Power conversion device

Abstract

To provide a power conversion device that can reduce the effects of vibration when mounted on a moving body.SOLUTION: A power conversion device 100 mounted on a moving body includes a semiconductor module 5 including a switching element Q, for rectifying inputted AC power, a smoothing capacitor 1 heavier than the semiconductor module 5 and used for smoothing the rectified AC power, a cooling unit 2 heavier than the semiconductor module 5 and used for cooling the semiconductor module 5, and a housing 10 that accommodates the semiconductor module 5, the smoothing capacitor 1, and the cooling unit 2. The smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged so as to be supported on a bottom surface 10a of the housing 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a power conversion device, and more particularly to a power conversion device including a housing that houses a smoothing capacitor and a cooling unit therein.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a power conversion device including a housing that houses a smoothing capacitor and a cooling unit therein has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a power conversion device including a box (housing) that houses components requiring cooling in a single compartment partitioned by a partition wall. The power conversion device includes, as components requiring cooling in the compartment, a capacitor and a cooling body with heat dissipation fins coupled to a semiconductor module element. Further, the terminals of the capacitor of the power conversion device and the terminals of the semiconductor module coupled to the cooling body are connected to a terminal block or the like provided in another compartment via the partition wall, so that the capacitor and the cooling body are arranged to be suspended near the center in the height direction of the box.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] As described above, Patent Document 1 discloses a power conversion device in which a capacitor and a cooling body are arranged to be suspended near the center in the height direction of a box body. Here, generally, the capacitor and the cooling body are larger in mass than the semiconductor module. Therefore, for example, when the power conversion device is arranged in an environment accompanied by vibrations such as a moving body, if the capacitor and the cooling body are suspended near the center in the height direction, the center of gravity of the entire power conversion device becomes higher, and the entire power conversion device vibrates greatly. As a result, damage to the constituent devices of the power conversion device and loosening of the fixing of the power conversion device may occur. Therefore, a power conversion device capable of reducing the influence of vibrations when arranged in a moving body is desired.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide a power conversion device capable of reducing the influence of vibrations when arranged in a moving body.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To achieve the above object, a power conversion device according to one aspect of the present invention is a power conversion device arranged in a moving body, including a semiconductor module that includes a switching element and rectifies input AC power, a smoothing capacitor that is larger in mass than the semiconductor module and smoothes the rectified AC power, a cooling unit that is larger in mass than the semiconductor module and cools the semiconductor module, and a housing that houses the semiconductor module, the smoothing capacitor, and the cooling unit inside. The smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit are arranged to be supported on the bottom surface of the housing.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, as described above, the smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit, which are heavier than the semiconductor module, are arranged to be supported on the bottom surface of the housing. As a result, since the heavy smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit are supported on the bottom surface of the housing, the center of gravity of the entire power conversion device can be positioned at a low position and is arranged more stably than when suspended in the air. As a result, when the power conversion device is arranged in a moving body, the influence of vibration can be reduced.

[0009] In the power conversion device according to the above aspect, preferably, at least one of the smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit is fixed to the bottom surface of the housing. With this configuration, even when the power conversion device vibrates in the height direction due to the movement of the moving body, at least one of the heavy smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit is fixed to the bottom surface of the housing, so that at least one of the smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit can be made less likely to vibrate. As a result, when the power conversion device is arranged in a moving body, the influence of vibration can be reduced.

[0010] In the power conversion device according to the above aspect, preferably, the housing further includes a partition plate between the semiconductor module and the cooling unit, and the smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit are arranged to be sandwiched between the partition plate and the bottom surface of the housing. With this configuration, since the smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit are arranged to be sandwiched between the partition plate and the bottom surface of the housing, the influence of vibration in the height direction can be further reduced.

[0011] In this case, preferably, at least one of the smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit is arranged to be supported on the bottom surface of the housing via a support member. With this configuration, even when the distance between the partition plate and the bottom surface of the housing does not match the height of the smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit, the smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit can be arranged to be sandwiched in the height direction between the partition plate and the bottom surface of the housing, and the influence of vibration in the height direction can be easily and further reduced.

[0012] In the power conversion device according to the above-described one aspect, preferably, the housing includes a wind tunnel portion where an air flow is generated in a first direction, and the smoothing capacitor and the cooling portion are arranged side by side in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. With this configuration, air can be efficiently applied to both the arranged smoothing capacitor and the cooling portion, so that the smoothing capacitor and the cooling portion can be efficiently cooled.

