Power converters and uninterruptible power supplies

Abstract

To provide a power conversion device that can control the airflow inside the device while keeping the number of parts to a minimum. [Solution] The power conversion device 1 comprises a circuit board 10 on which a power conversion unit 20 is mounted, an interface unit 50 having at least one of a display unit 51 and an operation unit 52, and a casing 2 that houses the circuit board 10. The casing 2 is provided with an air intake port 5 for taking in outside air into the casing 2 and an exhaust port 6 for discharging air from the inside of the casing 2 to the outside. The casing 2 has a top plate 3 and a storage unit 30 recessed from the top plate 3 to house the interface unit 50. In the vicinity of the power conversion unit 20, the storage unit 30 narrows the flow path from the air intake port 5 to the exhaust port 6.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power conversion device and an uninterruptible power supply device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a portable blower device that can cool heat-generating components by a blower fan.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a power conversion device, it is required to suppress the influence of heat generation of a power conversion unit, which is a member responsible for power conversion. In a conventional power conversion device, a configuration in which the power conversion unit is cooled by blowing air is known. In this configuration, airflow control may be performed by providing a partition or the like inside the power conversion device so that the airflow efficiently flows toward the region where the power conversion unit is provided.

[0005] However, since a large number of components are provided inside the power conversion device, in the above configuration, the number of components further increases by providing a partition. Furthermore, the partition is larger than other components, and there is a problem that the space for installing components decreases by providing the partition, and the power conversion device itself becomes larger.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a power conversion device and an uninterruptible power supply device that can control the airflow inside the device while suppressing the number of components.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A power converter according to one aspect of this disclosure is: A circuit board on which the power conversion unit is mounted, An interface unit having at least one of a display unit and an operation unit, It comprises a casing for housing the substrate, The casing is provided with an air intake port for drawing outside air into the casing, and an exhaust port for discharging air from the inside of the casing to the outside. The casing has a top plate and a storage section recessed from the top plate to house the interface section. In the flow path from the intake port to the exhaust port, the flow path is narrowed by the storage unit in the vicinity of the power conversion unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the above, it is possible to provide a power converter and an uninterruptible power supply that can control the airflow inside the device while keeping the number of parts to a minimum. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a top view showing an example of a power conversion device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an enlarged view showing the storage compartment of the power converter. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a top view showing the internal structure of the power converter shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a top view showing a power conversion device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure] Specific examples of the power converter 1 according to the embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. This disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims, as indicated by the claims. For the sake of clarity, the description of components having the same reference numerals as those already described in the description of the embodiments will be omitted. Furthermore, the dimensions of the components shown in these drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of the components for the sake of clarity.

[0011] Figure 1 is a top view showing a power conversion device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The power conversion device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is, for example, a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) and converts AC voltage to DC voltage and DC voltage to AC voltage, as well as adjusting the voltage and frequency before outputting. As shown in Figure 1, the power converter 1 is equipped with a rectangular casing 2 when viewed from above. The casing 2 is a box-shaped member that opens upwards. The casing 2 constitutes an internal space 4. A top plate 3 is attached to the top surface of the casing 2, and the top plate 3 prevents the electronic components installed in the internal space 4 from being exposed to the outside.

[0012] Furthermore, the power converter 1 includes an interface unit 50 having a display unit 51, an operation unit 52, and a connection unit 53 (see Figure 2). The display unit 51 can display the output voltage, output current, output frequency, and operating mode of the power converter 1. The operation unit 52 can set the output voltage, output frequency, and operating mode of the power converter 1 as needed.

[0013] Next, the internal structure of the power converter 1 according to this embodiment will be described. In Figure 1, components housed in the casing 2 and covered by the top plate 3, making them not directly visible from above, are indicated by dashed lines.

[0014] The power conversion device 1 has a substrate 10 in the internal space 4 of the casing 2. The substrate 10 is fixed to the inner wall of the casing 2 by screws or the like. The substrate 10 is provided with a power conversion unit 20, a control unit 60 for controlling the power conversion unit 20, and a heat sink 22. The power conversion unit 20 is a part that converts an input voltage into a desired output voltage. The power conversion unit 20 is composed of a plurality of electronic components 21. The electronic components 21 are, for example, switching elements such as IGBTs, and electronic components such as resistors, capacitors, transformers, and diodes. An input voltage is input to the power conversion unit 20, and the power conversion unit 20 outputs an output voltage.

