Electrical component module, control module, and refrigeration device

Abstract

This electrical component module 10 is provided in an outdoor unit 90b of a refrigeration device 90 of a single-phase power supply, and comprises: a substrate 11; a plurality of cooling target elements 12 provided side by side in a row in a longitudinal direction of a main surface A1 of the substrate 11; and a heat sink 13 installed with a gap in a thickness direction with respect to the main surface A1, having a shape elongated in the longitudinal direction along the plurality of cooling target elements 12, and contacting the plurality of cooling target elements 12. The plurality of cooling target elements 12 include a plurality of inverter circuits 21, 22 and a PFC circuit 23. A length L1 in the longitudinal direction of the substrate 11 is 350 mm or less. A length L2 from one side to the other side in the longitudinal direction in which the plurality of cooling target elements 12 are arranged side by side on the main surface A1, and a length L3 in the longitudinal direction of the heat sink 13 are both 250 mm or less, and are 75% or less of the length L1 in the longitudinal direction of the substrate 11.

Description

Electrical component module, control module, and refrigeration device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electrical component module, a control module, and a refrigeration device.

[0002] An electrical component module that controls a refrigeration device such as an air conditioner is provided in the machine room of the outdoor unit, and heat-generating components such as power elements included in the module may be cooled by a refrigerant pipe.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, in an electrical component module in the machine room of an outdoor unit, after dividing the high-voltage component group including heat-generating components and the low-voltage component group including a microcomputer, etc. into areas, a plurality of heat-generating components are arranged in a row in the vertical direction, and a refrigerant pipe for cooling these components is also made to have an elongated shape in the vertical direction. Such a configuration can simplify the arrangement of the refrigerant pipe for the electrical component module and compact the space required for the pipe arrangement.

[0004] Also, in a refrigeration device such as an air conditioner, an electrical component module that converts AC power supplied from a commercial power source into AC power for driving an electric motor is used. In an electrical component module, a power buffer circuit may be used to reduce power pulsation.

[0005] Patent Documents 2 and 3 disclose an electrical component module including a rectifier circuit (diode bridge rectifier circuit) connected to a single-phase AC power source, a power buffer circuit that buffers power by charging and discharging a capacitor, and an inverter circuit that converts the DC voltage input from the power buffer circuit into an AC voltage and outputs it to an electric motor or the like.

[0006] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013 - 224785 International Publication No. 2015 / 041111 International Publication No. 2016 / 148164

[0007] Since the electrical component module is installed using, for example, the limited space in the outdoor unit, miniaturization of the electrical component module itself is also required. Regarding space saving related to the electrical component module, proposals such as Patent Document 1 have been made, but further improvements are needed.

[0008] In particular, when using a single-phase power supply for a refrigeration system, a power factor correction circuit (PFC circuit) is required compared to using a three-phase power supply. This presents challenges such as various constraints on the layout of each component when miniaturizing electrical module components.

[0009] Therefore, this disclosure aims to miniaturize electrical component modules used in single-phase power supply refrigeration systems.

[0010] Furthermore, in electrical component modules like those described above, if the voltage supplied from the single-phase AC power supply drops due to a power outage or other reasons, various protection measures (low voltage protection: LVP) are taken to prepare for the inrush current when the power is restored.

[0011] However, in the case of a momentary power outage (instantaneous interruption), the voltage drop occurs in a very short time, and conventional protection circuits may not be able to adequately detect the voltage drop. As a result, the subsequent inrush current may cause malfunctions in components included in the electrical equipment module.

[0012] Therefore, this disclosure aims to further protect electrical component modules, including power buffer circuits, from momentary power outages.

[0013] (1) The electrical component module of the present disclosure is an electrical component module provided in the outdoor unit of a single-phase power supply refrigeration system, comprising: a substrate; a plurality of cooling elements arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction of the main surface of the substrate; and a heat sink installed with a gap in the thickness direction relative to the main surface, having a shape that is elongated in the longitudinal direction along the plurality of cooling elements and in contact with the plurality of cooling elements, wherein the plurality of cooling elements include a plurality of inverter circuits and a PFC circuit, the longitudinal length of the substrate is 350 mm or less, the length from one side to the other in the longitudinal direction of the plurality of cooling elements arranged on the main surface, and the longitudinal length of the heat sink are both 250 mm or less and 75% or less of the longitudinal length of the substrate.

[0014] By arranging multiple cooling elements, including a PFC circuit, in a single line along the longitudinal direction of the substrate and adjusting their size accordingly, it is possible to miniaturize the electrical component module used in a single-phase power supply refrigeration system.

[0015] (2) Preferably, the plurality of elements to be cooled include a packaged rectifier circuit, the rectifier circuit includes a flat chip portion with screw holes formed in the thickness direction, and a plurality of terminals extending in a first direction from one side of the chip portion, the heat sink includes a fixing region to which either a first rectifier circuit having the chip portion having one side of a first length and a thickness of a first thickness, or a second rectifier circuit having the chip portion having one side of a second length shorter than the first length and a thickness thinner than the first thickness is fixed, the fixing region has a plurality of first screw holes for screwing the first rectifier circuit, and a second screw hole provided between the plurality of first screw holes for screwing the second rectifier circuit.

[0016] With this configuration, either the first or second rectifier circuit can be fixed to the same fixed area on the heat sink, eliminating the need to provide separate fixed areas for the first and second rectifier circuits side by side. As a result, the area of ​​the main surface of the substrate and the heat sink can be reduced, enabling miniaturization of electrical component modules used in single-phase power supply refrigeration systems.

[0017] (3) Preferably, the substrate includes, on its main surface, a plurality of first terminal holes formed on each of the plurality of leads into which each of the plurality of terminals of the first rectifier circuit is inserted, and a plurality of second terminal holes formed on each of the plurality of leads, in the first direction, inward from the two first terminal holes located at both ends of the plurality of first terminal holes into which each of the plurality of terminals of the second rectifier circuit is inserted, wherein the plurality of second terminal holes are located between the chip portion and the plurality of first terminal holes in the thickness direction.

[0018] With this configuration, the first terminal hole and the second terminal hole share the same lead, allowing for a shorter wiring pattern on the circuit board. Furthermore, this arrangement ensures sufficient insulation distance between leads, enabling a more compact pattern layout.

[0019] (4) Preferably, the first rectifier circuit is fixed to the fixing area by inserting low-profile screws with heads of 1.2 mm or less into the screw holes of the tip portion and the first screw holes, and the gap in the thickness direction between the low-profile screws and the substrate is wider than the insulation distance of the tip portion.

[0020] This configuration allows for sufficient distance between the heads of the low-profile screws and the main surface of the circuit board, eliminating the need for measures such as drilling holes in the circuit board to ensure sufficient insulation distance. This increases the area on the main surface of the circuit board that can be used to lay out patterns. As a result, the main surface of the circuit board can be used more efficiently, and electrical component modules used in single-phase power supply refrigeration systems can be miniaturized.

[0021] (5) Preferably, the substrate is a substrate that includes a communication circuit and is laminated in multiple layers in the thickness direction, and the communication circuit is located in a position on the substrate that does not overlap with circuits other than the communication circuit when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0022] This configuration allows the communication circuit to be physically separated from other circuits, making it less susceptible to noise emitted from other circuits. As a result, the need for separate noise countermeasures in the communication circuit is reduced, and the space previously required for such countermeasures can be reduced, allowing for miniaturization of the electrical component modules used in single-phase power supply refrigeration systems.

[0023] (6) Preferably, the main surface further comprises a power supply circuit provided on one of the short-side directions of the plurality of elements to be cooled, and a control module provided on the other of the short-side directions of the plurality of elements to be cooled on the main surface for controlling the plurality of inverter circuits, wherein the power supply circuit supplies power to the plurality of inverter circuits through a plurality of input line sections provided on one of the short-side directions of the plurality of elements to be cooled, and the control module has a plurality of detection lines connected to a plurality of shunt resistors provided on each of the plurality of input line sections for detecting current values.

[0024] By separating the control module from the power supply circuit, the control module becomes less susceptible to noise emitted from the power supply circuit. As a result, the need for separate noise countermeasures in the control module is reduced, and the space previously required for such countermeasures can be reduced. Furthermore, since multiple cooling components are located between the control module and the power supply circuit, the space created by separating the control module and the power supply circuit can be effectively utilized. This allows for miniaturization of the electrical component modules used in single-phase power supply refrigeration systems.

[0025] (7) Preferably, the plurality of detection lines are input to a predetermined side of the control module.

[0026] By inputting multiple detection lines to the same side, the multiple detection lines can be compactly arranged, making efficient use of space on the circuit board. This allows for miniaturization of electrical component modules used in single-phase power supply refrigeration systems.

[0027] (8) Preferably, the shunt resistor comprises a resistor, a first electrode and a second electrode facing each other in the second direction and connected to both ends of the resistor, a first signal line drawn out from the center of the first electrode in a direction perpendicular to the second direction, and a second signal line drawn out from the end of the second electrode in the perpendicular direction, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are connected to the input line portion.

[0028] By drawing signal lines from the center of the first electrode and the end of the second electrode, the same signal line pattern can be used regardless of the width of the gap between the first and second electrodes in the second direction. This eliminates the need to prepare multiple types of substrates depending on the width of the gap in the second direction, thus increasing the versatility of the substrate.

[0029] (9) Preferably, the outdoor unit further comprises a plurality of resin spacers for fixing the substrate to the wall surface inside the outdoor unit.

[0030] Compared to fixing the circuit board to the wall using bushings and collars, this method eliminates the need to secure space for bushings on the circuit board, allowing for a smaller circuit board. As a result, electrical component modules used in single-phase power refrigeration systems can be miniaturized.

[0031] (10) Preferably, at least one of the plurality of resin spacers is an earth spacer including a resin part and a metal part, the metal part providing electrical connection between the substrate and the wall surface.

[0032] Since the earth spacer among the resin spacers can also serve as the ground, the circuit board can be made smaller than when the circuit board is grounded by a harness. As a result, the electrical component modules used in single-phase power supply refrigeration systems can be made smaller.

[0033] (11) Preferably, the system further comprises a thermistor element for measuring the temperature of one of the plurality of elements to be cooled, wherein the thermistor element is fixed to the heat sink together with the element to be measured by screws by sequentially inserting screws into screw holes formed in the thickness direction of the thermistor element, screw holes formed in the thickness direction of the element to be measured, and screw holes formed in the heat sink.

[0034] By fixing the thermistor element to the heat sink together with the element to be measured, the distance between the thermistor element and the element to be measured is reduced compared to when the thermistor element is individually fixed to the heat sink near the element to be measured. Therefore, the thermistor element can measure the temperature of the element to be measured more accurately. Furthermore, by overlapping the element to be measured and the thermistor element in the thickness direction, the horizontal area required for the heat sink can be reduced. This allows for miniaturization of electrical component modules used in single-phase power refrigeration systems.

[0035] (12) The electrical component module of the present disclosure comprises: a rectifier circuit that converts alternating current input from an AC power source into direct current; a DC link including a first power line and a second power line connected to the output side of the rectifier circuit, respectively; a power buffer circuit that receives charging power from the DC link and outputs discharge power to the DC link; an inverter circuit that converts the DC input from the DC link into alternating current and outputs it to a load; and a control module that controls the power buffer circuit and the inverter circuit, wherein the power buffer circuit includes a first capacitor and a first switch connected in series with the first capacitor, and when the first switch conducts between the DC links, a discharge circuit that supplies discharge power to the DC link by discharging the first capacitor, and a first reactor The control module is an electrical component module that includes a second switch connected in series with the first reactor, and a charging circuit that charges the first capacitor with charging power input from the DC links and stored in the first reactor when the second switch is performing a switching operation that repeatedly switches between a state of conducting and a state of not conducting between the DC links, wherein the control module performs protection control when the second switch stops the switching operation and the voltage of the first capacitor or the voltage between the DC links falls below a predetermined first threshold, and the protection control includes at least one of a stop control that stops the conversion from DC to AC in the inverter circuit, and a cutoff control that cuts off the connection between the AC power supply and the rectifier circuit.

