Electronic component cooling structure and vehicle drive device

Abstract

To provide an electronic component cooling structure and a vehicle drive device that are able to efficiently cool a plurality of electronic components and are able to miniaturize the device on which these electronic components are mounted.SOLUTION: In an electronic component cooling structure, a plurality of cooling plates 11, 12 is arranged in which a cooling fluid passage through which a cooling fluid for cooling electronic components 15, 16, 21, 22, T flows is formed. In the electronic component cooling structure, the electronic components 15, 16, 21, 22, T are arranged opposite one another on both sides of each of the plurality of cooling plates 11, 12. Each of the electronic components 15, 16, 21, 22, T is cooled via the opposite cooling plates 11, 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling structure for an electronic component and a vehicle drive device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, automobiles equipped with a motor as a driving source (such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs)) have become widespread. Hereinafter, these automobiles will be collectively referred to as electric vehicles. Electric vehicles have many devices that require cooling, such as the motor (including internal combustion engines such as engines), batteries, air conditioners, and ECUs, and these are cooled by configuring a cooling circuit that circulates coolant, refrigerant, and oil.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a power supply device including a housing partitioned into a first space and a second space by a partition member, and a transformer that transforms and outputs the voltage of input power. In this power supply device, a first circuit portion of the transformer, which receives a first voltage of input power, is stored in a first space, and a second circuit portion, which receives a second voltage transformed from the first voltage, is stored in a second space. The first and second circuit portions are electrically connected within the housing through a hole provided in a partition member. The partition member has heat dissipation fins, and the first and second circuit portions are in contact with the partition member.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a power electronics module including a plurality of semiconductor chips, and a first liquid cooler and a second liquid cooler for cooling the plurality of semiconductor chips. In this power electronics module, the first liquid cooler and the second liquid cooler are arranged in a stacked manner, and the plurality of semiconductor chips are arranged between the first liquid cooler and the second liquid cooler. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-061892 A [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2018-512742 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the power supply device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a first circuit portion and a second circuit portion are disposed on either side of a partition member having heat dissipation fins. Therefore, when the number of components constituting the first circuit portion or the second circuit portion increases, it is necessary to increase the area of ​​the partition member facing the first circuit portion and the second circuit portion. This increases the size of the power supply device, leaving room for improvement.

[0007] In the power electronics module disclosed in Patent Document 2, the first liquid cooler and the second liquid cooler face multiple semiconductor chips. However, of the two surfaces of each of the first liquid cooler and the second liquid cooler, the surface not facing the multiple semiconductor chips does not have components such as semiconductor chips arranged on it. Therefore, the cooling function of the first liquid cooler and the second liquid cooler cannot be fully utilized, and there is room for improvement.

[0008] Therefore, there is a demand for an electronic component cooling structure and a vehicle drive device that can efficiently cool a plurality of electronic components and that can reduce the size of a device in which these electronic components are mounted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] One embodiment of the cooling structure for electronic components according to the present invention is a cooling structure for electronic components comprising a plurality of cooling plates each having a cooling fluid flow path formed therein through which a cooling fluid for cooling the electronic components flows, and the electronic components are arranged opposite each other on both sides of each of the plurality of cooling plates, and each of the electronic components is cooled via the opposing cooling plate.

[0010] According to this embodiment, since multiple cooling plates are arranged, the degree of freedom in arranging multiple electronic components can be increased compared to a configuration in which only one cooling plate is arranged, if the area of ​​the cooling plate is the same. In addition, multiple electronic components are arranged facing each other on both sides of each of the multiple cooling plates, and each electronic component is cooled through the facing cooling plate. Therefore, the cooling area of ​​the cooling plate can be doubled compared to a case in which electronic components are cooled using only one side of the cooling plate. Therefore, multiple electronic components can be cooled in a small space. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a vehicle drive device housing a conversion module. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a power conversion device including an inverter. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the power conversion device. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a cooling circuit showing the cooling fluid flow paths and the refrigerant flow paths. [Figure 6] 2 is a circuit diagram of a power conversion circuit of the power conversion device. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an overview of a power conversion device. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. [Figure 10]FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle drive device and a housing according to another embodiment (e). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the cooling structure for electronic components and the vehicle drive device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Therefore, the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0013] [Basic configuration] Fig. 1 shows a vehicle drive device A that transmits the driving force of a driving motor M (one example of a motor) to wheels (not shown). This vehicle drive device A accommodates the driving motor M, a gear mechanism Ge that reduces the driving force of the driving motor M and transmits it to the drive wheels, a power conversion device B, and an inverter C in a housing AH. Hereinafter, a vehicle equipped with the driving motor M as a driving source for traveling will also be referred to as an electric vehicle. Examples of electric vehicles include a hybrid vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a battery electric vehicle (BEV), and a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV).

[0014] Since the vehicle drive device A is provided in the electric vehicle 100 in the up-down relationship shown in Fig. 1, in this embodiment, the up-down relationship will be described based on the up-down direction shown in Fig. 1. Also, Fig. 1 shows a vertical cross section of the vehicle drive device A as seen in the front-rear direction, and the left-right direction in Fig. 1 corresponds to the width direction of the vehicle body.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 6, power conversion device B converts AC power from an AC power source (basically a commercial power source) supplied from outside electric vehicle 100 (see Fig. 1) into high-voltage DC power. The converted high-voltage DC power is charged into a main battery BAT1 (an example of a battery) arranged outside vehicle drive device A. Power conversion device B also converts DC power from main battery BAT1 to generate AC power similar to that of the commercial power source and supplies it to the outside of electric vehicle 100.

[0016] 6, the inverter C converts DC power from the main battery BAT1 into three-phase AC power, controls the frequency, and supplies the AC power to the traction motor M. This drives the drive wheels of the electric vehicle 100 to make the electric vehicle 100 run.

[0017] 1 and 2, the power conversion device B is configured with multiple layers in which multiple conversion modules (a first conversion module Ba, a second conversion module Bb, and a third conversion module Bc) are arranged in a vertically overlapping manner. The inverter C is provided above the power conversion device B.

[0018] [Vehicle drive device] 1, the vehicle drive device A accommodates a driving motor M and a gear mechanism Ge in a lower space LS of a housing AH. In the vehicle drive device A, the outer side of the driving motor M in the lower space LS is closed by a motor cover 1, and the outer side of the gear mechanism Ge in the lower space LS is closed by a gear cover 2. The rotation axis A1 of the driving motor M is coaxial with the rotation axis of the gear mechanism Ge.

[0019] The vehicle drive device A accommodates a power conversion device B and an inverter C in an upper space HS of a housing AH. This upper space HS is closed by an upper cover 3. The lower space LS and the upper space HS are independent spaces that do not communicate with each other.

