WO2019065096A1

WO2019065096A1 - Inverter unit

Info

Publication number: WO2019065096A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/032560
Authority: WO
Inventors: 安井誠二; 堀田豊; 鈴木丈元
Original assignee: アイシン・エィ・ダブリュ株式会社
Priority date: 2017-09-27
Filing date: 2018-09-03
Publication date: 2019-04-04
Also published as: JP2019062696A

Abstract

An inverter unit (1) is provided with an inverter module (10) and a capacitor module (20). The capacitor module (20) has: a first portion (21) having a first height (H1); and second portions (22), which are disposed on both sides of the first portion (21), and which have a second height (H2) that is higher than the first height (H1). The inverter module (10) is disposed such that the inverter module overlaps the second portions (22) in an array direction view in array direction (D2) in which the first potion (21) and the second portions (22) are arrayed, and overlaps the first portion (21) in a height direction view in height direction (D3).

Description

Inverter unit

The present invention relates to an inverter unit.

An inverter device is used to convert power between direct current and alternating current of multiple phases. The inverter device may be configured to include an inverter unit in which an inverter module having a switching element and a capacitor module having a capacitor element are unitized. An example of such an inverter unit is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-176297 (Patent Document 1).

In the inverter unit of Patent Document 1, the inverter module is mounted on a rectangular parallelepiped capacitor module (see, for example, FIG. 33 (C) of Patent Document 1). In such a configuration, there are many dead spaces at the junctions between conductors, etc., and the size as a whole tends to be large.

JP, 2013-176297, A

It is desirable to realize an inverter unit that can be easily miniaturized as a whole.

The first inverter unit according to the present disclosure is
An inverter unit comprising: an inverter module having a switching element; and a capacitor module having a capacitor element,
The capacitor module is disposed at a first portion at a first height and at both sides of the first portion at a height from a reference surface, and has a second height higher than the first height from the reference surface. And a second part,
The inverter module overlaps the second portion in a direction of arrangement along the direction of arrangement of the first portion and the two second portions of the capacitor module, and the height along the height direction orthogonal to the reference plane It is disposed so as to overlap with the first portion in the longitudinal direction.

According to this configuration, the inverter module can be arranged by effectively utilizing the space formed by the difference in height between the first portion of the capacitor module and the second portion on both sides thereof. Therefore, as compared with the configuration in which the inverter module does not overlap with the second portion of the capacitor module in the array direction view or the configuration without overlapping with the first portion of the capacitor module in the height direction view, downsizing of the inverter unit as a whole is facilitated Can be

The second inverter unit according to the present disclosure is
An inverter unit comprising: an inverter module having a switching element; a capacitor module having a capacitor element; and a capacitor case that accommodates the capacitor module and has a refrigerant flow path through which a refrigerant flows.
The capacitor module includes a plurality of the capacitor elements arranged along a reference plane, and the plurality of capacitor elements are each formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape.
The direction perpendicular to the reference plane is the height direction, the direction in which the plurality of capacitor elements are arranged along the reference plane is the arrangement direction, and the direction orthogonal to both the height direction and the arrangement direction is the width direction ,
A part of the plurality of capacitor elements is disposed in a first posture in which the longest side is along the width direction to form a first part of the capacitor module,
The remaining ones of the plurality of capacitor elements are arranged in a second posture in which the longest side extends along the height direction to form a second portion of the capacitor module,
The refrigerant flow path is formed by a hollow space formed by the difference in length in the width direction between the first portion and the second portion, and by a difference in height between the first portion and the second portion It is arranged in the concave space.

According to this configuration, by combining the first attitude and the second attitude while using a plurality of capacitor elements having the same shape, the number of parts can be reduced, and two portions (the first portion A second part can be provided. And effectively utilizing the hollow space formed by the difference in length in the width direction between the first part and the second part of the capacitor module and the concave space formed by the difference in height between the first part and the second part Then, the refrigerant flow path provided in the capacitor case can be disposed. Therefore, compared with the structure arrange | positioned so that the whole refrigerant | coolant flow path may be protruded to the outer side of a capacitor | condenser module, size reduction as the whole inverter unit can be achieved easily.

Further features and advantages of the technology according to the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments which will be described with reference to the drawings.

Circuit block diagram of an inverter unit according to an embodiment Perspective view of inverter unit An exploded perspective view of the inverter unit An exploded perspective view of the inverter module Top view of the inverter module Side view of inverter module Perspective view of the capacitor module Top view of the inverter unit Front view of inverter unit Side view of the inverter unit XI-XI sectional view in FIG. 9 XII-XII cross section in FIG. 9 XIII-XIII sectional view in FIG. 9 XIV-XIV sectional view in FIG. 8 Top view of another embodiment of the inverter module Top view of another embodiment of the inverter module Top view of another embodiment of the inverter module Side view of another embodiment of the inverter module

Embodiments of an inverter module and an inverter unit including the inverter module will be described with reference to the drawings. The inverter unit 1 and the inverter module 10 of the present embodiment are incorporated in, for example, a rotary electric machine control system that controls the rotary electric machine 5 working as a driving force source of a vehicle (wheel) in an electric car or a hybrid car. The rotary electric machine 5 of the present embodiment is an AC rotary electric machine which uses a DC power supply 2 as an electric power source and is driven by AC of a plurality of phases (three phases consisting of U phase, V phase and W phase as an example).

As shown in FIG. 1, an inverter circuit 4 is provided between the DC power supply 2 and the rotating electrical machine 5. The inverter circuit 4 converts power between direct current and alternating current of multiple phases. The inverter circuit 4 is configured with a plurality of switching elements 11 as a core. A capacitor 3 is provided between the DC power supply 2 and the inverter circuit 4. The capacitor 3 smoothes the voltage on the DC side of the inverter circuit 4.

