An inverter, electric drive system and vehicle

Abstract

This utility model discloses an inverter, comprising: a circuit board including an integrally formed first part and a second part; a power module integrated in the first part, the power module being used for electrical connection with external devices; and a drive module integrated in the second part, the drive module being electrically connected to the power module and used for controlling the power module and the external devices. The power module and drive module of this inverter are integrally formed, thus eliminating the need for additional connectors during assembly and effectively reducing the overall thickness of the inverter. This utility model also provides an electric drive system and a vehicle using this electric drive system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of inverter technology, and in particular to an inverter, an electric drive system, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of new energy vehicles, the electrical control system is a crucial component, complexly managing the operation of the motor. An electrical control system typically includes a power module and an inverter. Generally, motors use alternating current (AC), therefore, an inverter is needed to convert the direct current (DC) from the power module into AC when supplying power to the motor.

[0003] The power module is a key component of an inverter. It typically includes switching devices, such as power semiconductor switches, capable of rapid switching to achieve DC-to-AC conversion. Thus, when supplying power to a motor using AC, the inverter converts DC to AC by controlling the switching states of the switching devices in the power module. In this process, the drive module provides appropriate drive signals to the switching devices (e.g., a gate signal for the power semiconductor switch) to control their switching states, thereby driving the power module.

[0004] The electronic components in the drive module are mounted on a circuit board and are often referred to as the "drive board". Currently, the drive board is usually placed on top of the power module, meaning that the drive board and the power module are stacked vertically and then connected via pins and headers to form a relatively integrated module. This integrated module is then placed inside the inverter's heat sink (such as a water-cooled heat sink), and finally encapsulated along with the inverter's casing to obtain a basic electrical control system. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to solve the technical problem that the traditional layout of the power module and drive module in an inverter leads to complex processing and assembly. This invention provides an inverter, an electric drive system, and a vehicle, in which the power module and drive module of the inverter are integrally molded, thus eliminating the need for additional connectors during assembly and effectively reducing the overall thickness of the inverter.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, an embodiment of this utility model discloses an inverter, comprising:

[0007] A circuit board, comprising an integrally formed first part and a second part;

[0008] A power module, integrated in the first part, is used for electrical connection with an external device;

[0009] A drive module is integrated into the second part. The drive module is electrically connected to the power module and is used to drive the power module and the external device.

[0010] In traditional solutions, the power module and drive module are typically arranged in a stacked configuration, with the drive module placed on top of the power module. Electrical connections are then made using processes such as soldering, crimping, and surface mounting. These processes all require connectors; for example, soldering requires solder pads, and crimping and surface mounting require openings. Furthermore, stacking the power module and drive module increases the overall thickness of the inverter, hindering miniaturization and potentially resulting in lower impurity inductance in the drive module.

[0011] Using the above technical solution, the power module is integrated in the first part of the circuit board, and the drive module is integrated in the second part of the circuit board. That is, the power module and the drive module are set on the same circuit board at the same time. In other words, the power module and the drive module are integrally formed. Compared with the traditional stacked layout, the inverter of this application embodiment does not need to use additional connectors (such as solder pads, openings, etc.), and effectively reduces the overall thickness of the inverter. It achieves the effect of "1+1=1" at the structural level (the so-called "1+1=1" means that at the structural level, the power module ("1") and the drive module ("1") constitute a single-layer integrated module ("1"), which is the inverter of this application embodiment. At the same time, it effectively improves the noise of the drive circuit.

[0012] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the power module includes a power chip, which is embedded in the first part and electrically connected to the first part.

[0013] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the power module includes a DC input port and an AC output port, the DC input port and the AC output port are located in the first part, and the DC input port is electrically connected to the power chip, and the AC output port is used to electrically connect to the external device.

[0014] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the AC output port includes a three-phase AC port.

[0015] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the driving module includes a driving chip, the driving chip is disposed in the second part and electrically connected to the second part, and the driving chip is electrically connected to the power chip.

[0016] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board is provided with at least one groove for arranging wires, wherein each groove extends from the first portion to the second portion.

[0017] The present invention also discloses an electric drive system, including a motor and an inverter as described in any of the above embodiments, wherein the motor is connected to the AC output port of the power module of the inverter.

