Power converter apparatus for vehicle

Abstract

The present invention comprises: a cooling block having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet, and having two cooling baths connected in parallel with the refrigerant inlet and having an externally open shape, configured such that refrigerant passing through the two cooling baths can be combined and discharged through the refrigerant outlet; a cooling plate having a plurality of cooling fins protruding into the cooling chamber, which blocks the opening of the cooling bath to form a cooling chamber; and a cooling tube coupled to the cooling block with a body to be cooled interposed between it and the cooling plate, configured to receive refrigerant from the refrigerant inlet of the cooling block and deliver it to the cooling chamber.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle power conversion device in which a power module, capacitor, LDC, etc., for implementing an inverter used in eco-friendly vehicles are implemented in the form of a single assembly. Background Technology

[0003] Eco-friendly vehicles are vehicles that generate power by driving a motor, which is an electric rotating mechanism, using electrical energy stored in a battery.

[0004] The above-described eco-friendly vehicle is equipped with an inverter having switching elements to convert the DC power of the battery into AC power having multiple phases required for motor driving, and a Low Voltage DC-DC Converter (LDC) that converts the high-voltage power stored in the battery for motor driving into low-voltage power for electrical load power.

[0005] The inverter is equipped with a high-capacity capacitor that filters the power input from the battery. In addition, the switching elements of the inverter are implemented in the form of a power module that packages IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors), FETs (Field Effective Transistors), diodes, etc.

[0006] As such, components that constitute the inverter, such as capacitors, power modules, and LDCs, may be provided in the vehicle as separate individual devices, but it is desirable to integrate them into a single assembly to secure placement space for other components within the vehicle and to efficiently cool each component.

[0007] In this technical field, there is a demand for a new structure of automotive power converter that integrates components required for vehicle power conversion, such as capacitors, power modules, and LDCs, into a single assembly and maximizes the performance of each component through efficient cooling of each individual component.

[0009] The matters described as the background technology of the above invention are intended only to enhance understanding of the background of the invention and should not be construed as an acknowledgment that they constitute prior art already known to those skilled in the art. Prior art literature

[0010] (Patent Document 0001) KR 10-0998810 B1(Patent Document 0002) KR 10-2019-0105913 A The problem to be solved

[0011] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a vehicle power conversion device capable of integrating components required for power conversion in eco-friendly vehicles, such as capacitors, power modules, and LDCs, into a single assembly, and enabling effective cooling for each integrated component. means of solving the problem

[0013] The vehicle power conversion device of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned purpose is,

[0014] A cooling block having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet, and having two cooling baths connected in parallel with the refrigerant inlet and open to the outside, configured so that refrigerant passing through the two cooling baths can be combined and discharged through the refrigerant outlet;

[0015] A cooling plate that blocks the opening of the cooling bath to form a cooling chamber and has a plurality of cooling fins protruding into the cooling chamber;

[0016] A cooling tube coupled to the cooling block such that a power module mounting space is formed between it and the cooling plate, and configured to receive refrigerant from the refrigerant inlet of the cooling block and deliver it to the cooling chamber;

[0017] It is characterized by being composed including

[0019] The above cooling block is

[0020] A first side having the above-mentioned refrigerant inlet and refrigerant outlet;

[0021] A second side and a third side, each connected to both ends of the first side and each equipped with the cooling bath;

[0022] A fourth side having both ends connected to the second and third sides;

[0023] An upper surface and a lower surface respectively formed on the upper and lower sides perpendicular to the first side, second side, third side, and fourth side;

[0024] It can be equipped with.

[0026] The above cooling tube is connected to the refrigerant inlet at the side near the first side and communicates with the cooling chamber at the side near the fourth side;

[0027] The above cooling chamber is configured so that the refrigerant is discharged from the side close to the first side, and cooling surfaces can be formed on both sides of the power module between the cooling tube and the cooling plate by the refrigerant flowing in opposite directions.

[0029] The refrigerant flow path of the above cooling block is

[0030] A branching passage section in which the refrigerant flowing into the above refrigerant inlet branches toward the two cooling tubes;

[0031] A merging section where the refrigerants discharged from the two cooling chambers above are combined;

[0032] A connecting passage connecting the above cooling chamber and the junction section;

[0033] A discharge passage connecting the above-mentioned confluence section to the above-mentioned refrigerant outlet;

[0034] It can be configured to include.

[0036] The above cooling chamber is configured so that the refrigerant is discharged from the side closest to the first side;

[0037] The above joining portion is provided on the side close to the above fourth side;

[0038] The two connecting passages connected to the two cooling chambers may be formed on the same plane with the discharge passage in between, so as to be connected to the cooling chamber on the side closer to the first side and connected to the junction on the side closer to the fourth side.