[0013] In this case, preferably, the smoothing capacitor and the cooling portion are arranged side by side at positions overlapping each other when viewed from the second direction. With this configuration, the distance between the smoothing capacitor and the cooling portion can be reduced compared to the case where the smoothing capacitor and the cooling portion are arranged side by side at positions not overlapping each other when viewed from the second direction, so that the wiring path can be shortened. As a result, the power conversion device can be miniaturized.

[0014] In the power conversion device in which the smoothing capacitor and the cooling portion are arranged side by side at positions overlapping each other when viewed from the second direction, preferably, the housing further includes an input terminal to which AC power is input to the semiconductor module and an output terminal from which DC power is output from the smoothing capacitor, and both the input terminal and the output terminal are arranged at positions on the side where the semiconductor module and the cooling portion are arranged, which is opposite to the side where the smoothing capacitor is arranged, in the second direction. With this configuration, among the power conversion circuits housed in the housing, a layout is formed such that components other than the smoothing capacitor are arranged on the side opposite to the smoothing capacitor, and the smoothing capacitor and the cooling portion can be easily arranged side by side in the second direction. As a result, the air flowing in the first direction can be efficiently applied to both the smoothing capacitor and the cooling portion, so that efficient cooling can be performed.

[0015] In the power conversion device in which the above-described housing includes a wind tunnel portion, preferably, in the second direction of the wind tunnel portion, at least one location between the housing and the smoothing capacitor, between the smoothing capacitor and the cooling portion, and between the cooling portion and the housing further includes a shielding member for blocking air flowing in the first direction of the wind tunnel portion. With this configuration, the air flowing in the first direction of the wind tunnel portion can be efficiently applied to the smoothing capacitor and the cooling portion, so that cooling can be performed efficiently.

[0016] In the power conversion device in which the above-described housing includes a wind tunnel portion, preferably, the smoothing capacitor is a film capacitor, and is disposed at a position facing the cooling portion in the first direction, and further includes a fan for cooling the cooling portion without cooling the smoothing capacitor. With this configuration, the cooling portion can be intensively cooled by the cooling fan without providing a cooling fan for the smoothing capacitor, which is a film capacitor that hardly generates heat.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a power conversion device that can reduce the influence of vibration when disposed on a moving body.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, the configuration of the power conversion device 100 according to this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the power conversion device 100 is disposed in a moving body such as a railway vehicle.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the power conversion device 100 includes a housing 10 that houses a smoothing capacitor 1, a cooling unit 2, a control board 3, a circuit board 4, a semiconductor module 5, an input relay 6, an output relay 7, a cooling fan 8, and a support 9. Note that the housing 10 is provided with a control terminal 3a for connecting a wiring C (see FIG. 3) to the control board 3, an input terminal 6a for connecting a bus bar B (see FIG. 4) to the input relay 6, and an output terminal 7a for connecting a bus bar B (see FIG. 4) to the output relay 7. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the power conversion device 100 is configured to convert the input AC power into DC power and output it.

[0022] Here, the direction in which the semiconductor module 5 and the cooling unit 2 are stacked is defined as the Z direction, the side of the semiconductor module 5 in the Z direction is defined as the Z1 direction, and the side of the cooling unit 2 in the Z direction is defined as the Z2 direction. One of the directions orthogonal to the Z direction is defined as the X direction, and the other direction orthogonal to the X direction is defined as the Y direction. Also, one of the X directions is defined as the X1 direction, and the other of the X directions is defined as the X2 direction. Also, one of the Y directions is defined as the Y1 direction, and the other of the Y directions is defined as the Y2 direction. Note that the X direction is the "first direction" in the claims, and the Y direction is the "second direction" in the claims.

[0023] As the smoothing capacitor 1, for example, an electrolytic capacitor is used. As shown in FIG. 3, the smoothing capacitor 1 includes an anode terminal 1a and a cathode terminal 1b. Further, inside the smoothing capacitor 1, an anode terminal wire, a cathode terminal wire, an anode metal foil, a cathode metal foil, and electrolytic paper impregnated with an electrolytic solution are included, and the weight is relatively large. Specifically, the smoothing capacitor 1 is heavier than the semiconductor module 5 described later. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the smoothing capacitor 1 is used to smooth the power rectified by the semiconductor module 5. Therefore, the smoothing capacitor 1 generates heat when current flows through it. Further, the smoothing capacitor 1 is disposed in the wind tunnel portion T of the housing 10. A detailed description of the arrangement of the smoothing capacitor 1 will be given later.