[0036] When the second switch stops switching, the first capacitor is not charged, which makes it easy for the voltage of the first capacitor to drop during a power outage and for inrush current to increase. In such cases, the control module can perform protective control to protect the electrical component module, including the power buffer circuit, from momentary power outages.

[0037] (13) Preferably further comprising a relay circuit that controls conduction between the AC power supply and the rectifier circuit, wherein the interruption control includes control of the relay circuit to interrupt the connection between the AC power supply and the rectifier circuit.

[0038] By using a relay circuit to interrupt the connection between the AC power supply and the rectifier circuit, it is possible to prevent inrush current from entering the circuit beyond the rectifier circuit.

[0039] (14) Preferably, the protection control includes the stop control, the interruption control performed after the stop control, and the restart control performed after the interruption control to initiate the conversion from DC to AC in the inverter circuit.

[0040] Generally, the response speed of a relay circuit is slower than that of an inverter circuit. Therefore, by executing the shutdown control of the inverter circuit first in the protection control, the voltage at the first capacitor can be maintained, and even if an inrush current occurs before the tripping control of the relay circuit, it is possible to suppress the inrush current from becoming large. Furthermore, by performing restart control after the tripping control, the charge of the first capacitor can be released to the load while preventing the inflow of inrush current. This makes it possible to more reliably protect electrical component modules, including power buffer circuits, from momentary power outages.

[0041] (15) Preferably, the control module executes the protective control only while the load is in operation.

[0042] Generally, while the load is not operating, the electrical component module can be protected from momentary power outages by a breaker. In contrast, during the operation of the load, since countermeasures by the breaker cannot be taken, the protection control by the control module becomes more important. By executing the protection control only during the operation of the load, the execution scenario of the protection control can be restricted, and the control burden on the control module can be reduced.

[0043] (16) Preferably, the control module detects the voltage of the first capacitor or the voltage between the DC links at a predetermined interval, and executes the protection control when the voltage of the first capacitor or the voltage between the DC links becomes below the first threshold value continuously for a predetermined number of times of 2 or more.

[0044] By configuring in this way, the control module detects the voltage of the first capacitor or the voltage between the DC links at a predetermined sampling period. If the necessity of the protection control is determined only by one sampling, for example, due to false detection caused by momentary noise or the like, the protection control may be frequently performed, which may inhibit the power conversion in the electrical component module. Therefore, by executing the protection control when these voltages become below the first threshold value continuously for a predetermined number of times of 2 or more, false operation of the protection control can be reduced.

[0045] (17) Preferably, the predetermined interval is 0.5 milliseconds or less, and the predetermined number of times is 2 times.

[0046] For example, conventionally, the voltage was sampled at an interval of 1 millisecond, and the normal LVP was executed based on the average value for 10 times, so it was impossible to cope with momentary power outages for a very short time. In contrast, by shortening the sampling interval to 0.5 milliseconds or less and further limiting the number of samplings to 2 times, it is possible to execute the protection control even for a momentary power outage for a very short time while reducing false operation. Thereby, the electrical component module including the power buffer circuit can be protected from momentary power outages.

[0047] (18) Preferably, it includes a second reactor connected in series to the first power line, and further includes a smoothing circuit that smooths the direct current input to the power buffer circuit. The rectifier circuit, the power buffer circuit, the inverter circuit, and the smoothing circuit are each mounted on a printed circuit board, and the direct current resistance value of the second reactor is 50 mΩ or less.

[0048] If the direct current resistance value of the second reactor is increased, the inrush current flowing through each component can be reduced. On the other hand, there is a risk that problems such as breakdown of the insulation of the reactor or deformation of the printed circuit board may occur due to heat generation during the operation of the reactor. In the present disclosure, in order to prevent the inrush current by protection control, the necessity of selecting a reactor with a large direct current resistance value as the second reactor can be reduced, and a reactor with a small scale having a direct current resistance value of 5 mΩ or less can be used. Thereby, the above-mentioned disadvantages associated with a large direct current resistance value can be eliminated.

[0049] (19) Preferably, the rectifier circuit, the power buffer circuit, and the inverter circuit are each mounted on a printed circuit board, and the capacitance of the first capacitor is 760 uF or more.

[0050] The larger the capacitance of the first capacitor, the larger the power that can be output to the inverter circuit. On the other hand, there is a risk that the inrush current will also increase. In the present disclosure, in order to prevent the inrush current by protection control, a capacitor with a large capacitance can be used as the first capacitor with a lower risk.

[0051] (20) A control module for controlling a power converter, the power converter comprising: a rectifier circuit that converts alternating current (AC) output from an AC power source to direct current (DC); DC links including a first power line and a second power line connected to the output side of the rectifier circuit, respectively; a power buffer circuit that receives charging power from the DC links and outputs discharge power to the DC links; and an inverter circuit that converts the DC input from the DC links to AC and outputs it to a load, wherein the power buffer circuit includes a first capacitor and a first switch connected in series with the first capacitor, and a discharge circuit that supplies discharge power to the DC links by the discharge of the first capacitor when the first switch conducts between the DC links. The control module includes a first reactor and a second switch connected in series with the first reactor, and a charging circuit that charges the first capacitor with charging power input from the DC links and stored in the first reactor when the second switch is performing a switching operation that repeatedly switches between a state of conducting and a state of not conducting between the DC links, wherein the control module performs protection control when the second switch stops the switching operation and the voltage of the first capacitor or the voltage between the DC links falls below a predetermined first threshold, and the protection control includes at least one of a stop control that stops the conversion from DC to AC in the inverter circuit, and a cutoff control that cuts off the connection between the AC power supply and the rectifier circuit.

[0052] When the second switch stops switching, the first capacitor is not charged, which makes it easy for the voltage of the first capacitor to drop during a power outage and for the inrush current to increase. In such cases, the control module can perform protective control to protect the power converter, including the power buffer circuit, from momentary power outages.

[0053] (21) The refrigeration system of the present disclosure is a refrigeration system having any of the electrical component modules described in (1) to (19) above.

[0054] According to the refrigeration system, the same effects and advantages as any of the electrical component modules (1) to (19) above can be obtained.

[0055] This is a schematic diagram illustrating a refrigeration system according to an embodiment. This is a schematic configuration diagram of an electrical component module according to an embodiment. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electrical component module cut along the cutting line III-III in Figure 2. This is a schematic diagram showing the main circuit configuration of the electrical component module. This is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged view of the portion of Figure 3 that includes the rectifier circuit. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electrical component module cut along the cutting line VI-VI in Figure 5. This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electrical component module cut along the cutting line VII-VII in Figure 6. This is a schematic diagram illustrating the layout of a rectifier circuit according to a comparative example. This is a schematic diagram illustrating the layout of a communication circuit according to an embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a shunt resistor according to an embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a shunt resistor according to an embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing a shunt resistor according to a comparative example. This is a schematic diagram showing a shunt resistor according to a comparative example. This is a schematic diagram showing a thermistor element viewed in the thickness direction. This is a schematic cross-sectional view cut along the cutting line XV-XV in Figure 14. This is a schematic diagram illustrating the layout of a thermistor element according to a comparative example. This is a block diagram schematically showing the functions of an electrical component module according to an embodiment. This is a block diagram schematically showing the circuit configuration of the electrical component module according to the embodiment. This is a flowchart illustrating the control procedure of the control module according to the embodiment. This is a table showing the protection range in a comparative example. This is a table showing an example of the protection range in the embodiment.

[0056] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0057] [First Embodiment] [Overall Configuration of Refrigeration System 90] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a refrigeration system 90 according to the first embodiment. The refrigeration system 90 is an air conditioning system that cools, heats, dehumidifies, or humidifies, for example, an indoor space S1 of a building B1. The refrigeration system 90 comprises an indoor unit 90a installed in the indoor space S1, an outdoor unit 90b installed in the outdoor space S2, and a refrigerant circuit 90c connecting the indoor unit 90a and the outdoor unit 90b.

[0058] The refrigerant circuit 90c includes indoor and outdoor heat exchangers and various valves (not shown), a compressor 96, and refrigerant piping 97. The refrigerant circuit 90c performs heat exchange between the indoor space S1 and the outdoor space S2 using known refrigerant control technology to cool or heat the indoor space S1.

[0059] An enlarged view of the outdoor unit 90b is shown on the right side of Figure 1. The outdoor unit 90b includes a casing 91, an electrical component module 10 built into the casing 91, a plurality of fans 95, 95, a compressor 96, and refrigerant piping 97.

[0060] The casing 91 mainly comprises two spaces: a heat exchange chamber 92 and a machine room 93, each of which is separated by a partition plate 94. Multiple fans 95 and a heat exchanger (not shown) are housed in the heat exchange chamber 92, while the electrical module 10 and compressor 96 are housed in the machine room 93. Refrigerant piping 97 is provided across both the heat exchange chamber 92 and the machine room 93.

[0061] A portion of the refrigerant piping 97 is positioned close to the electrical component module 10 as a refrigerant jacket 97a for cooling the electrical component module 10. Specifically, the refrigerant jacket 97a is provided in contact with or close to the heat sink 13 included in the electrical component module 10, and the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant jacket 97a cools the heat sink 13. This cools the electrical component module 10.

[0062] [Overall configuration of the electrical component module 10] The electrical component module 10 includes a communication function for communicating with the indoor unit 90a, a control function for controlling various loads 84 of the outdoor unit 90b (for example, a fan 95 and a compressor 96), and a power supply function for supplying driving power to these loads 84.

[0063] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the electrical component module 10. The electrical component module 10 comprises a circuit board 11, a plurality of cooling elements 12, a heat sink 13, a communication circuit 31, a power supply circuit 41, a control module 42, and input / output terminals 55.

[0064] The substrate 11 is a flat printed circuit board made of resin as the base material. The substrate 11 includes a main surface A1 and a back surface A2 (Figure 3) which is the surface opposite to the main surface A1. The substrate 11 is fixed to the wall surface of the casing 91, with the main surface A1 facing the heat sink 13 and the back surface A2 facing the sheet metal wall surface (for example, a partition plate 94).

[0065] Here, the shorter direction of the main surface A1 of the substrate 11 will be referred to as the "X direction," the longer direction as the "Y direction," and the thickness direction of the substrate 11 as the "Z direction." For explanatory purposes, Figure 2 includes an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system. The same applies to subsequent drawings.

[0066] Multiple cooling elements 12 are arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction of the main surface A1 of the substrate 11. By arranging the multiple cooling elements 12 in this longitudinal direction, the shape of the heat sink 13 that cools these cooling elements 12, and the shape of the refrigerant jacket 97a that cools the heat sink 13, can be made into a relatively simple rectangular shape.

[0067] Each of the multiple cooling target elements 12 includes multiple inverter circuits 21, 22, a PFC circuit 23, and a rectifier circuit 24. The multiple inverter circuits 21, 22 include a first inverter circuit 21 that outputs drive power to the compressor 96 and a second inverter circuit 22 that outputs drive power to the fan 95.

[0068] For example, the multiple cooling elements 12 are arranged in the following order from one side in the longitudinal direction (bottom in the example in Figure 2): rectifier circuit 24, PFC circuit 23, second inverter circuit 22, and first inverter circuit 21. The rectifier circuit 24 is located close to one side (bottom edge) in the longitudinal direction of the main surface A1 of the substrate 11, while the first inverter circuit 21 is located at a distance from the other side (top edge) in the longitudinal direction of the main surface A1 of the substrate 11. In other words, the rectifier circuit 24 is located closer to the longitudinal edge of the substrate 11 than the first inverter circuit 21.