The plurality of switching elements 11 include an upper stage switching element 11 U connected to the positive electrode of the DC power supply 2 and a lower stage switching element 11 L connected to the negative electrode of the DC power supply 2. In each phase (U phase, V phase, W phase), upper stage side switching element 11U and lower stage side switching element 11L are connected in series to constitute one arm, and the middle point of each arm is a rotating electric machine It is connected to the stator coil of each phase of 5. In the following description and the attached drawings (for example, FIG. 4 and the like), the upper stage switching element 11U for U phase is denoted by a symbol “11Uu”, and the upper stage switching element 11U for V phase is denoted by a symbol “11Uv”, There is a case where the upper stage side switching element 11U for W phase is represented by a code "11 Uw". Similarly, the lower phase side switching element 11L for U phase is represented by a symbol "11Lu", the lower side switching element 11L for V phase is represented by a symbol "11Lv", and the lower stage side switching element 11L for W phase is represented by a symbol "11Lw It may be expressed as ".

As the switching element 11, a power semiconductor element capable of operating at high frequency can be suitably used. As a preferable example, for example, an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) or a power MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) can be exemplified. Alternatively, SiC-MOSFETs (Silicon Carbide-Metal Oxide Semiconductor FETs), SiC-SITs (SiC-Static Induction Transistors), GaN-MOSFETs (Gallium Nitride-MOSFETs), etc. can be exemplified. FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment in which an IGBT is used as the switching element 11.

A rectifying diode 12 is connected in parallel to each switching element 11. In the present embodiment, the switching elements 11 (11Uu, 11Uv, 11Uw, 11Lu, 11Lv, 11Lw) are each configured by a chip type element incorporating a diode 12. The chip type element including the switching element 11 and the diode 12 is formed in a rectangular shape having a shape close to a square (for example, an aspect ratio of about 0.8 to 1.2).

A control terminal 13 (for example, a gate terminal of an IGBT) of each switching element 11 constituting the inverter circuit 4 is connected to an inverter control device 8 (INV-CTRL) via a drive circuit 7 (DRV-CCT). The inverter control device 8 performs current feedback control using a vector control method based on, for example, the target torque of the rotating electrical machine 5 provided by the higher-order vehicle control device 9 (VHL-CTRL). The actual current flowing through the stator coil of each phase of the rotary electric machine 5 is detected by the current sensor Se1, and the magnetic pole position at each time of the rotor of the rotary electric machine 5 is detected by the rotation sensor Se2. The inverter control device 8 executes current feedback control using the detection results of the current sensor Se1 and the rotation sensor Se2, and performs switching control of each switching element 11 individually.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the inverter unit 1 includes an inverter module 10, a capacitor module 20, a capacitor case 30, and a control board 40, which are integrated. The inverter unit 1 is configured as an integrated unit formed in a compact rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole.

The inverter module 10 is a module having a plurality of switching elements 11 constituting the inverter circuit 4. Note that, as described above, in the present embodiment, the switching element 11 is configured by a chip type element including the diode 12, and in the following, when the “switching element 11” is referred to with respect to the inverter module 10, “chip type element It includes the meaning of ''. The inverter module 10 includes a positive bus bar 14, a negative bus bar 15, and a plurality of output bus bars in addition to the plurality of switching elements 11. In the case where the rotary electric machine 5 is driven by three-phase alternating current as in this embodiment, the first output bus bar 16, the second output bus bar 17, and the third output bus bar 18 are provided as a plurality of output bus bars. . For example, the first output bus bar 16 may correspond to the U phase, the second output bus bar 17 may correspond to the V phase, and the third output bus bar 18 may correspond to the W phase. One positive bus bar 14 and one negative bus bar 15 are provided.

The switching element 11, the positive electrode bus bar 14, the negative electrode bus bar 15, and the

output bus bars

16, 17, 18 are integrated in a state of being at least partially embedded in a main body 19 made of, for example, mold resin. Respective connection terminal portions of the control terminal 13 of the switching element 11, the positive electrode bus bar 14, the negative electrode bus bar 15, and the

output bus bars

16, 17, 18 project from the main body portion 19. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the switching element 11, the control terminal 13, the positive electrode bus bar 14, the negative electrode bus bar 15, and the

output bus bars

16, 17, 18 inside the main body 19. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the upper stage switching elements 11U and the lower stage switching elements 11L of the respective phases are arranged side by side in the first direction D1. The upper stage side switching element 11Uu and the lower stage side switching element 11Lu for U phase are arranged side by side in the first direction D1, and the upper stage side switching element 11Uv and the lower stage side switching element 11Lv for V phase are arranged in the first direction D1. The upper stage side switching element 11Uw and the lower stage side switching element 11Lw for the W phase are arranged in the first direction D1.

The upper stage switching elements 11U and the lower stage switching elements 11L of the respective phases are disposed side by side in a second direction D2 intersecting the first direction D1. The upper stage switching elements 11U of each phase are arranged on the same plane. Similarly, the lower stage switching elements 11L of each phase are arranged on the same plane. That is, the upper stage switching element 11Uu for U phase, the upper stage switching element 11Uv for V phase, and the upper stage switching element 11Uw for W phase are arranged side by side in the second direction D2 on the same plane. It is done. In parallel thereto, the lower switching element 11Lu for U phase, the lower switching element 11Lv for V phase, and the lower switching element 11Lw for W phase are in the second direction D2 on the same plane. They are arranged side by side. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the upper stage switching element 11U and the lower stage switching element 11L of each phase are disposed on the same plane.

Thus, all (six in this example) switching elements 11 constituting the inverter circuit 4 are arranged in the form of a 2 × 3 matrix on the same plane. In the present embodiment, the intersection angle between the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 is set to 90 °. That is, the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 are orthogonal to each other. In the present embodiment, a direction orthogonal to both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 is defined as a "third direction D3" and used in the following description. In the following description, the control substrate 40 side in the third direction D3 may be referred to as “upper” and the opposite side may be referred to as “lower”, but these are necessarily “upper” or “lower” in the vertical direction. It does not match.