[0015] The control unit 60 is a part that controls the behavior of the power conversion unit 20. The control unit controls, for example, the operating frequency of the switching element which is the electronic component 21. Various parameters set by the interface unit 50 are input to this control unit 60 and applied to the power conversion unit 20.

[0016] Since a large current can be input to the power conversion unit 20, heat is likely to be generated. For example, the switching element operates at high speed and thus heat is likely to be generated. Therefore, the heat sink 22 is attached to the electronic component 21 that generates particularly a large amount of heat among the electronic components 21 constituting the power conversion unit 20. For example, the heat sink 22 is attached to the switching element.

[0017] The power conversion device 1 has a fan 100. The casing 2 is provided with an air inlet 5 and an air outlet 6. The fan 100 sucks in low-temperature air from the outside through the air inlet 5 and discharges the high-temperature air inside the casing 2 to the outside through the air outlet 6. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the air inlet 5 is provided wide on one side of the outer wall of the casing 2. The air outlet 6 is provided in a part of the surface of the thin box-shaped casing 2 facing the surface where the air inlet 5 is provided.

[0018] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the fan 100 is provided at a position facing the exhaust port 6 of the casing 2. By driving the fan 100, the air in the internal space 4 of the casing 2 can be discharged to the outside. In order to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat sink 22, it is desirable that the fan 100 and the heat sink 22 be arranged so as to be adjacent to each other. More specifically, it is desirable that the heat sink 22 be provided at a position as close as possible to the fan 100 on the air flow path from the intake port 5 to the exhaust port 6.

[0019] Next, the mounting mode of the interface unit 50 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the mounting mode of the interface unit 50. As shown in FIG. 2, a storage unit 30 capable of mounting the interface unit 50 is provided on the top plate 3 of the power conversion device 1 according to the present disclosure. The storage unit 30 is a recessed part facing from the top plate 3 toward the internal space 4 of the casing 2.

[0020] The storage unit 30 has a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the interface unit 50. The storage unit 30 has a side wall 31 and a bottom plate 32. The side wall 31 is a metal plate extending from the top plate 3 toward the internal space of the casing 2. The bottom plate 32 is a metal plate connected to the side wall 31 and provided substantially parallel to the top plate 3. The bottom plate 32 has a fitting hole 40 that can be fitted with the connecting portion 53 of the interface unit 50.

[0021] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the interface unit 50 can be fixed to the storage unit 30 by vertically pushing the connecting portion 53 into the fitting hole 40 and fitting them with each other. When removing the interface unit 50 from the storage unit 30, it can be removed by vertically pulling it out. Also, a cable (not shown) extending from the interface unit 50 extends into the internal space of the casing 2 through this fitting hole 40 and is connected to the substrate 10.

[0022] When the interface unit 50 is attached to the storage unit 30, the surface of the interface unit 50 having the display unit 51 is fixed so that it is substantially flush with the top plate 3 or positioned further inward than the top plate 3 in the casing 2. In other words, when the interface unit 50 is attached to the storage unit 30, the surface of the interface unit 50 is configured not to protrude from the top plate 3.

[0023] Furthermore, the side walls 31 of the storage section 30 may be inclined to widen from the bottom plate 32 towards the top plate 3 in order to facilitate the attachment and removal of the interface section 50.

[0024] Next, the airflow in the internal space 4 of the casing 2 will be explained using Figure 3. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the power converter 1 according to the embodiment. More specifically, Figure 3 is a top view of the power converter 1 shown in Figure 1 with the top plate 3 removed, and the area where the interface section 50 is located when the top plate 3 is installed is shown by a dashed line. In Figure 3, the direction in which air flows in the internal space 4 is defined as the forward direction, and the right, left, and rear directions relative to the forward direction are defined as shown in Figure 3. The directions extending along the right and left directions are called the left-right directions. The directions extending along the forward and rear directions are called the front-rear directions.