[0069] In this way, by arranging multiple cooling target elements 12 towards one side in the longitudinal direction on the main surface A1 of the substrate 11, other elements such as other logic devices (elements that generate less heat than the cooling target elements 12) can be concentrated in the space on the other side, and the space on the main surface A1 can be used effectively.

[0070] The multiple cooling target elements 12 are so-called power devices (power semiconductors), and they generate heat during operation. This heat can cause deformation or deterioration of the resin substrate 11, potentially leading to malfunctions in the substrate 11.

[0071] Therefore, in order to prevent the aforementioned malfunction, the heat sink 13 is brought into contact with multiple cooling target elements 12, and the heat from these cooling target elements 12 is transferred to the heat sink 13. The heat transferred to the heat sink 13 is released to the outside of the heat sink 13 by being released into the air or transferred to the coolant flowing through the coolant jacket 97a. This prevents malfunctions of the substrate 11 caused by the multiple cooling target elements 12 becoming overheated.

[0072] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electrical component module 10 cut along the cutting line III-III in Figure 2. The heat sink 13 is a metal (for example, made of aluminum) component that cools multiple cooling target elements 12, and has multiple irregularities (not shown) to increase the surface area in order to enhance the heat dissipation effect.

[0073] The heat sink 13 is installed with a gap in the thickness direction (Z direction) relative to the main surface A1, and multiple cooling target elements 12 are installed on the surface of the heat sink 13 facing the main surface A1. Specifically, each of the multiple cooling target elements 12 is a packaged circuit, each including a chip portion and terminals. The chip portion is fixed to the heat sink 13, and the terminals are connected to the substrate 11, thereby mounting it on the substrate 11.

[0074] The heat sink 13 has a shape that is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the main surface A1 along the multiple cooling target elements 12. For example, the length of the heat sink 13 in the longitudinal direction is the length L2a which is the length L2 from one side to the other side in the longitudinal direction along which the multiple cooling target elements 12 are lined up, plus a small margin (L2a > L2).

[0075] Refer to Figure 2. The power supply circuit 41 is a circuit that supplies the input AC power received from the AC power supply 81 to each element included in the electrical component module 10. The power supply circuit 41 includes, for example, a reactor and a capacitor for smoothing the input AC power. The part of the power supply circuit 41 that includes the reactor is called the reactor section 41a, and the part that includes the capacitor is called the capacitor section 41b (Figure 4).

[0076] The control module 42 is an element that controls each element included in the electrical component module 10. Specifically, the control module 42 controls the on / off state of the switching elements described later included in the first inverter circuit 21 and the second inverter circuit 22, respectively, according to the input waveform from the power supply circuit 41. In this way, by having one control module 42 control multiple circuits 21 and 22, the number of elements mounted on the circuit board 11 can be reduced. The control module 42 is, for example, a microcomputer (MPC) that includes a memory and a processor that performs various calculations and controls according to a computer program stored in the memory.

[0077] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the main circuit configuration of the electrical component module 10. This circuit configuration is designed to enable the electrical component module 10 to perform a power supply function. The electrical component module 10 converts the single-phase input AC power input from the AC power source 81 to the input line section 82 into three-phase (U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase) output AC power suitable for driving the various loads 84 included in the outdoor unit 90b, and outputs it to the loads 84 via the output line section 83.

[0078] The AC power supply 81 is, for example, a single-phase 200V commercial power supply. The input line section 82 includes a first power line LH with a high potential and a second power line LL with a lower potential than the first power line LH. If the AC power supply 81 is the upstream side and the load 84 is the downstream side, the input line section 82 is electrically connected in the following order from upstream: rectifier circuit 24, reactor section 41a, PFC circuit 23, and capacitor section 41b, and the output of the capacitor section 41b is distributed to the first inverter circuit 21 and the second inverter circuit 22. Note that the above connection order is just an example, and the connection order may be changed as appropriate. For example, the reactor section 41a may be provided upstream of the rectifier circuit 24.

[0079] First, the input AC is input to the rectifier circuit 24. The rectifier circuit 24 (converter circuit) converts the input AC into DC. The rectifier circuit 24 is, for example, a full-wave rectifier circuit with a bridge diode structure including four diodes.

[0080] Next, the reactor section 41a smooths the rectified DC and outputs it to the PFC circuit 23. The PFC circuit 23 (power factor correction circuit) corrects the phase shift caused by the capacitors and reactors included in the power supply circuit 41, thereby bringing the power factor closer to 1. As the PFC circuit 23, a known type of circuit, such as a passive or active type, is used. The DC output from the PFC circuit 23 is smoothed by the capacitor section 41b and output to the first inverter circuit 21 and the second inverter circuit 22.

[0081] The first inverter circuit 21 includes a plurality of switching elements (for example, six insulated-gate bipolar transistors: IGBTs), and the on / off switching of these switching elements is appropriately controlled by the control module 42 to convert the input DC into a three-phase output AC, and outputs the output AC to the output line section 83. The output AC is supplied to the compressor 96 via the output line section 83.

[0082] The second inverter circuit 22, like the first inverter circuit 21, includes multiple switching elements, and the on / off switching of these switching elements is appropriately controlled by the control module 42 to convert the input DC into a three-phase output AC, which is then output to the output line section 83. This output AC is supplied to the fan 95 via the output line section 83.

[0083] [Regarding the size of the substrate 11, etc.] Here, the size of the substrate 11, etc. will be explained with reference to Figure 2. The length L1 in the longitudinal direction of the main surface A1 of the substrate 11 is 350 mm or less, for example, 315 mm. The length L3 in the short direction of the main surface A1 of the substrate 11 is 240 mm or less, for example, 190 mm. In this way, the substrate 11 of this embodiment is smaller than the size of conventional substrates (for example, 350 mm or more in the longitudinal direction and 240 mm or more in the short direction).

[0084] This is due to improvements made to the layout of each element on the substrate 11 through the following improvements (1) to (4), which made it possible to mount each element on a substrate 11 with a smaller area than before. Details of these improvements will be described later.

[0085] <Points of ingenuity regarding miniaturization of the circuit board 11> (1) Ingenuity regarding the layout of the rectifier circuit 24 (2) Ingenuity regarding the layout of the communication circuit 31 (3) Ingenuity regarding the layout of the control module 42 (4) Ingenuity regarding the layout of the thermistor element 60 (described later)

[0086] Furthermore, the length L2 along which the multiple cooling target elements 12 are aligned, and the length L2a of the heat sink 13, are both 250 mm or less, and 75% or less of the longitudinal length L1 of the main surface A1 of the substrate 11. For example, the length L2a of the heat sink 13 is 223 mm, and the length L2 is slightly shorter than that. Thus, since the heat sink 13 of this embodiment is shorter than the substrate 11 in the longitudinal direction, a wide area on the substrate 11 that does not face the heat sink 13 can be secured.

[0087] While the heat sink 13 can cool the elements 12 to be cooled, if it faces a region of the substrate 11 that does not generate much heat, condensation may form in that region, and these condensation droplets may cause malfunctions in the elements contained in the substrate 11. In this embodiment, the region where the heat sink 13 is located is limited to a region along multiple elements 12 to be cooled, and the heat sink 13 is configured so that it does not unnecessarily face the substrate 11, thereby preventing the above-mentioned malfunctions.

[0088] The following describes the design considerations for the electrical component module 10, including its layout.

[0089] [Layout of Rectifier Circuit 24] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an enlarged view of the portion of Figure 3 that includes the rectifier circuit 24. Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the electrical component module 10 along the cutting line VI-VI in Figure 5. Figure 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the electrical component module 10 along the cutting line VII-VII in Figure 6.

[0090] The rectifier circuit 24 is a packaged circuit and, as shown in Figure 6, includes a flat chip portion 241 and a plurality of terminals 243 extending in a first direction from one side 242 of the chip portion 241. The chip portion 241 has screw holes 244 through which screws for fixing the chip portion 241 to the heat sink 13 are passed. Here, the first direction is a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction (Z direction) and is any direction in the XY plane. In Figure 5, the X direction is used as an example of the first direction.

[0091] For the rectifier circuit 24, different packaged circuits are used depending on the required performance. For example, in a high-output refrigeration system 90, if a higher average forward current IF (e.g., rated 25A or more and 50A or less) is required for the rectifier circuit 24, the first rectifier circuit 24a is used, and if a lower average forward current IF (e.g., rated less than 25A) is required, the second rectifier circuit 24b is used.

[0092] The first rectifier circuit 24a is, for example, a TSB package of a single in-line bridge diode manufactured by Shindengen Electric Manufacturing Co., Ltd. The second rectifier circuit 24b is a 5S package of a single in-line bridge diode manufactured by the same company.

[0093] The length and thickness of one side 242 of the chip portion 241 are greater for the first rectifier circuit 24a than for the second rectifier circuit 24b. For example, the length W1 (hereinafter referred to as "first length W1") of one side 242 of the first rectifier circuit 24a is 46 mm, and the thickness T1 (hereinafter referred to as "first thickness T1") is 7.5 mm. In contrast, the length W2 (hereinafter referred to as "second length W2") of one side 242 of the second rectifier circuit 24b is 30 mm, and the thickness T2 (hereinafter referred to as "second thickness T2") is 4.6 mm.

[0094] Thus, since the first rectifier circuit 24a is larger than the second rectifier circuit 24b, the first rectifier circuit 24a has multiple (for example, two) screw holes 244 formed along the first direction, while the second rectifier circuit 24b has fewer (for example, one) screw holes 244 than the first rectifier circuit 24a.

[0095] Furthermore, in order to enable the layout described later, the first rectifier circuit 24a and the second rectifier circuit 24b are arranged such that when the respective tip portions 241 are stacked in the thickness direction, their respective screw holes 244 do not overlap with each other, so that the entire area of ​​the tip portion 241 of the second rectifier circuit 24b overlaps with the tip portion 241 of the first rectifier circuit 24a in the XY plane.

[0096] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a comparative example of the layout of the rectifier circuit 24. Conventionally, when a heat sink 130 is configured to allow selective mounting of a first rectifier circuit 24a and a second rectifier circuit 24b, and when mounting either the first rectifier circuit 24a or the second rectifier circuit 24b depending on the required output, it was necessary to separately secure a first space SP1 for mounting the first rectifier circuit 24a and a second space SP2 for mounting the second rectifier circuit 24b on the heat sink 130.

[0097] The reason for this is that the chip portion 241 of the first rectifier circuit 24a is thick, and when the chip portion 241 is fixed to the heat sink 130 with screws 248, the gap G2 between the head of the screw 248 and the main surface of the substrate 11 becomes smaller than the insulation distance Gx that should be secured for the chip portion 241 of the first rectifier circuit 24a (G2 < Gx). The insulation distance Gx is also called the "space distance".

[0098] In this case, in order to ensure insulation between the chip portion 241 and the substrate 11, it becomes necessary to form a hole 114 in the area of ​​the substrate 11 facing the screw 248. This hole 114 had to be formed even if it was the second rectifier circuit 24b that was actually mounted, in order to allow selective mounting of the first rectifier circuit 24a and the second rectifier circuit 24b to the heat sink 130.

[0099] Furthermore, if the second rectifier circuit 24b is fixed to the first space SP1 with such a hole 114 present, the hole 114 will overlap with the portion of the terminal 243 of the second rectifier circuit 24b that faces the circuit board 11, making it impossible to connect the terminal 243 of the second rectifier circuit 24b to the circuit board 11.

