Power conversion device

Abstract

To provide a power conversion device that reduces an amount of heat generated in a bus bar.SOLUTION: A power conversion device 6 includes a power card 24, a cooler 21, input terminals 60P and 60N, a capacitor 30, input bus bars 61P and 61N, a current detection unit 40, output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W, and output bus bars 71U, 71V, and 71W. The power card 24 is divided into an input side area Ain and an output side area Aout by a virtual surface VS perpendicular to a direction in which a P terminal 24P, an N terminal 24N, and an O terminal 24O are arranged. The input side area Ain is an area including the P terminal 24P and the N terminal 24N, and the output side area Aout is an area including the O terminal 24O. The plurality of input terminals 60P and 60N are arranged on the input side area Ain together with the capacitor 30. The plurality of output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W are arranged on the output side area Aout together with the current detection unit 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The disclosure herein relates to power conversion devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a power conversion device including semiconductor modules, capacitors, current detection units, etc. Multiple semiconductor modules form upper and lower arm circuits that convert DC power supplied from an external battery into AC power and output it to an external motor. The capacitor is connected in parallel with the semiconductor modules and smooths voltage pulsation. The current detection unit detects the magnitude of the current output to the motor.

[0003] The power conversion device further includes an input terminal electrically connected to an external battery, an input bus bar electrically connecting the capacitor to the input terminal, an output terminal electrically connected to an external motor, and an output bus bar electrically connecting the current detection unit to the output terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-82625 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Among the components of a power conversion device, the semiconductor modules that form the upper and lower arm circuits generate the most heat, and these types of semiconductor modules are generally treated with coolers to prevent heat generation. However, if the input and output bus bars are long, the heat generated by these bus bars cannot be ignored. For example, the radiant heat from the bus bars can cause the capacitor to heat up, resulting in a significant degradation of the capacitor's performance.

[0006] One disclosed object is to provide a power conversion device that reduces the amount of heat generated by bus bars. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, one disclosed means is: a plurality of semiconductor modules (24) each having a built-in semiconductor element and arranged in a predetermined stacking direction; a cooling unit (20) having a metal cooler (21) for cooling a plurality of semiconductor modules, an inlet pipe (22) for introducing a refrigerant into the cooler, and an outlet pipe (23) for discharging the refrigerant from the cooler; input terminals (60P, 60N) electrically connected to an external battery (2) and receiving power from the battery; a capacitor (30) electrically connected in parallel to the plurality of semiconductor modules and the battery, for smoothing voltage pulsation of power supplied from the input terminal; an input bus bar (61P, 61N) that electrically connects the capacitor and the input terminal; a current detection unit (40) that detects the magnitude of the AC current output from the semiconductor module; an output terminal (70U, 70V, 70W) electrically connected to an external motor (3) and outputting AC current to the motor; an output bus bar (71U, 71V, 71W) that electrically connects the current detection unit and the output terminal; The semiconductor module has terminals arranged in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction, the terminals including a P terminal (24P) electrically connected to the high potential side of the capacitor, an N terminal (24N) electrically connected to the low potential side of the capacitor, and an O terminal (24O) electrically connected to the current detection unit; Of the two regions divided by a virtual plane (VS) perpendicular to the direction in which the P terminals, N terminals, and O terminals are arranged, the region including the P terminals and N terminals of the multiple semiconductor modules is defined as the input side region (Ain), and the region including the O terminals of the multiple semiconductor modules is defined as the output side region (Aout), the plurality of input terminals are arranged in the input side region together with the capacitors; The plurality of output terminals are disposed in the output side region together with the current detection unit; At least a part of the cooling unit is provided between the input bus bar and the output bus bar, the P terminal, the N terminal, and the O terminal extend in an extension direction perpendicular to both the stacking direction and the arranging direction in the semiconductor module; The capacitor and the current detection unit are arranged on the semiconductor module in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction, forming a power conversion device.