[0020] In this embodiment, as described above, the power conversion device B and the inverter C are housed in an integrated state inside the housing AH of the vehicle drive device A, but the power conversion device B may be separated from the inverter C. Also, the vehicle drive device A is configured to house each of the power conversion device B and the inverter C inside, but at least one of the power conversion device B and the inverter C may be disposed on the outer wall surface or outside of the housing AH of the vehicle drive device A.

[0021] [Layer structure of power conversion device] As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the power converter B has a first conversion module Ba, a second conversion module Bb, and a third conversion module Bc arranged in this order from top to bottom. The power converter B has a first cooling plate 11 (an example of a cooling plate) arranged on the upper stage, and a second cooling plate 12 (an example of a cooling plate) arranged vertically below the first cooling plate 11, and these are connected via a spacer or the like. This results in a configuration in which the first cooling plate 11 and the second cooling plate 12 are stacked in this order from the top along the vertical direction at a preset interval. Both the first cooling plate 11 and the second cooling plate 12 have a plate-like shape.

[0022] The first cooling plate 11 and the second cooling plate 12 each have a flow path R (an example of a cooling fluid flow path) through which a coolant (an example of a cooling fluid) flows, and a coolant such as long-life coolant (LLC) containing ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, or the like, or insulating oil flows through the flow path R. This makes it possible to cool various electronic components constituting the first conversion module Ba, the second conversion module Bb, and the third conversion module Bc arranged opposite the upper and lower plate surfaces of the first cooling plate 11 and the second cooling plate 12, respectively. Such a configuration is the cooling structure for electronic components according to this embodiment.

[0023] As a specific arrangement, in the power conversion device B, a first conversion module Ba and a second conversion module Bb are arranged between a first lower surface 11b (an example of a lower surface) of the first cooling plate 11 and a second upper surface 12a (an example of an upper surface) of the second cooling plate 12. Also, a third conversion module Bc is arranged on the side of the second lower surface 12b (an example of a lower surface) of the second cooling plate 12. Furthermore, an inverter C is arranged on the side of the first upper surface 11a (an example of an upper surface) of the first cooling plate 11.

[0024] The first conversion module Ba is disposed opposite the first lower surface 11b of the first cooling plate 11, and is cooled by the coolant flowing through the first cooling plate 11. The second conversion module Bb is disposed opposite the second upper surface 12a of the second cooling plate 12, and is cooled by the coolant flowing through the second cooling plate 12. The third conversion module Bc is disposed opposite the second lower surface 12b of the second cooling plate 12, and is cooled by the coolant flowing through the second cooling plate 12.

[0025] The first conversion module Ba is composed of a plurality of switching elements 15 (an example of electronic components, inter-plate electronic components) mounted on the upper surface of a plate-shaped upper substrate 14. The upper substrate 14 is supported by the first cooling plate 11 in a state spaced downward from the first lower surface 11b of the first cooling plate 11. The plurality of switching elements 15 constitute a part of an OBC (On Board Charger) unit 50 (an example of an on-board charger, see FIG. 6) described later.

[0026] 1, a plurality of switching elements 15 are illustrated as one block. The plurality of switching elements 15 are arranged in contact with or in close proximity to the first lower surface 11b of the first cooling plate 11. As a result, the plurality of switching elements 15 are cooled by the first cooling plate 11.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the second conversion module Bb is composed of a transformer T (an example of an electronic component, an inter-plate electronic component) mounted on the lower surface of the upper substrate 14, a plurality of bulk capacitors 16 (an example of an electronic component, an inter-plate electronic component), and a frame member 18. The frame member 18 functions as a spacer by protruding downward from the lower surface of the upper substrate 14 while surrounding at least a part of the outer periphery of the transformer T or at least a part of the plurality of bulk capacitors 16. The plurality of bulk capacitors 16 and the transformer T are electronic components that are relatively heavy compared to other electronic components arranged on the same layer. The lower surfaces of the plurality of bulk capacitors 16 and the lower surface of the transformer T are arranged in contact with or in close proximity to the second upper surface 12a of the second cooling plate 12. As a result, the plurality of bulk capacitors 16 and the transformer T are cooled by the second cooling plate 12. In this way, each inter-plate electronic component arranged between the first cooling plate 11 and the second cooling plate 12 is cooled by either the first cooling plate 11 or the second cooling plate 12.

[0028] As described below, the bulk capacitors 16 have a relatively low heat resistance temperature (heat resistance) compared to other electronic components. By disposing such electronic components with a low heat resistance temperature between the first cooling plate 11 and the second cooling plate 12, it is possible to block the influence of heat generated by electronic components that generate a large amount of heat, such as the inverter C described below. As described above, the inverter C is disposed on the first upper surface 11a side of the first cooling plate 11, and the first cooling plate 11 is disposed between the bulk capacitors 16 and the inverter C.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the frame member 18 has a plurality of wall portions 18a overlapping at least a part of the transformer T or the bulk capacitor 16 in a side view, a plurality of protruding portions 18b protruding from the upper surface of the second cooling plate 12 along the stacking direction and facing the first lower surface 11b of the first cooling plate 11, and a plurality of protruding portions 18c protruding from the upper surface of the second cooling plate along the stacking direction and facing the lower surface of the upper substrate 14. The wall portion 18a is disposed so as to surround the end portion of the second cooling plate 12 and a part of the side surface of the transformer T or the bulk capacitor 16. The protruding portions 18b and 18c may be connected to the wall portion 18a. The upper surfaces of the protruding portions 18b and 18c may be located above the upper surface of the wall portion 18a, or may be located on the same plane as the upper surface of the wall portion 18a. Connection holes are formed on the upper surfaces of the protrusions 18b, 18c to connect the frame member 18 to the first cooling plate 11 or the upper substrate 14. With the upper surfaces of the protrusions 18b, 18c in contact with the first lower surface 11b of the first cooling plate 11 or the lower surface of the upper substrate 14, connection members (not shown) such as bolts are inserted into the connection holes to connect the upper substrate 14, the first cooling plate 11, and the frame member 18. The protrusion 18c comes into contact with the first cooling plate 11 via the connection member.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4, the cross-sectional area of ​​the protruding portion 18c1 in the direction perpendicular to the stacking direction among the multiple protruding portions 18c is formed to be larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the protruding portion 18c in other places. Since the areas of the holes formed on the upper surfaces of the protruding portion 18c and the protruding portion 18c1 are equal to each other, the protruding portion 18c1 is thicker than the protruding portion 18c. This makes it possible to increase the contact area between the upper surface of the protruding portion 18c1 and the first lower surface 11b of the first cooling plate 11, making it easier to exchange heat between the protruding portion 18c1 and the first cooling plate 11, and making it possible to cool the frame member 18. Therefore, by arranging the protruding portion 18c1 near the switching element 15, which has a large current amount and a large amount of heat generation, and the board wiring that generates heat due to the current passing therethrough, the switching element 15 and the board wiring that generates heat due to the current passing therethrough can be cooled via the protruding portion 18c1.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the third conversion module Bc is composed of a plurality of coil modules 21 (an example of electronic components) and a plurality of AC filters 22 (an example of electronic components and filter substrates) mounted on the upper surface of the lower substrate 20 arranged at a distance downward from the second lower surface 12b of the second cooling plate 12. The plurality of coil modules 21 and the plurality of AC filters 22 are electronic components that are relatively heavy compared to other electronic components arranged in the same layer. The upper surfaces of the plurality of coil modules 21 and the plurality of AC filters 22 are arranged in contact with or in close proximity to the second lower surface 12b of the second cooling plate 12. As a result, the plurality of coil modules 21 and the plurality of AC filters 22 are cooled by the second cooling plate 12.