[0100] Therefore, in order to selectively mount both the first rectifier circuit 24a and the second rectifier circuit 24b in a single first space SP1 in the comparative example, it was necessary to make the gap G2 larger than the insulation distance Gx to eliminate the need for the hole 114, which required making the gap between the heat sink 130 and the substrate 11 larger. However, with such a configuration, the thickness of the electrical component module 10 itself increased, resulting in the problem of the electrical component module 10 becoming larger.

[0101] For the reasons stated above, conventionally, as shown in Figure 8, a second space SP2 was secured separately in a location different from the first space SP1 (for example, a location adjacent to the first space SP1 in the Y direction), and the second rectifier circuit 24b was fixed in this second space SP2. As a result, the area of ​​the heat sink 130 and the substrate 11 in the XY plane was increased because it was necessary to secure the second space SP2 separately from the first space SP1.

[0102] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the tip portion 241 of the first rectifier circuit 24a is fixed to the heat sink 13 by low-profile screws 246. The low-profile screws 246 are screws with a head thickness of 1.2 mm or less, for example, the head thickness is 0.9 mm or more and 1.1 mm or less. In the case of ordinary screws such as screws 248, the head thickness is generally 1.85 mm or more and 2.15 mm or less, and the head thickness of the low-profile screws 246 is about half the head thickness of a typical screw 248.

[0103] Therefore, the gap G1 from the head of the low-profile screw 246 that fixes the chip portion 241 to the main surface A1 of the substrate 11 can be wider than the gap G2 and also wider than the insulation distance Gx (G1 > Gx > G2). As a result, the hole 114 can be made unnecessary, and in the heat sink 13, either the first rectifier circuit 24a or the second rectifier circuit 24b can be fixed in the same fixing area 131 (corresponding to the first space SP1 above), making the second space SP2 unnecessary.

[0104] Figure 5 illustrates how either the first rectifier circuit 24a or the second rectifier circuit 24b is fixed to the same fixed area 131. The fixed area 131 of the heat sink 13 has a plurality of (for example, two) first screw holes 132 for screwing in the first rectifier circuit 24a, and a second screw hole 133 provided between the plurality of first screw holes 132 for screwing in the second rectifier circuit 24b. The number of second screw holes 133 is less than the number of first screw holes 132, for example, one.

[0105] The first rectifier circuit 24a is fixed to the fixing area 131 by inserting low-profile screws 246 into the screw holes 244 and the first screw hole 132, respectively. The second rectifier circuit 24b is fixed to the fixing area 131 by inserting screws 247 into the screw holes 244 and the second screw hole 133, respectively. Screws 247 may be ordinary screws (screws 248) or low-profile screws. However, since the second thickness T2 of the second rectifier circuit 24b is thinner than the first thickness T1, and as shown in Figure 8, the insulation distance Gx with the main surface A1 of the substrate 11 can be secured even if ordinary screws 248 are used, screws 247 may have a thicker head than the low-profile screws 246 used to fix the first rectifier circuit 24a.

[0106] While the low-profile screw 246 has the advantage of ensuring the insulation distance Gx as described above due to its thin head, the thin head also increases the risk of the screw threads being stripped (so-called "screw stripping") when torque is applied to tighten the screw. Furthermore, standard screws 248 are generally cheaper than low-profile screws 246. For this reason, by using screws with larger heads for fixing the second rectifier circuit 24b than the screws for fixing the first rectifier circuit 24a, manufacturing costs can be reduced while suppressing the stripping of the screw threads and ensuring ease of manufacturing.

[0107] Furthermore, in the low-profile screws 246 used to fix the first rectifier circuit 24a, it is preferable to use low-profile screws 246 that are less prone to thread damage in order to suppress thread damage. For example, "Tough Cross" (trademark registered) manufactured by Nitto Seiko Co., Ltd. may be used as the low-profile screws 246.

[0108] Refer to Figure 7. Next, we will describe the lead arrangement of the substrate 11 when the first rectifier circuit 24a and the second rectifier circuit 24b can be selectively fixed in the same fixed area 131.

[0109] The main surface A1 of the substrate 11 is provided with a plurality of leads 111a, 111b, 111c, and 111d (simply referred to as "leads 111" unless otherwise specified) for electrical contact with the terminals 243 of the first rectifier circuit 24a and the second rectifier circuit 24b.

[0110] These leads 111 have a plurality of first terminal holes 112a, 112b, 112c, 112d (simply referred to as "first terminal holes 112" unless otherwise specified) into which a plurality of terminals 243 of the first rectifier circuit 24a are inserted, and a plurality of second terminal holes 113a, 113b, 113c, 113d (simply referred to as "second terminal holes 113" unless otherwise specified) into which a plurality of terminals 243 of the second rectifier circuit 24b are inserted. For example, lead 111a has a first terminal hole 112a and a second terminal hole 113a.

[0111] Furthermore, all second terminal holes 113 are formed inward from the two first terminal holes 112a and 112d located at both ends of the multiple first terminal holes 112 when viewed in the first direction (X direction) of the multiple leads 111. Also, all second terminal holes 113 are located between the tip portion 241 and the first terminal holes 112 when viewed in the thickness direction (Z direction).

[0112] With this layout, the first terminal hole 112 and the second terminal hole 113 share the same lead 111, allowing for a shorter wiring pattern on the substrate 11. Furthermore, this arrangement ensures sufficient insulation distance (creepage distance) between the leads 111, enabling a more compact pattern layout.

[0113] [Layout of communication circuit 31] Refer to Figure 2. The communication circuit 31 is a circuit for realizing the communication function of the electrical equipment module 10. The communication circuit 31 is an "internal-external transmission circuit" that performs various processes related to communication between, for example, the indoor unit 90a and the outdoor unit 90b.

[0114] On the substrate 11, the communication circuit 31 is located at the edge (for example, at a corner away from the power supply circuit 41 in Figure 2). By positioning the communication circuit 31 close to the periphery of the substrate 11 in this way, the transmission and reception of communication signals in the communication circuit 31 can be facilitated.

[0115] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the layout of the communication circuit 31. The substrate 11 is a substrate stacked in multiple layers in the thickness direction. In Figure 9, the substrate 11 is shown as an example of a four-layer laminated substrate, including a first substrate 11a, a second substrate 11b, a third substrate 11c, and a fourth substrate 11d, in order from the top layer on the main surface A1 side. However, the number of layers in the substrate 11 is not limited to this.

[0116] In the laminated substrate 11 in this manner, the communication circuit 31 is provided in a position on the substrate 11 that does not overlap with other circuits. As an example in which the communication circuit 31 is provided across multiple layers of the substrate 11, consider the case where the communication circuit 31a is provided on the first substrate 11a, the communication circuit 31b is provided on the second substrate 11b, and the communication circuit 31d is provided on the fourth substrate 11d. In this case, the region where at least one of these communication circuits 31a, 31b, and 31d is located, viewed in the thickness direction, is called the communication circuit region R1.

[0117] Next, as an example of circuits other than the communication circuit 31 (other circuits), consider the case where the first inverter circuit 21 and the second inverter circuit 22 are provided near the communication circuit region R1 across multiple layers. The circuits other than the communication circuit 31 are not limited to inverter circuits; for example, they could be a PFC circuit 23 or a rectifier circuit 24. However, in the case of inverter circuits in particular, inverter noise is easily generated due to the on / off switching of switching elements, and this noise is highly likely to adversely affect the communication performance of the communication circuit 31. For this reason, in the following explanation, the first inverter circuit 21 and the second inverter circuit 22 will be given as representative examples of other circuits.

[0118] For example, if a first inverter circuit 21a is provided on the first substrate 11a, a first inverter circuit 21b is provided on the second substrate 11b, and a second inverter circuit 22c is provided on the third substrate 11c, then the region where at least one of these circuits 21a, 21b, and 22c is located, when viewed in the thickness direction, is referred to as the other circuit region R2.

[0119] In this embodiment, the communication circuit region R1 is positioned so as not to overlap with other circuit regions R2 when viewed in the thickness direction. In particular, the communication circuit region R1 is separated from other circuit regions R2 by at least an inter-regional distance D1.

[0120] If, in the thickness direction, at least a portion of the communication circuit region R1 overlaps with another circuit region R2, noise generated in the circuit included in the other circuit region R2 (such as an inverter circuit) could propagate to the communication circuit 31 due to coupling capacitance in the thickness direction, potentially degrading the communication performance of the communication circuit 31. Furthermore, the propagation of such noise to the communication circuit 31 as described above could increase the conducted noise emitted from the communication lines of the communication circuit 31.

[0121] To avoid this, conventional methods have included increasing the size of noise reduction structures such as common-mode choke coils included in the communication circuit 31 or power supply circuit 41 (also referred to as the "main circuit"), or attaching noise filters such as harness cores to the communication circuit 31, etc. However, these measures had the problem of increasing the size of the circuit board 11, which includes the communication circuit 31, etc.

[0122] In contrast, as described above, by arranging the communication circuit 31 so that it does not overlap with other circuits when viewed in the thickness direction, the communication circuit 31 can be physically separated from other circuits, making it less susceptible to noise emitted from other circuits. As a result, the need to implement separate noise countermeasures in the communication circuit 31, etc., is reduced, and the space required for such noise countermeasures can be reduced, making it possible to miniaturize the electrical component module 10 used in the single-phase power supply refrigeration system 90.

[0123] [Analysis Results Regarding the Layout of Communication Circuit 31] Here, a ground line (GND line) pattern was placed as the other circuit region R2, and the coupling capacitance [pF (picofarads)] between the communication circuit 31 and the other circuit was analyzed by simulation under two conditions: when the communication circuit region R1 and the other circuit region R2 overlap in the thickness direction, and when they do not overlap and the distance D1 between the regions is set from 0.125 mm to 2.0 mm. The results are shown below.

[0124] When R1 and R2 are stacked: 3.9 [pF] D1 = 0.125 [mm]: 1.4 [pF] D1 = 0.5 [mm]: 1.3 [pF] D1 = 1.0 [mm]: 1.1 [pF] D1 = 2.0 [mm]: 0.98 [pF]

[0125] As described above, compared to the case where the communication circuit region R1 and other circuit regions R2 are overlapped in the thickness direction, it has been confirmed that by ensuring an inter-region distance D1 of 0.125 mm or more, the coupling capacitance can be reduced to less than half, and a noise reduction effect can be expected. In particular, if the inter-region distance D1 is 1.0 mm or more, the coupling capacitance can be reduced to less than one-third compared to the overlapping case, so a sufficient noise reduction effect can be expected. For this reason, it is preferable to set the inter-region distance D1 to 0.125 mm or more.

[0126] On the other hand, when the inter-region distance D1 is 2.0 mm, only an 89% reduction effect is obtained compared to the case of 1.0 mm, and it is thought that the additional reduction effect will be gradual even if the inter-region distance D1 exceeds 2.0 mm. For this reason, in order to achieve a certain level of noise reduction while miniaturizing the substrate 11, it is more preferable from the viewpoint of noise reduction to set the inter-region distance D1 to 0.125 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less.

[0127] Furthermore, within the same layer, it is necessary to ensure an insulating distance between the communication circuit area R1 and other circuit areas R2. In the example shown in Figure 9, the communication circuit 31a and the first inverter circuit 21a are located on the same layer, the first substrate 11a, so depending on the required insulating distance, a distance wider than 2.0 mm (wider than the inter-region distance D1) may be necessary. In contrast, for example, the communication circuit 31d (located on the fourth substrate 11d) and the second inverter circuit 22c (located on the third substrate 11c) are located on different layers, so the distance between them can be considered as the inter-region distance D1. In other words, in the case of the same layer, in addition to the inter-region distance D1, further spacing may be required to ensure an insulating distance.