[0040] A mounting bath open to the outside may be formed on the lower surface of the above cooling block.

[0042] A capacitor and an HDC (High voltage DC-DC Converter) can be installed in the above-mentioned mounting bath.

[0044] The above connecting channel may be provided with an expanded channel in a portion adjacent to the fourth side to expand the heat exchange area with the fourth side.

[0046] An LDC (Low voltage DC-DC Converter) may be installed on the fourth side.

[0048] An LDC is mounted on the fourth side of the above cooling block;

[0049] A capacitor and an HDC can be mounted on the lower surface of the above cooling block.

[0051] The above connecting passage, merging passage, and discharge passage are formed to be exposed on the upper side of the cooling block, and the refrigerant passage can be configured to be completed by mounting a cover plate that seals the upper side of the connecting passage, merging passage, and discharge passage on the cooling block. Effects of the invention

[0053] The present invention enables the compact integration of power conversion components required for eco-friendly vehicles, such as capacitors, power modules, LDCs, and HDCs, into a single assembly, thereby ensuring excellent vehicle mounting compatibility and enabling uniform and effective cooling of each integrated component. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0055] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating a vehicle power conversion device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a drawing showing the opposite side of the vehicle power converter of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle power converter of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the cooling block of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a drawing showing the opposite side of the cooling block of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a drawing showing a refrigerant flow path formed in the cooling block of FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is a view of the refrigerant flow path of FIG. 6 observed from above. FIG. 8 is a view of the refrigerant flow path of FIG. 6 observed from the left. Figure 9 is a drawing showing the refrigerant flow path of Figure 7 in a cooling block. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0056] Specific structural or functional descriptions of embodiments of the present invention disclosed in this specification or application are merely illustrative for the purpose of explaining embodiments according to the present invention, and embodiments according to the present invention may be implemented in various forms and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments described in this specification or application.

[0057] Since embodiments according to the present invention may be subject to various modifications and may take various forms, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in this specification or application. However, this is not intended to limit embodiments according to the concept of the present invention to specific disclosed forms, and it should be understood that it includes all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0058] Terms such as "first" and / or "second" may be used to describe various components, but said components shall not be limited by said terms. For the sole purpose of distinguishing one component from another, for example, without departing from the scope of rights according to the concept of the present invention, the first component may be named the second component, and similarly, the second component may be named the first component.

[0059] When it is stated that one component is "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that while it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, there may also be other components in between. Conversely, when it is stated that one component is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between. Other expressions describing the relationship between components, such as "between" and "exactly between," or "adjacent to" and "directly adjacent to," should be interpreted in the same way.

[0060] The terms used herein are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as “comprising” or “having” are intended to specify the existence of the described features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof, and should be understood as not precluding the existence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0061] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this specification.

[0062] The present invention will be described in detail below by explaining preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the attached drawings. Identical reference numerals in each drawing indicate identical components.

[0064] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 9, the power conversion device for a vehicle according to the present invention comprises: a cooling block (7) configured to have a refrigerant inlet (1) and a refrigerant outlet (3), and two cooling baths (5) connected in parallel with the refrigerant inlet (1) and having an externally open shape, such that the refrigerant passing through the two cooling baths (5) can be combined and discharged through the refrigerant outlet (3); a cooling plate (13) configured to block the opening of the cooling baths (5) to form a cooling chamber (9) and having a plurality of cooling fins (11) protruding into the cooling chamber (9); and a cooling tube (15) configured to be coupled to the cooling block (7) with a body to be cooled interposed between it and the cooling plate (13), and to receive refrigerant from the refrigerant inlet (1) of the cooling block (7) and deliver it to the cooling chamber (9).

[0065] That is, the present invention allows the refrigerant supplied through the refrigerant inlet (1) to flow through the cooling block (7) to form a plurality of cooling surfaces capable of cooling a plurality of power conversion components, and then allows the refrigerant to be discharged through the refrigerant outlet (3).

[0066] In this embodiment, the cooling block (7) comprises: a first side (17) having a refrigerant inlet (1) and a refrigerant outlet (3); a second side (19) and a third side (21) each connected to both ends of the first side (17) and each having a cooling bath (5); a fourth side (23) having both ends connected to the second side (19) and the third side (21); and an upper surface (25) and a lower surface (27) formed vertically on the upper and lower sides, respectively, of the first side (17), the second side (19), the third side (21), and the fourth side (23).