The positive bus bar 14, the negative bus bar 15, and the output bus bars 16, 17, 18 are arranged in the following manner with respect to the six switching elements 11 arranged in alignment in two rows and three in a single plane. . The positive electrode bus bar 14 is disposed along the second direction D2 in a state of being in contact with the lower surfaces of the plurality of upper stage side switching elements 11U. In the present embodiment, the lower surface of each upper stage switching element 11U corresponds to the “first surface” of the upper stage switching element 11U. In addition, a plurality of positive electrode joint surfaces 14S, which are contacts with the lower surface (first surface) of each upper stage switching element 11U in the positive electrode bus bar 14, are arranged on the same plane by having a common flat surface. There is. And it joins in the state which the lower surface of each upper stage side switching element 11U touches on the upper surface of the positive electrode joint surface part 14S. Both end portions of the positive electrode bus bar 14 in the second direction D2 are arranged to protrude outward in the second direction D2 in a state of being offset in the third direction D3 with respect to the positive electrode bonding surface portion 14S at the center portion. It has become.

The negative bus bar 15 is disposed along the second direction D2 in a state of being in contact with the upper surfaces of the plurality of lower stage switching elements 11L. In the present embodiment, the upper surface of each lower switching element 11L corresponds to the “second surface” of the lower switching element 11L. In addition, a plurality of negative electrode joint surface portions 15S, which are contacts with the upper surfaces (second surfaces) of the lower stage side switching elements 11L in the negative electrode bus bar 15, are connected via the uneven connection portions on the same plane. It is arranged. And it joins in the state which the upper surface of each lower stage side switching element 11L touches on the lower surface of the negative electrode joint surface part 15S. Both end portions of the negative electrode bus bar 15 in the second direction D2 are arranged to protrude outward in the second direction D2 in a state of being offset in the third direction D3 with respect to the negative electrode bonding surface portion 15S at the central portion. It has become.

Thus, in the present embodiment, the positive electrode bus bar 14 and the negative electrode bus bar 15 respectively have the

terminal portions

14T and 15T on both sides in the second direction D2. The positive electrode bus bar 14 and the negative electrode bus bar 15 are connected to the capacitor 3 (capacitor element 23 described later) at each end via the

terminal portions

14T and 15T on both sides in the second direction D2.

The plurality of output bus bars 16, 17, 18 are in contact with the upper surface of the upper stage switching element 11U of the corresponding phase, and in contact with the lower surface of the lower stage switching element 11L of the corresponding phase, along the first direction D1. It is arranged. In the present embodiment, the upper surface of each upper-stage switching element 11U corresponds to the “second surface” of the upper-stage switching element 11U. Further, the lower surface of each lower switching element 11L corresponds to the "first surface" of the upper switching element 11U.

As shown in FIG. 6, the third output bus bar 18 is bent at a position between the lower stage switching element 11Lw for the W phase and the upper stage switching element 11Uw in the first direction D1 which is the extending direction thereof. Have. In addition, the third output bus bar 18 has a lower output joint surface portion 18L and an upper output joint surface portion 18U on both sides of the bent portion 18B in the first direction D1. The lower output joint surface portion 18L is a portion which is a contact point with the lower surface (first surface) of the lower stage switching element 11Lw for W phase, and the upper output joint surface section 18U is an upper surface of the upper stage switching element 11Uw for W phase. This part is a contact point with the (second surface). The lower output joint surface portion 18L and the upper output joint surface portion 18U are parallel to each other, and the upper output joint surface portion 18U is disposed at a position offset upward with respect to the lower output joint surface portion 18L. Thus, the third output bus bar 18 is formed in a crank shape as viewed in the second direction D2. The offset amount between the upper output joint surface portion 18U and the lower output joint surface portion 18L is set equal to the sum of the thickness of the switching element 11 and the thickness of the positive electrode bus bar 14 (and the negative electrode bus bar 15).

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the upper output joint surface portion 18U of the third output bus bar 18 is disposed on the same plane as the negative electrode joint surface portion 15S of the negative bus bar 15. Furthermore, the lower output joint surface portion 18L of the third output bus bar 18 is disposed on the same plane as the positive electrode joint surface portion 14S of the positive electrode bus bar 14.

Although illustration is omitted, the same applies to the first output bus bar 16 and the second output bus bar 17. The first output bus bar 16 has a bent portion 16B, a lower output joint surface portion 16L, and an upper output joint surface portion 16U, and is formed in a crank shape in the second direction D2. The upper output joint surface portion 16U of the first output bus bar 16 is disposed on the same plane as the negative electrode joint surface portion 15S of the negative electrode bus bar 15, and the lower output joint surface portion 16L of the first output bus bar 16 is the same as the positive electrode joint surface portion 14S of the positive electrode bus bar 14. It is arranged on a plane. The second output bus bar 17 has a bent portion 17B, a lower output joint surface portion 17L, and an upper output joint surface portion 17U, and is formed in a crank shape in the second direction D2. The upper output joint surface portion 17U of the second output bus bar 17 is disposed on the same plane as the negative electrode joint surface portion 15S of the negative electrode bus bar 15, and the lower output joint surface portion 17L of the second output bus bar 17 is the same as the positive electrode joint surface portion 14S of the positive electrode bus bar 14. It is arranged on a plane.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 6, the plurality of switching elements 11, the positive electrode bus bar 14, the negative electrode bus bar 15, and the plurality of output bus bars 16, 17, 18, the switching element 11, the positive electrode bus bar 14 (and the negative electrode bus bar 15), All of the third output bus bars 18 (and the output bus bars 16 and 17) are arranged to fall within the total thickness range.

The ends of the plurality of output bus bars 16, 17, 18 opposite to the lower output

joint surface portions

16L, 17L, 18L in the first direction D1 are bent upward, and the corresponding portions are

terminal portions

16T, 17T, 18T, and the like. It has become. The

terminal portions

16T, 17T, and 18T are terminals to which the rotary electric machine connection bus bars 90 extending from the stator coils of the respective phases of the rotary electric machine 5 are connected. In the present embodiment, the

terminal portions

16T, 17T, and 18T are disposed on the side opposite to the lower switching element 11L with respect to the upper switching element 11U in the first direction D1. Accordingly, the

terminal portions

16T, 17T, and 18T are disposed on the side of the positive electrode bus bar 14 opposite to the negative electrode bus bar 15 in the first direction D1.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the control terminal 13 of the lower switching element 11L is a negative electrode at a position overlapping the

output bus bar

16, 17, 18 connected to the lower switching element 11L in the third direction. It is arranged at a position adjacent to the bus bar 15 in the first direction D1. Note that “overlap in a certain direction” regarding the arrangement of two members means that two virtual straight lines are two members when the virtual straight line parallel to the viewing direction is moved in each direction orthogonal to the virtual straight line. It means that the area which intersects both sides exists in at least one part.