[0128] [Layout of Control Module 42] Referring to Figure 2, the layout of the control module 42 will be explained. The control module 42 is a so-called "logic device" that includes a processor and other components that perform various calculations and controls, and is susceptible to adverse effects from noise. For this reason, it is preferable to place it away from the PFC circuit 23, which is particularly prone to generating large amounts of noise, and the power supply circuit 41, which is a noise path, among the various elements mounted on the substrate 11.

[0129] Therefore, in this embodiment, the power supply circuit 41 is provided on one side of the shorter direction of the multiple cooling target elements 12 (the right side in the example of Figure 2), and the control module 42 is provided on the other side of the shorter direction of the multiple cooling target elements 12 (the left side in the example of Figure 2). In other words, the control module 42 is provided on the opposite side of the power supply circuit 41, with the multiple cooling target elements 12 in between, thereby separating the control module 42 from the power supply circuit 41.

[0130] This makes the control module 42 less susceptible to noise emitted from the power supply circuit 41. As a result, the need for separate noise countermeasures in the control module 42 is reduced, and the space previously required for such noise countermeasures can be reduced. In addition, since multiple cooling target elements 12 are located between the control module 42 and the power supply circuit 41, the space used to separate the control module 42 and the power supply circuit 41 can be effectively utilized. This makes it possible to miniaturize the electrical component module 10 used in the single-phase power supply refrigeration system 90.

[0131] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the power supply circuit 41 supplies power to the multiple inverter circuits 21 and 22 respectively via input line sections 82 provided on one of the shorter sides of the multiple cooling target elements 12.

[0132] As shown in Figure 4, among the input line section 82, the second power line LL connected to the first inverter circuit 21 is provided with a shunt resistor 44 for detecting the current value flowing into the first inverter circuit 21. Similarly, among the input line section 82, the second power line LL connected to the second inverter circuit 22 is also provided with a shunt resistor 44 for detecting the current value flowing into the second inverter circuit 22.

[0133] Multiple detection lines 45, 45 are connected to these shunt resistors 44, 44 to detect the current value from each shunt resistor 44, 44. As shown in Figure 2, the multiple detection lines 45, 45 are input to a predetermined side of the control module 42 (for example, one side in the longitudinal direction, which is the bottom side in Figure 2).

[0134] Specifically, the control module 42 is located on the other side in the longitudinal direction and the other side in the short direction of the first inverter circuit 21 (upper right of the first inverter circuit 21 in Figure 2). By installing the control module 42 diagonally offset in this way, rather than adjacent to the multiple cooling target elements 12 including the first inverter circuit 21, it is possible to reduce adverse effects such as noise that the control module 42 receives from the cooling target elements 12 (especially the first inverter circuit 21) and the heat sink 13.

[0135] Furthermore, by inputting multiple detection lines 45, 45 to the same side, the multiple detection lines 45, 45 can be compactly arranged, making efficient use of space on the circuit board 11. This makes it possible to miniaturize the electrical component module 10 used in the single-phase power supply refrigeration system 90.

[0136] [Detection Line Pattern of Shunt Resistor 44] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the shunt resistor 44. In this embodiment, by devising the pattern of the detection line 45 (signal line) drawn out from the shunt resistor 44 to the control module 42, the versatility of the substrate 11 is increased as described later, and the overall manufacturing cost of the electrical component module 10 is reduced by reducing the number of substrates 11 produced.

[0137] As described above, the shunt resistor 44 is connected to the second power line LL in order to detect the current value of the input line 82. The shunt resistor 44 comprises a resistor 441, a first electrode 442, a second electrode 443, a first signal line 444, and a second signal line 445.

[0138] The first electrode 442 and the second electrode 443 are connected to the second power line LL, respectively, facing each other in the second direction. Here, the second direction (exemplified as the X direction in Figure 10) is the direction in which the second power line LL extends, among the directions in the XY plane.

[0139] The first electrode 442 and the second electrode 443 are connected to both ends of the resistor 441, thereby connecting the resistor 441 in parallel with the second power line LL. For example, the first electrode 442 is the positive electrode and the second electrode 443 is the negative electrode.

[0140] The first signal line 444 and the second signal line 445 are a pair of signal lines that are drawn from the first electrode 442 and the second electrode 443 to the control module 42, respectively, in order to detect the voltage drop in the resistor 441 at the control module 42. The detection line 45 (Figure 2) includes the first signal line 444 and the second signal line 445.

[0141] The first signal line 444 (the positive signal line) is drawn out from the central part 442a of the first electrode 442 in a direction perpendicular to the second direction (the direction in which the first electrode 442 and the second electrode 443 extend, which is the Y direction in Figure 10). More specifically, the first signal line 444 is drawn out from the midpoint of the first electrode 442 in the direction perpendicular to the second direction.

[0142] The second signal line 445 (the negative signal line) is drawn out from the end 443b of the second electrode 443 in a direction perpendicular to the second direction. More specifically, the second signal line 445 is drawn out from one side of the second electrode 443 in a direction perpendicular to the second direction (the bottom side in Figure 10).

[0143] Here, the central portion 442a of the first electrode 442 refers to the region located in the center of the first electrode 442 when the first electrode 442 is divided into three equal parts along a length perpendicular to the second direction. Similarly, the end portion 442b of the first electrode 442 refers to the region located at the end of the first electrode 442 when it is divided into three equal parts. The same applies to the central portion 443a and end portion 443b of the second electrode 443.

[0144] As described above, the first signal line 444 and the second signal line 445 differ in that the signal lines are drawn from electrodes 442 and 443 at the "center" and "ends" of the electrodes, respectively. The reason for this will be explained using Figures 12 and 13.

[0145] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing a shunt resistor 44b in a comparative example. Figure 13 is a schematic diagram showing a shunt resistor 44c in a comparative example. Shunt resistors 44b and 44c differ mainly from shunt resistor 44 in the signal line lead-out pattern, but other components are common to shunt resistor 44. For this reason, components common to shunt resistor 44 are denoted by the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted as appropriate.

[0146] Generally, the signal line lead-out pattern in a shunt resistor varies depending on the gap between the electrodes. For example, the shunt resistor 44b (Figure 12) has a relatively narrow gap W41 between the first electrode 442 and the second electrode 443 facing each other in the second direction. In such a narrow pattern, the signal lines are led out from the ends of the electrodes. In Figure 12, the first signal line 446 is led out from the end 442b of the first electrode 442, and the second signal line 445 is led out from the end 443b of the second electrode 443. Thus, both the first signal line 446 and the second signal line 445 are led out from the ends 442b and 443b, respectively.

[0147] In contrast, the shunt resistor 44c (Figure 13) has a relatively wide gap W42 between the first electrode 442 and the second electrode 443 in the second direction (W42 > W41). In the case of such a wide pattern, the signal lines are drawn out from the center of the electrodes. In Figure 13, the first signal line 444 is drawn out from the central part 442a of the first electrode 442, and the second signal line 447 is drawn out from the central part 443a of the second electrode 443. Thus, both the first signal line 444 and the second signal line 447 are drawn out from the central parts 442a and 443a, respectively.

[0148] The gaps W41 and W42 are used differently depending on the resistance value of the resistor 441, for example. In the case of the electrical component module 10, for example, the magnitude of the current detected by the shunt resistor 44 changes depending on the output of the fan 95 or the compressor 96, and the resistance value required for the resistor 441 changes accordingly.

[0149] Therefore, conventionally, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, it was necessary to prepare at least two lots of circuit boards 11, such as one circuit board 11 with the shunt resistor 44b mounted and another circuit board 11 with the shunt resistor 44c mounted, depending on the output of the compressor 96 used in the refrigeration system 90.

[0150] In contrast, the shunt resistor 44 of this embodiment uses the same pattern as the signal line lead-out pattern whether the width of the gap between the first electrode 442 and the second electrode 443 is W41 or W42. Figure 10 shows an example where the first electrode 442 and the second electrode 443 face each other in the second direction with a gap W41. In this case, as described above, the first signal line 444 and the second signal line 445 are led out from the central part 442a of the first electrode 442 and the end part 443b of the second electrode 443, respectively.

[0151] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the shunt resistor 44, illustrating an example where the first electrode 442 and the second electrode 443 face each other in the second direction with a gap W42. In this case as well, the first signal line 444 and the second signal line 445 have the same shape as in Figure 10, with the first signal line 444 and the second signal line 445 being drawn out from the central part 442a of the first electrode 442 and the end part 443b of the second electrode 443, respectively.

[0152] By configuring the system so that the second signal line 445 is drawn out from the end 443b of the second electrode 443, it is possible to draw out a signal using the same pattern of second signal line 445 even when the second electrode 443 is separated from the first electrode 442 by a gap W41 or a gap W42. In other words, to accommodate various gaps, the second signal line 445 is drawn out from the end 443b.

[0153] Furthermore, since the current flowing through the shunt resistor 44 does not flow uniformly in the direction perpendicular to the second direction, the first signal line 444 is drawn from the central part 442a of the first electrode 442. This reduces detection errors.

[0154] As described above, by drawing out signal lines 444 and 445 from the central part 442a of the first electrode 442 and the end part 443b of the second electrode 443, the signal lines 444 and 445 can be drawn out with the same signal line pattern regardless of the width of the gap W41 and W42 in the second direction between the first electrode 442 and the second electrode 443. This eliminates the need to prepare multiple types of substrates 11 depending on the width of the gap W41 and W42 in the second direction, thereby increasing the versatility of the substrate 11.

[0155] [Layout of Thermistor Element 60] The layout of the thermistor element 60 will be explained as one of the design considerations for the electrical component module 10. The refrigerant temperature in the refrigerant jacket 97a changes depending on various factors such as the ambient temperature and the operating mode of the refrigeration system 90 (for example, heating operation or cooling operation). For this reason, temperature protection is necessary for the element to be cooled 12, which is cooled by the refrigerant jacket 97a and the heat sink 13.

[0156] For example, if the cooling is insufficient and the element to be cooled 12 becomes excessively hot, or conversely, if it is overcooled and the element to be cooled 12 becomes excessively cold, protective actions such as lowering the current value supplied to the element to be cooled 12 are performed to prevent failure of the element to be cooled 12.

[0157] Therefore, the electrical component module 10 further includes a thermistor element 60 for measuring the temperature of elements among the cooling target elements 12 that require particular temperature protection (hereinafter referred to as "measurement target elements 200"). The measurement target elements 200 are, for example, switching elements included in the PFC circuit 23.

[0158] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing the thermistor element 60 as viewed in the thickness direction. Figure 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view obtained by cutting along the cutting line XV-XV in Figure 14. The thermistor element 60 comprises a mounting portion 61, a resistor 62, and wiring 63. The mounting portion 61 is a metal fitting portion that is attached to the object to be measured, and a screw hole 61a is formed in the thickness direction of the mounting portion 61. The resistor 62 is a resistor such as a semiconductor ceramic whose electrical resistance value changes with temperature. The wiring 63 is, for example, a pair of wires, and the change in the resistance value of the resistor 62 is taken out as a change in current value and sent to a detection unit (not shown).

[0159] The element to be measured 200 comprises a chip portion 201 and a plurality of terminals 202 extending from one side of the chip portion 201 to the substrate 11. Screw holes 201a are formed in the thickness direction of the chip portion 201.

[0160] The thermistor element 60 and the element to be measured 200 are fixed to the heat sink 13 by fastening them together with the same screws 70. Specifically, with the element to be measured 200 placed on the heat sink 13 and the thermistor element 60 placed on top of the element to be measured 200, the screws 70 are sequentially inserted into the screw holes 61a, 201a and 13a formed in the heat sink 13, thereby fixing the element to be measured 200 between the thermistor element 60 and the heat sink 13.