[0008] In the power conversion device disclosed herein, the input terminals are arranged in the input side area together with the capacitors. Therefore, the length of the input bus bar connecting the capacitors and the input terminals can be shortened compared to when the input terminals are arranged in the output side area. Also, the output terminals are arranged in the output side area together with the current detection units. Therefore, the length of the output bus bar connecting the current detection units and the output terminals can be shortened compared to when the output terminals are arranged in the input side area.

[0009] As a result, the input and output bus bars can be shortened, reducing the amount of heat generated by these bus bars. This prevents performance degradation of electrical components other than the semiconductor module due to radiant heat from the bus bars. Specific examples of such electrical components include capacitors and current detection units.

[0010] The reference numbers in parentheses above merely indicate an example of the correspondence with specific configurations in the embodiments described below, and do not in any way limit the technical scope. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is an external view schematically showing a state in which a power conversion device according to a first embodiment is mounted on a vehicle. [Figure 2] 1 is a top view schematically showing a power conversion device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a side view schematically showing a power conversion device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a top view schematically showing a power conversion device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a top view schematically showing a power conversion device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a top view schematically showing a power conversion device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a top view schematically showing a power conversion device according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, several embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, in each embodiment, corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted. In each embodiment, when only a part of the configuration is described, the configuration of the other embodiment described above can be applied to the remaining parts of the configuration.

[0013] (First embodiment) 1 includes a battery 2, a motor 3, an electronic control unit (ECU 4), a radiator 5, and a power conversion device 6. Note that the arrows indicated by the symbols FD, BD, LD, and RD in the figure indicate the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions of the vehicle V. The symbols FD and BD indicate the front and rear, and the symbols LD and RD indicate the left and right.

[0014] The power conversion device 6 converts DC power supplied from the battery 2 into AC power and outputs it to the motor 3. The battery 2 and the power conversion device 6 are electrically connected by an input cable 2a, and DC power is supplied from the battery 2 to the power conversion device 6 through the input cable 2a. The power conversion device 6 and the motor 3 are electrically connected by an output cable 3a, and three-phase AC power is output from the power conversion device 6 to the motor 3 through the output cable 3a.

[0015] The rotational output of the motor 3 is transmitted to the drive wheels 7 of the vehicle V via a reduction gear (not shown) and is exerted as the driving torque of the vehicle V. The vehicle V is equipped with one motor 3 for driving, and the power conversion device 6 outputs power to one motor 3.

[0016] The power converter 6 is configured as an integral part of the motor 3. Specifically, a case 10 (see FIG. 2) of the power converter 6 is bolted to the housing 3b of the motor 3 to form an integral unit. Alternatively, the case 10 and the housing 3b are formed as an integral unit by metal processing such as die casting. The motor 3 is mounted so that the axial direction of the motor rotation shaft coincides with the left-right direction of the vehicle V. The power converter 6 is disposed above the motor 3. The power converter 6 and the motor 3 are electrically connected by an output cable 3a.

[0017] The ECU 4 and the power conversion device 6 are electrically connected by a communication cable 4a, and signals are transmitted and received bidirectionally through the communication cable 4a. For example, a signal representing a required value of the output of the motor 3 is transmitted from the ECU 4 to the power conversion device 6. A detection signal representing the magnitude of the AC current to be output is transmitted from the power conversion device 6 to the ECU 4.

[0018] The radiator 5 is a device that cools a refrigerant using wind generated by running the vehicle, and is connected to the power conversion device 6 by a refrigerant hose 5a. The refrigerant circulates between the radiator 5 and the power conversion device 6 via the refrigerant hose 5a. As a result, the power conversion device 6 is cooled by the refrigerant.

[0019] 2 and 3, the power conversion device 6 includes a case 10, a semiconductor unit 20, a capacitor 30, a current detection unit 40, and a control board 50. The power conversion device 6 further includes an input terminal block 60, an output terminal block 70, and a signal connector 80, which are disposed and attached to an opening of the case 10. The power conversion device 6 further includes an upper arm bus bar 25P, a lower arm bus bar 25N, a midpoint bus bar 25O, input bus bars 61P and 61N, and output bus bars 71U, 71V, and 71W, which are plate-shaped conductive members.