The control terminal 13 of the lower switching element 11L is disposed at a position adjacent to the negative bus bar 15 on the opposite side of the positive bus bar 14 and the

terminal portions

16T, 17T, 18T in the first direction D1. The control terminal 13 of the lower switching element 11L is disposed to extend upward along the third direction D3 with a predetermined distance from the side surface of the negative electrode bus bar 15. Furthermore, the control terminals 13 of the lower stage side switching elements 11Lu, 11Lv, and 11Lw for each phase are aligned and arranged in a straight line along the second direction D2 as a whole.

On the other hand, at a position where the control terminal 13 of the upper stage switching element 11U overlaps the positive electrode bus bar 14 in the third direction, the second direction with respect to the

output bus bar

16, 17, 18 connected to the upper stage switching element 11U. It is arranged at a position adjacent to D2. At least one of the control terminals 13 of the plurality of upper stage side switching elements 11U (in this example, a total of two for the U phase and the V phase) includes the first output bus bar 16 and the second output bus bar 17 adjacent to each other Or between the second output bus bar 17 and the third output bus bar 18 adjacent to each other. The control terminal 13 of the upper stage switching element 11U is arranged to extend upward along the third direction D3 with a predetermined distance from the side surface of the corresponding

output bus bar

16, 17, 18 There is. Furthermore, the control terminals 13 of the upper stage side switching elements 11Uu, 11Uv, 11Uw for each phase are arranged in parallel with each other in a state of being aligned along the first direction D1.

The capacitor module 20 is a module having a plurality of capacitor elements 23 constituting the capacitor 3. As shown in FIG. 7, the capacitor module 20 has a first portion 21 of a first height H1 and a second portion 22 of a second height H2. The second height H2 is higher than the first height H1. The first height H1 and the second height H2 are heights along the third direction D3 from the reference surface R, and in the present embodiment, the reference surface R is a support plate 28 described later (see FIG. 14). It is considered as a supporting surface of In the present embodiment, the first portion 21 is provided in one place, whereas the second portion 22 is provided in two places. The two second portions 22 are disposed on both sides of the second direction D2 with respect to the first portion 21. In the present embodiment, the second direction D2 corresponds to the “arrangement direction”, and the third direction D3 corresponds to the “height direction”. Moreover, the first direction D1 orthogonal to both the second direction D2 and the third direction D3 corresponds to the "width direction". In the present embodiment, the third direction D3 (height direction) is a direction orthogonal to the reference surface R, and does not necessarily coincide with the vertical direction.

The plurality of capacitor elements 23 constituting the capacitor module 20 are each formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Capacitor element 23 has a longest side 23L having the longest length along the side, a shortest side having the shortest length along the side, and an intermediate side 23M having a length along the side longer than the shortest side and shorter than the longest side 23L. The lengths of three sides extending from the top of one vertex are formed in mutually different rectangular shapes. The plurality of capacitor elements 23 are formed in the same shape. The capacitor element 23 can be, for example, one (film capacitor) configured by winding a plastic film such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). However, without being limited to such a configuration, a multilayer capacitor element 23 or another type of capacitor element 23 may be used. The plurality of capacitor elements 23 are arranged along the reference surface R while being supported by the support plate 28 (see FIG. 14).

In the present embodiment, the capacitor module 20 is configured to include five capacitor elements 23. All (five in the present example) capacitor elements 23 are arranged in a posture in which the shortest side is along the second direction D2 in which the plurality of capacitor elements 23 are arranged. The first portion 21 of the capacitor module 20 is configured by a part (three capacitor elements 23 in this example) of the plurality of capacitor elements 23 in which the longest side 23L is disposed in the first posture along the first direction D1. ing. The first height H 1 of the first portion 21 of the capacitor module 20 is equal to the length of the middle side 23 M of the capacitor element 23. Further, the length (depth) along the first direction D1 of the first portion 21 of the capacitor module 20 is equal to the length of the longest side 23L of the capacitor element 23.

On the other hand, in the second portion 22 of the capacitor module 20, a part of the plurality of capacitor elements 23 (the remaining two capacitor elements in this example) having the longest side 23L arranged in the second posture along the third direction D3. Each one of the 23). The second height H 2 of the second portion 22 of the capacitor module 20 is equal to the length of the longest side 23 L of the capacitor element 23. Further, the length (depth) of the second portion 22 of the capacitor module 20 along the first direction D1 is equal to the length of the middle side 23M of the capacitor element 23.

With such a configuration, two types of spaces (concave space S1 and hollow space S2) formed by the unevenness of the outer diameter of the capacitor module 20 exist around the capacitor module 20. The concave space S1 is a space formed by the difference in height between the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 (difference in length in the third direction D3). The concave space S1 is formed above the capacitor element 23 in the first posture, and is formed as a space sandwiched in the second direction D2 by the two capacitor elements 23 opposed in the second posture. The recess space S2 is a space formed by the difference in depth between the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 (difference in length in the first direction D1). The recess space S2 is adjacent to the capacitor element 23 in the first attitude in the second direction D2 and adjacent to the capacitor element 23 in the second attitude in the first direction D1, and generally along the third direction D3. It is formed as an extending space.