[0161] Since two elements, the thermistor element 60 and the element to be measured 200, are fixed on the heat sink 13, the gap between the head of the screw 70 and the main surface A1 of the substrate 11 tends to be narrow. For this reason, in order to ensure sufficient insulation distance between the screw 70 and the substrate 11, it is preferable to use a low-profile screw for the screw 70 with a head thickness of, for example, 0.9 mm or more and 1.1 mm or less.

[0162] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating a comparative example of the layout of the thermistor element 60. Conventionally, the thermistor element 60 was not fastened together with the element to be measured 200, but was provided adjacent to the element to be measured 200 in the XY plane. In the example of Figure 16, the element to be measured 200 is fixed to the heat sink 13 by itself with screws 72. Then, adjacent to the element to be measured 200 in the Y direction, the thermistor element 60 is fixed to the heat sink 13 with screws 71, separate from screws 72. As a result, the thermistor element 60 indirectly measures the temperature of the element to be measured 200 by measuring the temperature of the heat sink 13 near the element to be measured 200.

[0163] In contrast, in this embodiment, the thermistor element 60 and the element to be measured 200 are fastened together, so the resistor 62 of the thermistor element 60 comes into contact with the element to be measured 200, allowing the temperature of the element to be measured 200 to be measured directly. As a result, the thermistor element 60 can measure the temperature of the element to be measured 200 more accurately.

[0164] Furthermore, by overlapping the element to be measured 200 and the thermistor element 60 in the thickness direction, it becomes unnecessary to secure a separate space for the thermistor element 60 in the heat sink 13, separate from the element to be measured 200. This reduces the area required in the X and Y directions for the heat sink 13, and allows for miniaturization of the electrical component module 10 used in the single-phase power supply refrigeration device 90.

[0165] [Regarding the fixing of the substrate 11] As described above, by devising the layout of each element included in the substrate 11, the area of ​​the heat sink 13 and the substrate 11 can be reduced. As a result, not only can the area of ​​the substrate 11 and the heat sink 13 be reduced, but the weight of the substrate 11 and the heat sink 13 can also be reduced.

[0166] In the case of circuit boards without the above-mentioned layout modifications, the circuit board was fixed to the wall surface of the outdoor unit 90b using bushings and collars. Specifically, for example, a one-touch collar bushing (NB-400) manufactured by Natori Seisakusho Co., Ltd. was used, with the bushing fixed to the printed circuit board and the collar fixed to the wall surface of the outdoor unit 90b, and the circuit board was fixed to the wall surface of the outdoor unit 90b by screwing the bushing and collar together.

[0167] In this case, the circuit board can be more firmly fixed to the wall, which prevents the circuit board from coming off the wall due to its weight. However, it is necessary to secure space for attaching bushings to the circuit board, making it unsuitable for miniaturizing the circuit board.

[0168] In contrast, in this embodiment, the above-mentioned improvements make the substrate 11 lightweight, allowing for a simpler configuration for the fixing device to the wall. Therefore, in this embodiment, a resin spacer 51 is used as a fixing device simpler than a color bush. The resin spacer 51 is, for example, a locking card spacer ("card spacer" is a registered trademark) KGLS-10RTBM ("KGLS" is a registered trademark) manufactured by Kitagawa Industries Co., Ltd.

[0169] For example, the combined weight of the substrate 11 containing each element and the heat sink 13 is approximately 1.5 kg. Therefore, if the substrate 11 is fixed with 15 resin spacers 51, the load on each resin spacer 51 becomes relatively light, approximately 100 g. As a result, even with simple fasteners such as resin spacers 51, it is possible to prevent the substrate 11 from coming loose due to vibrations from the outdoor unit 90b, etc., making such fasteners practical.

[0170] Specifically, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, a plurality of spacer holes 52 are provided in the substrate 11. The heads of the plurality of resin spacers 51 are fixed to the wall surface of the casing 91, such as a partition plate 94, and the legs of these resin spacers 51 are inserted into the plurality of spacer holes 52, thereby fixing the substrate 11 to the wall surface of the casing 91.

[0171] Compared to the case where the substrate 11 is fixed to the wall surface with bushings and collars, there is no need to secure space for bushings etc. on the substrate 11, so the substrate 11 can be made smaller than before. As a result, the electrical component module 10 used in the single-phase power supply refrigeration system 90 can be made smaller.

[0172] In particular, the use of the resin spacer 51 eliminates the need for screw fastening when fixing the substrate 11 to the wall surface of the casing 91. For example, when using collars and bushings, it was necessary to prevent damage to elements on the substrate (e.g., ceramic capacitors) caused by distortion of the substrate due to screw fastening. For this reason, a printed circuit board with high rigidity and resistance to bending was used as the substrate, and in this respect as well, it was unavoidable to increase the thickness and weight of the substrate.

[0173] In contrast, in this embodiment, since screw fastening of the substrate 11 is unnecessary, even if a relatively thin substrate 11 is used, the amount of strain when fixing the substrate 11 to the wall surface can be kept low (for example, 1600 microns or less), and damage to the elements contained in the substrate 11 can be prevented.

[0174] Furthermore, at least one of these resin spacers 51 may be an earth spacer 53 that includes both a resin part and a metal part. The earth spacer 53 is, for example, an FG spacer (FGS-4S) manufactured by Kitagawa Industries Co., Ltd. The metal part of the earth spacer 53 has an earth function that provides electrical conductivity between the substrate 11 and the wall surface.

[0175] In this way, since the earth spacer 53 can also serve as the ground, the circuit board 11 can be made smaller than in the conventional method compared to the case where a separate harness is provided from the resin spacer 51 and the circuit board 11 is grounded by that harness. As a result, the electrical component module 10 used in the single-phase power supply refrigeration system 90 can be made smaller.

[0176] [Effects of the First Embodiment] (1) The electrical component module 10 according to the first embodiment is an electrical component module 10 provided in the outdoor unit 90b of a single-phase power supply refrigeration device 90, comprising a substrate 11, a plurality of cooling target elements 12 arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction of the main surface A1 of the substrate 11, and a heat sink 13 installed with a gap in the thickness direction relative to the main surface A1, having a shape that is elongated in the longitudinal direction along the plurality of cooling target elements 12 and in contact with the plurality of cooling target elements 12, wherein the plurality of cooling target elements 12 include a plurality of inverter circuits 21, 22 and a PFC circuit 23, the longitudinal length L1 of the substrate 11 is 350 mm or less, the length L2 from one side to the other in the longitudinal direction where the plurality of cooling target elements 12 are arranged on the main surface A1, and the longitudinal length L3 of the heat sink 13 are both 250 mm or less and 75% or less of the longitudinal length L1 of the substrate 11, and the electrical component module 10.

[0177] By arranging multiple cooling elements 12, including the PFC circuit 23, in a single line along the longitudinal direction of the substrate 11 and adjusting them to this size, the electrical component module 10 used in the single-phase power supply refrigeration device 90 can be miniaturized.

[0178] (2) Preferably, the multiple cooling elements 12 include a packaged rectifier circuit 24, the rectifier circuit 24 includes a flat plate-shaped tip portion 241 with screw holes 244 formed in the thickness direction, and a plurality of terminals 243 extending in a first direction from one side 242 of the tip portion 241, and the heat sink 13 includes a first rectifier circuit 24a having a tip portion 241 with one side 242 having a first length W1 and a thickness of first thickness T1, and The second rectifier circuit 24b includes a fixing region 131 to which either of the following is fixed: the first rectifier circuit 24a has a tip portion 241 with a side length 242 that is shorter than the first length W1 and a second thickness T2 that is thinner than the first thickness T1. The fixing region 131 has a plurality of first screw holes 132 for screwing in the first rectifier circuit 24a, and a second screw hole 133 provided between the plurality of first screw holes 132 for screwing in the second rectifier circuit 24b.

[0179] With this configuration, either the first rectifier circuit 24a or the second rectifier circuit 24b can be fixed to the same fixed area 131 in the heat sink 13, eliminating the need to provide separate fixed areas 131 for the first rectifier circuit 24a and the second rectifier circuit 24b side by side. As a result, the area of ​​the main surface A1 of the substrate 11 and the heat sink 13 can be reduced, making it possible to miniaturize the electrical component module 10 used in the single-phase power supply refrigeration device 90.

[0180] (3) Preferably, the substrate 11 includes, on the main surface A1, a plurality of first terminal holes 112 formed in each of the plurality of leads 111 into which a plurality of terminals 243 of the first rectifier circuit 24a are inserted, and a plurality of second terminal holes 113 formed inward from each of the plurality of leads 111, in view in the first direction, inward from the two first terminal holes 112 located at both ends of the plurality of first terminal holes 112 into which a plurality of terminals 243 of the second rectifier circuit 24b are inserted, wherein the plurality of second terminal holes 113 are located between the chip portion 241 and the plurality of first terminal holes 112 in view in the thickness direction.

[0181] With this configuration, the first terminal hole 112 and the second terminal hole 113 share the same lead 111, allowing for a shorter wiring pattern on the circuit board 11. Furthermore, this arrangement ensures sufficient insulation distance between the leads 111, enabling a more compact pattern layout.

[0182] (4) Preferably, the first rectifier circuit 24a is fixed to the fixing area 131 by inserting low-profile screws 246 with heads of 1.2 mm or less into the screw holes 244 and the first screw holes 132 of the tip portion 241, and the gap G1 in the thickness direction between the low-profile screws 246 and the substrate 11 is wider than the insulation distance Gx of the tip portion 241.

[0183] With this configuration, the distance between the heads of the low-profile screws 246 and the main surface A1 of the substrate 11 can be ensured, eliminating the need for measures such as drilling holes 114 in the substrate 11 to ensure an insulating distance Gx. As a result, the area on the main surface A1 of the substrate 11 that can be used to lay out patterns can be increased. This allows for more efficient use of the main surface A1 of the substrate 11, and enables miniaturization of the electrical component module 10 used in the single-phase power supply refrigeration device 90.

[0184] (5) Preferably, the substrate 11 includes the communication circuit 31 and is a substrate stacked in multiple layers in the thickness direction, and the communication circuit 31 is located in a position on the substrate 11 that does not overlap with circuits other than the communication circuit 31 when viewed in the thickness direction.

[0185] This configuration allows the communication circuit 31 to be physically separated from other circuits, making it less susceptible to noise emitted from other circuits. As a result, the need for separate noise countermeasures in the communication circuit 31 is reduced, and the space previously required for such noise countermeasures can be reduced, thus enabling a miniaturization of the electrical component module 10 used in the single-phase power supply refrigeration system 90.

[0186] (6) Preferably, the main surface A1 further comprises a power supply circuit 41 provided on one of the shorter directions of the plurality of elements to be cooled 12, and a control module 42 provided on the other of the shorter directions of the plurality of elements to be cooled 12 on the main surface A1 for controlling a plurality of inverter circuits 21, 22, wherein the power supply circuit 41 supplies power to the plurality of inverter circuits 21, 22 through a plurality of input line sections 82 provided on one of the shorter directions of the plurality of elements to be cooled 12, and the control module 42 is connected to a plurality of detection lines 45 for detecting current values ​​from a plurality of shunt resistors 44 provided on each of the plurality of input line sections 82.

[0187] By separating the control module 42 from the power supply circuit 41, the control module 42 becomes less susceptible to noise emitted from the power supply circuit 41. As a result, the need for separate noise countermeasures in the control module 42 is reduced, and the space previously required for such noise countermeasures can be reduced. Furthermore, since multiple cooling target elements 12 are located between the control module 42 and the power supply circuit 41, the space created to separate the control module 42 and the power supply circuit 41 can be effectively utilized. This makes it possible to miniaturize the electrical component module 10 used in the single-phase power supply refrigeration system 90.

