Housing of an electrical component

Abstract

The present invention relates to a housing (10) for an electrical component (20), in particular a pulse inverter, with improved cooling. The housing (10) according to the invention has an outer wall (11) which is configured to completely surround the electrical component (20). Furthermore, the housing (10) has at least one first chamber (14a) and at least one second chamber (14b, 14c) which are arranged within the outer wall (11) and are fluidically separated from one another. The chambers (14a, 14b, 14c) are configured to accommodate different components of the electrical component (20). According to the invention, the at least one second chamber (14a, 14b) is configured to be cooled by a coolant, and the at least one first chamber (14a) is not configured to be cooled by a coolant.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a housing for an electrical component, in particular a pulse-controlled inverter, with improved cooling. For the purposes of this application, an electrical component is understood to mean any component integrated into an electrical circuit. These can also be more complex components used to electronically supply a system. In particular, vehicles with an electrified drive, such as hybrid vehicles or purely electric vehicles, have a multitude of such electrical components to implement the vehicle's drive.

[0002] Particularly when supplying power to the electric motor used for propulsion, the high power output results in significant heat generation in the electrical components involved. This particularly applies to a pulse-controlled inverter, which is located between the battery and the electric motor and converts the direct current from the traction battery into alternating current for the electric motor(s). However, during regenerative braking, in which the electric motor operates in generator mode for energy recovery, the current flows in the other direction, so the pulse-controlled inverter converts the alternating current from the electric motor into direct current from the battery.

[0003] To control heat generation and prevent damage to components, the pulse-controlled inverter must be cooled. According to the state of the art, this is achieved by a water jacket, which is routed outside a housing arranged around the pulse-controlled inverter, thus indirectly cooling the inverter. Special cooling channels can also be provided in the area of ​​the capacitors or power electronics to achieve a specific cooling effect.

[0004] Another option for cooling a pulse-controlled inverter is to completely flood the housing in which it is located with coolant, or to allow it to flow through it to ensure the best possible heat dissipation. However, such a concept is associated with numerous risks, as, for example, the functionality of the circuit boards in the coolant (e.g., oil) has not yet been proven, and a large number of signal interfaces between the wet and dry areas are required, which are not suitable for series production.

[0005] Furthermore, various electrical components with corresponding cooling options are disclosed in the prior art. Document DE 10 2005 052 756 A1 discloses a semiconductor device with a cooled semiconductor module. Document US 2007 114 665 A1 discloses two semiconductor modules arranged on busbars, wherein the busbars are cooled by air or coolant. Document WO 2017 125 283 A1 describes a power circuit with two power semiconductors and two busbars, wherein the busbars are cooled. Document DE 10 2020 124 594 A1 discloses a pulse-controlled inverter with a busbar, wherein the busbar is cooled by a dielectric coolant.

[0006] Against the background of the prior art explained above, the object of the present invention is to provide a housing for an electrical component with improved cooling, which ensures series-ready use without risks. It is also an object to provide an electrical component with the inventive housing.

[0007] The object is achieved by the subject matter according to the independent claims. Advantageous further developments of the invention are contained in the subclaims.

[0008] The housing according to the invention for an electrical component, in particular a pulse-controlled inverter, has an outer wall which is designed to completely surround and thus house the electrical component. Furthermore, the housing has at least one first chamber and at least one second chamber, which are arranged within the outer wall and are fluidically separated from one another. Consequently, due to a correspondingly provided seal between the chambers, no fluid exchange is possible. The chambers (the first chamber and the second chamber) are designed to accommodate different components of the electrical component. In the context of the application, a component is understood to mean a current-carrying element of the electrical component.Consequently, for example, pure cooling structures such as cooling fins or the like, which extend into a second chamber within the meaning of the application, are not to be understood as components of the electrical component within the meaning of the application. According to the invention, the at least one second chamber is further designed to be flowed through by a coolant and the at least one first chamber is not designed to be flowed through by a coolant. Consequently, the second chamber is defined as a chamber through which the coolant flows during operation of the electrical component and the first chamber as a chamber through which the coolant does not flow. Accordingly, the at least one second chamber has corresponding connections for the coolant so that it can flow into and out of the chamber, whereas the first chamber does not have such connections and is therefore not suitable for the coolant flow.The term “flow through” means that the coolant is exchanged continuously or at least automatically at certain time intervals through appropriate inflows and outflows and does not simply remain in the chamber.

[0009] The housing according to the invention makes it possible to arrange certain components of the electrical component, which have a high cooling requirement, in corresponding second chambers and to cool them optimally through a defined coolant supply. Other components, such as circuit boards or similar, can be housed in the dry and sealed first chamber, thus ensuring their functionality even during series production.