In the present embodiment, among these, the inverter module 10 is disposed using the concave space S1 (see FIG. 14). That is, the inverter module 10 is disposed in the concave space S1 formed by the difference in height between the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 of the capacitor module 20. The inverter module 10 overlaps the second portion 22 (the capacitor element 23 of the second posture) of the capacitor module 20 in the second direction, and the first portion 21 of the capacitor module 20 (the capacitor in the first posture) in the third direction It is arranged to overlap with the element 23). This point will be described later in connection with the structure of the capacitor case 30.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the positive electrode 24 and the side surfaces (both side surfaces in the first direction D1) along the third direction D3 of the second portion 22 of the capacitor module 20 (the capacitor element 23 in the second posture) A negative electrode 25 is provided. The positive electrode 24 is provided on one of both side surfaces of the capacitor element 23 in the second posture in the first direction D1, and the negative electrode 25 is provided on the other. The positive electrode terminal 26 of the capacitor module 20 is formed so as to be separated from the positive electrode 24 at a position not overlapping with the first portion 21 (the capacitor element 23 in the first posture) in the second direction in the second portion 22. Further, the negative electrode terminal 27 of the capacitor module 20 is formed to be separated from the negative electrode 25 at a position not overlapping the first portion 21 in the second direction D2 in the second portion 22. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, both the positive electrode terminal 26 and the negative electrode terminal 27 are from the positive electrode 24 or the negative electrode 25 at the upper end portion (projecting end portion from the first portion 21) of the second portion 22. It is formed to leave.

In each of the two second portions 22 of the capacitor module 20, the positive electrode terminal 26 and the negative electrode terminal 27 are disposed adjacent to the first direction D1 at the same position in the second direction D2. The positive electrode terminal portion 14T of the positive electrode bus bar 14 of the inverter module 10 is connected to the positive electrode terminal 26 of the capacitor module 20 through the opening formed in the ceiling portion 35 of the capacitor case 30. In addition, the negative electrode terminal portion 15T of the negative electrode bus bar 15 of the inverter module 10 is connected to the negative electrode terminal 27 of the capacitor module 20 via the opening formed in the ceiling portion 35 of the capacitor case 30.

The capacitor case 30 is a case for housing the capacitor module 20. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 11 to 13 and the like, the capacitor case 30 includes a first side wall 31, a second side wall 32, a third side wall 33, and a fourth side wall 34 surrounding four sides of the capacitor module 20; 20 is formed in a box shape having a ceiling 35 covering the upper side. The capacitor case 30 of the present embodiment further includes a refrigerant flow path 36 for circulating the refrigerant. The refrigerant flow channel 36 is a flow channel (cooling water channel) through which a refrigerant (for example, cooling water) for mainly cooling the switching element 11 included in the inverter module 10 flows, and is formed inside the capacitor case 30. The capacitor case 30 is formed of, for example, a material having a high thermal conductivity (for example, copper, aluminum, etc.) so as to function as a heat sink and also function as a cooling device.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 11, the refrigerant channel 36 includes an inflow channel 36I, a cooling channel 36C, and a discharge channel 36O. The inflow passage 36I is formed in the second side wall 32 so as to extend along the third direction D3. The discharge flow path 36O is formed in the first side wall 31 so as to extend along the third direction D3. The cooling passage 36C communicates with the downstream side of the inflow passage 36I and communicates with the upstream side of the discharging passage 36O, and extends in a planar manner along both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. It is formed in the part 35. As shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 14, a plurality of columnar (long and thin cylindrical in the illustrated example) fins 37 are provided in the cooling flow path 36C. The plurality of fins 37 are provided substantially in the entire area of the cooling flow passage 36C, and are arranged regularly (in the example of the illustrated example in the form of a hexagonal grid) with a gap slightly between them.

As described above, around the capacitor module 20, there are two types of spaces (concave space S1 and recess space S2) formed by the unevenness of the outer diameter of the capacitor module 20. In the present embodiment, the refrigerant flow path 36 is disposed utilizing the concave space S1 and the hollow space S2. That is, the concave space S1 formed by the difference in height between the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 of the capacitor module 20, and the depth of the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 of the capacitor module 20 And a depression space S2 formed by the difference between

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, the inflow passage 36I constituting the refrigerant passage 36 is disposed along the hollow space S2 in one of the two hollow spaces S2. The inflow passage 36I is disposed so as to overlap with the second portion 22 of the capacitor module 20 in a first direction view and to overlap with the second portion 22 of the capacitor module 20 in a second direction view. Further, as shown in FIG. 14, a cooling flow passage 36C that constitutes the refrigerant flow passage 36 is disposed in the concave space S1. The cooling flow passage 36C is disposed so as to overlap with the second portion 22 of the capacitor module 20 in the second direction view and overlap with the first portion 21 of the capacitor module 20 in the third direction view. The cooling passage 36C is disposed between the first portion 21 of the capacitor module 20 and the inverter module 10 in the concave space S1. The upper surface of the cooling channel 36C is formed to be a flat surface, and is fixed in a state in which the lower surface of the inverter module 10 is in contact with the entire surface.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIGS. 8 to 10, etc., the attachment portion 31M is provided at the lower end portion of the boundary portion between the third side wall 33 and the fourth side wall 34 in the first side wall 31 An attachment portion 32 </ b> M is provided at the lower end portion of the boundary portion between the third side wall 33 and the fourth side wall 34 in the side wall 32. The

attachment portions

31M and 32M are portions for attaching the capacitor module 20 in a state of being accommodated in the capacitor case 30 to other members. In the case where the inverter unit 1 circulates independently, for example, the bottom cover 38 (see FIG. 14) fixed to the lower part of the capacitor case 30 may be the “other member”. Moreover, when the inverter unit 1 is mounted on a vehicle, a part of the vehicle may be the "other member", and in this case, the part of the vehicle, the bottom cover 38 and the capacitor case 30 are further tightened. In this case, a portion of the vehicle and the bottom cover 38 may be "other components".

As can be understood with reference to FIGS. 8 and 13, etc., the attachment portion 32M of the second side wall 32 is in the recess space S2 formed by the difference in depth between the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 of the capacitor module 20. It is arranged.

Note that, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the discharge flow path 36O constituting the refrigerant flow path 36 and the mounting portion 31M of the first side wall 31 are not disposed in the depression space S2. The discharge flow path 36O and the attachment portion 31M are disposed adjacent to the outer side of the side surface of the capacitor module 20 disposed on the same plane on one side (the lower side in FIG. 12) of the first direction D1. ing. At a position overlapping the discharge flow path 36O in the second direction view, the three rotary electric machine connection bus bars 90 extending from the stator coils of each phase of the rotary electric machine 5 extend along the first side wall 31 in the second direction D2. Are arranged in a row along the.