[0188] (7) Preferably, a plurality of detection lines 45 are input to a predetermined side of the control module 42.

[0189] By inputting multiple detection lines 45 to the same side, the multiple detection lines 45 can be compactly arranged, making efficient use of space on the circuit board 11. This makes it possible to miniaturize the electrical component module 10 used in the single-phase power supply refrigeration system 90.

[0190] (8) Preferably, the shunt resistor 44 comprises a resistor 441, a first electrode 442 and a second electrode 443 facing each other in the second direction and connected to both ends of the resistor 441, a first signal line 444 drawn out from the central portion 442a of the first electrode 442 in a direction perpendicular to the second direction, and a second signal line 445 drawn out from the end portion 443b of the second electrode 443 in the same perpendicular direction, wherein the first electrode 442 and the second electrode 443 are connected to the input line portion 82.

[0191] By drawing signal lines 444 and 445 from the central portion 442a of the first electrode 442 and the end portion 443b of the second electrode 443, respectively, the signal lines 444 and 445 can be drawn using the same signal line pattern regardless of the width of the gap between the first electrode 442 and the second electrode 443 in the second direction. This eliminates the need to prepare multiple types of substrates 11 depending on the width of the gap in the second direction, thereby increasing the versatility of the substrate 11.

[0192] (9) Preferably, the outdoor unit 90b further comprises a plurality of resin spacers 51 that fix the substrate 11 to the wall surface inside the outdoor unit 90b.

[0193] Compared to the case where the substrate 11 is fixed to the wall surface with bushings and collars, there is no need to secure space for bushings etc. on the substrate 11, so the substrate 11 can be made smaller than before. As a result, the electrical component module 10 used in the single-phase power supply refrigeration system 90 can be made smaller.

[0194] (10) Preferably, at least one of the plurality of resin spacers 51 is an earth spacer 53 including a resin part and a metal part, and the metal part provides electrical connection between the substrate 11 and the wall surface.

[0195] Since the earth spacer 53 among the resin spacers 51 can also serve as the ground, the circuit board 11 can be made smaller than in the conventional method compared to when the circuit board 11 is grounded by a harness. As a result, the electrical component module 10 used in the single-phase power supply refrigeration system 90 can be made smaller.

[0196] (11) Preferably, the system further includes a thermistor element 60 for measuring the temperature of one of the multiple cooling target elements 12, wherein the thermistor element 60 is fixed to the heat sink 13 together with the cooling target element 200 by sequentially inserting screws 70 into screw holes 61a formed in the thickness direction of the thermistor element 60, screw holes 201a formed in the thickness direction of the measuring target element 200, and screw holes 13a formed in the heat sink 13.

[0197] By fixing the thermistor element 60 to the heat sink 13 together with the element to be measured 200, the distance between the thermistor element 60 and the element to be measured 200 is reduced compared to when the thermistor element 60 is individually fixed to the heat sink 13 near the element to be measured 200. As a result, the thermistor element 60 can measure the temperature of the element to be measured 200 more accurately. In addition, by overlapping the element to be measured 200 and the thermistor element 60 in the thickness direction, the horizontal area required for the heat sink 13 can be reduced. This makes it possible to miniaturize the electrical component module 10 used in the single-phase power supply refrigeration system 90.

[0198] [Second Embodiment] [Overall Configuration of Electrical Components Module 10] Figure 17 is a block diagram schematically showing the functions of the electrical components module 10 according to the second embodiment. Figure 18 is a block diagram schematically showing the circuit configuration of the electrical components module 10. The electrical components module 10 is a single-phase to three-phase conversion device that converts the AC input from a single-phase AC power source 81 into three-phase AC power corresponding to the load 84 (96, 95) and outputs it to the load 84 (96, 95) respectively.

[0199] The AC power supply 81 is, for example, a single-phase 200V commercial power supply. The electrical equipment module 10 and the loads 84 (96, 95) are components included in the air conditioning system. Each of the loads 84 (96, 95) is a device having a rotating motor (electric motor); for example, load 84 (96) is a compressor and load 84 (95) is a fan.

[0200] The electrical component module 10 comprises a power converter 10a and a control module 42. The control module 42 controls the power converter 10a.

[0201] The power converter 10a includes a DC link 20 including a first power line LH and a second power line LL, a relay circuit 27, a rectifier circuit 24, a smoothing circuit 26, a power buffer circuit 25, and a plurality of inverter circuits 21, 22. Each of these circuits 21 to 27 is connected to the DC link 20 and mounted on a resin-based printed circuit board (not shown).

[0202] The electrical component module 10 is a power converter with low voltage protection (LVP) function. Specifically, the control module 42 monitors the state of the power buffer circuit 25, which includes the first reactor L4 and the first capacitor C4. When the electrical component module 10 falls into a low voltage state due to a momentary power outage or the like, the control module 42 performs various protective controls to prevent malfunctions such as damage to circuit components caused by inrush current when recovering from the low voltage state. The configuration of each part of the electrical component module 10 will be described below.

[0203] [Configuration of each part of the electrical component module 10] The relay circuit 27 is a circuit that controls the conductivity between the AC power supply 81 and the rectifier circuit 24. The relay circuit 27 is a mechanical relay that includes, for example, a switch that can interrupt conductivity between the AC power supply 81 and the rectifier circuit 24, and a coil that operates the switch, and is also called the main relay. The relay circuit 27 is turned on and off based on the control signal SR output from the control module 42.

[0204] The rectifier circuit 24 is a rectifier circuit that converts the alternating current input from the AC power supply 81 into direct current. The rectifier circuit 24 is a full-wave rectifier circuit that employs, for example, a diode bridge, and includes four diodes D21, D22, D23, and D24. The rectifier circuit 24 converts the single-phase AC voltage Vin input from the AC power supply 81 into a rectified voltage and outputs it between the first power line LH and the second power line LL.

[0205] The smoothing circuit 26 is a filter circuit that smooths the rectified voltage output from the rectifier circuit 24. The smoothing circuit 26 includes a second reactor L3 and a second capacitor C3. The second reactor L3 is a smoothing reactor connected in series with the first power line LH. The second capacitor C3 is a smoothing capacitor connected between the first power line LH and the second power line LL. The second reactor L3 and the second capacitor C3 temporarily store the power output from the rectifier circuit 24 and output it with a time delay, thereby removing high-frequency components contained in the rectified voltage and suppressing pulsation. As a result, the filtered rectified voltage Vrec (= |Vin|) is output to the DC link 20.

[0206] The DC resistance of the second reactor L3 is, for example, 50 mΩ (milliohms) or less, and more preferably a reactor with a relatively low resistance of 20 mΩ or less is used. Generally, for the reactor of the smoothing circuit 26, a reactor with a relatively high DC resistance (for example, a reactor with a DC resistance of more than 50 mΩ) is used to suppress inrush current. And, reactors with high DC resistance tend to generate heat and become hot during operation, so reactors are generally large in order to thermally protect the reactor and the printed circuit board.

[0207] In response to this, the electrical component module 10 suppresses malfunctions caused by inrush current by performing the protection control described later. Thus, because the electrical component module 10 has a lower risk from inrush current than conventional devices, it can be used even if the second reactor L3 is configured with a low DC resistance value. By setting the DC resistance value of the second reactor L3 to 50 mΩ or less, the need for heat countermeasures is reduced, the volume required for mounting the second reactor L3 can be made smaller, and the heat loss in the smoothing circuit 26 can be kept low. As a result, the printed circuit board on which these circuits 21 to 26 are mounted can be made smaller, and the need to select a printed circuit board with high heat resistance is reduced, making it possible to use a less expensive printed circuit board.

[0208] The smoothing circuit 26 may be provided upstream of the rectifier circuit 24 (meaning the "AC power supply 81 side," the same applies hereinafter), and it may smooth the single-phase AC voltage Vin before it is input to the rectifier circuit 24 and output it to the rectifier circuit 24. Alternatively, the smoothing circuit 26 may be omitted. In these cases, the rectified voltage output from the rectifier circuit 24 is treated as the "rectified voltage Vrec."

[0209] The first power line LH and the second power line LL are DC power lines connected to the output side of the rectifier circuit 24, respectively. A higher potential is applied to the first power line LH than to the second power line LL.

[0210] The power buffer circuit 25 includes a discharge circuit 25a that outputs discharge power to the DC link 20, and a charging circuit 25b that receives charging power from the DC link 20. The power buffer circuit 25 corrects voltage changes when a voltage drop occurs in the DC link 20 due to the charging and discharging of these circuits 25a and 25b, thereby suppressing fluctuations in the voltage of the power flowing through the DC link 20.

[0211] The discharge circuit 25a includes a first capacitor C4 and a first switch SW1. The first capacitor C4 is connected between the first power line LH and the second power line LL. The first capacitor C4 is charged by the charging circuit 25b, and this charged power is discharged to the DC link 20 by conducting the first switch SW1, thereby exchanging power with the DC link 20. The first capacitor C4 may be realized by a single capacitor element, or by a plurality of capacitor elements connected in parallel with each other.

[0212] The capacitance of the first capacitor C4 is, for example, 760 uF (microfarads) or more. For example, if the first capacitor C4 includes multiple capacitor elements connected in parallel, the sum of the capacitances of these capacitor elements becomes the capacitance of the first capacitor C4.

[0213] Thus, by using a capacitor with a relatively large capacitance as the first capacitor C4, the output power (inverter output power) output to the load 84 (96, 95) can be increased. On the other hand, increasing the capacitance of the first capacitor C4 tends to increase the inrush current when the AC power supply 81 is restored after a power outage. In this regard, the electrical component module 10 suppresses malfunctions caused by inrush current by performing the protection control described later. Thus, since the electrical component module 10 has a lower risk from inrush current than conventional devices, it is possible to configure the first capacitor C4 with a large capacitance for practical use.

[0214] The first switch SW1 includes a diode D42 and a transistor SC (for example, an insulated-gate bipolar transistor: IGBT) connected in antiparallel to the diode D42. The first switch SW1 is connected in series with the first capacitor C4 on the first power line LH side. The first switch SW1 (specifically the transistor SC) is turned on and off based on a control signal SSC output from the control module 42.

[0215] Here, antiparallel connection means that the components are connected in parallel with their forward directions reversed. Specifically, the forward direction of transistor SC is from the second power line LL (low potential) to the first power line LH (high potential), and the forward direction of diode D42 is from the first power line LH to the second power line LL.

[0216] The charging circuit 25b includes a first reactor L4, a second switch SW2, and two diodes D40 and D43. The first reactor L4 is connected between the first power line LH and the second power line LL upstream of the first capacitor C4 in the DC link 20. The first reactor L4 temporarily stores the power input from the DC link 20 to the charging circuit 25b as charging power, and then boosts the voltage of the charging power by switching off the second switch SW2 and supplies it to the first capacitor C4.

[0217] The second switch SW2 includes a diode D41 and a transistor SL (e.g., an IGBT) connected in antiparallel to the diode D41. The second switch SW2 is connected in series with the first reactor L4 on the second power line LL side. The second switch SW2 (specifically the transistor SL) is controlled on and off based on the control signal SSL output from the control module 42. Here, the forward direction of the transistor SL is from the first power line LH to the second power line LL.

[0218] Diode D40 has its cathode connected between the first switch SW1 and the first capacitor C4, and its anode connected between the first reactor L4 and the second switch SW2. This configuration forms a boost chopper.

[0219] Diode D43 is installed between the connection point of the first reactor L4 and the connection point of the first switch SW1 in the first power line LH, with its cathode facing downstream and its anode facing upstream. In the power buffer circuit 25, diode D43 has the function of preventing the voltage across the second capacitor C3 from being affected by the voltage across the first capacitor C4 Vc due to the switching of the first switch SW1 by suppressing the reverse flow of current through the first power line LH to the upstream side. Note that diode D43 may be omitted.