[0010] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the outer wall of the housing is constructed in multiple parts and consequently does not consist solely of a single part made from a single piece. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the outer wall has a housing cover which is designed to be at least partially detachably fastened to the remaining outer wall and thus to open and close the housing. Such a housing cover is connected to the remaining outer wall in a foldable manner, for example via corresponding joints. In this way, the housing can be easily opened in order to remove specific components of the electrical component or the entire electrical component, or similar. This significantly simplifies handling of the housing during operation.

[0011] A further advantageous embodiment of the invention is one in which the at least one first chamber and / or the at least one second chamber are at least partially formed by at least one inner wall. The inner wall is preferably connected directly to the outer wall of the housing or is designed as a single piece (made from one part) with at least part of the outer wall. A cover is preferably at least partially detachably connected to the inner wall in such a way that the corresponding chamber, i.e. the chamber which is at least partially formed by the inner wall and the cover, can be opened and closed by the cover. The cover is fluidically sealed against the environment. The cover can ensure accessibility to the interior of the chamber, which further increases the handling of the housing.

[0012] Furthermore, an embodiment of the invention is preferred in which the inner wall is designed and arranged to separate the first chamber from the second chamber. The chamber thus formed is preferably also at least partially delimited by the outer wall. Thus, the outer wall can also be used to form the first or second chamber.

[0013] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the at least one second chamber is designed to accommodate a power supply line and / or a power lead of the electrical component. Since the power supply line or the power lead of the electrical component usually develops a lot of heat, it is expedient to design the second chamber in such a way that the power supply line or the power lead can be cooled as best as possible by the coolant. Preferably, two different second chambers are provided, one of which is designed to accommodate the power lead and the other is designed to accommodate the power supply line. The power supply line is understood to be a power supply, for example via busbars, while the power lead represents the connection to a current collector or consumer and can also be designed as a busbar.In the case of a pulse-controlled inverter, one of the two sides can function as a power supply in one operating mode, for example, when the vehicle is to be propelled, and as a power drain in another operating mode, for example, when the vehicle is to be regeneratively braked and the electric motor is operated in generator mode for this purpose. Thus, the power supply and drain can also alternate depending on the electrical component and operating mode.

[0014] A further advantageous embodiment of the invention comprises a second chamber and / or a first chamber designed to shield against electromagnetic radiation. Thus, the first and second chambers also function as EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) shields.

[0015] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the second chamber has at least one coolant inlet and one coolant outlet, which are designed to adjust a volume flow of the coolant flowing through the second chamber per unit of time. As a result, the cooling effect within the chamber can be adjusted by regulating the volume flow of the coolant. In a state in which only a low cooling effect is required, a low volume flow can be set in order to save energy accordingly. In cases in which a component to be cooled generates a lot of heat and thus requires high cooling performance, the volume flow can be increased accordingly. Oil is preferably used as the coolant.

[0016] An electrical component according to the invention, in particular a pulse-controlled inverter, has a housing according to the invention. The outer wall surrounds the electrical component, and a component of the electrical component is provided in the first chamber and a component in the second chamber, wherein a coolant flows through the at least one second chamber and not the at least one first chamber. Preferably, a power supply line and / or a power discharge line of the electrical component is arranged in the second chamber. Particularly preferred is an embodiment of the electrical component in which the housing has two second chambers, with a power supply line being arranged in one second chamber and a power discharge line in the other second chamber.

[0017] Advantageous aspects and embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the attached figure.

[0018] Fig.1 shows a sectional view of an electrical component 20 in the form of a pulse-controlled inverter. The inverter has a housing 10 that completely encloses the electronic components of the inverter. The inverter further has several power modules 21, which are arranged below two circuit boards 22 for controlling the inverter. Furthermore, a capacitor 23 and a cooling channel 26 are provided, which is delimited on one side by cooling fins. The cooling channel 26 is sealed from the environment so that a coolant, such as oil, can flow through the cooling channel 26. It is also intended for the special cooling of the power modules 21 and the capacitor 23, so that it is arranged directly flat between these two elements and can provide effective cooling.The cooling channel 26 is not to be understood as a second chamber within the scope of the invention, since it is not designed to accommodate a component of the electrical component. Although cooling fins extend into the cooling channel 26, they are not powered and therefore are not to be understood as a component within the meaning of the invention.

[0019] The inverter also has a power supply line 24 and a power output line 25. The power supply line 24 supplies direct current to the inverter via busbars and also includes capacitors and an EMC filter in the form of a ferrite core for electromagnetic shielding. The power output line 25 also has a busbar and supplies the alternating current output from the inverter to the load, in this case the electric motor.