[0020] The case 10 is made of metal and has a main body 11 and a lid 12. The lid 12 is not shown in FIG. 2. The main body 11 has an opening 6a that opens to the front side (upper side) in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 2. The lid 12 is bolted to the main body 11 to close the opening 6a. The semiconductor unit 20, the capacitor 30, the current detection unit 40, and the control board 50 are inserted through the opening 6a and housed inside the case 10.

[0021] The semiconductor unit 20 includes a plurality of power cards 24 (semiconductor modules), a cooler 21, an inlet pipe 22, and an outlet pipe .

[0022] The power card 24 is a resin-molded card-shaped device that incorporates a semiconductor element. The semiconductor element is a switching element that functions as an inverter circuit, converting input DC power into three-phase AC of a predetermined frequency and outputting it to the motor 3. This inverter circuit also has the function of converting AC power generated by the motor 3 into DC power. A power card 24 is provided for each of the three phases of the motor 3. The power card 24 has an upper arm and a lower arm that are connected in series to each other. The upper arm and lower arm are collectively referred to as the upper and lower arm circuit.

[0023] In this embodiment, insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) are used as the switching elements that make up each arm. One power card 24 has two IGBTs built in. The two IGBTs form an upper arm and a lower arm, respectively. The upper and lower arm circuits that output to each phase of the motor 3 are provided by two power cards 24 connected in parallel. This allows the motor 3 to be driven by the other power card 24 even if one power card 24 fails, thereby achieving functional redundancy.

[0024] The power card 24 has a P-terminal 24P, an N-terminal 24N, and an O-terminal 24O. The collector electrode of the IGBT on the upper arm is connected to the P-terminal 24P. The emitter electrode of the IGBT on the lower arm is connected to the N-terminal 24N. The emitter electrode of the IGBT on the upper arm and the collector electrode of the IGBT on the lower arm are connected to the O-terminal 24O.

[0025] The multiple power cards 24 are arranged in a predetermined stacking direction. The power conversion device 6 is mounted on the vehicle V so that the stacking direction coincides with the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction. The P terminal 24P, the N terminal 24N, and the O terminal 24O extend upward from the molded resin of the power cards 24 and are arranged in a straight line. The direction in which these terminals are arranged is perpendicular to the stacking direction and coincides with the axial center direction of the motor rotation shaft, i.e., the left-right direction of the vehicle V.

[0026] The cooler 21 is made of metal and has refrigerant passages formed therein that circulate the refrigerant cooled by the radiator 5. The refrigerant passages include inter-laminar passages, which will be described below. The inter-laminar passages are passages through which refrigerant flows between the multiple power cards 24 in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction (for example, in the left-right direction of the vehicle).

[0027] One end of the inlet pipe 22 and the outlet pipe 23 are connected to the cooler 21, and the other end is connected to the refrigerant hose 5a. The inlet pipe 22 and the outlet pipe 23 are connected to a portion of the cooler 21 that is on the front side of the vehicle, and extend in the stacking direction, that is, the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle. In other words, the inlet pipe 22 and the outlet pipe 23 extend from a portion of the power conversion device 6 that faces the radiator 5 toward the radiator 5.

[0028] The refrigerant cooled by the radiator 5 flows into the refrigerant passage from the inlet pipe 22, flows through the inter-laminar passage, and then flows out from the outlet pipe 23. The portion of the cooler 21 that forms the inter-laminar passage is in contact with both sides of the power card 24. Therefore, heat generated by the semiconductor elements built into the power card 24 is dissipated from both sides of the power card 24 to the cooler 21.

[0029] The P terminal 24P is connected to the upper arm bus bar 25P, the N terminal 24N is connected to the lower arm bus bar 25N, and the O terminal 24O is connected to the midpoint bus bar 25O. These connections may be made by bolting or welding.

[0030] Capacitor 30 is electrically connected in parallel to power card 24 and battery 2, and smooths voltage pulsation of the power supplied from battery 2. The high-potential electrode of capacitor 30 is electrically connected to upper arm bus bar 25P, and thereby electrically connected to P-terminal 24P. The low-potential electrode of capacitor 30 is electrically connected to lower arm bus bar 25N, and thereby electrically connected to N-terminal 24N.

