Power Conversion Device

Abstract

To provide a power conversion device which improves connection reliability of a control terminal of a power module.SOLUTION: A power conversion device has a plurality of power modules, a circuit board 300 on which electronic components driving and controlling the plurality of power modules are mounted, and a base fixing the circuit board through a fixing part 304 provided on the circuit board. The electronic components include transformers 305 and 306 converting voltage for driving the power module. The circuit board has an upper arm connection region UC in which a plurality of connection parts 301 to which control terminals of upper arms of the plurality of power modules are connected are arranged side by side, and a lower arm connection region LC in which a plurality of connection parts 303 to which control terminals of lower arms of the plurality of power modules are connected are arranged side by side. The fixing part is provided in a first fixing region F1 between the upper arm connection region and the lower arm connection region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power conversion device. [Background technology]

[0002] A power conversion device that converts DC power to AC power includes multiple power modules and a circuit board mounted with a transformer that converts voltage to drive the power modules. When the power conversion device is installed in a vehicle, it is subjected to vibrations caused by the vehicle's movement. Control terminals of the power modules are connected to the circuit board, but vibrations from the transformer, which is a heavy object, can cause bending and vibration in the circuit board, potentially impairing the connection reliability of the control terminals.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a power conversion device that includes an electronic board having an electronic component mounted thereon, the electronic component having a plurality of terminals, and a support that supports the electronic board, and the electronic board and the support are fastened together so that the vibration mode of the electronic board during resonance is a vibration mode that can prevent breakage of wires in the electronic component. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-161547 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In Patent Document 1, the connection reliability of the control terminal of the power module is not taken into consideration, and the connection reliability of the control terminal of the power module is reduced. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A power conversion device according to the present invention is a power conversion device comprising a plurality of power modules, a circuit board on which electronic components for driving and controlling the plurality of power modules are mounted, and a base for fixing the circuit board via fixing parts provided on the circuit board, wherein the electronic components include a transformer for converting a voltage for driving the power modules, and the circuit board comprises an upper arm connection region in which a plurality of connection parts for connecting respective control terminals of upper arms of the plurality of power modules are arranged side by side, and a lower arm connection region in which a plurality of connection parts for connecting respective control terminals of lower arms of the plurality of power modules are arranged side by side, and the fixing parts are a first fixing region between the upper arm connection region and the lower arm connection region. a second fixing region in which the transformer is disposed, the second fixing region being aligned with the connection region formed by the upper arm connection region and the lower arm connection region; It will be established in. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the connection reliability of the control terminal of the power module is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a power conversion device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a circuit configuration diagram of a power conversion device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a top view of a circuit board of the power conversion device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description and drawings are examples for explaining the present invention, and some omissions and simplifications have been made as appropriate for clarity of explanation. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be singular or plural.

[0010] In order to facilitate understanding of the invention, the position, size, shape, range, etc. of each component shown in the drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the position, size, shape, range, etc. disclosed in the drawings.

[0011] When there are multiple components with the same or similar functions, they may be described using the same reference numeral with different subscripts. However, when there is no need to distinguish between these multiple components, the subscripts may be omitted.

[0012] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a power conversion device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The power conversion device 1000 includes a power module 100, a base 200, and a circuit board 300.

[0013] The power modules 100 include a U-phase power module 100U, a V-phase power module 100V, and a W-phase power module 100W. In each phase of the power module 100, an upper arm control terminal 101, a lower arm control terminal 103, and a main terminal 102 each protrude in the same direction. The main terminal 102 is located between the upper arm control terminal 101 and the lower arm control terminal 103.

[0014] The power module 100 and the circuit board 300 are fixed to the base 200. The upper arm control terminal 101 and the lower arm control terminal 103 of the power module 100 are connected to the circuit board 300 via through holes in the base 200. For ease of understanding, FIG. 1 illustrates the upper arm control terminal 101 and the lower arm control terminal 103 protruding from the through holes in the base 200. The main terminals 102 of the power modules 100 of each phase are connected to positive and negative DC bus bars (not shown), and the DC bus bars are arranged directly below the base 200. In addition to the power modules 100, capacitors (not shown) and the like are arranged on the base 200 and housed in a space surrounded by the base 200 and the case 400. The base 200 and the case 400 are made of metal. A plurality of fixing receptacles 204 are provided on the base 200, and a plurality of fixing portions 304 provided on the circuit board 300 are fastened to the fixing receptacles 204 with screws or the like, thereby fixing the circuit board 300 to the base 200. The fixing portions 304 of the circuit board 300 are connected to the ground wiring on the circuit board 300, and are electrically connected to the base 200 via the conductive screws or the like and the conductive fixing receptacles 204.