[0024] The cooling unit 2 is a heat sink including a plurality of heat radiation fins. The cooling unit 2 is formed of a metal having relatively high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, and has a relatively large weight. Specifically, the cooling unit 2 is heavier than the semiconductor module 5 described later. The cooling unit 2 is configured to absorb the heat generated by the semiconductor module 5 by coming into contact with the semiconductor module 5 and dissipate the heat to the housing 10 through air or the support 9. Further, the cooling unit 2 is disposed in the wind tunnel portion T of the housing 10. A detailed description of the arrangement of the cooling unit 2 will be given later.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, the control board 3 is a board for controlling the power conversion device 100. The control board 3 is configured to control, for example, the driving of a plurality of switching elements Q (see FIG. 2) included in the semiconductor module 5. The control board 3 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as a processor and a storage unit such as a memory having a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The control board 3 is connected to a communication wiring C input from the control terminal 3a.

[0026] The semiconductor module 5 is a module that houses two switching elements Q connected in series inside a resin housing. The switching element Q included in the semiconductor module 5 is, for example, a transistor. The semiconductor module 5 is fixed to the cooling unit 2 arranged in the Z2 direction by a fastening member (not shown). Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the semiconductor module 5 includes connection terminals 5a, 5b, and 5c, and the connection terminal 5c is connected to the input relay 6 via a bus bar B (see FIG. 4) as a wiring material. Further, the semiconductor module 5 rectifies the input AC power and outputs power to the smoothing capacitor 1 via the bus bar B1 connected to the connection terminals 5a and 5b.

[0027] The input relay 6 is provided to cut off the input power input to the power conversion device 100, and well-known relay components are used. The input relay 6 is configured to be turned on when the AC power input via the bus bar B (see FIG. 4) as a wiring material is normal, and supply power to the semiconductor module 5 via the bus bar B. Note that the input relay 6 is arranged in the Z1 direction of a partition plate 10b described later and is fixed to the partition plate 10b.

[0028] The output relay 7 is provided to cut off the output power output from the power conversion device 100, and well-known relay components are used. The output relay 7 is configured to be turned on when the output DC power is normal, and supply power to a load (not shown) via the bus bar B (see FIG. 4) as a wiring material. Note that the output relay 7 is arranged in the Z1 direction of a partition plate 10d described later and is fixed to the partition plate 10d.

[0029] Three cooling fans 8 are arranged side by side in the Y direction on the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10. Each of the cooling fans 8 is provided to pass air from the X2 side to the X1 side in a wind tunnel portion T described later by arranging the rotation axis along the X direction. That is, the cooling fan 8 cools the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 arranged in the wind tunnel portion T by generating an air flow in the wind tunnel portion T.

[0030] The support 9 is arranged in the Z2 direction of the cooling unit 2. The support 9 is formed of a metal with relatively high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum for example. The support 9 is provided to fill the gap between the surface of the cooling unit 2 in the Z2 direction and the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10. The support 9 is fixed to the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10. The support 9 is an example of the "support member" in the claims.

[0031] The housing 10 is formed of a relatively lightweight metal, such as aluminum for example. Also, ribs (not shown) are attached to the side surface on the X direction side or the side surface on the Y direction side of the housing 10, and the housing 10 is fixed to the moving body by fastening members in a state where the surface on the Z2 direction side is placed.

[0032] Here, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a partition plate 10b is provided in the housing 10 so as to partition the inside of the housing 10 into two separate partitioned spaces. The partition plate 10b is formed of a relatively lightweight metal, such as aluminum for example. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the partition plate 10b is provided with an opening (not shown) for passing through the anode terminal 1a and the cathode terminal 1b of the smoothing capacitor 1. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the partition plate 10b is provided with an opening (not shown) for passing through the semiconductor module 5 fixed to the cooling unit 2. Note that this partition plate 10b is arranged so as to be in contact with the surface of the smoothing capacitor 1 in the Z1 direction and the surface of the cooling unit 2 in the Z1 direction.

[0033] Among the partitioned spaces inside the housing 10, the space below (in the Z2 direction) the partition plate 10b is open for providing the above-described cooling fan 8, and an opening 10e is also provided on the X1 side opposite to the X2 side where the cooling fan 8 is provided. That is, a wind tunnel portion T where an air flow is generated is formed in the housing 10.