[0031] Capacitor 30 has electrodes in the form of wound film, a case that houses the electrodes, and a resin material that is filled in the case to hold the film while electrically insulating it. Of the electrodes, a pair of opposing electrodes form one capacitance element, and the capacitance elements are connected in parallel.

[0032] One end of an input bus bar 61P is connected to a connection portion 25Pa of the upper arm bus bar 25P, and an input terminal 60P is connected to the other end of the input bus bar 61P. One end of an input bus bar 61N is connected to a connection portion 25Na of the lower arm bus bar 25N, and an input terminal 60N is connected to the other end of the input bus bar 61N. These connections may be made by bolting or welding.

[0033] The input terminal block 60 is made of electrically insulating resin and holds a plurality of input terminals 60P, 60N. The input terminals 60P, 60N are held in an exposed state through an opening 60a of the input terminal block 60. The input terminals 60P, 60N are arranged side by side in the left-right direction of the vehicle. The input terminal block 60 is connected to a connector (not shown) provided at one end of the input cable 2a. As a result, the plurality of input terminals 60P, 60N are electrically connected to the battery 2 outside the power conversion device 6 via the input cable 2a.

[0034] The current detection unit 40 has a current sensor 41 and a holding member 43. The holding member 43 is made of an electrically insulating resin and holds the connection portion 25Oa of the center point bus bar 25O and the current sensor 41. The center point bus bar 25O and the current sensor 41 are provided for each of the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase of the three-phase AC. The current sensor 41 detects the magnitude of the AC current of each phase output from the semiconductor unit 20 without contacting the center point bus bar 25O.

[0035] One end of each of the output bus bars 71U, 71V, and 71W is connected to the connection portion 25Oa of the midpoint bus bar 25O. The other ends of the output bus bars 71U, 71V, and 71W are connected to the output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W. The connection between the output bus bars 71U, 71V, and 71W and the output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W may be made by bolting or welding.

[0036] The output terminal block 70 is made of electrically insulating resin and holds a plurality of output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W. The output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W are held in an exposed state through an opening 70a in the output terminal block 70. The output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W are arranged in a line in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The output terminal block 70 is connected to one end of the output cable 3a. The output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W may be connected to the output cable 3a by bolting or welding. As a result, the plurality of output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W are electrically connected to the U-phase winding, V-phase winding, and W-phase winding of the motor 3, respectively, via the output cable 3a.

[0037] The signal connector 80 is connected to a connector (not shown) provided at one end of the communication cable 4a. The signal connector 80 is connected to the control board 50 by a signal line (not shown). As a result, the control board 50 is electrically connected to the ECU 4 outside the power conversion device 6 via the communication cable 4a. Electronic components 51 such as a microcomputer (MCU) and switching elements are mounted on the control board 50. The MCU has a processor and memory that execute various types of arithmetic processing.

[0038] The control board 50 outputs gate signals to the IGBTs built into the power card 24 based on the torque request input from the ECU 4 and signals detected by the various sensors. Specific examples of the various sensors include a current sensor 41, a voltage sensor, and a rotation angle sensor. As mentioned above, the current sensor 41 detects the magnitude of the AC current of each phase. One of the voltage sensors detects the voltage at the high-potential terminal of the capacitor 30, i.e., the voltage at the P terminal 24P. The rotation angle sensor detects the rotation angle of the rotor of the motor 3.

[0039] Next, the arrangement of the components of the power conversion device 6 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. In the following description, the direction in which the P terminal 24P, the N terminal 24N, and the O terminal 24O are arranged, i.e., the plane perpendicular to the left-right direction of the vehicle, will be referred to as an imaginary plane VS. Of the two areas inside the case 10 divided by the imaginary plane VS, one will be referred to as an input side area Ain, and the other will be referred to as an output side area Aout. The input side area Ain is an area that includes the P terminals 24P and N terminals 24N of multiple power cards 24. The output side area Aout is an area that includes the O terminals 24O of multiple power cards 24.

