Rotary machine

Abstract

It is possible to suppress a reduction in the life of the rotation detection sensor caused by a temperature rise due to heat generation of the semiconductor module. The motor includes: a motor housing, an electrical component housing, an electrical component cover that closes an opening of the electrical component housing, and an electrical component refrigerant flow path that allows a refrigerant to flow for cooling the semiconductor module in the electrical component housing or the electrical component cover and a part of which in the refrigerant flow direction is disposed in the electrical component housing. The motor further includes: a rotation detection sensor that detects the rotation of the rotor, and a sensor housing case (113b) that is disposed inside the electrical component housing and houses the rotation detection sensor. The electrical component refrigerant flow path (flow path box portion 142c) is disposed so as to be interposed between the semiconductor module and the sensor housing case (113b).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotating machine such as an electric motor. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a rotating machine including: a rotating machine housing that houses a rotor and a stator; an electric equipment housing that houses electric equipment components; an electric equipment cover that closes an opening of the electric equipment housing; and an electric equipment refrigerant flow path through which a refrigerant for cooling the electric equipment components in the electric equipment housing or the electric equipment cover flows.

[0003] For example, an electric motor as a rotating machine described in Patent Document 1 includes: a frame as a rotating machine housing; a first housing as an electric equipment housing; a cover as an electric equipment cover; and a second coolant path as an electric equipment refrigerant flow path. The frame houses a rotating member as a rotor and a fixed member as a stator. The first housing houses a semiconductor switching element as an electric equipment component, and is adjacent to the rotating machine housing on the other side of one side and the other side in the direction parallel to the rotation axis of the fixed member, that is, the axial direction. In addition, the first housing has an opening facing the other side at the end on the other side in the axial direction. The cover is fixed to the first housing so as to close the above opening of the first housing. The second coolant path is formed of a pipe and is disposed in the first housing so as to be in contact with the semiconductor switching element. A coolant as a refrigerant flows in the second coolant path.

[0004] According to the electric motor having this structure, the semiconductor switching element that generates heat during driving can be cooled by the coolant in the second coolant path that is in contact with the semiconductor switching element.

[0005] Prior Art Documents

[0006] Patent Documents

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-147253 Summary of the Invention

[0008] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0009] The electric motor described in Patent Document 1 does not include a rotation detection sensor for detecting the rotation of the rotor, but there has been conventionally known an electric motor having a rotation detection sensor in the electric equipment housing. In the electric motor described in Patent Document 1, when a rotation detection sensor is added, due to the positional relationship between the second coolant path and the rotation detection sensor, the temperature rise of the rotation detection sensor caused by the heat generation of the semiconductor switching element cannot be sufficiently suppressed by the refrigerant.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and an object thereof is to provide a rotating machine that can suppress a reduction in the life of a rotation detection sensor caused by a temperature rise due to heat generation of electric equipment components such as semiconductor switching elements.

[0011] Means for Solving the Problem

[0012] To achieve the above object, a rotary machine according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a rotary machine housing that houses a rotor and a stator; an electrical equipment housing that houses electrical equipment components and is adjacent to the rotary machine housing on the other side of one side and the other side in the axial direction parallel to the rotation axis of the rotor; an electrical equipment cover that closes an opening facing the other side at an end on the other side in the axial direction of the electrical equipment housing; and an electrical equipment refrigerant flow path through which refrigerant for cooling the electrical equipment components in the electrical equipment housing or the electrical equipment cover flows, and at least a part of the refrigerant flow path in the refrigerant flow direction is disposed in the electrical equipment housing. The rotary machine is characterized in that it includes: a rotation detection sensor that detects the rotation of the rotor; and a sensor housing that is disposed inside the electrical equipment housing and houses the rotation detection sensor, and the electrical equipment refrigerant flow path is disposed so as to be interposed between the electrical equipment components and the sensor housing.

[0013] Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, there is an excellent effect that it is possible to suppress a reduction in the life of the rotation detection sensor due to a temperature rise caused by heat generation of the electrical equipment components. Description of the Drawings

[0015] Figure 1 is a diagram schematically showing the internal structure of a motor according to an embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 is a side view showing the motor cover, the motor housing, the electrical equipment housing, the electrical equipment cover, and the shaft of the motor.

[0017] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the electrical equipment housing from the rear side in the axial direction.

[0018] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the electrical equipment housing, the cover and flow path box unit, and the switch unit from the rear side in the axial direction.

[0019] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the electrical equipment housing, the cover and flow path box unit, and the switch unit of the motor from the rear side in the axial direction.

[0020] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the switch unit.

[0021] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the electrical equipment housing.