[0015] Electronic components such as a first transformer 305 and a second transformer 306 that convert voltages for driving the power modules 100 are arranged on the circuit board 300. A high voltage is input to the first transformer 305 and the second transformer 306 via a high-voltage connector 307. Furthermore, the circuit board 300 is provided with connection portions 301 and 303 that respectively connect the upper arm control terminal 101 and the lower arm control terminal 103 of each power module 100 to wiring patterns on the circuit board 300. Note that wiring patterns that connect the first transformer 305 and the second transformer 306 to the connection portions 301 and 303, as well as other wiring patterns and electronic components, are arranged on the circuit board 300 but are not shown in the figure.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a circuit configuration diagram of the power conversion device 1000 according to this embodiment. U-phase power module 100U has switching elements corresponding to the upper and lower arms, each of which includes an IGBT 100I and a diode 100D.

[0017] Main terminals 102 of U-phase power module 100U include positive main terminal 102P, negative main terminal 102N, and AC output terminal 102A. A high-voltage DC voltage is applied between positive main terminal 102P and negative main terminal 102N, and an AC voltage is output from AC output terminal 102A. Control terminals 101, 103 of U-phase power module 100U include gate terminals 101G, 103G connected to the gate of IGBT 100I, and emitter terminals 101E, 103E connected to the emitter of IGBT 100I.

[0018] Although not shown, the V-phase power module 100V and the W-phase power module 100W have the same configuration as the U-phase power module 100U. The power conversion device 1000 configures a three-phase bridge circuit using the U-phase power module 100U, the V-phase power module 100V, and the W-phase power module 100W. The power conversion device 1000 controls the on / off of switching elements by inputting drive signals to control terminals 101 and 103, and converts a DC voltage input between a positive main terminal 102P and a negative main terminal 102N into AC power. The converted AC power is applied to windings of each phase of a motor (not shown) via an AC output terminal 102A, thereby driving the motor.

[0019] Electronic components and pattern wiring are arranged in a high-voltage circuit area HB and a low-voltage circuit area LB on circuit board 300. In high-voltage circuit area HB, connecting portions 301 and 303, a high-voltage connector 307, an upper arm driver power supply circuit 308, a lower arm driver power supply circuit 309, and pattern wiring for connecting these are arranged.

[0020] The upper arm driver power supply circuit 308 includes a first transformer 305, to which a DC voltage input via a high-voltage connector 307 is applied, which is converted into a predetermined gate voltage and then input to the upper arm gate driver circuits 310U, 310V, and 310W of each phase.

[0021] The lower arm driver power supply circuit 309 includes a second transformer 306, to which a DC voltage input via a high-voltage connector 307 is applied, which is converted into a predetermined gate voltage and then input to the lower arm gate driver circuits 311U, 311V, 311W of each phase.

[0022] A control circuit 312 such as a microcomputer and pattern wiring for connecting these are arranged in the low-voltage circuit side region LB of the circuit board 300. The control circuit 312 generates control signals for controlling the on / off of the switching elements of the power module 100 in response to a torque command or the like input from a higher-level control device (not shown), and outputs the control signals to the upper-arm gate driver circuits 310U, 310V, 310W and the lower-arm gate driver circuits 311U, 311V, 311W.