[0040] The multiple input terminals 60P, 60N are arranged in the input side area Ain together with the capacitor 30. More specifically, the input terminal block 60, the capacitor 30, the upper arm bus bar 25P, the lower arm bus bar 25N, and the input bus bars 61P, 61N are arranged in the input side area Ain.

[0041] The plurality of output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W are arranged in the output side area Aout together with the current detection unit 40. More specifically, the output terminal block 70, the signal connector 80, the current detection unit 40, the midpoint bus bar 25O, and the output bus bars 71U, 71V, and 71W are arranged in the output side area Aout.

[0042] 2, the input terminal block 60 is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the semiconductor unit 20, with the opening 60a facing toward the vehicle rear. The output terminal block 70 is disposed on the vehicle right side of the semiconductor unit 20, with the opening 70a facing toward the vehicle right. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper arm bus bar 25P, the lower arm bus bar 25N, and the midpoint bus bar 25O are all located above the cooler 21.

[0043] The control board 50 is disposed below the semiconductor unit 20, the capacitor 30, and the current detection unit 40. The semiconductor unit 20, the capacitor 30, and the current detection unit 40 are disposed side by side in the left-right direction of the vehicle. The capacitor 30 and the current detection unit 40 are disposed on both sides of the semiconductor unit 20.

[0044] The control board 50 has a rectangular shape that extends perpendicularly to the vertical direction. When viewed from above or below, the entire semiconductor unit 20 is located inside the control board 50. In other words, the entire semiconductor unit 20 is located within the vertical projection range of the control board 50. Similarly, the entire capacitor 30 and the current detection unit 40 are located within the vertical projection range of the control board 50.

[0045] The effects of the power conversion device having the above-described configuration will be described below.

[0046] The power conversion device 6 according to this embodiment is a single-motor inverter having one motor 3 as a target for power output. In this type of inverter, it may be desirable to separately arrange the capacitor 30 and the current detection unit 40 on both sides (both sides perpendicular to the stacking direction) of the semiconductor unit 20. The external connection terminals provided in this type of inverter include input terminals 60P and 60N connected to an external battery 2, and output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W connected to the external motor 3.

[0047] If the input terminals 60P, 60N and the output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W are arranged in the same area of the input side area Ain and the output side area Aout defined by the imaginary plane VS, the input bus bars 61P, 61N or the output bus bars 71U, 71V, and 71W will be longer. For example, if both terminals are arranged in the output side area Aout, the capacitor 30 and the input terminals 60P, 60N will be positioned farther apart, so the input bus bars 61P, 61N will be longer. Also, if both terminals are arranged in the input side area Ain, the current detection unit 40 and the output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W will be positioned farther apart, so the output bus bars 71U, 71V, and 71W will be longer.

[0048] In view of this, in this embodiment, the input terminals 60P, 60N are arranged in the input side area Ain together with the capacitor 30, thereby enabling the input bus bars 61P, 61N to be shortened. In addition, the output terminals 70U, 70V, 70W are arranged in the output side area Aout together with the current detection unit 40, thereby enabling the output bus bars 71U, 71V, 71W to be shortened.

[0049] As described above, according to this embodiment, the input bus bars 61P, 61N and the output bus bars 71U, 71V, 71W can be shortened, thereby reducing the amount of heat generated by these bus bars. This prevents the performance of electrical components such as the capacitor 30 and the current sensor 41 from being degraded by radiant heat from the bus bars.

[0050] (Second embodiment) In the first embodiment, the input terminal block 60 is disposed on the rear side of the semiconductor unit 20 in the vehicle. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the input terminal block 60 is disposed on the left side of the semiconductor unit 20 in the vehicle (see FIG. 4). The output terminal block 70 is disposed on the right side of the semiconductor unit 20 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In other words, the input terminal block 60 and the output terminal block 70 are disposed on both sides of the semiconductor unit 20 when viewed from the top-bottom direction.

[0051] The input terminal block 60 is arranged with its opening 60a facing the left side of the vehicle, and the output terminal block 70 is arranged with its opening 70a facing the right side of the vehicle.