[0022] Figure 8 It is a top view showing the cover-cum-flow-path box unit of the motor and the semiconductor module from the rear side in the axial direction.

[0023] Figure 9 It is from Figure 8 The side view showing the cover-cum-flow-path box unit and the connector in the direction of arrow J.

[0024] Figure 10 It is a top view showing the state where the semiconductor module of the motor and the smoothing capacitor are assembled from the rear side in the axial direction of the electrical equipment housing.

[0025] Figure 11 It is a perspective view showing the smoothing capacitor.

[0026] Figure 12 It is showing Figure 10 The cross-sectional view of the G-G' section. Detailed implementation mode

[0027] Hereinafter, the implementation mode of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0028] In the implementation mode, for easy understanding of the description, the structures and elements other than the main parts of the present invention are simplified or omitted from the description. In addition, in the drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same elements. It should be noted that the shapes, dimensions, etc. of the respective elements shown in the drawings are schematically represented and do not represent the actual shapes, dimensions, etc.

[0029] Figure 1 It is a diagram schematically showing the internal structure of the motor 1 in the implementation mode. Figure 2 It is a side view showing the motor cover 75, the motor housing 10, the electrical equipment housing 113, the electrical equipment cover 70, and the motor shaft 6 of the motor 1.

[0030] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the motor 1 includes a motor cover 75, a motor housing 10, an electrical equipment housing 113, an electrical equipment cover 70, and a motor shaft 6. The motor housing 10 houses a rotatable rotor 2 in its internal space, a stator 3 that houses the rotor 2 in its hollow, and a motor shaft 6 that penetrates the rotor 2 and rotates integrally with the rotor 2 while being located on the rotation axis Ax.

[0031] The motor cover 75, the motor housing 10, the electrical equipment housing 113, and the electrical equipment cover 70 as a whole form a frame 105.

[0032] Hereinafter, the direction along the rotation axis Ax of the rotor 2 and the direction parallel thereto will be referred to as the axial direction. Further, in the axial direction, the motor cover 75 side (load side) described later will be referred to as the front side (one side), and the motor cover 75 side (opposite side of the load) will be referred to as the rear side (the other side). The front side is an example of one side in the present invention, and the rear side is an example of the other side in the present invention.

[0033] The motor housing 10 has an opening facing the front side at the front end in the axial direction and an opening facing the rear side at the rear end in the axial direction. The front opening among these openings is blocked by the motor cover 75. Further, the rear opening is blocked by the electrical equipment housing 113.

[0034] A coil (not shown) is wound around the stator 3. Further, a permanent magnet (not shown) is disposed on the rotor core of the rotor 2. The motor 1 is an inner rotor type motor, and the stator 3 is disposed with a minute air gap interposed therebetween on the outer periphery of the rotor 2. Inside the motor housing 10, the magnetic field of the stator 3 is sequentially switched by controlling the current flowing through the coil, whereby the rotor 2 rotates about the motor shaft 6 by the attractive force or repulsive force with the magnetic field of the rotor 2. On the motor shaft 6, the front side in the axial direction is supported by the bearing 5 so as to be rotatable, and the rear side is supported by the bearing 4 so as to be rotatable.

[0035] The electrical equipment housing 113 is fixed to the motor housing 10 in a state adjacent to the rear end in the axial direction of the motor housing 10. Various electrical equipment components for controlling the rotational drive of the motor shaft 6 and the rotor 2 are disposed inside the electrical equipment housing 113. Examples of the various electrical equipment components include semiconductor switching elements (such as IGBTs), gate substrates, capacitors, discharge resistors, and control substrates. These electrical equipment components function to convert the DC voltage from a battery (not shown) into AC and supply it to the coil of the stator 3 during power running, and convert the AC from the coil of the stator 3 into DC to be supplied to the battery during regeneration.

[0036] The electrical equipment housing 113 has an opening 12 facing the rear side at the rear end in the axial direction. This opening 12 is blocked by the electrical equipment cover 70.

[0037] The housing 105 is composed of the motor cover 75, the motor housing 10, the electrical equipment housing 113, and the electrical equipment cover 70, and is mounted on the body (not shown) of the electric vehicle. The motor cover 75, the motor housing 10, the electrical equipment housing 113, and the electrical equipment cover 70 are each a casting made of a conductive metal such as aluminum alloy and all have conductivity. Therefore, the housing 105 is electrically connected to the body via the mounting portion (not shown) with the body and becomes the ground potential equal to the body. It should be noted that, if necessary, the housing 105 and the body may be electrically connected by a ground wire.