[0032] [Cooling circuit] As shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle drive device A is equipped with a cooling circuit consisting of a coolant flow path L1 for circulating a coolant as a cooling fluid, a refrigerant flow path L2 for circulating a refrigerant, and a lubricant oil flow path L3 for circulating a lubricant.

[0033] The coolant flow path L1 circulates the coolant through the radiator 34, the first cooling plate 11 and the second cooling plate 12 of the power conversion device B, the oil cooler 32, and the water-cooled condenser 31 in this order, driven by a coolant pump 33. The above-mentioned flow path R is a part of the coolant flow path L1.

[0034] The refrigerant flow path L2 is configured to supply an externally cooled refrigerant to the water-cooled condenser 31. In this refrigerant flow path L2, a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC), a hydrofluoroolefin (HFO), or the like is used as the refrigerant.

[0035] The lubricant oil passage L3 supplies low-temperature lubricant oil to the inside of the travel motor M and the gear mechanism Ge when the hydraulic pump 35 is driven.

[0036] In this cooling circuit, the coolant cooled by the radiator 34 flows through the flow path R of the first cooling plate 11 and the flow path R of the second cooling plate 12 of the power conversion device B. As a result, the coolant removes heat generated in the first conversion module Ba, the second conversion module Bb, and the third conversion module Bc, and cools the first conversion module Ba, the second conversion module Bb, and the third conversion module Bc. As a result, the temperature of the coolant rises.

[0037] The oil cooler 32 is disposed downstream of the power converter B in the coolant flow path L1, and exchanges heat between the coolant circulating through the coolant flow path L1 and the oil. This causes the temperature of the coolant to further increase, and the temperature of the oil to decrease. The oil with the decreased temperature is then circulated through the lubricant flow path L3. This suppresses the increase in temperature of the drive motor M and the gear mechanism Ge in the lower space LS of the housing AH, and lubricates the drive motor M and the gear mechanism Ge. The coolant whose temperature has increased in the oil cooler 32 removes heat from the refrigerant in the water-cooled condenser 31, and then the temperature is reduced by heat dissipation in the radiator 34, and is supplied to the power converter B again.

[0038] [Configuration of power conversion circuit] 6 shows a circuit diagram of a power conversion circuit of the power conversion device B. This power conversion circuit includes a filter unit 40, an OBC unit 50, an auxiliary inverter unit 60 and a main inverter unit 65 which constitute an inverter C, and a control unit D.

[0039] [Power conversion circuit: filter unit] The filter unit 40 includes an input connector 40 a, an output connector 40 b, an AC filter 22, a relay module 42, a coil module 21, a current detection module 44, and an input / output control unit 45.

[0040] The coil modules 21 and the AC filters 22 of the filter unit 40 are provided in a third conversion module Bc, as shown in FIGS.

[0041] In addition, the input / output control unit 45 outputs a control signal to the relay module 42 and acquires a detection signal from the current detection module 44 .

[0042] [Power conversion circuit: OBC unit] As shown in Fig. 6, the OBC unit 50 includes a transformer T, a low-voltage connector 50a, a conversion circuit 51, a primary coil control circuit 52, a bulk capacitor 16, a secondary coil control circuit 54, a tertiary coil control circuit 55, a conversion circuit control unit 56, a transformer control unit 57, and a low-voltage control unit 58. The primary coil control circuit 52 controls a primary coil T1 of the transformer T. The bulk capacitor 16 is disposed in a power system that transmits power from the conversion circuit 51 to the primary coil control circuit 52. The secondary coil control circuit 54 controls a secondary coil T2 of the transformer T. The tertiary coil control circuit 55 obtains power from a tertiary coil T3 of the transformer T. The low-voltage connector 50a supplies power from the tertiary coil control circuit 55 to a low-voltage system battery BAT2 (an example of a battery).

[0043] In this OBC unit 50, a plurality of switching elements 15 constituting part of a conversion circuit 51, a primary coil control circuit 52, a secondary coil control circuit 54, etc. are mounted on the upper surface of an upper substrate 14 as a first conversion module Ba and are cooled by a first cooling plate 11 (see Figure 1).

[0044] 1 and 3, the transformer T and the bulk capacitors 16 of the OBC unit 50 are mounted on the lower surface of the upper substrate 14 to form a second conversion module Bb. The transformer T, the bulk capacitors 16, and related elements may be provided on a substrate different from the upper substrate 14.

[0045] 6, the conversion circuit control unit 56 controls the multiple switching elements 15 of the conversion circuit 51. In addition, the transformer control unit 57 controls the multiple switching elements 15 of the primary coil control circuit 52 and the multiple switching elements 15 of the secondary coil control circuit 54. The low voltage control unit 58 controls the multiple switching elements 15 of the tertiary coil control circuit 55.

[0046] [Power conversion circuit: auxiliary inverter unit] As shown in FIG. 6, the auxiliary inverter unit 60 of the inverter C functions as a DC-DC converter 70 (hereinafter also referred to as the converter 70) and includes a first high-voltage connector 60a, an auxiliary drive circuit 61, a DC filter 62, and an auxiliary control unit 63.

[0047] The accessory drive circuit 61 includes a plurality of switching elements. The accessory control unit 63 controls the accessory drive circuit 61 to supply high voltage power to the accessory such as the air conditioner 5 via the first high voltage connector 60a. That is, the converter 70 includes a plurality of switching elements.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 2, the auxiliary inverter unit 60 of the inverter C is disposed above the first cooling plate 11 in a region that protrudes outward from the first cooling plate 11 when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0049] [Power conversion circuit: main inverter unit] 6, the main inverter unit 65 of the inverter C has a second high-voltage connector 65a, a motor drive circuit 66 (an example of an electronic component and a drive circuit), and a smoothing capacitor 67. The motor drive circuit 66 has a plurality of switching elements, and supplies power to the running motor M. The motor drive circuit 66 is disposed in a position adjacent to the smoothing capacitor 67.

