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 and the diodes D1, D2, D3, D4 of each element group 3 are arranged, for example, in clockwise order when viewed from the positive side of the Z-axis direction. The distances between each transistor Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 of each element group 3 and the center O are the same first distance. The distance between each diode D1, D2, D3, D4 of each element group 3 and the center O is the same second distance. The first distance and the second distance may be the same or different. For example, the first distance is smaller than the second distance.

The lengths of the positive wirings PL connecting the first transistors Q1 and the positive terminals P of each element group 3 are the same. The length of each negative electrode wiring NL connecting the fourth transistor Q4 of each element group 3 and the negative electrode terminal N is the same. The lengths of the respective input/output wirings SL connecting the second transistor Q2 and the third transistor Q3 of each element group 3 and the coil of the motor M are the same.

The power conversion device 10 includes a temperature sensor 5 disposed on a substrate 7 at a common center O of a virtual spherical surface S and a circumference F. The temperature sensors 5 are arranged at the same predetermined first distance from each transistor Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 of each element group 3, and are arranged at the same predetermined first distance from each other from each transistor Q1, Q2, Q3, D4 of each element group 3. located at the same predetermined second distance.

According to the embodiment described above, the element module 1 includes the temperature sensor 5 arranged at the same distance from the plurality of semiconductor elements, so that the temperature state of the plurality of semiconductor elements can be detected simultaneously. By including one temperature sensor 5, the element module 1 can suppress an increase in the number of sensors corresponding to a plurality of semiconductor elements. Therefore, the element module 1 can be downsized.
The element module 1 includes a plurality of element groups 3 arranged along the circumferential direction of an arbitrary circumference F, thereby reducing the distance between the plurality of semiconductor elements constituting the plurality of element groups 3 and the temperature sensor 5. can be easily set to the same distance.
The element module 1 includes a plurality of element groups 3 arranged at equal intervals in the arrangement direction such as the circumferential direction of an arbitrary circumference F, so that the temperature state of each element group 3 can be detected with high accuracy. can.

By including the temperature sensor 5 disposed at the center O of the virtual spherical surface S, the element module 1 can easily and accurately detect the temperature states of the plurality of semiconductor elements constituting the plurality of element groups 3.
The power conversion device 10 includes three element groups 3 corresponding to three phases, so that each element group 3 can be configured as a single-phase converter, and the symmetry of the spatial arrangement of the three element groups 3 is improved. can be improved. By improving the spatial symmetry of the three element groups 3, it is possible to easily make the lengths of various wirings the same, and for example, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of abnormalities such as current imbalance. can.

Modifications will be described below.
In the embodiment described above, the power conversion device 10 is a neutral point clamped (NPC) converter among three-phase three-level converters, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The power converter 10 may be, for example, a bidirectional switch type converter among three-level converters. The power conversion device 10 is not limited to a three-level converter, and may be any appropriate multiple-level converter, such as a two-level or five-level converter. The power converter 10 is not limited to a three-phase converter, and may be any other multi-phase converter.

Below, a power conversion device 10A as a modification of the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of a power conversion device 10A of a modified example including the element module 1.
As shown in FIG. 4, a power conversion device 10A of the modified example is included in, for example, a motor drive device. The power conversion device 10A is, for example, a three-phase two-level converter.

The power conversion device 10A includes three single-phase (that is, three-phase) converters. The power conversion device 10A includes, for example, two transistors and two diodes as a plurality of semiconductor elements in each of three phases. The two transistors are a high side transistor QH and a low side transistor QL. The two diodes are a high side diode DH and a low side diode DL.
The power conversion device 10A includes a high-side transistor QH and a high-side diode DH, and a low-side transistor QL and a low-side diode DL, which are arranged in order from the positive side to the negative side in each of the three phases.

Each of the transistors QH and QL is a switching element such as an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor). Each transistor QH, QL is connected to each diode DH, DL in a forward direction from the emitter to the collector between the collector and emitter.
A collector of the high-side transistor QH is connected to a positive terminal P by a positive wiring PL. The emitter of the high side transistor QH is connected to the collector of the low side transistor QL. The emitter of the low-side transistor QL is connected to a negative electrode terminal N by a negative electrode wiring NL.

The three-phase input/output wiring SL of the power conversion device 10A is connected to the three-phase coils of the motor M. The motor M is a three-phase induction motor, a three-phase synchronous motor, or the like.
The power conversion device 10 includes a capacitor E commonly connected between a positive terminal P and a negative terminal N for each of the three phases.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a power conversion device 10A of a modified example including the element module 1, and is a diagram showing a part of a plurality of semiconductor elements.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the power conversion device 10 includes, for example, three element groups 3H corresponding to three phases on the high side and three element groups 3L corresponding to three phases on the low side. The three element groups 3 on each of the high side and low side are, for example, in the case of three phases, U phase, V phase, and W phase, the first element group 3-1 corresponds to the U phase, and the first element group 3-1 corresponds to the V phase. They are a second element group 3-2 and a third element group 3-3 corresponding to the W phase.
The three high-side element groups 3H are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of an arbitrary first circumference F1. The three high-side element groups 3H are arranged at 120° intervals around the center of an arbitrary first circumference F1.
The three element groups 3L on the low side are arranged at regular intervals along the circumferential direction of an arbitrary second circumference F2. The three element groups 3L on the low side are arranged at 120° intervals around the center of an arbitrary second circumference F2.
The arbitrary first circumference F1 and second circumference F2 are, for example, circumferences of the same diameter on the virtual spherical surface S, and are parallel to each other.