[0038] The electrical component housing 113 serves both as a part of the rotating machine housing and as an electrical component housing. More specifically, the front end of the electrical component housing 113 in the axial direction forms the internal space 113t at the rear side in the axial direction of the rotating machine housing. In addition, the rear side of the electrical component housing 113 in the axial direction has an internal space 113u for housing electrical components. The former internal space 113t and the latter internal space 113u are separated by a partition wall 113a.

[0039] Figure 3 FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the electrical component housing 113 shown from the rear side in the axial direction. The electrical component housing 113 includes a sensor housing case 113b. The rear end of the sensor housing case 113b in the axial direction protrudes slightly rearward from the rear end face of the partition wall 113a in the axial direction. The sensor housing case 113b is integrally formed with the partition wall 113a. The rear end of the sensor housing case 113b is open toward the rear side. The peripheral wall of the sensor housing case 113b protrudes in a knurled shape toward the motor part space. A rotation detection sensor 130 such as a resolver is housed in the sensor housing case 113b. A motor shaft ( Figure 1 No. 6) is inserted into the through hole at the center of the rotation detection sensor 130. The rotation detection sensor 130 indirectly detects the rotation of the rotor ( Figure 1 No. 2) that rotates integrally with the motor shaft by detecting the rotation of the motor shaft ( Figure 1 No. 6).

[0040] A cover and flow path box unit 140 is disposed in the internal space 113u at the rear side of the electrical component housing 113. The cover and flow path box unit 140 is made of a metal casting such as aluminum, and includes a cover portion 141 and a flow path box portion 142 disposed on the rear side in the axial direction relative to the cover portion 141. The cover and flow path box unit 140 is fixed to the rear side of the sensor housing case 113b by a plurality of bolts 145. By this fixing, the cover portion 141 of the cover and flow path box unit 140 closes the opening at the rear side in the axial direction of the sensor housing case 113b. In this state, the rear end face of the sensor housing case 113b in the axial direction, that is, the joint surface 113c, is joined to the front end face of the cover portion 141, which is a sensor cover, that is, the joint surface. The flow path box portion 142 of the cover and flow path box unit 140 has a rectangular box-shaped space 142c. In addition, the flow path box portion 142 is open toward the rear side in the axial direction, and the box-shaped space 142c is disposed in front of this opening.

[0041] The sensor housing 113b and the cover and flow path box unit 140 are respectively provided with a first liquid path (113f, 142a) extending in the axial direction and a second liquid path (113g, 142b) extending in the axial direction. In addition, a refrigerant such as cooling water flows through the first liquid path 113f and the second liquid path 113g of the sensor housing 113b, the first liquid path 142a and the second liquid path 142b of the cover and flow path box unit 140, and the box-shaped space 142c.

[0042] A communication port opening toward the rear side is provided at the end of each of the first liquid path 113f and the second liquid path 113g of the sensor housing 113b in the axial rear side. On the other hand, a communication port opening toward the front side is provided at the end of each of the first liquid path 142a and the second liquid path 142b of the cover and flow path box unit 140. When the cover and flow path box unit 140 is fixed to the sensor housing 113b, the first liquid path 142a of the cover and flow path box unit 140 and the first liquid path 113f of the sensor housing 113b are connected via each other's communication ports. In addition, the second liquid path 142b of the cover and flow path box unit 140 and the second liquid path 113g of the sensor housing 113b are connected via each other's communication ports.

[0043] On the joint surface 113c of the sensor housing 113b, an annular ring groove 113d recessed toward the front side in the axial direction and a half-moon-shaped gasket catching groove 113e recessed toward the front side in the axial direction are arranged. The ring groove 113d is arranged in a manner to surround the communication port of the first fluid path 113f of the sensor housing 113b. The first O-ring 131 is embedded in the ring groove 113d.

[0044] The first O-ring 131 surrounds the communication port of the first liquid path 113f of the sensor housing 113b and the communication port of the first liquid path 142a of the cover and flow path box unit 140. In addition, the first O-ring 131 is interposed between the joint surface 113c of the sensor housing 113b and the joint surface of the cover portion 141 of the cover and flow path box unit 140. Thus, it is possible to suppress the refrigerant from leaking through the gap between the two joint surfaces from the communication port of the first liquid path 113f of the sensor housing 113b and the communication port of the first liquid path 142a of the cover and flow path box unit 140.

[0045] On the joint surface 113c of the sensor housing 113b, there is arranged an annular groove 113h recessed toward the front side in the axial direction. The annular groove 113h surrounds the communication port of the second liquid passage 113g. A second O-ring 132 is embedded in the annular groove 113h. The second O-ring 132 surrounds the communication port of the second liquid passage 113g of the sensor housing 113b and the communication port of the second liquid passage 142b of the cover-cum-flow path box unit 140, respectively. In addition, the second O-ring 132 is interposed between the joint surface 113c of the sensor housing 113b and the joint surface of the cover portion 141 of the cover-cum-flow path box unit 140. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the leakage of the refrigerant from the communication port of the second liquid passage 113g of the sensor housing 113b and the communication port of the second liquid passage 142b of the cover-cum-flow path box unit 140 through the gap between the joint surfaces of each other.