The control substrate 40 is a substrate on which functional units constituting the drive circuit 7 and the inverter control device 8 are mounted. The control board 40 is fixed to the capacitor case 30 so as to cover the inverter module 10 from above.

Other Embodiments
(1) In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the positive electrode bus bar 14 and the negative electrode bus bar 15 respectively have the

terminal portions

14T and 15T on both sides in the second direction D2 has been described as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, for example, as shown in FIG. 15, the positive electrode bus bar 14 and the negative electrode bus bar 15 each have

terminal portions

14T and 15T only on one side in the second direction D2. It is good. In this case, as illustrated, the positive electrode terminal portion 14T may be disposed on one side in the second direction D2, and the negative electrode terminal portion 15T may be disposed on the other side in the second direction D2. Alternatively, although not shown, the positive electrode terminal portion 14T and the negative electrode terminal portion 15T may be disposed on the same side in the second direction D2.

(2) In the above embodiment, the control terminal 13 of the upper stage switching element 11U of each phase is arranged on the same side in the second direction D2 with respect to the corresponding

output bus bar

16, 17, 18 As described. However, without being limited to such a configuration, for example, as shown in FIG. 16, a part of the control terminals 13 of the upper stage switching element 11U of each phase is a corresponding output bus bar in the second direction D2. It may be arranged on the opposite side to the other control terminal 13 with respect to 16, 17, and 18.

(3) In the above embodiment, the upper switching element 11U is disposed at a position closer to the

terminal portions

16T, 17T, 18T of the output bus bars 16, 17, 18 in the first direction D1 than the lower switching element 11L. The configuration has been described as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, the lower switching element 11L may be disposed closer to the

terminal portions

16T, 17T, and 18T than the upper switching element 11U. In this case, for example, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the control terminal 13 of the upper stage switching element 11U and the control terminal 13 of the lower stage switching element 11L respectively have a first direction with respect to the positive electrode bus bar 14 or the negative electrode bus bar 15. It is preferable to be disposed at a position adjacent to D1. As illustrated, the control terminal 13 of the upper stage switching element 11U and the control terminal 13 of the lower stage switching element 11L are parallel to each other and on opposite sides of the positive bus bar 14 and the negative bus bar 15 in the first direction D1. It may be arranged. Alternatively, the control terminal 13 of the upper stage switching element 11U is disposed at a position adjacent to the positive electrode bus bar 14 in the first direction D1, and the control terminal 13 of the lower stage switching element 11L is connected to the lower stage switching element 11L. It may be disposed at a position adjacent to the output bus bars 16, 17, 18 in the second direction D2.

(4) In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the upper stage switching element 11U and the lower stage switching element 11L of each phase are disposed on the same plane has been described as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, for example, the upper stage switching element 11U and the lower stage switching element 11L of each phase may be arranged in a staggered manner at mutually different positions in the third direction D3. In this case, the output bus bars 16, 17, 18 may be formed flat in a second direction without having the bent portions 16B, 17B, 18B. Further, in the configuration in which the upper stage side switching element 11U and the lower stage side switching element 11L of each phase are disposed on the same plane with each other, the output bus bars 16, 17 and 18 can be secondly adjusted by adjusting the shape of the control terminal 13. You may form in flat form by direction view.

(5) In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the switching element 11 is a chip type element incorporating the diode 12 has been described as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, for example, the switching element 11 and the diode 12 may be configured by separate elements independent of each other.

(6) In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the first direction D1 as the “width direction” and the second direction D2 as the “arrangement direction” are orthogonal to each other has been described as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, the first direction D1 and the second direction D2 may intersect diagonally.

(7) In the above embodiment, a part of the capacitor elements 23 having the same shape is disposed in the first attitude, and another part is disposed in the second attitude, so that the capacitor modules 20 have different heights. The configuration having the portion 21 and the second portion 22 has been described as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, for example, by using capacitor elements 23 of two sizes different only in height, the capacitor module 20 has the first portion 21 and the second portion 22. You may configure. As described above, the first portion 21 and the second portion 22 of the capacitor module 20 may be set to have the same depth along the first direction D1.

(8) In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the capacitor module 20 is disposed in the same plane on one side in the first direction D1 and the two hollow spaces S2 are provided on the other side in the first direction D1 has been described as an example. . However, without being limited to such a configuration, for example, the capacitor element 23 in the second attitude is disposed in the middle portion of the capacitor element 23 in the first attitude, and the recess space S2 is provided at the four corners of the capacitor module 20 Also good. In this case, the exhaust flow path 36O constituting the refrigerant flow path 36 and the attachment portion 31M of the first side wall 31 may be disposed in the depression space S2.

(9) In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the positive electrode terminal 26 and the negative electrode terminal 27 of the capacitor module 20 are formed away from the positive electrode 24 or the negative electrode 25 at the upper end of the second portion 22 is described as an example did. However, without being limited to such a configuration, it is desirable that the positive electrode terminal 26 and the negative electrode terminal 27 be separated from the positive electrode 24 or the negative electrode 25 of the capacitor module 20 at a position close to the inverter module 10. For example, the positive electrode terminal 26 and the negative electrode terminal 27 may be formed so as to be separated from the positive electrode 24 or the negative electrode 25 at a position above the first portion 21 and below the upper end of the second portion 22. In other words, when the positive electrode terminal 26 and the negative electrode terminal 27 are formed apart from the positive electrode 24 or the negative electrode 25 at a position not overlapping the first portion 21 in the second direction 22 (view in the arrangement direction) in the second portion 22 good. Alternatively, the positive electrode terminal 26 and the negative electrode terminal 27 may be formed apart from the positive electrode 24 or the negative electrode 25 at a position overlapping the first portion 21 in the second direction (arrangement direction).

(10) In the above embodiment, the refrigerant channel 36 is disposed in the concave space S1 and the recess space S2, and the inverter module 10 is disposed in the concave space S1 together with the cooling channel 36C that constitutes the refrigerant channel 36. The above configuration has been described as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, for example, if the inverter module 10 is disposed at least in the concave space S1, the refrigerant channel 36 is not necessarily disposed in both the concave space S1 and the concave space S2. Also good.