[0050] 2, the main inverter unit 65 including the motor drive circuit 66 and the smoothing capacitor 67 is disposed in contact with or in close proximity to the first upper surface 11a of the first cooling plate 11. As a result, the main inverter unit 65 is cooled by the first cooling plate 11.

[0051] The main inverter unit 65 functions to supply high-voltage power flowing between the OBC unit 50 and the auxiliary inverter unit 60 from the second high-voltage connector 65a to the main battery BAT1 for charging. Therefore, in a broad sense, the OBC unit 50 and the main inverter unit 65 can be collectively referred to as an on-board charger.

[0052] In addition, the main inverter unit 65 converts the power from the main battery BAT1 into three-phase AC power in the motor drive circuit 66, controls the frequency and supplies it to the traction motor M, thereby obtaining driving force from the traction motor M that enables the electric vehicle 100 to run.

[0053] [Power conversion circuit: control unit] As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit D outputs control signals to the input / output control unit 45, the conversion circuit control unit 56, the transformer control unit 57, the low voltage control unit 58, and the auxiliary control unit 63.

[0054] 2, the control unit D is disposed above the first cooling plate 11 and adjacent to the smoothing capacitor 67. As a result, the control unit D is cooled by the first cooling plate 11.

[0055] [Power conversion circuit: current flow] This power conversion circuit, under the control of the relay module 42, converts AC power from an AC power source (basically a commercial power source) supplied from outside the electric vehicle 100 to the input connector 40a into DC power in the conversion circuit 51, and provides the AC of a set frequency created in the primary coil control circuit 52 to the primary coil T1 side of the transformer T.

[0056] Moreover, the high voltage power output to the secondary coil T2 side of the transformer T is extracted as high voltage DC power by the secondary coil control circuit 54 and is charged into the main battery BAT1 from the second high voltage connector 65a.

[0057] The high-voltage DC power charged in the main battery BAT1 is converted to three-phase AC power by the motor drive circuit 66, and the frequency is controlled before being supplied to the traction motor M. This allows the traction motor M to drive at a target rotation speed, enabling the electric vehicle 100 to travel. In addition, the high-voltage DC power from the main battery BAT1 is DC-DC converted by the accessory drive circuit 61, and supplied from the first high-voltage connector 60a to the air conditioner 5, etc.

[0058] On the other hand, the low voltage power output to the tertiary coil side of the transformer T is converted to DC power by the tertiary coil control circuit 55 and charged to the system battery BAT2 from the low voltage connector 50a. The power thus charged to the system battery BAT2 is supplied to the control device of the vehicle body of the electric vehicle 100 and to control devices.

[0059] Furthermore, under the control of the relay module 42, the power conversion circuit sequentially supplies power from the main battery BAT1 to the secondary coil control circuit 54, the transformer T, the primary coil control circuit 52, etc., thereby producing AC power similar to that of a commercial power source, and outputs it from the output connector 40b.

[0060] [Cooling mechanism] The power conversion device B is cooled by a coolant flowing through the first cooling plate 11 and the second cooling plate 12. As shown in Fig. 7, the first cooling plate 11 and the second cooling plate 12 are configured such that a flow path R is continuous between the first cooling plate 11 and the second cooling plate 12 by a communication passage 13 extending in the vertical direction. The communication passage 13 is integrally formed with a frame member 18.

[0061] The cooling liquid that has been cooled by the radiator 34 or the like and has reached the power converter B flows into the flow path R of the second cooling plate 12 from the inlet 17 of the second cooling plate 12 shown in FIG. 9. The second cooling plate 12 is formed with a first portion 12A, a second portion 12B, a third portion 12C, and a fourth portion 12D that are continuously formed. The flow path R is formed so that the cooling liquid flows through the first portion 12A, the second portion 12B, the third portion 12C, and the fourth portion 12D in this order. The first portion 12A extends in the longitudinal direction of the lower substrate 20 (see FIG. 7, and the same applies below). The second portion 12B is folded back from an end of the first portion 12A and extends in a curved manner. The third portion 12C is folded back from an end of the second portion 12B and extends in the longitudinal direction of the lower substrate 20. The fourth portion 12D is folded back from an end of the third portion 12C and extends in the longitudinal direction of the lower substrate 20. An end of the fourth portion 12D is connected to an end of the communication passage 13.

[0062] The cooling liquid that has flowed through the flow path R formed in the communication path 13 reaches the first cooling plate 11. As shown in FIG. 8, the first cooling plate 11 is formed with a first portion 11A, a second portion 11B, a third portion 11C, a fourth portion 11D, and a fifth portion 11E that are continuously formed. The flow path R is formed so that the cooling liquid flows through the first portion 11A, the second portion 11B, the third portion 11C, the fourth portion 11D, and the fifth portion 11E in this order. The first portion 11A extends in the longitudinal direction of the lower substrate 20. The second portion 11B is folded back from an end of the first portion 11A and extended in the longitudinal direction of the lower substrate 20. The third portion 11C is folded back from an end of the second portion 11B and extended in the longitudinal direction of the lower substrate 20. The fourth portion 11D is folded back from an end of the third portion 11C and extended so as to be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the lower substrate 20. The fifth portion 11E is folded back and extended from an end of the fourth portion 11D in the longitudinal direction of the lower substrate 20. An outlet (not shown) is formed at the downstream end of the fifth portion 11E, and the cooling liquid flows out of the power conversion device B from the outlet.

[0063] Here, when comparing the power generation amount and heat resistance temperature (heat resistance) of each electronic component, the results are as shown in Table 1.

[0064] [Table 1]

[0065] That is, the conversion modules Ba, Bb, and Bc (conversion modules) have a current value of, for example, 50 A or less, and compared with other electronic components, the bulk capacitor 16 (pattern A) has a relatively small amount of heat generation and a relatively low heat resistance temperature, and the switching element 15 (pattern B) has a relatively small amount of heat generation and a relatively high heat resistance temperature.

[0066] The main inverter unit 65 has a current of, for example, 700A or less, and the smoothing capacitor 67 (pattern C) has a relatively large heat generation amount and a relatively low heat resistance temperature compared to other electronic components, and the motor drive circuit 66 (pattern D) has a relatively large heat generation amount and a relatively high heat resistance temperature.

[0067] Converter 70 has a current of, for example, 20 A or less, and the switching element of converter 70 (pattern B) has a relatively small amount of heat generation and a relatively high heat resistance temperature compared to other electronic components. Traction motor M (pattern D) has a current of, for example, 700 A or less, and has a relatively large amount of heat generation and a relatively high heat resistance temperature compared to other electronic components.