[0018] The present invention also discloses a vehicle comprising the electric drive system described in any of the above embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1A A perspective view of the inverter in some embodiments of this utility model is shown.

[0020] Figure 1B A side view of the inverter is shown in some embodiments of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 A perspective view of an inverter according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0022] Figure 3 A side view of an inverter according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this utility model from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of this utility model will be presented in conjunction with preferred embodiments, this does not mean that the features of this utility model are limited to this embodiment. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the utility model in conjunction with the embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived based on the claims of this utility model. To provide a deep understanding of this utility model, many specific details will be included in the following description. This utility model may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of this utility model, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this utility model can be combined with each other.

[0024] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0025] In the description of this embodiment, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "bottom", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship that the utility model product is usually placed in during use. They are only for the convenience of describing the utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the utility model.

[0026] The terms “first”, “second”, etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0027] In the description of this embodiment, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set up," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this embodiment based on the specific circumstances.

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the embodiments of this utility model will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] refer to Figure 1A and Figure 1B , Figure 1A A perspective view of an inverter 1000 in some embodiments of this application is shown. Figure 1B A side view of an inverter 1000 according to some embodiments of this application is shown, wherein part of the housing is omitted in the figure.

[0030] As can be seen, the inverter 1000 includes, from top to bottom: driver board 1100, power module 1200 and bus capacitor 1300.

[0031] The power module 1200 includes at least one high-power semiconductor device, such as an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) or a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). These semiconductor devices can handle higher currents and voltages and are primarily used for power conversion, regulation, and control. This application does not impose specific limitations on the types of semiconductor devices deployed on the power module 1200.

[0032] The power module 1200 often needs to work in conjunction with the driver board 1100. Taking the IGBT deployed in the power module 1200 as an example, the IGBT requires a relatively high and fast current to drive the gate during switching, and the driver board 1100 needs to amplify these signals. The driver board 1100 can also monitor the operating status of the IGBT, and can promptly cut off the circuit to protect the IGBT from damage when abnormal conditions such as overcurrent or overvoltage occur.

[0033] The bus capacitor 1300 is mainly used to maintain the stability of the DC bus voltage. Since the IGBTs on the power module 1200 will generate voltage fluctuations on the DC bus when they switch, the bus capacitor 1300 can buffer the voltage at this time to maintain the stability of the DC bus voltage. This allows the drive board 1100 to adjust the switching action of the IGBTs in the power module 1200 in a timely manner to adapt to changes in the load (e.g., a motor, not shown in the figure).

[0034] Based on the above introduction, please refer to... Figure 1A and Figure 1B The driver board 1100 and the power module 1200 are arranged in a stacked manner.

[0035] As can be seen, the driver board 1100 is located on top of the power module 1200 (i.e., Figure 1B (The side indicated by the Y1 direction), and the drive board 1100 and the power module 1200 are electrically connected.

[0036] For example, the power module 1200 has multiple pins 1210, and the driver board 1100 has multiple holes (e.g., through holes, crimp holes, etc., not shown in the figure) at corresponding positions. The multiple pins 1210 and the multiple holes correspond one-to-one, and each hole is used for the insertion of the corresponding pin 1210. Electrical connections are made using processes such as soldering, crimping, and surface mount technology (SMT). Those skilled in the art will understand that this process is a prior art solution, and therefore will not be described in detail herein.

[0037] However, as Figure 1A and Figure 1B In the illustrated embodiment, processes such as soldering, crimping, and SMT all require additional connection structures. For example, soldering requires connectors such as solder pads; crimping requires crimping holes in the driver board 1100; and SMT requires through holes in the driver board 1100. This makes the processing of the driver board 1100 and the power module 1200, as well as their assembly, more complex.

[0038] Secondly, after the drive board 1100 and the power module 1200 are stacked vertically, their thickness along the height direction of the inverter 1000 (e.g.) Figure 1A and Figure 1B As shown in the figure, h1 does not include the electronic components arranged on the driver board 1100 or the heat dissipation substrate 1220 at the bottom of the power module 1200. However, it is understood that the thickness referred to in this application embodiment may also include the electronic components arranged on the driver board 1100 or the heat dissipation substrate 1220 at the bottom of the power module 1200. This application embodiment does not limit this. The thickness is relatively large, which makes the overall size of the inverter 1000 large, which is not conducive to miniaturization production. It will also lead to a low non-inductance of the drive circuit in the driver board 1100, resulting in unstable signal.