[0034] In addition, the housing 10 is provided with a control terminal 3a, an input terminal 6a, and an output terminal 7a for connecting wiring. Here, rubber bushings are provided for each of the control terminal 3a, the input terminal 6a, and the output terminal 7a to prevent objects other than wiring from entering the inside of the housing 10. Therefore, among the partitioned spaces inside the housing 10, no opening connecting to the external space is provided in the space above the partition plate 10b (in the Z1 direction), and it is sealed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of fine dust and the like contained in the outside air to the control board 3 and the circuit board 4 arranged in the sealed space where no air flow is generated.

[0035] Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the housing 10 includes a partition plate 10c and a partition plate 10d inside. The partition plates 10c and 10d are formed of a relatively lightweight metal such as aluminum, and are provided with a plurality of holes so that fastening members such as screws can be easily inserted and fixed. The control board 3 is fixed to the partition plate 10c using a spacer member 3b. Also, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the circuit board 4 is fixed to the partition plate 10d using a spacer member 4a. Further, the partition plate 10c is provided with an opening (not shown) for passing the bus bar B1.

[0036] Also, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, inside the housing 10, in the Y direction of the wind tunnel portion T, shielding members S for blocking the air flowing in the X direction in the wind tunnel portion T are provided at all locations between the housing 10 and the smoothing capacitor 1, between the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling portion 2, and between the cooling portion 2 and the housing 10. The shielding member S is made of, for example, a resin block and is fixed to the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10 using a fastening member (not shown). As a result, the air flowing inside the wind tunnel portion T hits the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling portion 2 intensively.

[0037] (Regarding the arrangement of the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling portion 2) Here, with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6, the details of the arrangement of the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling portion 2 will be described below.

[0038] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged so as to be supported on the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the smoothing capacitor 1 is fixed to the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10 by a fastening member (not shown) via a bracket 1c formed of an L-shaped sheet metal. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the cooling unit 2 is fixed to the support 9 by a bracket 2a formed of sheet metal. Further, since the support 9 is fixed to the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10 by a fastening member (not shown), the cooling unit 2 is indirectly fixed to the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10 via the support 9. That is, both the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 arranged in the wind tunnel portion T are arranged so as not to be displaced in the X and Y directions.

[0039] Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged so as to be sandwiched between the partition plate 10b and the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10. That is, the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 arranged in the wind tunnel portion T are arranged so as not to be displaced in the Z direction either.

[0040] Further, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged side by side in the Y direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged side by side at positions overlapping each other when viewed from the Y direction. Since a plurality of cooling fans 8 are arranged along the Y direction of the housing 10 as shown in FIG. 1, the air sent from the cooling fans 8 is applied to both the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 arranged in the wind tunnel portion T. Further, since the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged side by side at positions overlapping each other when viewed from the Y direction, the semiconductor module 5 arranged on the surface in the Z1 direction of the cooling unit 2 and the smoothing capacitor 1 are connected by the bus bar B1 in the shortest path. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the bus bars B other than the bus bar B1 connecting the semiconductor module 5 and the smoothing capacitor 1 are omitted.

[0041] Also, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, both the input terminal 6a and the output terminal 7a are arranged at positions on the Y1 side where the semiconductor module 5 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged, which is the side opposite to the Y2 side where the smoothing capacitor 1 is arranged in the Y direction. Note that the circuit board 4, the semiconductor module 5, the input relay 6, and the output relay 7 are also arranged on the Y1 side. That is, among the devices constituting the power conversion device 100, only the smoothing capacitor 1 is arranged so as to protrude in the Y2 direction.

[0042] (Effect of the present embodiment) Next, the effects of the present embodiment will be described.

[0043] The power conversion device 100 of the present embodiment includes a semiconductor module 5 that includes a switching element Q and rectifies the input AC power, a smoothing capacitor 1 that has a larger mass than the semiconductor module 5 and smooths the rectified AC power, a cooling unit 2 that has a larger mass than the semiconductor module 5 and cools the semiconductor module 5, and a housing 10 that houses the semiconductor module 5, the smoothing capacitor 1, and the cooling unit 2 inside. The smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged so as to be supported by the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10. Thereby, since the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 having a large mass are supported by the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10, the center of gravity of the entire power conversion device 100 can be set at a low position and can be arranged more stably than when it is suspended in the air. As a result, when arranged in a moving body, the influence of vibration can be reduced.

[0044] In the present embodiment, both the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are fixed to the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10. Thereby, even when the power conversion device 100 vibrates in the height direction due to the movement of the moving body, since both the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 having a large mass are fixed to the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10, both the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 can be made less likely to vibrate. Thereby, when the power conversion device 100 is arranged in a moving body, the influence of vibration can be reduced.