(11) The configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments (including the above-described embodiment and the other embodiments; the same applies hereinafter) are applied in combination with the configurations disclosed in the other embodiments, as long as no contradiction arises. It is also possible. With regard to other configurations, the embodiment disclosed in the present specification is illustrative in all respects, and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the present disclosure.

Outline of Embodiment
Summarizing the above, the inverter unit according to the present disclosure preferably includes the following configurations.

An inverter unit (1) comprising: an inverter module (10) having a switching element (11); and a capacitor module (20) having a capacitor element (23),
The capacitor module (20) is disposed on both sides of the first portion (21) of the first height (H1) at a height from the reference surface (R) and the first portion (21), the reference surface (R) And a second portion (22) of a second height (H2), the height of which is higher than said first height (H1),
The second portion (22) is viewed in the arrangement direction along the arrangement direction (D2) of the first portion (21) of the capacitor module (20) and the two second portions (22) of the inverter module (10). And the first portion (21) as viewed in the height direction along the height direction (D3) orthogonal to the reference surface (R).

According to this configuration, the space formed by the difference in height between the first portion (21) of the capacitor module (20) and the second portion (22) on both sides thereof is effectively used to make the inverter module (10) It can be arranged. Therefore, the inverter module (10) does not overlap with the second portion (22) of the capacitor module (20) in array direction view, or does not overlap with the first part (21) of capacitor module (20) in height direction Compared to the configuration, the overall downsizing of the inverter unit (1) can be easily achieved.

An inverter module (10) having a switching element (11), a capacitor module (20) having a capacitor element (23), and a refrigerant flow path (36) for accommodating the capacitor module (20) and allowing the refrigerant to flow An inverter unit (1) comprising a capacitor case (30);
The capacitor module (20) includes a plurality of the capacitor elements (23) arranged along the reference surface (R), and the plurality of capacitor elements (23) are formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, respectively.
The direction orthogonal to the reference plane (R) is the height direction (D3), the direction in which the plurality of capacitor elements (23) are arranged along the reference plane (R) is the arrangement direction (D2), the height The direction orthogonal to both the direction (D3) and the arrangement direction (D2) is taken as the width direction (D1).
A part of the plurality of capacitor elements (23) is disposed in a first posture in which the longest side (23L) is along the width direction (D1) to form the first part (21) of the capacitor module (20). Configure
The rest of the plurality of capacitor elements (23) is disposed in a second posture in which the longest side (23L) is along the height direction (D3), and the second portion (22) of the capacitor module (20) Configure
A hollow space (S2) in which the refrigerant flow path (36) is formed by a difference in length in the width direction (D1) of the first portion (21) and the second portion (22), and the first portion It is arrange | positioned in the concave space (S1) formed of the difference of the height of (21) and said 2nd part (22).

According to this configuration, by combining the first attitude and the second attitude while using a plurality of capacitor elements (23) having the same shape, the height of the capacitor module (20) is different while the number of component types is reduced. Two parts (a first part (21) and a second part (22)) can be provided. Then, a recess space (S2) formed by the difference in length in the width direction (D1) of the first portion (21) and the second portion (22) of the capacitor module (20), the first portion (21) and the The refrigerant flow path (36) provided in the capacitor case (30) can be disposed by effectively utilizing the concave space (S1) formed by the difference in height with the two portions (22). Therefore, the overall size of the inverter unit (1) can be easily reduced as compared with a configuration in which the entire refrigerant flow path (36) is disposed so as to protrude outside the capacitor module (20).

As one aspect,
The capacitor module (20) includes a plurality of the capacitor elements (23) arranged along the reference surface (R), and the plurality of capacitor elements (23) are formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, respectively.
A direction orthogonal to both the height direction (D3) and the arrangement direction (D2) is taken as a width direction (D1).
Among the plurality of capacitor elements (23), the longest side (23L) is disposed in a first posture along the width direction (D1) to form the first portion (21).
The rest of the plurality of capacitor elements (23) is arranged in a second posture in which the longest side (23L) is along the height direction (D3) to constitute the second portion (22) Is preferred.

According to this configuration, by combining the first attitude and the second attitude while using a plurality of capacitor elements (23) of the same shape, the number of parts can be reduced and the height of the capacitor module (20) is different 2 One part (a first part (21) and a second part (22)) can be provided.

As one aspect,
And a condenser case (30) having a refrigerant flow path (36) for accommodating the condenser module (20) and circulating the refrigerant.
A hollow space (S2) in which the refrigerant flow path (36) is formed by a difference in length in the width direction (D1) of the first portion (21) and the second portion (22), and the first portion It is preferable to arrange | position to concave space (S1) formed of the difference of the height of (21) and said 2nd part (22).

According to this configuration, the hollow space (S2) formed by the difference in length in the width direction (D1) of the first portion (21) and the second portion (22) of the capacitor module (20) 21) arranging the refrigerant flow path (36) provided in the capacitor case (30) by effectively utilizing the concave space (S1) formed by the difference in height between the second portion (22) and the second portion (22) Can. Thus, the overall size of the inverter unit (1) can be reduced as compared to a configuration in which the entire refrigerant flow path (36) is disposed to protrude outside the capacitor module (20).

As one aspect,
The positive electrode (24) and the negative electrode (25) of the capacitor module (20) are provided on the surface of the second portion (22) of the capacitor module (20) along the height direction (D3),
The positive electrode terminal (26) of the capacitor module (20) is formed to be separated from the positive electrode (24) at a position not overlapping the first portion (21) in the arrangement direction in the second portion (22) ,
The negative electrode terminal (27) of the capacitor module (20) is formed to be separated from the negative electrode (25) at a position not overlapping the first portion (21) in the arrangement direction in the second portion (22) Is preferred.