[0039] Furthermore, in actual production applications, the driver board 1100 and the power module 1200 are two independent parts, which are generally produced by different manufacturers, resulting in relatively high costs for the purchaser.

[0040] refer to Figure 2 To address the aforementioned issues, this application also provides an inverter 100, an electric drive system, and a vehicle (not shown in the figures, such as a new energy vehicle) using the electric drive system. The electric drive system of this application includes a motor (not shown in the figures) and an inverter 100, which are electrically connected (details will be provided later).

[0041] The inverter 100 of this application embodiment includes: a circuit board 110, a power module 120, and a drive module 130. The power module 120 is used to be electrically connected to an external device (such as a motor in this application embodiment, not shown in the figure), the drive module 130 is electrically connected to the power module 120, and the drive module 130 is used to drive the power module 120.

[0042] As can be seen, the power module 120 and the drive module 130 (e.g., drive board 131, which will be used as an example in the following description, but is not limited thereto) are integrated on the same circuit board 110.

[0043] Specifically, the circuit board 110 includes an integrally formed first portion 111 and a second portion 112. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the first part 111 and the second part 112 are rectangular plates, but the embodiments of this application do not impose specific restrictions on the shape of the first part 111 and the second part 112. For example, they can also be square, trapezoidal or other shapes.

[0044] Meanwhile, it can be seen that the power module 120 is integrated in the first part 111, and the driver board 131 is integrated in the second part 112.

[0045] In other words, it can be understood that the embodiments of this application use the same circuit board 110, and divide the circuit board 110 into a first part 111 and a second part 112. Then, the circuit design of the power module 120 is carried out in the first part 111, and the circuit design of the driver board 131 is carried out in the second part 112.

[0046] In other words, compared to the traditional stacked arrangement of power modules and drive modules (e.g., ... Figure 1A and Figure 1B The layout shown is such that the driver board 1100 is placed on top of the power module 1200. In this embodiment, the power module 120 and the driver board 131 are integrated on the same circuit board 110 and have their own partitions (i.e., the first part 111 and the second part 112). In this way, the power module 120 and the driver board 131 can together form a single-layer layout.

[0047] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, "integrated in the first part" means that the power module 120 is arranged on the first part 111 of the circuit board 110, that is, the circuit design of the power module 120 is performed on the first part 111. Correspondingly, "integrated in the second part" means that the driver board 131 is arranged on the second part 112 of the circuit board 110, that is, the circuit design of the driver board 131 is performed on the second part 112.

[0048] Thus, the first part 111 and its power module 120, and the second part 112 and its drive board 131 can form an integrated module, namely the inverter 100 of this application embodiment.

[0049] In traditional solutions, the power module and the drive module are typically arranged in a traditional stacked layout (e.g., ...). Figure 1A and Figure 1B As shown, the drive module is placed on top of the power module, and then electrical connections are made using processes such as soldering, crimping, and surface mounting. These processes all require connectors; for example, soldering requires solder pads, and crimping and surface mounting require openings. Furthermore, stacking the power module and drive module increases the overall thickness of the inverter, hindering miniaturization and resulting in lower non-inductance of the drive module.

[0050] Using the above technical solution, in this embodiment, the power module 120 is integrated in the first part 111 of the circuit board 110, and the drive module 130 is integrated in the second part 112 of the circuit board 110. That is, the power module 120 and the drive module 130 are simultaneously disposed on the same circuit board 110; in other words, the power module 120 and the drive module 130 are integrally formed. Compared to the traditional stacked layout, the inverter 100 in this embodiment does not require additional connectors (such as solder pads, openings, etc.), and effectively reduces the overall thickness of the inverter 100. Figure 2 As shown, the thickness of the power module 120 and the drive module 130 along the height direction of the inverter 100 (e.g.) Figure 2 The h2 shown is smaller than that shown. Figure 1A and Figure 1B The thickness h1 shown achieves the effect of "1+1=1" at the structural level (the so-called "1+1=1" means that at the structural level, the power module 120 ("1") and the drive module 130 ("1") constitute a single-layer integrated module ("1"), which is the inverter 100 of this application embodiment), and also effectively improves the noise inductance of the drive circuit.