[0045] Also, in the present embodiment, the housing 10 further includes a partition plate 10b between the semiconductor module 5 and the cooling unit 2, and the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged so as to be sandwiched between the partition plate 10b and the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10. As a result, since the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged so as to be sandwiched between the partition plate 10b and the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10, the influence of vibration in the height (Z) direction can be made smaller.

[0046] Also, in the present embodiment, as at least one of the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2, the cooling unit 2 is arranged so as to be supported by the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10 via the support 9. Thereby, even when the distance between the partition plate 10b and the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10 does not match the heights of the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2, the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 can be arranged so as to be sandwiched in the height (Z) direction between the partition plate 10b and the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10, and the influence of vibration in the height (Z) direction can be easily made smaller.

[0047] Also, in the present embodiment, the housing 10 includes a wind tunnel portion T in which an air flow is generated in the X direction, and the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged side by side in the Y direction orthogonal to the X direction. As a result, air can be efficiently applied to both the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 arranged side by side, so that the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 can be efficiently cooled.

[0048] Also, in the present embodiment, the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged side by side at positions overlapping each other when viewed from the Y direction. As a result, compared with the case where the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged side by side at positions not overlapping each other when viewed from the Y direction, the distance between the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 can be reduced, so that the wiring path of the bus bar B1 can be shortened. As a result, the power conversion device 100 can be miniaturized.

[0049] Further, in the present embodiment, the housing 10 further includes an input terminal 6a to which AC power is input to the semiconductor module 5, and an output terminal 7a from which DC power is output from the smoothing capacitor 1. Both the input terminal 6a and the output terminal 7a are arranged at positions on the Y1 side where the semiconductor module 5 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged, which is the side opposite to the Y2 side where the smoothing capacitor 1 is arranged in the Y direction. As a result, among the power conversion circuits housed in the housing 10, a layout is formed in which components other than the smoothing capacitor 1 are arranged on the side opposite to the smoothing capacitor 1, and the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 can be easily arranged side by side in the Y direction. As a result, the air flowing in the X direction can be efficiently applied to both the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2, so that cooling can be performed efficiently.

[0050] Also, in the present embodiment, the housing 10 further includes a shielding member S for blocking the air flowing in the X direction of the wind tunnel portion T at all locations between the housing 10 and the smoothing capacitor 1, between the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2, and between the cooling unit 2 and the housing 10 in the Y direction of the wind tunnel portion T. Thereby, the air flowing in the X direction of the wind tunnel portion T can be efficiently applied to the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2, so that cooling can be performed efficiently.

[0051] [Modification Example] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the description of the above embodiments but by the claims, and further includes all changes (modification examples) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0052] For example, in the above embodiment, an example in which both the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are fixed to the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, both the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 may be placed without being fixed to the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10, or at least one of the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 may be fixed to the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10.

[0053] In the above-described embodiment, the housing 10 further includes a partition plate 10b between the semiconductor module 5 and the cooling unit 2, and an example is shown in which the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged so as to be sandwiched between the partition plate 10b and the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, for example, the partition plate 10b may be provided at a height approximately in the middle in the height (Z) direction of the semiconductor module 5. In that case, it is preferable to provide an auxiliary member that fills the gap between the surface of the cooling unit 2 in the Z1 direction and the surface of the partition plate 10b in the Z2 direction.

[0054] In the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which, as at least one of the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2, the cooling unit 2 is arranged so as to be supported by the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10 via the support 9. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, for example, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the smoothing capacitor 11 may be arranged so as to be supported by the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10 via the support 9. Also, both the smoothing capacitor 11 and the cooling unit 2 may be arranged so as to be supported by the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10 via the support 9.

[0055] In the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which the housing 10 includes a wind tunnel portion T in which an air flow is generated in the X direction, and the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged side by side in the Y direction orthogonal to the X direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 may be arranged side by side in the X direction. In that case, by providing a gap in the Y direction of the wind tunnel portion T, an air flow may be generated to cool both the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2.

[0056] In the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged side by side at positions overlapping each other when viewed from the Y direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 may be arranged side by side at positions not overlapping each other when viewed from the Y direction.

[0057] Also, in the above-described embodiment, the housing 10 further includes an input terminal 6a to which AC power is input to the semiconductor module 5 and an output terminal 7a from which DC power is output from the smoothing capacitor 1. Both the input terminal 6a and the output terminal 7a are arranged at positions on the Y1 side where the semiconductor module 5 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged, which is the side opposite to the Y2 side where the smoothing capacitor 1 is arranged in the Y direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, both the input terminal 6a and the output terminal 7a may be arranged at positions on the Y2 side where the smoothing capacitor 1 is arranged, which is the side opposite to the Y1 side where the semiconductor module 5 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged in the Y direction.