[0025] In the following explanation, we will hypothetically divide the internal space 4 into three regions: the left region, the central region, and the right region. The airflow in the rear region A1 of the left region will be called W11, the airflow in the rear region A1 of the central region will be called W12, and the airflow in the rear region A1 of the right region will be called W13. In addition, the airflow in the front region A2 of the left region will be called W21, and the airflow in the front region A2 of the central region will be called W22.

[0026] In the left region, there are few obstacles extending from the rear region A1 to the front region A2. As a result, the airflow W11 generated in the rear region A1 flows almost directly into the front region A2, and an airflow W21 with a flow velocity and flow rate equivalent to that of airflow W11 is generated in the front region A2.

[0027] In the right region, the interface section 50 is located in the front region A2. Therefore, the airflow W13 generated in the rear region A1 cannot flow directly into the front region A2, and most of the airflow W13 flows into the adjacent central region.

[0028] In the front region A2 of the central region, in addition to the airflow W12 generated in the rear region A1 of the central region, the airflow W13 generated in the rear region A1 of the right region, as described above, flows in. Therefore, the flow rate of the airflow W22 generated in the front region A2 of the central region is the sum of the flow rates of airflow W12 and airflow W13. Furthermore, because the airflow W22, which has a large flow rate, flows through a channel narrowed by the interface section 50, the flow velocity of airflow W22 is greater than that of airflow W21 flowing in the front region A2 of the left region. In other words, in the front region A2 of the central region, an airflow with both a large flow rate and a large flow velocity is generated. Therefore, in this embodiment, the heat sink 22 is placed in the front region A2 of the central region to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the heat sink 22.

[0029] In the above explanation, we described the behavior of the airflow by virtually dividing the internal space 4 into three sections in the left-right direction, but it can also be explained as follows. In the rear region A1, airflow is generated in a flow path with width d1. However, in the front region A2, the flow path is narrowed by the interface 50, and airflow is generated in a flow path with width d2, which is narrower than width d1. Since the total flow rate of the airflow generated in the front region A2 and the airflow generated in the rear region A1 is the same, the flow rate is higher in the central front region A1 where the airflow that has bypassed the interface 50 and the airflow from the intake port 5 are generated. In addition, since a large flow rate is generated in a narrow flow path, the flow velocity is also higher.

[0030] In the example shown in Figure 3, the power conversion unit 20 is located in a region where the width of the flow path is narrowed. In other words, the flow path is narrowed by the storage unit 30 in the vicinity of the power conversion unit 20. In the narrowed flow path, the airflow rate and velocity increase. As a result, the heat dissipation performance of the power conversion unit 20 is improved in the narrowed flow path. In the power conversion device 1 according to this disclosure, a switching element is placed in this position as the power conversion unit 20, which is prone to generating heat, and a heat sink 22 is attached to the switching element. A large airflow with high flow rate and velocity is generated in the flow path where the heat sink 22 is located, efficiently cooling the power conversion unit 20.

[0031] Furthermore, in the power converter 1 according to this disclosure, the flow path in the region where the power conversion unit 20 is provided is narrowed by the storage unit 30 that houses the interface unit 50. This makes it possible to control the airflow in the internal space 4 of the casing 2 without providing additional parts. With the above configuration, it is possible to provide a power converter 1 that can control airflow while keeping the number of parts to a minimum.

[0032] The heatsink 22 may also have a configuration that includes a solid heat transfer section extending in the direction of airflow from the fan, and a pair of fins extending laterally from both sides of the heat transfer section. In the illustrated example, the electronic component 21 is installed below the solid heat transfer section, and a pair of fins extends vertically. Since a particularly large airflow velocity and flow rate is generated in the space between the right side of the heatsink 22 and the storage section 30, the heatsink 22 can dissipate heat more efficiently.

[0033] Furthermore, since the switching elements constituting the power conversion unit 20 generate a particularly large amount of heat, it is preferable to place them in a position where the flow path is narrowed by the storage unit 30. In this case, as described above, it is preferable to attach the heat sink 22 to the switching elements.