[0052] The range in which cooler 21 is projected in the direction in which P-terminal 24P, N-terminal 24N, and O-terminal 24O are aligned (the left-right direction of the vehicle) is called projection range Ac. Multiple output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W are arranged in output-side area Aout and projection range Ac. Multiple input terminals 60P and 60N are arranged in input-side area Ain and projection range Ac.

[0053] As described above, in this embodiment, the output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W are arranged within the projection range Ac of the cooler 21 in the output side area Aout. Therefore, the current detection unit 40 and the output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W are closer to each other than when they are arranged outside the projection range Ac in the output side area Aout. This facilitates shortening the length of the output bus bars 71U, 71V, and 71W, and facilitates reducing the amount of heat generated by the output bus bars 71U, 71V, and 71W. The above-described arrangement of the output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W is also adopted in the first embodiment, and similar effects are achieved in the first embodiment.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the input terminals 60P, 60N are arranged within the projection range Ac of the cooler 21 in the input side area Ain. Therefore, the capacitor 30 and the input terminals 60P, 60N are positioned closer to each other than when the input terminals 60P, 60N are arranged outside the projection range Ac in the input side area Ain. This makes it possible to shorten the input bus bars 61P, 61N, and to reduce the amount of heat generated by the input bus bars 61P, 61N.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the input terminal block 60 and the output terminal block 70 are disposed on both sides of the semiconductor unit 20 when viewed from above. More specifically, when viewed from above, the cooler 21 is located between the multiple output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W and the multiple input terminals 60P and 60N. Therefore, the metal cooler 21 effectively functions as an electromagnetic shielding member between the input and output terminals. This prevents the current from flowing through the input terminals due to the influence of an electromagnetic field generated by the current flowing through the output terminals. Similarly, it prevents the current from flowing through the output terminals due to the influence of an electromagnetic field generated by the current flowing through the input terminals.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cooler 21 has a double-sided cooling structure that contacts and cools both sides of the power card 24. Therefore, compared to a single-sided cooling structure, the number of interlaminar passages included in the refrigerant passage is greater. In other words, the number of metal plates that form the interlaminar passages arranged in the stacking direction is greater. This further improves the function of the cooler 21 as an electromagnetic shielding member.

[0057] In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the input terminals 60P, 60N are arranged in the input side area Ain together with the capacitor 30, and the output terminals 70U, 70V, 70W are arranged in the output side area Aout together with the current detection unit 40. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the input bus bars 61P, 61N and the output bus bars 71U, 71V, 71W can be shortened, and the amount of heat generated by the bus bars can be reduced.

[0058] (Third embodiment) In this embodiment, the input terminal block 60 and the output terminal block 70 are disposed on the vehicle front side of the semiconductor unit 20 (see FIG. 5). The input terminal block 60 and the output terminal block 70 are disposed so that the openings 60a, 70a face the vehicle front side.

[0059] As described above, in this embodiment, both the input terminal block 60 and the output terminal block 70 are arranged on the same side of the semiconductor unit 20 when viewed from the top-bottom direction. Therefore, the input cable 2a can be connected to the input terminals 60P and 60N, and the output cable 3a can be connected to the output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W from the same side. This improves the efficiency of these connection operations.

[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in addition to the input terminal block 60 and the output terminal block 70, the inlet pipe 22 and the outlet pipe 23 are also arranged on the same side. Therefore, the work of attaching the refrigerant hose 5a to these pipes can also be performed from the same side as the above-mentioned connection work. Therefore, the work efficiency can be improved by performing the connection work and the installation work at the same time.

[0061] In this embodiment, as in the second embodiment, the input terminals 60P and 60N are arranged in the input side area Ain together with the capacitor 30, and the output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W are arranged in the output side area Aout together with the current detection unit 40. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the busbar can be reduced in the same way as in the second embodiment.

[0062] (Fourth embodiment) In this embodiment, the input terminal block 60 is disposed on the vehicle front side of the semiconductor unit 20, and the output terminal block 70 is disposed on the vehicle right side of the semiconductor unit 20 (see FIG. 6). The input terminal block 60 is disposed with its opening 60a facing the vehicle front side, and the output terminal block 70 is disposed with its opening 70a facing the vehicle right side.