[0058] Also, in the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which the housing 10 further includes a shielding member S for blocking air flowing in the X direction of the wind tunnel portion T at all locations between the housing 10 and the smoothing capacitor 1, between the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2, and between the cooling unit 2 and the housing 10 in the Y direction of the wind tunnel portion T. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the shielding member S may be provided at at least one location between the housing 10 and the smoothing capacitor 1, between the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2, and between the cooling unit 2 and the housing 10 in the Y direction of the wind tunnel portion T.

[0059] Also, in the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which the smoothing capacitor 1 is an electrolytic capacitor. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the smoothing capacitor 11 may be a film capacitor. In this case, the cooling fan 8 may be arranged only at a position facing the cooling unit 2 in the X direction and may be arranged to cool the cooling unit 2 without cooling the smoothing capacitor 1. Thereby, the cooling unit 2 can be intensively cooled by the cooling fan 8 without providing the cooling fan 8 for the smoothing capacitor 1, which is a film capacitor that hardly generates heat.

[0060] In the above-described embodiment, an example where the support 9 is a metal with relatively high thermal conductivity such as aluminum was shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the support 9 may be anything as long as it fills the space between the smoothing capacitor 1 or the cooling unit 2 and the bottom surface 10a of the housing 10. For example, a ceramic gap filler with good thermal conductivity may be used.

[0061] In the above-described embodiment, an example where the shielding member S is a resin block was shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the shielding member S may be anything as long as it shields the flow of air. For example, a metal plate or the like may be used.

[0062] In the above-described embodiment, an example where the power conversion device 100 is a converter that performs AC / DC conversion was shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the power conversion device 100 may be, for example, a converter or an inverter that performs DC / DC conversion.

[0063] In the above-described embodiment, an example where only the smoothing capacitor 1 and the cooling unit 2 are arranged in the wind tunnel section T was shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, when the power conversion device 100 includes a relatively heavy component device such as a reactor, a relatively heavy component device such as a reactor may be arranged in the wind tunnel section T.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0064] 1, 11 Smoothing capacitor 2 Cooling unit 5 Semiconductor module 6a Input terminal 7a Output terminal 8 Cooling fan 9 Support (support member) 10, 20 Housing 10a Bottom surface (of the housing) 10b Partition plate 100, 200 Power conversion device B1 Bus bar Q Switching element S shielding member T wind tunnel section

Claims

1. A power conversion device disposed in a moving body, comprising: a semiconductor module including a switching element and rectifying the input AC power; a smoothing capacitor having a larger mass than the semiconductor module and smoothing the rectified AC power; a cooling unit having a larger mass than the semiconductor module and cooling the semiconductor module; a housing that houses the semiconductor module, the smoothing capacitor, and the cooling unit therein; The power conversion device, wherein the smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit are disposed so as to be supported on the bottom surface of the housing.

2. The power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit is fixed to the bottom surface of the housing.

3. The housing further includes a partition plate between the semiconductor module and the cooling unit, The power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit are disposed so as to be sandwiched between the partition plate and the bottom surface of the housing.

4. The power conversion device according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit is disposed so as to be supported on the bottom surface of the housing via a support member.

5. The housing includes a wind tunnel portion in which an air flow is generated in a first direction, The power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit are arranged side by side in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

6. The power conversion device according to claim 5, wherein the smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit are arranged side by side at positions overlapping each other when viewed from the second direction.

7. The housing further includes an input terminal to which AC power is input to the semiconductor module and an output terminal from which DC power is output from the smoothing capacitor, The power conversion device according to claim 6, wherein both the input terminal and the output terminal are arranged at positions on the side where the semiconductor module and the cooling unit are arranged, which is opposite to the side where the smoothing capacitor is arranged, in the second direction.

8. The power conversion device according to claim 5, wherein the housing further includes a shielding member for blocking air flowing in the first direction of the wind tunnel portion at at least one location between the housing and the smoothing capacitor, between the smoothing capacitor and the cooling unit, and between the cooling unit and the housing in the second direction of the wind tunnel portion.

9. The smoothing capacitor is a film capacitor, The power conversion device according to claim 5, further comprising a fan that is disposed at a position facing the cooling unit in the first direction and cools the cooling unit without cooling the smoothing capacitor.

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