Each of the three high-side element groups 3H includes a high-side transistor QH and a high-side diode DH. Each of the three low-side element groups 3L includes a low-side transistor QL and a low-side diode DL.
The distance between the high-side transistor QH of the three high-side element groups 3H and the center O of the virtual spherical surface S, and the distance between the low-side transistor QL of the three low-side element groups 3L and the center O of the virtual spherical surface S The distances are the same first distance.

The distance between the high-side diodes DH of the three high-side element groups 3H and the center O of the virtual spherical surface S, and the distance between the low-side diodes DL of the three low-side element groups 3L and the center O of the virtual spherical surface S. The distance is the same second distance.
The first distance and the second distance may be the same or different. For example, in each high-side element group 3H, the high-side transistor QH is arranged on the inner side of the high-side diode DH, and in each low-side element group 3L, the low-side transistor QL is arranged on the inner side of the low-side diode DL. , the first distance is smaller than the second distance.

The lengths of the positive wirings PL connecting the high-side transistors QH and the positive terminals P of each high-side element group 3H are the same. The lengths of the negative electrode wirings NL that connect the low-side transistors QL and the negative electrode terminals N of each of the low-side element groups 3L are the same. The lengths of the input/output wirings SL connecting the high-side transistors of each high-side element group 3H and the low-side transistors QL of each low-side element group 3L to the coil of the motor M are the same.

The power conversion device 10A includes a temperature sensor 5 placed at the center O of the virtual spherical surface S. The temperature sensor 5 is arranged at the same predetermined first distance from the high-side transistor QH of each high-side element group 3H and the low-side transistor QL of each low-side element group 3L, and is located at the same predetermined first distance from each high-side element group 3H. They are arranged at the same predetermined second distance from the high-side diode DH of the group 3H and the low-side diode DL of each low-side element group 3L.

According to the modification of the embodiment described above, a plurality of element groups (for example, high side By providing each element group 3H and each low-side element group 3L), it is possible to suppress an increase in the space required for arranging the plurality of element groups. Therefore, space efficiency can be improved when arranging a plurality of element groups.

According to at least one embodiment described above, by providing the temperature sensor 5 arranged at the same distance from the plurality of semiconductor elements, it is possible to simultaneously detect the temperature state of each of the plurality of semiconductor elements. By including one temperature sensor 5, the element module 1 can suppress an increase in the number of sensors corresponding to a plurality of semiconductor elements.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Element module, 3... Element group, 3-1... First element group, 3-2... Second element group, 3-n... Nth element group, 5... Temperature sensor, 7... Substrate, 10 , 10A...power conversion device, Q1...first transistor (semiconductor element), Q2...second transistor (semiconductor element), Q3...third transistor (semiconductor element), Q4...fourth transistor (semiconductor element), QH...high side transistor (semiconductor element), QL...low side transistor (semiconductor element), D1...first diode (semiconductor element), D2...second diode (semiconductor element), D3...third diode (semiconductor element), D4...th 4 diodes (semiconductor element), DP...positive side diode (semiconductor element), DN...negative side diode (semiconductor element), DH...high side diode (semiconductor element), DL...low side diode (semiconductor element), E...capacitor (Element), S...virtual spherical surface, F...circumference, F1...first circumference, F2...second circumference, O...center , P...positive electrode terminal, PL...positive electrode wiring (wiring), N...negative electrode terminal, NL...Negative electrode wiring (wiring)

Claims (4)

an element group arranged on a virtual spherical surface and having multiple types of elements;
A sensor that is arranged at the same distance from the elements of the same type among the plurality of elements provided in the element group and detects the state of each element;
a positive terminal and a negative terminal electrically connected to the element group ;
Equipped with
having a plurality of the element groups,
Each of the element groups is arranged along the circumferential direction of at least one predetermined circumference,
Each of the elements in the single element group includes elements of the same type arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction,
In the element module, the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal are arranged such that each wiring has the same length for each of the element groups . The plurality of element groups are respectively arranged along the circumferential direction of two or more plurality of circumferences,
The element module according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of circumferences have the same diameter and are parallel to each other . The element module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of element groups correspond to a plurality of phases of polyphase alternating current. The element module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sensor detects a temperature state of the plurality of elements.

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