[0051] It should be noted that, Figure 2 h2 in this context does not include the electronic devices arranged on the power module 120 and the drive module 130, nor the heat dissipation substrate 122 at the bottom of the power module 120 as described below. However, it is understood that the thickness referred to in the embodiments of this application may also include the electronic devices arranged on the power module 120 and the drive module 130, nor the heat dissipation substrate 122 at the bottom of the power module 120. The embodiments of this application do not impose any limitations on this.

[0052] This application does not impose specific limitations on the specific circuit design of the power module 120 and the driver board 131.

[0053] In some possible implementations, along the first direction (e.g.) Figure 2 (shown in the Z direction), the power module 120 includes: a power chip 121 and a heat dissipation substrate 122.

[0054] The power chip 121 is used to process the DC current from the power supply module (not shown in the figure) and convert the DC current into the AC current required by the motor (not shown in the figure) in the electric drive system of this application embodiment.

[0055] The power chip 121 in this application embodiment includes, but is not limited to, an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) and a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).

[0056] Meanwhile, it can be seen that the heat dissipation substrate 122 is disposed at the bottom of the first part 111, which is used to transfer the heat generated by electronic components such as the power chip 121 to the heat sink (e.g., a water-cooled heat sink, not shown in the figure).

[0057] For example, the power chip 121 is configured to be embedded in the first part 111 and to be electrically connected to the first part 111 and the driver board 131.

[0058] refer to Figure 3 and combined Figure 2 , Figure 3 An exemplary side view of an inverter 100 according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0059] Specifically, at least one groove 113 can be formed in the circuit board 110. Each groove 113 can be used to arrange wires (not shown in the figure). Each groove 113 extends from the first part 111 to the second part 112. That is, one end of each groove 113 is located in the first part 111, and the other end is located in the second part 112. The embodiments of this application do not limit the number and structure of the grooves 113. For example, one, two, three, or other numbers of grooves 113 can be provided.

[0060] That is, for example, one end of the wire configured in the groove 113 is connected to the output terminal of the power chip 121 and extends into the second part 112, and the other end of the wire is electrically connected to the driver board 131 of the second part 112 (e.g., the driver chip 132 described later).

[0061] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some possible implementations, the power module 120 further includes a DC input port 123 and an AC output port 124, which are located in the first part 111. The DC input port 123 is electrically connected to the power chip 121, and the AC output port 124 is used to electrically connect to the motor in the embodiment of this application.

[0062] For example, the AC output port 124 includes a three-phase AC port.

[0063] In some possible implementations, the driver board 131 includes a driver chip 132, which is disposed in the second part 112 and electrically connected to the second part 112. At the same time, the driver chip 132 is electrically connected to the power chip 121.

[0064] Although the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the above description is a further detailed explanation of the present invention in conjunction with specific embodiments, and should not be construed as limiting the specific implementation of the present invention to these descriptions. Those skilled in the art can make various changes in form and detail, including some simple deductions or substitutions, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An inverter, characterized by comprising: include: A circuit board, comprising an integrally formed first part and a second part; A power module, integrated in the first part, is used for electrical connection with an external device; A drive module is integrated into the second part, the drive module is electrically connected to the power module, and the drive module is used to drive the power module.

2. The inverter of claim 1, wherein, The power module includes a power chip, which is embedded in the first part and electrically connected to the first part.

3. The inverter of claim 2, wherein, The power module includes a DC input port and an AC output port, which are located in the first part. The DC input port is electrically connected to the power chip, and the AC output port is used to electrically connect to the external device.

4. The inverter of claim 3, wherein, The AC output port includes a three-phase AC port.

5. The inverter of claim 2, wherein, The driving module includes a driving chip, which is disposed in the second part and electrically connected to the second part, and is also electrically connected to the power chip.

6. The inverter of claim 1, wherein, The circuit board has at least one groove for arranging wires, wherein each groove extends from the first portion to the second portion.

7. An electric drive system, characterized by It includes a motor and an inverter as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the motor is connected to the AC output port of the power module of the inverter.

8. A vehicle characterized by comprising: Includes the electric drive system as described in claim 7.

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