[0068] In this embodiment, a bulk capacitor 16 is disposed at a position corresponding to the first portion 12A and the second portion 12B of the second cooling plate 12, and an AC filter 22 is disposed at a position corresponding to the third portion 12C of the second cooling plate 12 (see FIG. 9). Also, a switching element 15 of the first conversion module Ba is disposed at a position corresponding to the boundary between the first portion 11A and the second portion 11B of the first cooling plate 11 (see FIG. 8).

[0069] In the main inverter unit 65, a smoothing capacitor 67 is arranged at a position corresponding to the first portion 11A and the second portion 11B of the first cooling plate 11, and a switching element of the motor drive circuit 66 is arranged at a position corresponding to the third portion 11C of the first cooling plate 11 (see Figure 8).

[0070] Moreover, a converter 70 is disposed at a position corresponding to the fourth portion 11D of the first cooling plate 11 (see FIG. 8).

[0071] In this way, the cooling plates 11, 12 have a flow path R formed so that the coolant flows through the bulk capacitor 16 of the second conversion module Bb, the AC filter 22, the switching element 15 of the first conversion module Ba, the smoothing capacitor 67 of the main inverter unit 65, the motor drive circuit 66 (switching element) of the inverter C, and the switching element of the converter 70 in that order.

[0072] In this way, the power conversion device B is cooled by the cooling liquid flowing through the first cooling plate 11 and the second cooling plate 12, and therefore does not experience an excessive temperature rise. Similarly, the inverter C is cooled by the cooling liquid flowing through the first cooling plate 11, and therefore does not experience an excessive temperature rise.

[0073] In addition, since the wall portion 18a1 is connected to the communication passage 13, the frame member 18 is cooled by heat exchange with the communication passage 13 via the wall portion 18a1. Therefore, the bulk capacitor 16 arranged near the frame member 18, the switching element 15 of the first conversion module Ba, and the board wiring that generates heat due to current flow are also cooled by the cooling liquid flowing through the communication passage 13. Therefore, the electronic components arranged between the first cooling plate 11 and the second cooling plate 12 are cooled by the cooling liquid flowing through the first cooling plate 11, the communication passage 13, and the second cooling plate 12, so that the power conversion device B can be more efficiently cooled from its upper surface, lower surface, and side surfaces.

[0074] The wall portion 18a1 connected to the communication passage 13 may be formed to be thicker than the other wall portions 18a. This allows the wall portion 18a1 to be cooled more easily by the cooling liquid flowing through the communication passage 13, so that the power conversion device B can be cooled more efficiently via the frame member 18. In addition, not only the wall portion 18a1 but also the other wall portions 18a in contact with the first cooling plate 11 may be thickened. This increases the cooling efficiency and improves vibration resistance against external vibrations, etc., so that the strength of the power conversion device B can also be improved.

[0075] [Another embodiment] The present invention may be configured as follows other than the above-described embodiment (common numbers and symbols as in the embodiment are used to designate components having the same functions as in the embodiment).

[0076] (a) In the above embodiment, the power conversion device B is described as including cooling plates 11 and 12 through which a cooling liquid flows as a cooling fluid along each of the multiple conversion modules Ba, Bb, and Bc, but this is not limited to the above. The power conversion device B may be configured so that a liquid refrigerant (an example of a cooling fluid) flows through the cooling plates 11 and 12. The power conversion device B may also be configured so that a gas refrigerant (an example of a cooling fluid) flows through the cooling plates 11 and 12.

[0077] (b) In the above embodiment, the cooling plates 11 and 12 are stacked one on top of the other. However, the cooling plates may be one, or three or more cooling plates may be stacked.

[0078] (c) In the above embodiment, the cooling plates 11 and 12 are configured such that the flow path R is formed so that the cooling liquid flows through the bulk capacitor 16, the AC filter 22, the switching element 15, the smoothing capacitor 67 of the main inverter unit 65, the motor drive circuit 66, and the converter 70. Alternatively, the cooling plates 11 and 12 may be configured as follows. The cooling plates 11 and 12 may be configured such that the flow path R is formed so that the cooling liquid flows through at least the bulk capacitor 16, the switching element 15, and the motor drive circuit 66 of the main inverter unit 65. Alternatively, the cooling plates 11 and 12 may be configured such that the flow path R is formed so that the cooling liquid flows through at least the bulk capacitor 16, the switching element 15, the motor drive circuit 66 of the main inverter unit 65, and the converter 70.

[0079] (d) In the above embodiment, the electronic components are arranged as follows. That is, the main inverter unit 65 including the motor drive circuit 66 and the smoothing capacitor 67 is arranged to face the first upper surface 11a of the first cooling plate 11, and the multiple switching elements 15 of the OBC unit 50 are arranged to face the first lower surface 11b. Also, the multiple bulk capacitors 16 and the transformer T are arranged to face the second upper surface 12a of the second cooling plate 12, and the multiple coil modules 21 and the multiple AC filters 22 are arranged to face the second lower surface 12b. However, the vertical arrangement of the electronic components may be reversed from the above arrangement. That is, the multiple coil modules 21 and the multiple AC filters 22 may be arranged to face the first upper surface 11a of the first cooling plate 11, and the multiple bulk capacitors 16 and the transformer T may be arranged to face the first lower surface 11b. In addition, multiple switching elements 15 of the OBC unit 50 may be arranged facing the second upper surface 12a of the second cooling plate 12, and a main inverter unit 65 including a motor drive circuit 66 and a smoothing capacitor 67 may be arranged facing the second lower surface 12b.

[0080] (e) Figure 10 shows a vehicle drive device A that transmits the driving force of a driving motor M to wheels (not shown) relative to a housing AH. This vehicle drive device A is configured by accommodating the driving motor M, a gear mechanism Ge that reduces the driving force of the driving motor M and transmits it to the drive wheels, a power conversion device B, and an inverter C in the housing AH.

[0081] The housing AH includes a first housing chamber E1 that houses the traveling motor M, and a second housing chamber E2 that houses a power conversion device B and an inverter C that control the power supplied to the traveling motor M. A direction perpendicular to the vertical direction Z and along the rotation axis A1 of the rotor (not shown) of the traveling motor M is defined as an axial direction L, a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction Z and the axial direction L is defined as an axial-orthogonal direction Y, and one side of the axial-orthogonal direction Y is defined as an axial-orthogonal first side Y1.

[0082] In the housing AH, the portion of the first accommodation chamber E1 outside the driving motor M is closed by a first cover 101, and the portion of the first accommodation chamber E1 outside the gear mechanism Ge is closed by a second cover 102. In addition, an opening at the top of the housing AH is closed by an upper cover 103. This provides the housing AH with a sealed structure.

[0083] The gear mechanism Ge includes a differential gear mechanism 110 arranged coaxially with the rotation axis A1 of the traveling motor M, and a counter gear mechanism 111 arranged on an offset axis B1 offset from the rotation axis A1.