[0063] In this embodiment, when viewed from the top and bottom, the entire input terminals 60P, 60N are located within the projection range in which the output terminals 70U, 70V, 70W are projected onto the cooler 21. Two imaginary lines VL shown in Fig. 6 indicate the projection range, and the range sandwiched between these imaginary lines VL corresponds to the projection range.

[0064] In this embodiment, as in the third embodiment, the input terminals 60P and 60N are arranged in the input side area Ain together with the capacitor 30, and the output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W are arranged in the output side area Aout together with the current detection unit 40. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the busbar can be reduced in the same way as in the third embodiment.

[0065] (Fifth embodiment) In this embodiment, the input terminal block 60 and the output terminal block 70 are disposed on the vehicle rear side of the semiconductor unit 20 (see FIG. 7). The input terminal block 60 and the output terminal block 70 are disposed with the openings 60a, 70a facing toward the vehicle rear side.

[0066] 5, in this embodiment, both the input terminal block 60 and the output terminal block 70 are arranged on the same side of the semiconductor unit 20 when viewed from the top-bottom direction. Therefore, similar to the third embodiment, the connection work of the input cable 2a and the connection work of the output cable 3a can be performed from the same side, improving the workability of the connection work.

[0067] In this embodiment, as in the fourth embodiment, the input terminals 60P and 60N are arranged in the input side area Ain together with the capacitor 30, and the output terminals 70U, 70V, and 70W are arranged in the output side area Aout together with the current detection unit 40. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the busbar can be reduced in the same way as in the fourth embodiment.

[0068] (Other embodiments) Although multiple embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, not only the combinations of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment but also partial combinations of configurations of multiple embodiments can be made without explicit statements, as long as there are no particular problems with the combinations. Furthermore, combinations of configurations described in multiple embodiments and modified examples that are not explicitly stated are also considered to be disclosed by the following description.

[0069] 2, the semiconductor unit 20 functions as a DC-AC converter that converts input DC power into three-phase AC power of a predetermined frequency. Alternatively, the semiconductor unit 20 may also function as a DC-DC converter that converts a DC voltage into a DC voltage of a different value. Alternatively, the semiconductor unit 20 may function as both a DC-AC converter and a DC-DC converter.

[0070] 1, the power conversion device 6 outputs power to one motor 3, but it may output power to multiple motors. In that case, the number of upper and lower arm circuits increases, and the size of the semiconductor unit 20 in the stacking direction increases.

[0071] In the first embodiment, the output terminals 70U, 70V, 70W and the output cable 3a are connected by bolts or welding. However, the output terminals 70U, 70V, 70W and the output cable 3a may be connected by connectors.

[0072] In the first embodiment, the lower arm bus bar 25N and the input bus bar 61N are separate metal members and are connected by bolts or welding. However, these bus bars may be integrally formed from a single metal member. Similarly, the upper arm bus bar 25P and the input bus bar 61P may be integrally formed from a single metal member. Similarly, the output bus bars 71U, 71V, 71W and the midpoint bus bar 25O may be integrally formed from a single metal member.

[0073] Furthermore, input bus bar 61N and input terminal 60N may be connected separately or may be integrally formed from a single metal member. Similarly, input bus bar 61P and input terminal 60P may be connected separately or may be integrally formed. Similarly, output bus bars 71U, 71V, 71W and output terminals 70U, 70V, 70W may be connected separately or may be integrally formed.

[0074] In the first embodiment, the cooler 21 has a double-sided cooling structure that contacts and cools both sides of the power card 24. However, the cooler 21 may have a single-sided cooling structure that contacts and cools one side of the power card 24.