[0023] The high-voltage circuit side and low-voltage circuit side of upper-arm gate driver circuits 310U, 310V, 310W and lower-arm gate driver circuits 311U, 311V, 311W are electrically separated by insulating elements or the like. Control signals from control circuit 312 are output as drive signals based on voltages supplied from first transformer 305 and second transformer 306 to U-phase power module 100U, V-phase power module 100V, and W-phase power module 100W via connections 301 and 303. Pattern wiring for control signals from control circuit 312 to upper-arm gate driver circuits 310U, 310V, 310W and lower-arm gate driver circuits 311U, 311V, 311W is arranged in low-voltage circuit side area LB of circuit board 300. This pattern wiring is made up of signal lines SL and ground lines GL, of which the ground lines GL are connected to the fixed part 304 and electrically connected to the base 200 via the fixed part 304 and the fixed receiving part 204. The base 200 is connected to the ground.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a top view of the circuit board 300 of the power converter 1000 according to this embodiment. The circuit board 300 is divided into a high-voltage circuit side area HB where the power supply and electronic components that drive the power module 100 are mainly arranged, and a low-voltage circuit side area LB where the control circuit 312 that controls the power conversion device 1000 is arranged. The high-voltage circuit side area HB and the low-voltage circuit side area LB are separated by a predetermined distance to ensure insulation.

[0025] In the high-voltage circuit side region HB of the circuit board 300, there are arranged connection parts 301, 303, a high-voltage connector 307, an upper arm driver power supply circuit 308, a lower arm driver power supply circuit 309, gate driver circuits 310U, 310V, 310W, 311U, 311V, 311W, and pattern wiring for connecting these.

[0026] A control circuit 312 and pattern wiring connecting the control circuit 312 to gate driver circuits 310U, 310V, 310W, 311U, 311V, and 311W are arranged in the low-voltage circuit side region LB of the circuit board 300. A plurality of fixing portions 304 are arranged around the four sides of the circuit board 300, and are also arranged at locations described below.

[0027] Here, the connection portions 301 and 303 are, for example, floating connectors, which connect the control terminals 101 and 103 protruding above the circuit board 300 to the pattern wiring on the circuit board 300. Note that the connection portions 301 and 303 may be formed by soldering the control terminals 101 and 103 to the pattern wiring on the circuit board 300 without using floating connectors or the like.

[0028] Furthermore, the circuit board 300 is divided into an upper arm connection area UC in which a plurality of connection parts 301 to which the control terminals 101 of the upper arms of the plurality of power modules 100 are connected are arranged vertically, and a lower arm connection area LC in which a plurality of connection parts 303 to which the control terminals 103 of the lower arms of the plurality of power modules 100 are connected are arranged vertically.

[0029] The fixed portion 304 is provided in a first fixed region F1 between the upper arm connection region UC and the lower arm connection region LC. The pattern wiring of the low-voltage circuit region LB is arranged in the first fixed region F1. Specifically, the pattern wiring connecting the control circuit 312 and the gate driver circuits 310U, 310V, and 310W is arranged therein, and the ground line GL among the pattern wiring is connected to the fixed portion 304.

[0030] The gate driver circuits 310U, 310V, 310W, 311U, 311V, and 311W are responsible for high-speed switching control of the power module 100, and therefore require reliable connection with the control terminals 101 and 103 of the power module 100 and high noise resistance. Vibration of the circuit board 300 may occur when the transformer, which is a heavy object, vibrates on the circuit board 300 due to vibration caused by the vehicle running, etc., or when the transformer itself vibrates due to current flow through the transformer.

[0031] By providing the fixing portion 304 in the first fixing region F1, which is near the connecting portions 301 and 303, the influence of vibrations and deflections of the circuit board 300 on the connecting portions 301 and 303 can be reduced, improving the connection reliability of the control terminals 101 and 103 of the power module 100.

[0032] Furthermore, switching noise propagating from the upper arm driver power supply circuit 308, the lower arm driver power supply circuit 309, and the gate driver circuits 310U, 310V, 310W, 311U, 311V, and 311W can be guided via a short path by the ground line GL, thereby reducing noise.