[0046] A first connector 143 is fixed to the rear end face in the axial direction of the cover portion 141 of the cover-cum-flow path box unit 140. The sensor connector 130a of the rotation detection sensor 130 and the first connector 143 are electrically connected by a wire harness (not shown) serving as a signal line.

[0047] Figure 4 It is an exploded perspective view showing the electrical equipment housing 113, the cover-cum-flow path box unit 140, and the switch unit 162 from the rear side in the axial direction. In this figure, for easy understanding, the seal 129 made of a cured body of a liquid gasket is hatched. On the joint surface 113c of the sensor housing 113b, a seal 129 made of a cured body of a liquid gasket is arranged with a specified width so as to surround the hollow 113b-1 of the sensor housing 113b. This seal 129 is interposed between the joint surface 113c of the sensor housing 113b and the joint surface of the cover portion ( Figure 3 of 140) of the cover-cum-flow path box unit ( Figure 3 of 141). By this interposition, the hollow of the sensor housing 113b is sealed, and thus the airtightness of the hollow can be improved at low cost. It should be noted that in Figure 4 , for ease of explanation, the seal 129 is hatched, but the hatching does not represent the cross section of the seal 129.

[0048] On the joint surface 113c of the sensor housing 113b, the gasket capture groove 113e is arranged between the seal 129 and the first O-ring 131 in the surface direction. The liquid gasket applied to the joint surface 113c of the sensor housing 113b solidifies to form the seal 129. When the joint surface 113c of the sensor housing 113b and the joint surface of the cover portion 141 of the cover and flow path box unit 140 are joined, the liquid gasket spreads in the surface direction between the two joint surfaces. Even if the liquid gasket spreads in this way, the spread portion of the liquid gasket flows into the gasket capture groove 113e before reaching the first O-ring 131, thereby preventing further spread. In this way, the gasket capture groove 113e suppresses the attachment of the liquid gasket to the first O-ring 131, thereby suppressing the deterioration of the first O-ring 131 caused by the attachment of the liquid gasket.

[0049] Figure 5 This is an exploded perspective view showing the electrical component case 113 , the cover and flow path box unit 140 , and the switch unit 162 from the rear side in the axial direction. Figure 6 It is a perspective view showing the switch unit 162 . Figure 7 It is a cross-sectional view showing the electrical housing 113 .

[0050] A joint surface 142e is arranged at the end of the rear side of the flow box portion 142 of the cover and flow box unit 140. The switch unit 162 (actually the semiconductor module 164) is joined to the joint surface 142e. Specifically, a plurality of internal thread holes 142d are arranged on the joint surface 142e, and the switch unit 162 is threadedly fixed and joined to the joint surface 142e by screwing the external thread 169 into each internal thread hole 142d. By this joint, the opening of the flow box portion 142 of the cover and flow box unit 140 is blocked.

[0051] The switch unit 162 as an electrical component includes a gate substrate 163 and a semiconductor module 164 sealed by an outer casing made of insulating resin. A plurality of semiconductor switch elements made of IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) and the like are installed inside the semiconductor module 164. The semiconductor module 164 is fixed on the surface opposite to the mounting surface of the gate substrate 163.

[0052] A control substrate (not shown) is arranged in the inner space 113u of the electrical housing 113. The control substrate is electrically connected to the rotation detection sensor 130, and the detection signal of the rotation detection sensor 130 is sent to the control substrate through the electrical connection. In addition, the control substrate and the gate substrate 163 are electrically connected through a second harness (not shown). Through the electrical connection, the on / off command signal of the high-speed switch element is sent from the control substrate to the gate substrate 163.

[0053] The semiconductor module 164 has three DC anode terminals 164a and three DC cathode terminals 164b. In addition, the semiconductor module 164 has a U-phase terminal 164U, a V-phase terminal 164V, and a W-phase terminal 164W of the AC three-phase power supply. Anodes extending from a DC external power supply (the above-mentioned battery) are respectively connected to the three DC anode terminals 164a. In addition, cathodes extending from the DC external power supply are respectively connected to the three DC cathode terminals 164b. The semiconductor module (switch unit 162) converts the DC power supplied from the DC external power supply into an AC three-phase power supply with an arbitrary frequency. The U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase of the AC three-phase power supply are output from the U-phase terminal 164U, the V-phase terminal 164V, and the W-phase terminal 164W.