[0034] It is preferable to place other electronic components 21, such as transformers and capacitors, that constitute the power conversion unit 20 in the front region A2, which is the region to the left of the heat sink 22. This region has relatively ample installation space and is also close to the fan 100, so a certain amount of airflow can be expected. Conversely, it is preferable to place the control unit 60, which generates relatively little heat, in the rear region A1 (near the air intake 5) or the like.

[0035] In the configuration described above, the storage section 30 may be fixed to the inner surface of the top plate 3 of the casing 2. For example, the storage section 30 may be configured to fit into a fitting portion provided on the inner surface of the top plate 3 (the back surface of the top plate 3 shown in Figure 2). The storage section 30 may also be configured separately from the top plate 3, or it may be integrated with the top plate 3. In the embodiment described above, an example was explained in which the interface section 50 fits into the fitting hole section 40, but the interface section 50 may also be configured to fit into a fitting portion provided on the side wall 31.

[0036] Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, the surface of the interface portion 50 may be on the same plane as the top plate 3 of the casing 2, or it may be located inside the casing 2 beyond the top plate 3. With this configuration, the interface portion 50 does not protrude from the casing, thus improving the flexibility of the installation of the power converter 1.

[0037] Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, the power conversion unit 20 may be located near the opening of the exhaust port 6. This configuration allows for an increase in the airflow rate of the flow path to the power conversion unit 20, thereby enabling efficient cooling of the power conversion device 1.

[0038] Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, the interface unit 50 may be mounted in a way that allows its orientation relative to the casing 2 to be changed. Figure 4 shows the interface unit 50 of the power converter 1 shown in Figure 1 rotated 90 degrees and mounted on the top plate 3. With this configuration, the mounting orientation of the power converter itself can be changed. In other words, the interface unit 50 can be rotated according to the orientation in which the power converter 1 is installed. This improves the flexibility of the installation of the power converter. Although Figure 4 shows an example in which the interface unit 50 is rotated 90 degrees from the power converter 1 shown in Figure 1, the interface unit 50 may be mounted rotated to any angle from the orientation shown in Figure 1.

[0039] The power conversion device 1 described above can be suitably used, for example, in an uninterruptible power supply having an energy storage device.

[0040] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of this disclosure should not be interpreted restrictively by the description of these embodiments. These embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications to the embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of this disclosure should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and the scope of its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1. Power converter 2 Casing 3 Top plate 4. Interior space 5. Air intake 6 Exhaust vents 10 circuit boards 20 Power Conversion Unit 21 Electronic Components 22 Heatsinks 30 Storage section 31 Side wall 32 Bottom plate 40 Fitting hole 50 Interface section 51 Display section 52 Operation section 53 Connection part 60 Control Unit 100 fans W11, W12, W13, W21, W22 airflow A1, A2 area

Claims

1. A circuit board on which the power conversion unit is mounted, An interface unit having at least one of a display unit and an operation unit, It comprises a casing for housing the substrate, The casing is provided with an air intake port for drawing outside air into the casing, and an exhaust port for discharging air from the inside of the casing to the outside. The casing has a top plate and a storage section recessed from the top plate to house the interface section. A power conversion device in which, in the flow path from the intake port to the exhaust port, the flow path is narrowed by the storage unit in the vicinity of the power conversion unit.

2. The power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the storage section is fixed to the inner surface of the top plate of the casing.

3. The power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the interface portion is provided in a concave storage portion located inside the casing beyond the top plate.

4. The power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the interface unit is housed in the storage unit in a manner in which at least one of the display unit and the operation unit is exposed to the outside.

5. The power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the interface portion is on the same plane as the top plate of the casing, or is located inside the casing beyond the top plate.

6. The power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the power conversion unit is located near the opening of the exhaust port.

7. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the interface portion is mounted so as to be able to change its orientation relative to the casing.

8. The power conversion device according to claim 1, wherein a cooling fan is attached to the casing.

9. An uninterruptible power supply comprising an energy storage device and the power conversion device described in claim 1.

Images