Mechatronic device

Abstract

To provide a mechatronic device capable of maintaining cooling performance of each component of a power control unit without adopting a complicated cooling structure while suppressing the power control unit from being enlarged in a height direction.SOLUTION: A mechatronic device comprises: a rotary electric machine; a power control unit which controls the rotary electric machine; a first case member in which partial components of the power control unit and the rotary electric machine are accommodated; a second case member which is provided in an upper part of the first case member and in which the remaining components of the power control unit other than the partial components are accommodated; and a cooling path which is provided between the first case member and the second case, and in which a coolant for cooling the components of the power control unit flows via a wall.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electromechanical integrated device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which, in an electrically-integrated device in which a rotating electric machine and a power control unit are integrated, the components of the power control unit are stacked in the height direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-088939 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, the cooling structure for cooling each component of the power control unit may become complicated.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide an integrated mechanical and electrical device that can ensure the cooling performance of each component of the power control unit without adopting a complex cooling structure, while suppressing an increase in the vertical size of the power control unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the mechanically and electrically integrated device of the present invention comprises a rotating electric machine, a power control unit that controls the rotating electric machine, a first case member that houses some components of the power control unit and the rotating electric machine, a second case member that is provided on top of the first case member and houses the remaining components of the power control unit other than the some components, and a cooling path that is provided between the first case member and the second case member, through which a refrigerant flows to cool each component of the power control unit via a wall portion.

[0007] This allows some of the components of the power control unit to be housed in the first case member that houses the rotating electric machine, and each component of the power control unit can be cooled by the coolant flowing through the cooling passage provided between the first case member and the second case member. This makes it possible to ensure the cooling performance of each component of the power control unit while suppressing an increase in the height of the power control unit.

[0008] In the above, the first case member may contain lubricant for lubricating the rotating electric machine, and some components of the power control unit housed in the first case member may be a reactor.

[0009] This makes it possible to house a reactor that is resistant to lubricating oil within the first case member. Effect of the Invention

[0010] In the electromechanical integrated device according to the present invention, some of the components of the power control unit are housed in a first case member that houses a rotating electric machine, and each component of the power control unit can be cooled through a wall portion that forms the cooling path by a coolant that flows through a cooling path provided between the first case member and the second case member. Therefore, the electromechanical integrated device according to the present invention has an effect of being able to ensure the cooling performance of each component of the power control unit without employing a complex cooling structure, while suppressing an increase in the height direction of the power control unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a drive unit according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the drive unit according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] An embodiment of the electromechanical integrated device according to the present invention will be described below. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Note that in this embodiment, the electromechanical integrated device according to the present invention will be described as an example in which it is applied to a drive unit equipped with a rotating electric machine as a drive power source for a vehicle. Also, the front side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle on which the drive unit is mounted is designated as "Fr", the right side in the lateral direction of the vehicle is designated as "RH", and the upper side in the height direction of the vehicle is designated as "UPR", and each direction is appropriately indicated using arrows in the drawings.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a drive unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the drive unit 1 according to the embodiment.

[0014] The drive unit 1 according to the embodiment is a unit (electromechanical integrated device) in which a first rotating electric machine MG1, a second rotating electric machine MG2, and a PCU (Power Control Unit) 10 are integrated together. The drive unit 1 is mounted on, for example, an electric vehicle. The drive unit 1 includes a case 20 that houses the first rotating electric machine MG1, the second rotating electric machine MG2, the PCU 10, a bus bar 16, a terminal block 17, and the like.

[0015] The first rotating electric machine MG1 and the second rotating electric machine MG2 can function as a motor (electric motor) that receives a supply of electric power to generate power, and as a generator (electric generator) that receives a supply of power to generate electric power. When functioning as a generator, the first rotating electric machine MG1 and the second rotating electric machine MG2 generate electric power using the torque of an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle or the inertial force of the vehicle, and charge a battery or supply electric power to drive the other rotating electric machine that functions as a motor. On the other hand, when functioning as a motor, the first rotating electric machine MG1 and the second rotating electric machine MG2 power-run using electric power charged in a battery or electric power generated by the other rotating electric machine that functions as a generator.

[0016] The PCU 10 is a control device that controls the first rotating electric machine MG1 and the second rotating electric machine MG2, and includes a control board 11, a DC-DC converter 12, a filter capacitor 13, a power module 14 provided with multiple semiconductor elements, and a reactor 15.

[0017] In the drive unit 1 according to the embodiment, among the components of the PCU 10, the control board 11, the DC-DC converter 12, the filter capacitor 13, and the power module 14 are integrated into a PCU assembly 10A. In the PCU assembly 10A, the DC-DC converter 12, the filter capacitor 13, and the power module 14 are arranged in a plane below the control board 11. This makes it possible to suppress an increase in the size of the PCU assembly 10A and therefore the PCU 10 in the height direction, compared to a case in which the control board 11, the DC-DC converter 12, the filter capacitor 13, and the power module 14 are stacked in the height direction to form the PCU assembly 10A.