[0054] They are connected to the U-phase terminal 164U, the V-phase terminal 164V, and the W-phase terminal 164W via a U-phase relay bus bar (not shown), a V-phase relay bus bar (not shown), and a V-phase relay bus bar (not shown). The U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase are sent to the coils of the stator ( Figure 1 3) via the U-phase bus bar 161U, the V-phase bus bar 161V, and the W-phase bus bar 161W.

[0055] On the partition wall 113a of the electrical equipment housing 113, a liquid inflow path 113j formed by the hollow of the housing (refer to Figure 7 ) and a liquid outflow path 113k formed by the hollow of the housing (refer to Figure 7 ) are arranged. The liquid inflow path 113j communicates with the second liquid path 113g of the sensor housing 113b. In addition, the liquid outflow path 113k communicates with the first liquid path 113f of the sensor housing 113b. As shown by the arrow in Figure 7 , refrigerants such as cooling water sent from the outside flow into the liquid inflow path 113j. The inflowing refrigerant flows into the box-shaped space 142c via the second liquid path 113g of the sensor housing 113b and the second liquid path 142b of the cover-cum-flow path box unit 140. Furthermore, the refrigerant in the box-shaped space 142c flows out to the outside via the first liquid path ( Figure 3 142a) of the cover-cum-flow path box unit 140, the first liquid path 113f of the sensor housing 113b, and the liquid outflow path 113k.

[0056] The semiconductor module 164 of the switch unit 162 heats up by driving a plurality of semiconductor switching elements located inside. On the other hand, the refrigerant flowing in the box-shaped space 142c flows toward the first liquid path ( Figure 3 142a) while directly contacting the back surface of the semiconductor module 164 of the switch unit 162, thereby directly cooling the switch unit 162. Through such direct cooling, the semiconductor switching elements located in the semiconductor module 164 are efficiently cooled.

[0057] In the electric machine 1, a refrigerant flow path for electrical components is constituted by the following liquid flow paths.

[0058] · Liquid inflow path 113j

[0059] · Second liquid flow path 113g of the sensor housing 113b

[0060] · Second liquid flow path 142b of the cover-cum-flow path box unit 140

[0061] · Box-shaped space 142c of the flow path box portion 142

[0062] · First liquid flow path 142a of the cover-cum-flow path box unit 140

[0063] · First liquid flow path 113f of the sensor housing 113b

[0064] · Liquid outflow path 113k

[0065] The sensor housing 113b is disposed inside the electrical component housing 113. The box-shaped space 142c of the refrigerant flow path for electrical components is interposed between the semiconductor module 164 and the sensor housing 113b in a direction orthogonal to the refrigerant flow direction. It should be noted that, in Figure 7 the refrigerant flow direction is the arrow direction described in the liquid inflow path 113j, the arrow direction described in the liquid inflow path 113k, and the arrow direction described in the box-shaped space 142c. In this structure, the heat generated from the semiconductor module 164 is cooled by the refrigerant flowing in the box-shaped space 142c before being transferred to the inside of the sensor housing 113b that houses the rotation detection sensor 130. According to the electric machine 1, by the cooling as described above, it is possible to suppress the reduction in the life of the rotation detection sensor 130 caused by the temperature rise due to the heat generation of the semiconductor module 164.

[0066] Since the refrigerant flowing in the box-shaped space 142c spreads in a planar shape in a direction orthogonal to the flow direction, the plane of the semiconductor module is uniformly cooled throughout the region, and the inside of the sensor housing 113b is cooled by surface cooling from the back surface of the flow path box portion 142 via the cover portion 141. By such cooling, according to the electric machine 1, it is possible to efficiently cool the semiconductor module 164 and the inside of the sensor housing 113b, respectively.

[0067] The cover portion 141 serving as a housing cover and the flow path box portion 142 forming the box-shaped space 142c are manufactured as a cover and flow path box unit 140 constituted by integrally molded parts. In this structure, the cover portion 141 and the flow path box portion 142 are not assembled separately with respect to the sensor housing 113b, but can be assembled simultaneously. Therefore, the assembly work can be simplified, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and miniaturization can be achieved.

[0068] The semiconductor module 164 is fixed to the flow path box portion 142 by the external thread 169, thereby closing the opening of the flow path box portion 142. In this state, the semiconductor module 164 functions as a part of the wall surrounding the box-shaped space 142c and is in direct contact with the refrigerant in the box-shaped space 142c, and thus is efficiently cooled.