[0084] When mounted on the electric vehicle 100, the second storage chamber E2 has an upper region E3 which is above the running motor M in the vertical direction Z and overlaps with the running motor M when viewed in the vertical direction, and a lateral region E4 which is adjacent to the upper region E3 and is on the first side Y1 in the direction perpendicular to the axis relative to the running motor M and does not overlap with the running motor M when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0085] In the vehicle drive device A of the present embodiment, at least a part of the inverter C is disposed in the upper area E3, and the power conversion device B is disposed in an area extending below the inverter C in the side area E4.

[0086] That is, in this embodiment, when viewed in the direction along the axial direction L (side view), when the inverter C is in a horizontal position, the power conversion device B extends in a vertical direction along the vertical direction Z, so that the inverter C and the power conversion device B are formed in an "inverted L" shape. That is, in the upper region E3 of the second accommodation chamber E2, in a region extending in the axially orthogonal direction Y, the inverter C is disposed in a horizontal position above the traveling motor M, and the power conversion device B is disposed in a vertical position in a side region E4 adjacent to the upper region E3 and extending in the vertical direction. Note that instead of the arrangement of this embodiment, the power conversion device B may be disposed in the upper region E3, and the inverter C may be disposed in the side region E4.

[0087] In this alternative embodiment (e), the side opposite the axially orthogonal first side Y1 is referred to as the axially orthogonal second side Y2, and either the axially orthogonal first side Y1 or the axially orthogonal second side Y2 may be the front side of the body of the electric vehicle 100.

[0088] In the above-described embodiment, the following configurations are envisaged.

[0089] [1] One aspect of the cooling structure for electronic components is a cooling structure for electronic components in which a plurality of cooling plates (11, 12) are stacked, each having a cooling fluid flow path (R) formed therein through which a cooling liquid for cooling the electronic components (15, 16, 21, 22, 66, T) flows, and an electronic component (15, 16, 21, 22, 66, T) is arranged opposite each other on both sides of each of the plurality of cooling plates (11, 12), and each electronic component (15, 16, 21, 22, 66, T) is cooled via the opposing cooling plate (11, 12).

[0090] In the electronic component cooling structure of this embodiment, since a plurality of cooling plates (11, 12) are arranged, compared to a configuration in which only one cooling plate is arranged, if the area of ​​the cooling plate is the same, arranging a plurality of cooling plates (11, 12) can increase the degree of freedom in arranging a plurality of electronic components (15, 16, 21, 22, 66, T). In addition, a plurality of electronic components (15, 16, 21, 22, 66, T) are arranged facing each other on both sides of each of the plurality of cooling plates (11, 12), and each electronic component (15, 16, 21, 22, 66, T) is cooled via the facing cooling plate (11, 12). Therefore, compared to a case in which electronic components are cooled using only one side of the cooling plate, the cooling area of ​​the cooling plate can be doubled. Therefore, a plurality of electronic components (15, 16, 21, 22, 66, T) can be cooled in a small space.

[0091] [2] In the cooling structure for electronic components of [1], it is preferable that the electronic components (15, 16, 21, 22, 66, T) and the plurality of cooling plates (11, 12) are built into an electric vehicle (100).

[0092] This enables the electronic components (15, 16, 21, 22, 66, T) built into the electric vehicle (100) to be efficiently cooled by the plurality of cooling plates (11, 12).

[0093] [3] In the electronic component cooling structure of [2], the multiple cooling plates (11, 12) are preferably arranged in a stacked configuration.

[0094] According to this, since multiple cooling plates (11, 12) are arranged in a stacked manner, compared to a configuration in which only one cooling plate is arranged, if the area of ​​the cooling plates is the same, the stacked arrangement of multiple cooling plates (11, 12) enables the device incorporating the cooling plates to be made more compact.

[0095] [4] In the cooling structure for electronic components of [3], it is preferable that an electronic component (15, 16, T) arranged between adjacent cooling plates (11, 12) among the multiple cooling plates (11, 12) is cooled by one of the adjacent cooling plates (11, 12).

[0096] With this, the inter-plate electronic components (15, 16, T) consisting of electronic components arranged between adjacent cooling plates (11, 12) are cooled by one of the adjacent cooling plates (11, 12), so that the space between the adjacent cooling plates (11, 12) can be efficiently utilized to cool the inter-plate electronic components (15, 16, T).

[0097] In the cooling structure for electronic components of [5] and [4], it is preferable that the inter-plate electronic components (16) have relatively low heat resistance compared to the other electronic components.

[0098] According to this, by arranging the electronic component (16) having a relatively low heat resistance between the adjacent cooling plates (11, 12), even if an electronic component that generates a large amount of heat is arranged on the outside of the adjacent cooling plates (11, 12), the cooling plates (11, 12) can suppress the transfer of heat to the electronic component (16) having a relatively low heat resistance.

[0099] In the cooling structure for electronic components of [6], [4] or [5], a frame member (18) is arranged between adjacent cooling plates (11, 12) to cover at least a portion of the side surfaces of the inter-plate electronic components (15, 16, T), and it is preferable that the frame member (18) has a communication passage (13) that communicates with each of the cooling fluid flow paths (flow paths R) of the multiple cooling plates (11, 12).

[0100] According to this, the frame member (18) has the communication passages (13) through which the cooling fluid flows, and the cooling fluid flowing through the communication passages (13) cools the frame member (18), thereby indirectly cooling the inter-plate electronic components (15, 16, T) covered by the frame member (18). This makes it possible to efficiently cool the inter-plate electronic components (15, 16, T) from their upper, lower, and side surfaces.

[0101] In the cooling structure for electronic components of [7] and [6], it is preferable that the frame member (18) has a plurality of wall portions (18a) overlapping at least a portion of the inter-plate electronic components (15, 16, T) in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the cooling plates (11, 12), and that at least one of the wall portions (18a) is connected to the communication passage (13).

[0102] According to this, the wall portion (18a1) connected to the communication passage (13) is easily cooled by the cooling fluid, so that the frame member (18) can be cooled through the wall portion (18a1). This also makes it possible to efficiently cool the inter-plate electronic components (15, 16, T) located near the frame member (18).

[0103] In the cooling structure for electronic components of [8], [6] or [7], the frame member (18) has a plurality of protrusions (18c) protruding from the cooling plate (12) along the stacking direction and facing the adjacent cooling plate (11), and it is preferable that the cross-sectional area in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the protrusions (18c1) located in the vicinity of the electronic component (switching element 15) that generates a relatively large amount of heat and the board wiring that generates heat due to the current passing therethrough is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the protrusions (18c) in other locations.