[0067] That is, the cooling block (7) has a cuboid shape as illustrated, but is not necessarily limited to a cuboid.

[0069] The refrigerant flow path (51) of the cooling block (7) comprises: a branching flow path section (29) in which the refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant inlet (1) branches toward the two cooling tubes (15); a joining section (31) in which the refrigerant discharged from the two cooling chambers (9) joins; a connecting flow path section (33) connecting the cooling chambers (9) and the joining section (31); and a discharge flow path section (35) connecting the joining section (31) to the refrigerant outlet (3).

[0070] Of course, the cooling tube (15) is installed between the branch passage (29) and the cooling chamber (9), so that the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant inlet (1) through the branch passage (29) is supplied to the cooling chamber (9) through the cooling tube (15).

[0071] The cooling tube (15) is connected to the refrigerant inlet (1) at the side near the first side (17) and is in communication with the cooling chamber (9) at the side near the fourth side (23); the cooling chamber (9) is configured so that the refrigerant is discharged at the side near the first side (17), and cooling surfaces are formed on both sides of the body to be cooled between the cooling tube (15) and the cooling plate (13) by the refrigerant flowing in opposite directions.

[0072] Accordingly, since the body to be cooled between the cooling tube (15) and the cooling plate (13) has cooling surfaces on both sides through which refrigerant flows, thereby ensuring excellent cooling performance, it is preferable to use the power module (37), which has the largest thermal load among the multiple power conversion components as in this embodiment, as the body to be cooled between the cooling tube (15) and the cooling plate (13).

[0073] As described above, the cooling tube (15) and cooling chamber (9) that cool the power module (37) on both sides receive the refrigerant branched through the branching channel (29) in parallel on both sides of the cooling block (7) to cool the power module (37). This ensures that the cooling of the power modules (37) distributed on both sides of the cooling block (7) is uniform, thereby preventing problems such as performance limitations or reduced durability of the power module (37) due to uneven cooling.

[0074] For reference, the cooling plate (13) can be manufactured using a thermally conductive material such as aluminum, with a shape in which a plurality of cooling fins (11) protrude from one side of a flat plate, through a forging process, and the cooling tube (15) can be manufactured by extruding a thermally conductive material such as aluminum to form one or more channels through which a refrigerant flows inside.

[0076] In this embodiment, the cooling chamber (9) is configured so that the refrigerant is discharged from the side closer to the first side (17); the junction section (31) is provided on the side closer to the fourth side (23); and the two connecting passage sections (33) connected to the two cooling chambers (9) are formed on the same plane with the discharge passage section (35) in between, so that they are connected to the cooling chamber (9) on the side closer to the first side (17) and connected to the junction section (31) on the side closer to the fourth side (23).

[0077] That is, the refrigerants of the two cooling chambers (9) are each combined at the merging section (31) through the connecting section (33) and move to the refrigerant outlet (3) through the discharge section (35). The two connecting sections (33) are formed in a shape that extends from the first side (17) to the fourth side (23) with the discharge section (35) in between on the same plane, thereby configuring the upper surface (25) and lower surface (27) of the cooling block (7) as cooling surfaces that provide cooling performance.

[0078] Of course, the above connecting channel (33) and discharge channel (35) are preferably formed in the shape of a thin plate facing the upper surface (25) or lower surface (27) as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, so as to maximize the heat exchange area with the upper surface (25) and lower surface (27) of the cooling block (7).

[0079] In this embodiment, the lower surface (27) of the cooling block (7) has a mounting bath (39) that is open to the outside to mount a body to be cooled, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0080] Accordingly, the connecting channel (33) and the discharge channel (35) pass through the bottom surface of the mounting bath (39), thereby effectively cooling the object to be cooled mounted in the mounting bath (39).

[0081] In this embodiment, the body to be cooled mounted in the mounting bath (39) may be a capacitor (41) and an HDC (High voltage DC-DC Converter; 43) as shown in FIG. 2.

[0083] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the connecting channel (33) is provided with an expanding channel (45) in a portion adjacent to the fourth side (23) to expand the heat exchange area with the fourth side (23).

[0084] Therefore, since the fourth side (23) can function as a cooling surface, as in this embodiment, an LDC (Low voltage DC-DC Converter; 47) can be mounted on the fourth side (23) as a body to be cooled.

[0085] That is, a power module (37) is mounted as a body to be cooled between the cooling plate (13) and the cooling tube (15) on the second side (19) and the third side (21) of the cooling block (7); an LDC (47) is directly mounted as a body to be cooled on the fourth side (23) of the cooling block (7); and a capacitor (41) and an HDC (43) are mounted as bodies to be cooled on the bottom surface (27) of the cooling block (7), so that power conversion components such as those described above are integrated in the cooling block (7) while receiving cooling performance, thereby enabling effective cooling while having a compact configuration.