[0069] In the electrical equipment housing 113, the end portion on the front side (the arrow A side in this figure) in the axial direction with respect to the partition wall 113a functions as a part of the rotating machine housing. In addition, the liquid inflow path 113j functions as the upstream side end portion in the refrigerant flow direction in the refrigerant flow path for electrical equipment. In addition, the liquid outflow path 113k functions as the downstream side end portion in the refrigerant flow direction in the refrigerant flow path for electrical equipment.

[0070] Figure 8 is a plan view showing the cover and flow path box unit 140 and the semiconductor module 164 from the rear side in the axial direction. The motor 1 includes a first connector 143 electrically connected to a wire harness (signal line) for transmitting the output of the rotation detection sensor ( Figure 3 of 130). This first connector 143 is fixed to the outer surface of the cover and flow path box unit 140. In this structure, the output of the rotation detection sensor in the sensor housing ( Figure 3 of 113b) can be transmitted to the outside of the sensor housing via the first connector 143.

[0071] Figure 9 is from Figure 8 a side view showing the cover and flow path box unit 140 and the connector in the arrow J direction. The second connector 144 is connected to the first connector 143. The output of the rotation detection sensor ( Figure 3 of 130) is sent to the outside of the motor 1 via the first connector 143 and the second connector 144. The second connector 144 includes an operation portion 144a that performs a locking release operation for changing from a state of being locked to the first connector 143 to a state of unlocking.

[0072] The joint surface S2 of the cover-cum-flow path box unit 140 that engages with the first connector 143 is inclined from the joint surface S1 of the cover-cum-flow path box unit 140 that engages with the sensor housing 113b. In a state where the second connector 144 is connected to the first connector 143, the first connector 143 is arranged in the following posture. That is, as Figure 8 , Figure 10 shown, the first connector 143 is arranged in a posture such that the operation part 144a faces the semiconductor module 164 and the other side (the front side in the direction orthogonal to the paper surface of Figure 8 ) of the axis of the first connector 143 is inclined in a direction away from the semiconductor module 164.

[0073] In this structure, a space sufficient to insert a finger can be ensured between the semiconductor module 164, the first connector 143, and the second connector 144, and the unlocking operation can be easily performed. In addition, by improving the visibility of the operation part 144a, it is possible to confirm the reliable connection between the second connector 144 and the first connector 143 without using a small camera, and the occurrence of poor connector connection can be suppressed.

[0074] As Figure 8 shown, the motor 1 is equipped with a current detection sensor 180. On the U-phase terminal ( Figure 5 164U) of the semiconductor module 164, the U-phase bus bar 182U is bolted. In addition, on the V-phase terminal ( Figure 5 164V) of the semiconductor module 164, the V-phase bus bar 182V is bolted. In addition, on the W-phase terminal ( Figure 5 164W) of the semiconductor module 164, the W-phase bus bar 182W is bolted.

[0075] The current detection sensor 180 has three through holes, and is fixed to the cover-cum-flow path box unit 140 by two bolts 181 in such a way that the U-phase bus bar 182U, the V-phase bus bar 182V, and the W-phase bus bar 182W are respectively inserted into the respective through holes. In this structure, the relative positions of the respective bus bars and the current detection sensor 180 are accurately aligned, and the respective bus bars are accurately arranged at the central portions of the respective through holes of the current detection sensor 180. Thus, in the motor 1, the assemblability of the current detection sensor 180 and the respective bus bars can be improved, and a decrease in current detection accuracy due to the positional deviation of the respective bus bars from the central portions of the respective through holes of the current detection sensor 180 can be suppressed.

[0076] Figure 10FIG. 0 is a top view of the electrical installation housing 113 showing the state in which the semiconductor module 164 and the smoothing capacitor 190 are assembled from the rear side in the axial direction. The smoothing capacitor 190 stabilizes the power supply voltage and outputs it to the semiconductor module 164, and includes an anode input terminal 191a, a cathode input terminal 191b, and three output terminal pairs. Each output terminal pair includes an anode output terminal 192a and a cathode output terminal 192b. The anode output terminal 192a is crimped to the DC anode terminal ( Figure 5 164a) of the semiconductor module 164, and the cathode output terminal 192b is crimped to the DC cathode terminal ( Figure 5 164b) of the semiconductor module 164.

[0077] Figure 11 FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the smoothing capacitor 190. The smoothing capacitor 190 has two positioning pins 193 on the bottom surface thereof that are positioning objects with respect to the cover and flow path box unit (140).

[0078] Figure 12 FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the G-G' cross-section of Figure 10 . The cover and flow path box unit 140 includes two positioning recesses 148. These positioning recesses 148 position the smoothing capacitor 190 with respect to the cover and flow path box unit 140. As shown in this figure, the smoothing capacitor 190 is fixed to the cover and flow path box unit 140 in a state where its positioning pins 193 are inserted into the positioning recesses 148 of the cover and flow path box unit 140. By the above insertion, the smoothing capacitor 190 is positioned with high precision with respect to the cover and flow path box unit 140.