[0104] This increases the contact area between the upper surface of the protrusion (18c1) located near the electronic component (switching element 15) that generates a relatively large amount of heat and the board wiring that generates heat due to the current passing through it, and the cooling plate (11), so that the protrusion (18c1) can be indirectly cooled. This allows the electronic component (switching element 15) that generates a relatively large amount of heat and the board wiring that generates heat due to the current passing through it to be indirectly cooled via the frame member (18). This allows the electronic component (switching element 15) that generates a relatively large amount of heat and the board wiring that generates heat due to the current to be cooled not only by the cooling plate (11) but also by the frame member (18), so that they can be cooled efficiently.

[0105] In the cooling structure for electronic components of [9] and [8], it is preferable that the electronic components that generate a relatively large amount of heat are a switching element (15) of an on-board charger (50) that charges the batteries (BAT1, BAT2) of the electric vehicle (100) and a board wiring that generates heat due to the flow of current.

[0106] This allows the switching elements 15, which have a large current and generate a relatively large amount of heat, and the board wiring that generates heat due to the current passing through them to be indirectly cooled via the frame member 18. This allows the switching elements 15 and the board wiring that generates heat due to the current passing through them to be cooled not only by the cooling plate 11 but also by the frame member 18, making it possible to cool them efficiently.

[0107] In the cooling structure for electronic components of

[10] [3], the multiple cooling plates (11, 12) have a first cooling plate (11) and a second cooling plate (12), and are arranged vertically from the top in the order of the first cooling plate (11) and the second cooling plate (12). It is preferable that a drive circuit (66) for driving a motor (M) which serves as a power source for running the electric vehicle (100) is arranged as an electronic component on an upper surface (11a) of the first cooling plate (11).

[0108] In general, the drive circuit (66) that drives the motor (M) that serves as the power source for running the electric vehicle (100) generates a large amount of heat. Therefore, by disposing the drive circuit (66) on the upper surface (11a) of the first cooling plate (11), it is possible to prevent the heat of the drive circuit (66) from being transferred to other electronic components, and also to efficiently cool the drive circuit (66) by the first cooling plate (11).

[0109]

[11] In the cooling structure for electronic components of

[10] , it is preferable that a switching element (15) of an on-board charger (50) that charges batteries (BAT1, BAT2) of the electric vehicle (100) is arranged as an electronic component on the underside (11b) of the first cooling plate (11).

[0110] This allows the switching element (15) of the on-board charger (50) to be efficiently cooled by the first cooling plate (11). Furthermore, by disposing the switching element (15) of the on-board charger (50) on the lower surface (11b) of the first cooling plate (11), the length of electrical wiring to the control circuit can be shortened.

[0111]

[12] In the cooling structure for electronic components of

[10] or

[11] , it is preferable that a transformer (T) and a bulk capacitor (16) are arranged as electronic components on the upper surface (12a) of the second cooling plate (12).

[0112] This allows the transformer (T) and the bulk capacitor (16) to be efficiently cooled by the second cooling plate (12). In particular, since the bulk capacitor (16) has a relatively low heat resistance, even if electronic components that generate a large amount of heat are arranged on the outer sides of the adjacent cooling plates (11, 12), the cooling plates (11, 12) can prevent heat from being transferred to the bulk capacitor (16), which is an electronic component with a relatively low heat resistance.

[0113]

[13] In the cooling structure for electronic components of

[10] or

[11] , it is preferable that a filter substrate (22) and a coil module (21) are arranged on the lower surface (12b) of the second cooling plate (12) as electronic components (21, 22).

[0114] This allows the filter substrate 22 and the coil module 21 to be efficiently cooled by the second cooling plate 12. In addition, by disposing the heavy filter substrate 22 and the coil module 21 on the lower side, the weight balance is stabilized.

[0115] In the cooling structure for electronic components of

[14] [3], the multiple cooling plates (11, 12) have a first cooling plate (11) and a second cooling plate (12), and are arranged vertically from the top in the order of the first cooling plate (11) and the second cooling plate (12), and it is preferable that a filter substrate (22) and a coil module (21) are arranged as electronic components on an upper surface (11a) of the first cooling plate (11).

[0116] This allows the filter substrate (22) and the coil module (21) to be efficiently cooled by the first cooling plate (11).

[0117]

[15] In the cooling structure for electronic components according to

[14] , it is preferable that a transformer (T) and a bulk capacitor (16) are arranged as electronic components on the lower surface (11b) of the first cooling plate (11).

[0118] This allows the transformer (T) and the bulk capacitor (16) to be efficiently cooled by the first cooling plate (11). In particular, since the bulk capacitor (16) has a relatively low heat resistance, even if electronic components that generate a large amount of heat are arranged on the outer sides of the adjacent cooling plates (11, 12), the cooling plates (11, 12) can prevent heat from being transferred to the bulk capacitor (16), which is an electronic component with a relatively low heat resistance.

[0119]

[16] In the cooling structure for electronic components of

[14] or

[15] , it is preferable that a switching element (15) of an on-board charger (50) that charges batteries (BAT1, BAT2) of the electric vehicle (100) is arranged as an electronic component on the upper surface (12a) of the second cooling plate (12).

[0120] This allows the switching element (15) of the on-board charger (50) to be efficiently cooled by the second cooling plate (12). In addition, by disposing the switching element (15) of the on-board charger (50) on the upper surface (12a) of the second cooling plate (12), the length of electrical wiring to the control circuit can be shortened.

[0121] In the cooling structure for electronic components of

[17] ,

[14] or

[15] , it is preferable that a drive circuit (66) for driving a motor (M) which serves as a power source for running the electric vehicle (100) is arranged as an electronic component on the underside (12b) of the second cooling plate (12).

[0122] In general, the drive circuit (66) that drives the motor (M) that serves as the power source for running the electric vehicle (100) generates a large amount of heat. Therefore, by disposing the drive circuit (66) on the lower surface (12b) of the second cooling plate (12), it is possible to prevent the heat of the drive circuit (66) from being transferred to other electronic components, and also to efficiently cool the drive circuit (66) by the second cooling plate (12).

[0123]

[18] One aspect of the vehicle drive device (A) having the cooling structure for electronic components according to [2] includes a housing (AH) in which electronic components (15, 16, 21, 22, 66, T) and a plurality of cooling plates (11, 12) are built in. The housing (AH) has a first accommodation chamber (E1) in which a motor (M) is accommodated, and a second accommodation chamber (E2) in which a power conversion device (B) and an inverter (C) that control the power supplied to the motor (M) and the cooling plates (11, 12) are accommodated. The power conversion device (B) and the inverter (C) are configured to include the electronic components (15, 16, 21, 22, 66, T). A direction perpendicular to the vertical direction (Z) and along the rotation axis (A1) of the motor (M) is an axial direction (L). a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction (Z) and the axial direction (L) is defined as an axial orthogonal direction (Y), one side of the axial orthogonal direction (Y) is defined as an axial orthogonal first side (Y1), and the second accommodation chamber (E2), when mounted on the electric vehicle (100), has an upper region (E3) which is an area above the motor (M) and overlaps with the motor (M) in a vertical view, and a lateral region (E4) which is adjacent to the upper region (E3) and is on the axial orthogonal first side (Y1) with respect to the motor (M) and does not overlap with the motor (M) in a vertical view, and either the power conversion device (B) or the inverter (C) is arranged in the upper region (E3), and the other of the power conversion device (B) or the inverter (C) is arranged in the lateral region (E4).