[0086] For reference, in this embodiment, the cooling block (7) has a configuration such that, for ease of processing, the connecting passage (33), the joining passage (31), and the discharge passage (35) are formed on the upper side of the cooling block (7) as shown in FIG. 4, and a cover plate (49) is mounted on the upper side as shown in FIG. 1 so that the upper surface (25) of the cooling block (7) is sealed and the refrigerant passage (51) is completed.

[0087] Additionally, a control board electrically connected to the power module (37) may be located on the upper surface (25) of the cooling block (7).

[0089] Although the present invention has been illustrated and described in relation to specific embodiments, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be modified and changed in various ways without departing from the technical spirit of the invention as provided by the following claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0090] 1; Refrigerant inlet 3; Refrigerant outlet 5; Cooling bath 7; Cooling block 9; Cooling chamber 11; cooling fins 13; Cooling plate 15; Cooling tube 17; First aspect 19; Second aspect 21; Third aspect 23; Fourth aspect 25; top surface 27; if 29; Quarterly Euro 31; confluence 33; Connecting Euro section 35; discharge passage 37; Power module 39; Mounted bass 41; capacitor 43; HDC 45; Extended Euro section 47; LDC 49; Cover plate 51; Refrigerant flow path

Claims

Claim 1 A power conversion device for a vehicle, characterized by comprising: a cooling block having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet, connected in parallel with the refrigerant inlet and having two cooling baths that are open to the outside, configured such that refrigerant passing through the two cooling baths can be combined and discharged through the refrigerant outlet; two cooling plates each having a plurality of cooling fins protruding into the cooling chambers, each blocking the openings of the cooling baths to form two cooling chambers; and two cooling tubes each coupled to the cooling block such that a power module mounting space is formed between the two cooling plates, and configured to receive refrigerant from the refrigerant inlet of the cooling block and deliver it to the two cooling chambers. Claim 2 A power conversion device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the cooling block comprises: a first side surface having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet; a second side surface and a third side surface each having a cooling bath connected to both ends of the first side surface; a fourth side surface having both ends connected to the second side surface and the third side surface; and an upper surface and a lower surface formed vertically above and below the first side surface, the second side surface, the third side surface, and the fourth side surface, respectively. Claim 3 A power conversion device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the cooling tube is connected to the refrigerant inlet at the side near the first side and communicates with the cooling chamber at the side near the fourth side; and the cooling chamber is configured to discharge refrigerant at the side near the first side, so that cooling surfaces formed by refrigerants flowing in opposite directions are formed on both sides of the power module between the cooling tube and the cooling plate. Claim 4 A power conversion device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the refrigerant flow path of the cooling block comprises: a branching flow path section in which the refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant inlet branches toward the two cooling tubes; a joining section in which the refrigerant discharged from the two cooling chambers joins; two connecting flow path sections connecting the two cooling chambers and the joining section; and a discharge flow path section connecting the joining section to the refrigerant outlet. Claim 5 A power conversion device for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the two cooling chambers are configured such that a refrigerant is discharged from the side closer to the first side; the junction is provided on the side closer to the fourth side; and the two connecting passages connected to the two cooling chambers are formed on the same plane with the discharge passage between them, such that they are connected to the cooling chamber on the side closer to the first side and connected to the junction on the side closer to the fourth side. Claim 6 A vehicle power conversion device according to claim 5, characterized in that a mounting bath open to the outside is formed on the lower surface of the cooling block. Claim 7 A vehicle power conversion device according to claim 6, characterized in that the mounting bath is equipped with a capacitor and an HDC (High voltage DC-DC Converter). Claim 8 A power conversion device for a vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that the connecting fluid passage is provided with an expansion fluid passage in a portion adjacent to the fourth side to expand the heat exchange area with the fourth side. Claim 9 A vehicle power conversion device according to claim 8, characterized in that a Low Voltage DC-DC Converter (LDC) is mounted on the fourth side. Claim 10 A vehicle power conversion device according to claim 2, characterized in that an LDC is mounted on the fourth side of the cooling block; and a capacitor and an HDC are mounted on the lower surface of the cooling block. Claim 11 A power conversion device for a vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that the connecting passage, the merging passage, and the discharge passage are formed to be exposed to the upper side of the cooling block, and a cover plate that seals the upper side of the connecting passage, the merging passage, and the discharge passage is mounted on the cooling block so as to complete the refrigerant passage.

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