[0079] In this structure, the output terminals (192a, 192b) of the smoothing capacitor 190 are screwed together in a state where they are accurately aligned with the input terminals (164a, 164b) of the semiconductor module 164. Thus, according to the motor 1, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the contact area between the output terminals and the input terminals due to the positional deviation therebetween, and to achieve a reduction in inductance (low surge voltage during the switching operation of the semiconductor module).

[0080] An example in which the present invention is applied to the motor 1 has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to a dynamo. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and within the scope of the structure to which the present invention can be applied, a structure different from the embodiments can also be adopted. The present invention exhibits unique effects in each of the following-described modes.

[0081] 〔First mode〕

[0082] A rotating machine (e.g., motor 1) of the first embodiment comprises: a rotating machine housing (e.g., motor housing 10), which accommodates a rotor (e.g., rotor 2) and a stator (e.g., stator 3); an electrical housing (e.g., electrical housing 113), which accommodates electrical components (e.g., semiconductor module 164) and is adjacent to the rotating machine housing in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor, i.e., on one side and on the other side in the axial direction; an electrical cover (e.g., electrical cover 70), which blocks an opening toward the other side at an end portion of the electrical housing on the other side in the axial direction; and an electrical refrigerant flow path, which is used to cool the electrical housing. The refrigerant flows through the electrical components in the shell or the electrical cover, and at least a portion of the refrigerant flow direction of the electrical refrigerant flow path is arranged in the electrical housing, characterized in that the rotating machine comprises: a rotation detection sensor (for example, the rotation detection sensor 130), which detects the rotation of the rotor; and a sensor housing shell (for example, the sensor housing shell 113b), which houses the rotation detection sensor and is arranged inside the electrical housing, and the electrical refrigerant flow path is arranged in a direction orthogonal to the refrigerant flow direction in a manner between the electrical components and the sensor housing shell.

[0083] According to this configuration, the rotation detection sensor can be efficiently cooled, and reduction in the life of the rotation detection sensor due to temperature rise caused by heat generation of the electrical components can be suppressed.

[0084] [Second Method]

[0085] The second mode is characterized in that, in a rotating machine having the structure of the first mode, the electrical refrigerant flow path has a box-shaped space (for example, box-shaped space 142c) at a specified position in the refrigerant flow direction, and the box-shaped space is located between the electrical component and the sensor housing in a direction orthogonal to the refrigerant flow direction.

[0086] According to this structure, the electric components and the interior of the sensor housing case can be cooled efficiently.

[0087] [Third Method]

[0088] The third mode is characterized in that, in a rotating machine having the structure of the second mode, the sensor housing housing has an opening toward the other side at the end on the other side of the axial direction, and the housing cover blocking the opening and the flow box portion forming the box-shaped space are a cover and flow box unit (for example, a cover and flow box unit 140) composed of an integrally molded one-piece part.

[0089] According to this structure, instead of assembling the housing cover and the flow path box part separately, they can be assembled simultaneously. Therefore, the assembly operation can be simplified, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and miniaturization can be achieved.

[0090] 〔Fourth Mode〕

[0091] The fourth mode is characterized in that, in a rotary machine having the structure of the third mode, the electrical component also serves as a part of the wall surrounding the box-shaped space.

[0092] According to this structure, by directly contacting the electrical component with the refrigerant in the box-shaped space, efficient cooling can be achieved.

[0093] 〔Fifth Mode〕

[0094] The fifth mode is characterized in that, in a rotary machine having the structure of the fourth mode, it includes: a first connector (e.g., the first connector 143) electrically connected to a signal line for transmitting the output of the rotation detection sensor and a second connector (e.g., the second connector 144) connected to the first connector, and the first connector is fixed on the outer surface of the cover-cum-flow path box unit.

[0095] According to this structure, the output of the rotation detection sensor in the sensor housing can be transmitted to the outside of the sensor housing via the first connector.

[0096] 〔Sixth Mode〕

[0097] The sixth mode is characterized in that, in a rotary machine having the structure of the fourth mode or the fifth mode, either the first connector or the second connector has an operation part (e.g., the operation part 144a) for performing a locking release operation for changing from a state of being locked to the other to a state of unlocking. In a state where the second connector is connected to the first connector, the first connector is arranged in a posture such that the operation part faces the electrical component and the other side in the axial direction of the first connector is inclined away from the electrical component.