[0033] Furthermore, the base 200 and the case 400 of the power conversion device 1000 are cooled by cooling water (not shown). The fixing unit 304 is physically connected to the base 200 and the case 400. By arranging the fixing unit 304 adjacent to the gate driver circuits 310U, 310V, 310W, 311U, 311V, and 311W, heat generated from these circuits is conducted to the base 200 and the case 400 via the fixing unit 304, thereby reducing temperature rise.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 1, each power module 100 has a main terminal 102 between the control terminal 101 of the upper arm and the control terminal 103 of the lower arm, and the fixing portion 304 of the first fixing region F1 is disposed between the main terminals 102 of each power module 100. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, the power module 100 has a U-phase power module 100U, a V-phase power module 100V, and a W-phase power module 100W disposed adjacent to each other vertically, and as shown in Fig. 3, the fixing portion 304 is provided on the circuit board 300 located in a region between the position of the main terminal 102 of the W-phase power module 100W and the position of the main terminal 102 of the V-phase power module 100V. Similarly, the fixing portion 304 is provided on the circuit board 300 located in a region between the position of the main terminal 102 of the V-phase power module 100V and the position of the main terminal 102 of the U-phase power module 100U. Although not shown in the figure, a fixing portion 304 may be provided on the circuit board 300 located in an area opposite the area between the position of the main terminal 102 of the V-phase power module 100V and the position of the main terminal 102 of the U-phase power module 100U, with the position of the main terminal 102 of the U-phase power module 100U in between.

[0035] A high voltage and a large current flow through each main terminal 102 of each power module 100. The circuit board 300 directly above the main terminals 102 is affected by electromagnetic noise. In this embodiment, the fixed portion 304 is disposed in the first fixing region F1, between each main terminal 102 of each power module 100, and therefore, electromagnetic noise from the main terminals 102 can be prevented from reaching the fixed portion 304.

[0036] Furthermore, fixed portion 304 is provided in a second fixing region F2, which is aligned with the connection region formed by the upper arm connection region UC and the lower arm connection region LC and in which first transformer 305 and second transformer 306 are arranged. Specifically, fixed portion 304 is provided between the region aligned with the connection region formed by the upper arm connection region UC and the lower arm connection region LC and the region in which first transformer 305 and second transformer 306 are arranged, corresponding to first transformer 305 and second transformer 306. Note that fixed portion 304 may be provided between first transformer 305 and second transformer 306 within second fixing region F2. 3 shows an example in which second fixing region F2 is adjacent to upper arm connection region UC, but when each power module 100 is rotated 180 degrees around an axis perpendicular to circuit board 300, second fixing region F2 is adjacent to lower arm connection region LC, and in this case as well, fixing part 304 is provided in second fixing region F2, which is an area aligned with the connection region consisting of upper arm connection region UC and lower arm connection region LC, and where first transformer 305 and second transformer 306 are arranged. Although an example in which two transformers, first transformer 305 and second transformer 306, are used, three or more transformers may be used.

[0037] Since the fixing portion 304 is provided in the second fixing region F2, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the first transformer 305 and the second transformer 306, which are heavy objects, thereby suppressing the deflection and vibration occurring in the circuit board 300. In particular, when the fixing portion 304 is provided between the first transformer 305 and the second transformer 306, it is possible to effectively suppress the vibration of each transformer.

[0038] Furthermore, since the transformer that converts the voltage to drive the power module is made up of multiple transformers and arranged on the circuit board 300, the weight of the transformers on the circuit board 300 can be distributed and arranged, and the effects of vibration can be reduced compared to when a single transformer is used and the circuit board 300 vibrates locally.

[0039] Furthermore, the fixing portions 340 are provided in a third fixing region F3, which is aligned with the connection region consisting of the upper arm connection region UC and the lower arm connection region LC and is on the opposite side of the second fixing region F2. Specifically, the fixing portions 340 are provided in the third fixing region F3 corresponding to the three connection portions 303 or the gate driver circuits 311U, 311V, and 311W, respectively.

[0040] By providing the fixing portion 304 in the third fixing region F3 near the connecting portions 301 and 303, it is possible to mitigate the influence of vibration and deflection of the circuit board 300 on the connecting portion 303, thereby improving the connection reliability of the control terminals 101 and 103 of the power module 100. Furthermore, switching noise propagating from the gate driver circuits 311U, 311V, and 311W can be conducted via a short path by the ground line GL, thereby reducing noise.

[0041] The base 200 located between the power module 100 and the circuit board 300 is a metal plate, and therefore functions as a shield plate that suppresses the influence of noise generated by the high-voltage, large-current switching of the power module 100 on the circuit board 300.