[0018] The case 20 is configured by integrating a transaxle case 21, which is a first case member, and a PCU case 22, which is a second case member provided on the upper part of the transaxle case 21. The transaxle case 21 accommodates a reactor 15, which is a part of the components of the PCU 10, and a first rotating electric machine MG1 and a second rotating electric machine MG2. The PCU case 22 accommodates a PCU assembly 10A, which is a component of the PCU 10 other than the reactor. In addition, the upper side of the PCU case 22 is open, and a PCU cover 23 is attached to the PCU case 22 so as to cover this opening. The reactor 15 provided in the transaxle case 21 and the PCU assembly 10A provided in the PCU case 22 are electrically connected within the case 20 via a cable, a connector, or the like.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the case 20 is divided into a transaxle area on the transaxle case 21 side and a PCU area on the PCU case 22 side by a partition wall 24. Between the transaxle case 21 and the PCU case 22, inside the partition wall 24, a cooling path 30 is provided, through which a liquid refrigerant flows from an inlet nozzle 31 by operating an electric pump (not shown) of a cooling circuit provided in the vehicle. The refrigerant flowing through the cooling path 30 is intended to cool at least each component of the PCU 10 through each wall portion on the transaxle case 21 side and the PCU case 22 side that form the cooling path 30 in the partition wall 41. The cooling path 30 is provided in a range in the surface direction of the partition wall 24 that can cool at least each component of the PCU 10. In this embodiment, the DC-DC converter 12, filter capacitor 13, and power module 14 of the PCU 10 are installed on the surface of the partition wall 24 facing the PCU case 22, and the reactor 15 of the PCU 10 is installed on the surface of the partition wall 24 facing the transaxle case 21. As a result, at least the DC-DC converter 12, filter capacitor 13, power module 14, and reactor 15 of the PCU 10 are cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the cooling path 30 via the partition wall 24. After flowing through the cooling path 30 and cooling each component of the PCU 10, the refrigerant flows out from the outflow nozzle 32 to the outside.

[0020] The bus bar 16 is a power line for electrically connecting the first rotating electric machine MG1 and the second rotating electric machine MG2 to the PCU 10 and for exchanging power between the first rotating electric machine MG1 and the second rotating electric machine MG2 and the PCU 10, and is supported by a terminal block 17. The terminal block 17 is fitted into a through hole formed in a partition wall 24 in the case 20 and fixed to the partition wall 24. Note that a sealing member is preferably provided between the terminal block 17 and the partition wall 24 to seal so that no gap is formed. In the case 20, the bus bar 16 extends from the terminal block 17 in the vertical direction to the transaxle case side and the PCU case 22 side. Then, the respective terminals of the first rotating electric machine MG1 and the second rotating electric machine MG2 are connected to the bus bar 16 in the transaxle case 21, and the terminal of the PCU 10 is connected to the bus bar 16 in the PCU case 22. As a result, the PCU 10 is electrically connected to the first rotating electric machine MG1 and the second rotating electric machine MG2 via the bus bar 16.

[0021] In the drive unit 1 according to the embodiment, the reactor 15, which is a component of the PCU 10, is installed in the partition wall 24 in the transaxle case 21. As a result, by arranging the first rotating electric machine MG1 and the second rotating electric machine MG2 in the transaxle case 21, it is possible to effectively utilize the dead space formed between the first rotating electric machine MG1 and the second rotating electric machine MG2 and the partition wall 24, and to suppress the increase in size in the height direction of the PCU 10. In addition, since each component of the PCU 10 is installed in the partition wall 24 and each component of the PCU 10 can be cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the cooling path 30 provided inside the partition wall 24 through the wall portion forming the cooling path 30 in the partition wall 24, it is possible to ensure the cooling performance of each component of the PCU 10 without adopting a complex cooling structure. Furthermore, the lubricating oil scooped up in the transaxle case 21 as the first rotating electric machine MG1 and the second rotating electric machine MG2 rotate and drive falls on the reactor 15, and the reactor 15 can be cooled by the lubricating oil. [Explanation of symbols]

[0022] 1 Drive unit 10 PCU 10A PCU Assembly 11 Control Board 12 DC-DC converter 13 Filter Capacitor 14 Power Module 15 Reactor 16 Busbar 17 Terminal block 20 cases 21 Transaxle case 22 PCU case 23 PCU cover 24 Bulkhead 30 Cooling path 31 Inlet nozzle 32 Outlet nozzle MG1 No. 1 rotating electric machine MG2 No. 2 rotating electric machine

Claims

1. A first rotating electric machine and a second rotating electric machine, a power control unit that controls the first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine; a first case member that accommodates a reactor that is a component of the power control unit, the first rotating electric machine, and the second rotating electric machine; a second case member provided on an upper portion of the first case member and housing remaining components of the power control unit other than the reactor; A partition wall provided between the first case member and the second case member; a cooling passage provided inside the partition wall through which a coolant flows for cooling each component of the power control unit; Equipped with the reactor is located in a space formed between the first rotating electric machine and the partition wall, and is installed on a surface of the partition wall facing the first case member, within the first case member, and the reactor is disposed in the space formed between the first rotating electric machine and the partition wall, and the remaining components of the power control unit are disposed on a surface of the partition wall facing the second case member, the coolant cools each component of the power control unit through each wall portion of the partition wall on the first case member side and the second case member side that form the cooling path, 1. A mechanically and electrically integrated device.

2. 2. The mechanically and electrically integrated device according to claim 1, wherein the first case member contains lubricating oil for lubricating the first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine.

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