[0098] According to this structure, sufficient space for inserting a finger can be ensured between the electrical component and the first connector and the second connector, and the locking release operation can be easily performed. In addition, by improving the visibility of the operation part, the reliable connection of the second connector to the first connector can be confirmed without using a small camera, and the occurrence of poor connector connection can be suppressed.

[0099] 〔Seventh Mode〕

[0100] The seventh mode is a rotating machine having a structure of any one of the fourth to sixth modes, characterized in that it includes a current detection sensor (for example, current detection sensor 180) for detecting an output current from the electrical component and a bus bar (for example, 182U~W) crimped to an output terminal of the electrical component, and the current detection sensor is fixed to the cover and flow path box unit in such a manner that the bus bar is inserted into a through hole of the current detection sensor.

[0101] According to this structure, the relative positions of the busbar and the current detection sensor are aligned with high precision, and the current detection sensor is well configured on the busbar, thereby improving the assemblability of the current detection sensor and the busbar, and suppressing the reduction in current detection accuracy caused by the position deviation of each busbar from the central part of each through hole of the current detection sensor.

[0102] [Eighth Method]

[0103] The eighth aspect is a rotating machine having a structure of any one of the fourth to seventh aspects, characterized in that it includes a smoothing capacitor (for example, smoothing capacitor 190) that stabilizes the power supply voltage and outputs it to the electrical components, the cover and flow path box unit includes a positioning portion (for example, positioning recess 148) that positions the smoothing capacitor relative to itself, and the smoothing capacitor is fixed to the cover and flow path box unit in a state positioned by the positioning portion.

[0104] According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress a reduction in contact area between output terminals of the smoothing capacitor and input terminals of the electrical component due to positional deviation, thereby achieving a reduction in inductance (reducing surge voltage during switching of the semiconductor module).

[0105] This application claims the priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-589 for which it applied on January 5, 2022, and cites all the contents described in the Japanese Patent Application.

[0106] Description of Reference Numerals

[0107] 1 Electric motor (rotating machine), 2 Rotor, 3 Stator, 10 Electric motor housing (a part of the rotating machine housing), 12 Opening, 70 Electrical component cover, 113 Electrical component housing (another part of the rotating machine housing and the electrical component housing), 113a Partition wall, 113a-1 Rib, 113a-2 Groove, 113j Liquid inflow path (the upstream end of the refrigerant flow path for electrical components), 113k Liquid outflow path (the downstream end of the refrigerant flow path for electrical components), 113f First liquid path of the sensor housing (a part of the refrigerant flow path for electrical components), 113g Second liquid path of the sensor housing (a part of the refrigerant flow path for electrical components), 142a First liquid path of the cover-cum-flow path box unit (a part of the refrigerant flow path for electrical components), 142b Second liquid path of the cover-cum-flow path box unit (a part of the refrigerant flow path for electrical components), 142c Box-shaped space (a part of the refrigerant flow path for electrical components), 164 Semiconductor module (electrical component)

Claims

1. A rotating machine, the rotating machine comprising: a rotating machine housing that houses a rotor and a stator; an electrical equipment housing that houses electrical equipment components and is adjacent to the rotating machine housing on the other side of one side and the other side in the axial direction parallel to the rotation axis of the rotor; an electrical equipment cover that closes an opening facing the other side at the end of the electrical equipment housing in the axial direction on the other side; and an electrical equipment refrigerant flow path through which refrigerant for cooling the electrical equipment components in the electrical equipment housing or the electrical equipment cover flows, and at least a part of the refrigerant flow path in the refrigerant flow direction is arranged in the electrical equipment housing, characterized in that, the rotating machine comprises: a rotation detection sensor that detects the rotation of the rotor; and a sensor housing that houses the rotation detection sensor and is arranged inside the electrical equipment housing, the electrical equipment refrigerant flow path is arranged in a direction orthogonal to the refrigerant flow direction so as to be interposed between the electrical equipment components and the sensor housing, the electrical equipment refrigerant flow path has a box-shaped space at a specified position in the refrigerant flow direction, the box-shaped space is interposed between the electrical equipment components and the sensor housing in a direction orthogonal to the refrigerant flow direction, the sensor housing has an opening facing the other side at the end on the other side in the axial direction, a housing cover that closes the opening of the sensor housing and a flow path box portion that forms the box-shaped space are formed by an integrally molded one-piece member, which is a cover and flow path box unit.

2. The rotating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, the electrical equipment components also serve as a part of the wall surrounding the box-shaped space.

3. The rotating machine according to claim 2, characterized in that, the rotating machine comprises: a first connector that is electrically connected to a signal line for transmitting the output of the rotation detection sensor; and a second connector that is connected to the first connector, the first connector is fixed to the outer surface of the cover and flow path box unit.

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