[0124] According to this embodiment, the inverter (C) is disposed in the upper region (E3) above the motor (M), and the power conversion device (B) is disposed in the side region (E4) that does not overlap with the motor (M). This arrangement makes it possible to effectively utilize the upper region (E3) above the motor (M) and the side region (E4) adjacent to the motor (M) in the axially orthogonal direction (Y) to dispose the inverter (C) and the power conversion device (B). [Industrial Applicability]

[0125] The present invention can be used in a cooling structure for an electronic component and a vehicle drive device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 11: first cooling plate (cooling plate), 11a: first upper surface (upper surface), 11b: first lower surface (lower surface), 12: second cooling plate (cooling plate), 12a: second upper surface (upper surface), 12b: second lower surface (lower surface), 13: communication path, 15: switching element (electronic component, inter-plate electronic component), 16: bulk capacitor (electronic component, inter-plate electronic component), 18: frame member, 18a: wall portion, 18c: protrusion, 18c1: protrusion, 21: coil module (electronic component), 22: AC filter (electronic component, filter board), 50: OBC unit (on-board charger), 66: motor drive circuit (electronic components, drive circuit), 100: electric vehicle, A: vehicle drive device, A1: rotation axis, AH: housing, B: power conversion device, BAT1: main battery (battery), BAT2: system battery (battery), C: inverter, E1: first housing chamber, E2: second housing chamber, L: axial direction, E3: upper region, E4: side region, M: driving motor (motor), R: flow path (cooling fluid flow path), T: transformer (electronic components, electronic components between plates), Y: axis perpendicular direction, Y1: axis perpendicular direction first side, Z: vertical direction

Claims

1. A cooling structure for electronic components, comprising a plurality of cooling plates each having a cooling fluid flow path formed therein through which a cooling fluid for cooling the electronic components flows, the electronic components are disposed on both sides of each of the plurality of cooling plates so as to face each other; A cooling structure for electronic components, wherein each of the electronic components is cooled via the opposing cooling plate.

2. The cooling structure for an electronic component according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic component and the plurality of cooling plates are built into an electric vehicle.

3. The cooling structure for an electronic component according to claim 2 , wherein the cooling plates are arranged in a stacked manner.

4. 4. The cooling structure for electronic components according to claim 3, wherein an inter-plate electronic component consisting of the electronic component arranged between adjacent cooling plates among the plurality of cooling plates is cooled by any one of the adjacent cooling plates.

5. 5. The cooling structure for electronic components according to claim 4, wherein the inter-plate electronic components have relatively lower heat resistance than the other electronic components.

6. a frame member is disposed between adjacent cooling plates to cover at least a part of a side surface of the inter-plate electronic component; 5. The cooling structure for an electronic component according to claim 4, wherein the frame member has communication passages which communicate with the cooling fluid flow passages of each of the plurality of cooling plates.

7. the frame member has a plurality of walls that overlap at least a portion of the inter-plate electronic components in a direction perpendicular to a stacking direction of the cooling plates, The cooling structure for an electronic component according to claim 6 , wherein at least one of the walls is connected to the communication passage.

8. the frame member has a plurality of protruding portions protruding from the cooling plate along the stacking direction and facing adjacent cooling plates, 8. A cooling structure for electronic components as described in claim 6 or 7, wherein the cross-sectional area in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the protrusion located in the vicinity of the electronic component which generates a relatively large amount of heat and the board wiring which generates heat due to the current passing therethrough is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the protrusion in other locations.

9. 9. The cooling structure for electronic components according to claim 8, wherein the electronic components and the board wiring that generate a relatively large amount of heat are switching elements of an on-board charger that charges a battery of the electric vehicle.

10. The plurality of cooling plates include a first cooling plate and a second cooling plate, the first cooling plate and the second cooling plate are arranged in this order from above along the vertical direction, 4. The cooling structure for electronic components according to claim 3, wherein a drive circuit for driving a motor that serves as a power source for running the electric vehicle is disposed as the electronic component on an upper surface of the first cooling plate.

11. 11. The cooling structure for electronic components according to claim 10, wherein a switching element of an on-board charger that charges a battery of the electric vehicle is disposed as the electronic component on the underside of the first cooling plate.

12. 12. The cooling structure for an electronic component according to claim 10, wherein a transformer and a bulk capacitor are disposed as the electronic components on an upper surface of the second cooling plate.

13. 12. The cooling structure for an electronic component according to claim 10, wherein a filter substrate and a coil module are disposed as the electronic components on a lower surface of the second cooling plate.

14. The plurality of cooling plates include a first cooling plate and a second cooling plate, the first cooling plate and the second cooling plate are arranged in this order from above along the vertical direction, 4. The cooling structure for an electronic component according to claim 3, wherein a filter substrate and a coil module are disposed as the electronic components on an upper surface of the first cooling plate.

15. The cooling structure for an electronic component according to claim 14 , wherein a transformer and a bulk capacitor are disposed as the electronic components on the lower surface of the first cooling plate.

16. 16. The cooling structure for an electronic component according to claim 14, wherein a switching element of an on-board charger that charges a battery of the electric vehicle is disposed as the electronic component on an upper surface of the second cooling plate.

17. 16. The cooling structure for electronic components according to claim 14, wherein a drive circuit for driving a motor that serves as a power source for running the electric vehicle is disposed as the electronic component on the underside of the second cooling plate.

18. A vehicle drive device having the cooling structure for electronic components according to claim 2, a housing in which the electronic component and a plurality of the cooling plates are housed; the housing has a first chamber in which a motor is accommodated, and a second chamber in which a power conversion device and an inverter that control power supplied to the motor, and the cooling plate are accommodated, The power conversion device and the inverter are configured to include the electronic components, a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and along a rotation axis of the motor is defined as an axial direction, a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the axial direction is defined as an axial orthogonal direction, and one side of the axial orthogonal direction is defined as an axial orthogonal first side, the second accommodation chamber has, in a vehicle-mounted state in the electric vehicle, an upper region that is an area above the motor and overlaps with the motor as viewed in a vertical direction, and a lateral region that is adjacent to the upper region, is on a first side in the axis-orthogonal direction with respect to the motor, and does not overlap with the motor as viewed in the vertical direction, A vehicle drive device, wherein one of the power conversion device and the inverter is disposed in the upper region, and the other of the power conversion device and the inverter is disposed in the side region.

Images