[0020] The housing 10 has an outer wall 11 that surrounds the housing 10 and defines its outer boundary. A housing cover 12 is provided as part of the outer wall 11, the housing cover 12 being removable to allow the inverter elements to be replaced or similarly exchanged. Furthermore, the housing 10 can be divided into three chambers 14a, 14b, 14c, one of which is designated as the first chamber 14a in the sense of the application, and two of which are designated as the second chambers 14b, 14c in the sense of the application. The chambers are separated from one another by two inner walls 13, the first chamber 14a being arranged between the two outer second chambers 14b, 14c. The inner walls 13 thus form a boundary for both the first chamber 14a and the second chambers 14b, 14c, whereby the chambers 14a, 14b, 14c are also bounded by the outer wall 11.

[0021] The power lead 25 is arranged in the second chamber 14c, which is on the left in the plane of the drawing, and the power supply line 24 is arranged in the second chamber 14b, which is on the right in the plane of the drawing. Both the power supply line 24 and the power lead 25 are electrically connected to the remaining parts of the inverter via corresponding connection points that extend through the inner walls 13. Furthermore, the second chambers 14b, 14c are closed off by covers 121. Both second chambers 14b, 14c are completely fluidically sealed both at the covers 121 and at the connection points that extend through the inner walls 13 and by means of which the power inlet 24 and the power outlet 25 are connected to the components of the inverter arranged in the first chamber 14a. The covers 121 can be detachably attached to the remaining housing 10.

[0022] Thus, three fluidically completely independent chambers 14a, 14b, 14c are provided in the housing 10. This allows a coolant to flow through the second chambers 14b, 14c without entering the first chamber 14a. Consequently, this can also be referred to as a dry area, while the second chambers 14b, 14c represent wet areas. To enable coolant flow, the second chambers 14b, 14c have corresponding coolant inlets and outlets. The coolant in the second chambers 14b, 14c can thus provide a way to efficiently cool the components of the inverter, which generate a lot of heat. Other elements, such as the circuit boards 22, for which contact with coolant should be prevented, can be safely and easily accessible housed in the dry area of ​​the first chamber 14a.

[0023] Preferably, the coolant flow rate can be regulated via the coolant inlets and outlets to reduce the flow rate while reducing heat generation. The higher the flow rate, the greater the heat dissipation from the components.

[0024] During inverter manufacturing, the entire power section, consisting of a control board (first board 22), gate drive board (second board 22), capacitor, and power modules, can be pre-assembled and tested outside the housing 10. Subsequently, the pre-assembled component simply needs to be inserted into the housing to prepare the finished inverter. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2005 052 756 A1

[0005] US 2007 114 665 A1

[0005] WO 2017 125 283 A1

[0005] DE 10 2020 124 594 A1

[0005]

Claims

[1] Housing (10) of an electrical component (20), comprising an outer wall (11) which is designed to surround the electrical component (20), at least one first chamber (14a) and at least one second chamber (14b, 14c) which are arranged within the outer wall (11) and are fluidically separated from each other, wherein the chambers (14a, 14b, 14c) are designed to accommodate different components of the electrical component (20) and the at least one second chamber (14b, 14c) is designed to be flowed through by a coolant and the at least one first chamber (14a) is not designed to be flowed through by a coolant. [2] Housing (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein the outer wall (11) is formed in several parts. [3] Housing (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein the outer wall (11) has a housing cover (12) which is designed to be at least partially detachably fastened to the remaining outer wall (11) and thus to open and close the housing (10). [4] Housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one first chamber (14a) and / or the at least one second chamber (14b, 14c) are formed at least in part by at least one inner wall (13) and a cover (121) is at least partially detachably connected to the inner wall such that the corresponding chamber (14a, 14b, 14c) is designed to be openable and closable by the cover (121). [5] Housing (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein the inner wall (13) is connected to the outer wall (11) of the housing (10). [6] Housing (10) according to one of the two preceding claims, wherein the inner wall (13) is designed to separate the first chamber (14a) from the second chamber (14b). [7] Housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one second chamber (14b, 14c) is designed to accommodate a power supply line (24) or a power discharge line (25) of the electrical component (20). [8] Housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 6, wherein the housing (10) has two second chambers (14b, 14c), and the one second chamber (14b, 14c) is designed to receive a power supply line (24) of the electrical component (20) and the other second chamber (14b, 14c) is designed to receive a power discharge line (25) of the electrical component (20). [9] Housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one second chamber (14b, 14c) is further configured to shield electromagnetic radiation. [10] Housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second chamber (14b, 14c) has at least one coolant inlet and one coolant outlet, which are designed to adjust a volume flow of the coolant. [11] Electrical component (20), in particular pulse inverter, comprising a housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims.

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