[0075] The output bus bars 71U, 71V, 71W and the output terminal block 70 may be assembled into a single component by being attached to the current detection unit 40. The upper arm bus bar 25P and the lower arm bus bar 25N may be assembled into a single component by being attached to the capacitor 30. The input bus bar 61P, the input bus bar 61N and the input terminal block 60 may be assembled into a single component by being attached to the capacitor 30. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 6...Power conversion device 2 Battery, 6 Power conversion device, 21 Cooler, 24 Semiconductor module, 24N N terminal, 24O O terminal, 24P P terminal, 3 Motor, 30 Capacitor, 40 Current detection unit, 60N, 60P Input terminal, 61N, 61P Input bus bar, 70U, 70V, 70W Output terminal, 71U, 71V, 71W Output bus bar, Ac Projection range, Ain Input side area, Aout Output side area, VS Virtual surface.

Claims

1. a plurality of semiconductor modules (24) each having a built-in semiconductor element and arranged in a predetermined stacking direction; a cooling unit (20) having a metal cooler (21) for cooling the plurality of semiconductor modules, an inlet pipe (22) for introducing a refrigerant into the cooler, and an outlet pipe (23) for discharging the refrigerant from the cooler; input terminals (60P, 60N) electrically connected to an external battery (2) and receiving power from the battery; a capacitor (30) electrically connected in parallel to the plurality of semiconductor modules and the battery, for smoothing voltage pulsation of the power supplied from the input terminal; an input bus bar (61P, 61N) that electrically connects the capacitor and the input terminal; a current detection unit (40) for detecting the magnitude of the AC current output from the semiconductor module; an output terminal (70U, 70V, 70W) electrically connected to an external motor (3) and outputting the AC current to the motor; an output bus bar (71U, 71V, 71W) that electrically connects the current detection unit and the output terminal; the semiconductor module has terminals arranged in a direction perpendicular to the stacking direction, the terminals including a P terminal (24P) electrically connected to a high potential side of the capacitor, an N terminal (24N) electrically connected to a low potential side of the capacitor, and an O terminal (24O) electrically connected to the current detection unit; Of the two regions partitioned by a virtual plane (VS) perpendicular to the direction in which the P terminals, the N terminals, and the O terminals are arranged, the region including the P terminals and the N terminals of the plurality of semiconductor modules is defined as an input side region (Ain), and the region including the O terminals of the plurality of semiconductor modules is defined as an output side region (Aout), the plurality of input terminals are arranged in the input side region together with the capacitor; the plurality of output terminals are arranged in the output side region together with the current detection unit; At least a part of the cooling unit is provided between the input bus bar and the output bus bar, the P terminal, the N terminal, and the O terminal extend in an extension direction perpendicular to both the stacking direction and the arranging direction in the semiconductor module, The capacitor and the current detection unit are arranged on the semiconductor module in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction.

2. a high-arm bus bar (25P) electrically connected to the high potential side of the capacitor, a high input bus bar (61P) that is the input bus bar on the high potential side, and the P terminal; a low arm bus bar (25N) electrically connected to the low potential side of the capacitor, a low input bus bar (61N) that is the input bus bar on the low potential side, and the N terminal; The power conversion device according to claim 1 , comprising:

3. The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein the output bus bars of at least two of the three phases are arranged within a projection range of the input bus bars projected onto the cooling portion.

4. 4. The power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the input bus bar on the high potential side and the input bus bar on the low potential side is arranged within a projection range in which the output bus bar is projected onto the cooling section.

5. The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least a portion of the cooler is provided between the input bus bar and the output bus bar.

6. The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least a portion of the inlet pipe and at least a portion of the outlet pipe are provided between the input bus bar and the output bus bar.

7. The plurality of output terminals are arranged in a projection range (Ac) of the cooler in a direction in which the capacitor and the current detection unit are arranged and in which the P terminal, the N terminal, and the O terminal are arranged. The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. The plurality of input terminals are arranged in a projection range (Ac) of the cooler in a direction in which the capacitor and the current detection unit are arranged and in which the P terminal, the N terminal, and the O terminal are arranged. The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. 8. The power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the cooler is configured to cool the semiconductor module by contacting both surfaces of the semiconductor module.

10. the input bus bar is provided at a position away from the cooling unit toward the input terminal, The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the output bus bar is provided at a position away from the cooling unit toward the output terminal.

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