[0042] According to the embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained. (1) A power conversion device 1000 includes a plurality of power modules 100, a circuit board 300 mounted with electronic components for driving and controlling the plurality of power modules 100, and a base 200 for fixing the circuit board 300 via fixing portions 304 provided on the circuit board 300. The electronic components include transformers 305 and 306 for converting a voltage for driving the power modules 100. The circuit board 300 includes an upper arm connection area UC in which a plurality of connection portions 301 are arranged side by side to which the control terminals 101 of the upper arms of the plurality of power modules 100 are connected, and a lower arm connection area LC in which a plurality of connection portions 303 are arranged side by side to which the control terminals 103 of the lower arms of the plurality of power modules 100 are connected, and the fixing portion 304 is provided in a first fixing area F1 between the upper arm connection area UC and the lower arm connection area LC. This improves the connection reliability of the control terminals of the power modules.

[0043] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and other forms that can be considered within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention, as long as they do not impair the characteristics of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 100···Power module, 100I···IGBT, 100D···Diode, 102P···Positive main terminal, 102N···Negative main terminal, 102A···AC output terminal, 101G, 103G···Gate terminal, 101E, 103E···Emitter terminal, 100U···U-phase power module, 100V···V-phase power module, 100W···W-phase power module, 101···Upper arm control terminal, 103···Lower arm control terminal, 102···Main terminal, 200···Base, 300···Circuit board, 301, 303···Connection part, 304···Fixing part, 305···First Transformer, 306...second transformer, 308...upper arm driver power supply circuit, 309...lower arm driver power supply circuit, 310U, 310V, 310W...upper arm gate driver circuit, 311U, 311V, 311W...lower arm gate driver circuit, 312...control circuit, 400...case, 1000...power conversion device, HB...high voltage circuit side area, LB...low voltage circuit side area, SL...signal line, GL...ground line, UC...upper arm connection area, LC...lower arm connection area, F1...first fixed area, F2...second fixed area, F3...third fixed area.

Claims

1. A power conversion device including a plurality of power modules, a circuit board on which electronic components for driving and controlling the plurality of power modules are mounted, and a base for fixing the circuit board via fixing portions provided on the circuit board, the electronic component includes a transformer that converts a voltage for driving the power module, the circuit board includes an upper arm connection region in which a plurality of connection portions to which the control terminals of the upper arms of the plurality of power modules are connected are arranged side by side, and a lower arm connection region in which a plurality of connection portions to which the control terminals of the lower arms of the plurality of power modules are connected are arranged side by side, The fixing portion is provided in a first fixing region between the upper arm connection region and the lower arm connection region, and a second fixing region aligned with the connection region consisting of the upper arm connection region and the lower arm connection region, in which the transformer is arranged.

2. The power conversion device according to claim 1, the circuit board includes pattern wiring that connects the connection portion and the electronic component; The pattern wiring on the circuit board is divided into pattern wiring in a high-voltage circuit side region and pattern wiring in a low-voltage circuit side region, the connecting portion and the transformer are disposed on the pattern wiring in the high-voltage circuit side region, A power conversion device in which pattern wiring of the low-voltage circuit side area is arranged in the first fixed area.

3. The power conversion device according to claim 2, the power module includes a main terminal between the control terminal of the upper arm and the control terminal of the lower arm, The power conversion device, wherein the fixing portion of the first fixing region is disposed between each main terminal of the plurality of power modules.

4. The power conversion device according to claim 1, the transformer is composed of a plurality of transformers, The fixed portion is a power conversion device provided corresponding to each of the transformers.

5. The power conversion device according to claim 4, The transformer is a power conversion device including a first transformer that converts a voltage for driving upper arms of the plurality of power modules and a second transformer that converts a voltage for driving lower arms of the plurality of power modules.

6. The power conversion device according to claim 5, The fixed unit is a power conversion device provided between the first transformer and the second transformer.

7. The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The power conversion device further includes a third fixing region that is aligned with the connection region consisting of the upper arm connection region and the lower arm connection region and is located on the opposite side of the second fixing region.

8. The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The fixing portion is further provided around the circuit board.

9. The power conversion device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The power conversion device wherein the base is a metal plate.

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