According to this configuration, the positive electrode (24) is disposed at a position where the positive electrode terminal (26) and the negative electrode terminal (27) of the capacitor module (20) overlap the first part (21) in the arrangement direction in the second part (22). Alternatively, the effective wiring length between the inverter module (10) and the capacitor module (20) can be shortened and the inductance can be reduced, as compared with the configuration in which the negative electrode (25) is apart. Therefore, it is possible to keep the switching loss in the inverter module (10) small.

As one aspect,
It further comprises a mounting portion (32M) for mounting the capacitor module (20) to another member,
The mounting portion (32M) is disposed in a hollow space (S2) formed by a difference in length of the first portion (21) and the second portion (22) in the width direction (D1). Is preferred.

According to this configuration, the entire inverter unit (1) including the capacitor module (20) can be fixed to the other member via the mounting portion (32M). In that case, the overall size of the inverter unit (1) can be reduced as compared to a configuration in which the entire mounting portion (32M) is disposed so as to protrude to the outside of the capacitor module (20).

As one aspect,
Preferably, the inverter module (10) is disposed on the side of the refrigerant flow path (36) opposite to the first portion (21) in the concave space (S1).

According to this configuration, the concave space (S1) formed by the difference in height between the first portion (21) and the second portion (22) of the capacitor module (20) is effectively used to further The inverter unit (1) can be further miniaturized by arranging the inverter unit (1). Further, by arranging the refrigerant flow path (36) between the inverter module (10) and the first portion (21) of the capacitor module (20), both the switching element (11) and the capacitor can be efficiently cooled. Becomes easy.

The inverter unit according to the present disclosure only needs to be able to exhibit at least one of the above-described effects.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 inverter unit 4 inverter circuit 10 inverter module 11 switching element 11U upper stage side switching element 11L lower stage side switching element 12 diode 13 control terminal 14 positive electrode bus bar 14S positive electrode connecting surface 14T positive electrode terminal 15 15 negative electrode bus bar 15S negative electrode connecting surface 15T First output bus bar (output bus bar)
17 2nd output bus bar (output bus bar)
18 3rd output bus bar (output bus bar)
16U upper stage output joint surface section 17U upper stage output joint surface section 18U upper stage output joint surface section 16L lower stage output joint surface section 17L lower stage output joint surface section 18L lower stage output joint surface section 20 capacitor module 21 first section 22 second section 23 capacitor element 23L longest side 24 positive electrode 25 Negative electrode 26 Positive electrode terminal 27 Negative electrode terminal 30 Capacitor case

31M Mounting portion

32M Mounting portion 36 Refrigerant flow path R Reference surface D1 First direction (width direction)
D2 Second direction (array direction)
D3 third direction (height direction)
H1 first height H2 second height S1 concave space S2 hollow space

Claims

An inverter unit comprising: an inverter module having a switching element; and a capacitor module having a capacitor element,
The capacitor module is disposed at a first portion at a first height and at both sides of the first portion at a height from a reference surface, and has a second height higher than the first height from the reference surface. And a second part,
The inverter module overlaps the second portion in a direction of arrangement along the direction of arrangement of the first portion and the two second portions of the capacitor module, and the height along the height direction orthogonal to the reference plane The inverter unit arrange | positioned so that it may overlap with the said 1st part by sight view.
The capacitor module includes a plurality of the capacitor elements arranged along a reference plane, and the plurality of capacitor elements are each formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape.
A direction orthogonal to both the height direction and the arrangement direction is a width direction,
Among the plurality of capacitor elements, the longest side is disposed in a first posture along the width direction to form the first portion,
The inverter unit according to claim 1, wherein the remaining ones of the plurality of capacitor elements are arranged in a second posture in which the longest side is along the height direction to configure the second portion.
And a condenser case having a refrigerant flow path for accommodating the condenser module and circulating the refrigerant.
The refrigerant flow path is formed by a hollow space formed by the difference in length in the width direction between the first portion and the second portion, and by a difference in height between the first portion and the second portion The inverter unit according to claim 2 disposed in the concave space.
A positive electrode and a negative electrode of the capacitor module are provided on a surface of the second portion of the capacitor module along the height direction,
The positive electrode terminal of the capacitor module is formed to be separated from the positive electrode at a position not overlapping the first portion in the arrangement direction in the second portion,
The inverter unit according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the negative electrode terminal of the capacitor module is formed to be separated from the negative electrode at a position not overlapping the first portion in the arrangement direction in the second portion.
And a mounting portion for mounting the capacitor module to another member,
The inverter unit according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the attachment portion is disposed in a hollow space formed by a difference in length in the width direction between the first portion and the second portion.
An inverter unit comprising: an inverter module having a switching element; a capacitor module having a capacitor element; and a capacitor case that accommodates the capacitor module and has a refrigerant flow path through which a refrigerant flows.
The capacitor module includes a plurality of the capacitor elements arranged along a reference plane, and the plurality of capacitor elements are each formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape.
The direction perpendicular to the reference plane is the height direction, the direction in which the plurality of capacitor elements are arranged along the reference plane is the arrangement direction, and the direction orthogonal to both the height direction and the arrangement direction is the width direction ,
A part of the plurality of capacitor elements is disposed in a first posture in which the longest side is along the width direction to form a first part of the capacitor module,
The remaining ones of the plurality of capacitor elements are arranged in a second posture in which the longest side extends along the height direction to form a second portion of the capacitor module,
The refrigerant flow path is formed by a hollow space formed by the difference in length in the width direction between the first portion and the second portion, and by a difference in height between the first portion and the second portion An inverter unit disposed in the concave space.
The inverter unit according to claim 6, wherein the inverter module is disposed in the concave space on the side opposite to the first portion side with respect to the refrigerant flow path.
A positive electrode and a negative electrode of the capacitor module are provided on a surface of the second portion of the capacitor module along the height direction,
The positive electrode terminal of the capacitor module is formed to be separated from the positive electrode at a position not overlapping the first portion in the arrangement direction in the second portion,
The inverter unit according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the negative electrode terminal of the capacitor module is formed to be separated from the negative electrode at a position not overlapping the first portion in the arrangement direction in the second portion.
And a mounting portion for mounting the capacitor module to another member,
The inverter unit according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the mounting portion is disposed in the hollow space.