[0220] The operation of the power buffer circuit 25 will now be explained. First, a rectified voltage Vrec is applied to the power buffer circuit 25. In this state, the control module 42 outputs a control signal SSL, which includes an ON command, to the second switch SW2, turning the second switch SW2 ON (conducting). As a result, current flows from the first power line LH through the second switch SW2 to the second power line LL, and energy is stored in the first reactor L4.

[0221] Next, the control module 42 outputs a control signal SSL, which includes an off command, to the second switch SW2, turning the second switch SW2 off (to the off state). As a result, the energy stored in the first reactor L4 flows through the diode D40 to the first capacitor C4 and is stored in the first capacitor C4. In this way, the first capacitor C4 is charged by the charging circuit 25b, and a voltage Vc across the first capacitor C4 is generated that is higher than the rectified voltage Vrec (Vc > Vrec).

[0222] As described above, the power buffer circuit 25 functions as a boost circuit by repeatedly switching the second switch SW2 on (storing energy in the first reactor L4) and off (charging the first capacitor C4). That is, when the power buffer circuit 25 is operating as a boost circuit, the second switch SW2 performs a "switching operation" of repeatedly switching on and off according to the operation command of the control module 42. On the other hand, when the power buffer circuit 25 is not operating as a boost circuit, the second switch SW2 stops switching and remains off.

[0223] Then, with the first capacitor C4 charged, the control module 42 outputs a control signal SSC including an ON command to the first switch SW1. When the first switch SW1 is turned ON, the first capacitor C4 discharges and supplies discharge power to the DC link 20. In this case, the DC voltage Vdc of the DC link 20 at the downstream end of the power buffer circuit 25 is equal to the voltage Vc across the first capacitor C4 (Vdc = Vc).

[0224] On the other hand, when the control module 42 outputs a control signal SSC including an off command to the first switch SW1, and the first switch SW1 is turned off, no discharge power is supplied from the first capacitor C4 to the DC link 20. In this way, the on / off switching of the first switch SW1 switches whether the DC current Idc flowing to the DC link 20 at the downstream end of the power buffer circuit 25 flows from the power buffer circuit 25 or from the rectifier circuit 24 (and smoothing circuit 26). The control module 42 performs power buffering in the DC link 20 by controlling the on / off switching of the first switch SW1 at appropriate timings.

[0225] Multiple inverter circuits 21 and 22 convert the DC input from the DC link 20 into AC and output it to the load 84 (96, 95). While this explanation describes an example where the electrical module 10 includes two inverter circuits 21 and 22, the number of inverter circuits included in the electrical module 10 is not limited; it may be one or three or more. Since the functions of the two inverter circuits 21 and 22 are similar, the inverter circuit 21 will be described below.

[0226] The inverter circuit 21 converts the DC from the DC link 20 to AC and outputs it to the output terminals Pu, Pv, and Pw. As a result, AC currents Iu, Iv, and Iw are output from the output terminals Pu, Pv, and Pw, respectively, and these three-phase AC currents are output to the load 84 (96) (compressor).

[0227] The inverter circuit 21 includes six transistors Sup, Svp, Swp, Sun, Svn, Swn (switching elements) and six diodes Dup, Dvp, Dwp, Dun, Dvn, Dwn, respectively, which are connected in antiparallel to these transistors Sup, Svp, Swp, Sun, Svn, Swn. The transistors Sup, Svp, Swp, Sun, Svn, Swn are, for example, IGBTs.

[0228] Transistors Sup, Svp, and Swp are connected between their output terminals Pu, Pv, and Pw and the first power line LH, respectively, while transistors Sun, Svn, and Swn are connected between their output terminals Pu, Pv, and Pw and the second power line LL, respectively.

[0229] Thus, the inverter circuit 21 constitutes a so-called voltage-type inverter. The control module 42 outputs a control signal Sinv to the transistors Sup, Svp, Swp, Sun, Svn, and Swn, and by appropriately switching them on and off using known methods, the inverter circuit 21 converts the DC of the DC link 20 to AC.

[0230] The control module 42 is a computer device that controls each part of the electrical component module 10. The control module 42 includes a memory and a processor that performs various calculations and controls according to a computer program stored in the memory. The control module 42 may be an integrated circuit such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0231] The control module 42 includes a voltage detector (not shown in Figures 17 and 18) that detects at least one of the voltage Vc across the first capacitor C4 and the DC voltage Vdc across the DC link 20. The voltage detector detects the voltages Vc and Vdc at predetermined intervals X1. The predetermined interval X1 is, for example, shorter than 0.5 milliseconds, more specifically 0.162 milliseconds.

[0232] [Problems Solved by the Electrical Components Module 10 and Their Solutions] Next, the problems solved by the electrical components module 10 will be explained in detail. For example, if a voltage drop occurs in the AC power supply 81 due to a power outage or the like, there is a risk that an inrush current will flow into the electrical components module 10 when the AC power supply 81 is restored. The inrush current flows through the first power line LH via the relay circuit 27 and diode D21, and then flows into the first capacitor C4 via the second reactor L3, diode D43 and first switch SW1.

[0233] At this time, if the charge capacitance of the first capacitor C4 decreases as the voltage of the AC power supply 81 drops, the voltage Vc across the first capacitor C4 will also become low, and the inrush current is likely to become large. If the inrush current becomes excessive, there is a risk of malfunctions such as damage to components such as the first capacitor C4.

[0234] For example, in conventional protection circuits, the DC voltage Vdc was sampled at a period of about 1.0 millisecond, and the presence or absence of a voltage drop in the AC power supply 81 was determined based on the average value of multiple (e.g., 10 or more) sampled voltages. In particular, since ripple originating from the power supply cycle of the AC power supply 81 is generated in the voltage Vc across the first capacitor C4, the above averaging process was performed to detect the voltage averaged to include this ripple.

[0235] Because the period for calculating the average value of the DC voltage Vdc is relatively long, in the case of a momentary power outage where the voltage drop in the AC power supply 81 occurs for only a very short time (for example, less than 10 milliseconds), the low-voltage state cannot be determined, and protective control cannot be executed, resulting in the aforementioned problems with component malfunctions.

[0236] To solve this problem, one possible approach is to reduce the number of sampling voltages used to calculate the average value (for example, to less than 5) while keeping the existing protection circuit. While this would allow for the detection of momentary power outages, it would also lead to a new problem: unnecessary protection control would be performed even in situations where excessive inrush current is unlikely to flow through the electrical component module 10, resulting in a decrease in the operating rate of the electrical component module 10.

[0237] Therefore, the electrical component module 10 performs protective control only when a decrease in DC voltage Vdc occurs under conditions where excessive inrush current is likely to flow. Conditions in which excessive inrush current is likely to flow to the electrical component module 10 include, for example, a situation where the power buffer circuit 25 is "not" functioning as a boost circuit.

[0238] When the power buffer circuit 25 functions as a boost circuit (i.e., when the second switch SW2 performs a switching operation and the charging power of the first reactor L4 is boosted and supplied to the first capacitor C4), even if a voltage drop occurs in the AC power supply 81, the voltage Vc across the first capacitor C4 hardly drops and is maintained at a voltage Vc above a predetermined value. Therefore, the inrush current is less likely to become large, and malfunctions caused by inrush current are less likely to occur in the first capacitor C4, etc.

[0239] On the other hand, if the power buffer circuit 25 is not functioning as a boost circuit (i.e., if the switching operation of the second switch SW2 is stopped), there is no power supplied to charge the first capacitor C4, so the voltage Vc across the first capacitor C4 tends to decrease, and the inrush current tends to increase.

[0240] Therefore, the control module 42 performs protective control when the second switch SW2 is conducting between the DC links 20 and the DC voltage Vdc between the DC links 20 (or the voltage Vc across the first capacitor C4, which is equal to the DC voltage Vdc when the first switch SW1 is conducting) falls below a predetermined first threshold Th1. This allows protective control to be performed only when a decrease in DC voltage Vdc occurs under conditions where excessive inrush current is likely to flow, thereby protecting the electrical component module 10, including the power buffer circuit 25, from momentary power outages while avoiding unnecessary protective control.

[0241] [Protective Control by Control Module 42] Figure 19 is a flowchart illustrating the control procedure in control module 42. Note that control module 42 may perform the protective control described below only when at least one of loads 84(96) and load 84(95) is in operation. That is, if neither load 84(96, 95) is in operation, control module 42 does not need to perform the following series of control procedures.

[0242] While the load 84 (96, 95) is not operating, the circuit breaker (not shown) can protect the electrical equipment module 10 from low voltage conditions caused by momentary power outages. In contrast, while the load 84 (96, 95) is operating, the circuit breaker cannot be used to protect it, making protective control by the control module 42 more important. As described above, by executing protective control only while the load 84 (96, 95) is operating, the situations in which protective control is executed can be limited, and the control burden on the control module 42 can be reduced.

[0243] In addition, "operating" of load 84 (96, 95) means that AC power can be supplied to load 84 (96, 95) from inverter circuits 21 and 22. In other words, it means that the power to load 84 (96, 95) is on. This includes not only the state in which the rotating machinery included in load 84 (96, 95) is actually rotating in response to the AC power supply, but also the state in which the rotating machinery has stopped rotating and is in standby mode (idle state).

[0244] [Step S11: Operation Determination of Second Switch SW] First, the control module 42 determines whether the second switch SW2 (specifically, transistor SL) is performing a switching operation (Step S11). For example, if the control module 42 repeatedly outputs a control signal SSL including ON and OFF commands to the second switch SW2 within a predetermined time, the control module 42 determines that the second switch SW2 is performing a switching operation (YES in Step S11). On the other hand, if the control module 42 outputs only an OFF command to the second switch SW2 and does not output a control signal SSL including an ON command within a predetermined time, the control module 42 determines that the second switch SW2 has stopped switching (NO in Step S11).

[0245] [Step S12: Instantaneous determination of voltage drop] If the second switch SW2 has stopped switching, the control module 42 then determines whether the state in which at least one of the voltage Vc across the first capacitor C4 and the DC voltage Vdc between the DC links 20 is below the first threshold Th1 continues for a predetermined time Y1 or longer (Step S12). The voltage Vc across the first capacitor C4 and the DC voltage Vdc between the DC links 20 are the same voltage value when the first switch SW1 is conducting, as described above, so either value can be used as the basis. The following explanation will use an example of detecting the DC voltage Vdc, but the process is the same when detecting the voltage Vc across the capacitor. The predetermined time Y1 is, for example, 1 millisecond or less, and more specifically 0.32 milliseconds.

[0246] For example, the control module 42 detects a DC voltage Vdc at a predetermined interval X1 (for example, 0.5 milliseconds or less, more specifically 0.162 milliseconds), and determines that "the state in which the DC voltage Vdc is 0.162 milliseconds or less continues for a predetermined number of times n1 or more, and that this state continues for a predetermined time Y1." That is, the predetermined time Y1 is considered to be the product of the predetermined interval X1 and the predetermined number of times n1 (Y1 = X1 × n1 = 0.162 × 2 = 0.32).

[0247] Here, the first threshold value Th1 is the voltage value at which the inrush current when the AC power supply 81 is restored is expected to become large enough to cause malfunctions in the components. For example, if the normal DC voltage Vdc is 255V, the inrush current is likely to be excessive when the DC voltage Vdc drops to a voltage lower than 184V before being restored. Therefore, the first threshold value Th1 is set to 190V, which is 184V plus a margin, and the control module 42 determines that a state in which the DC voltage Vdc (or the voltage across both ends Vc) is below the first threshold value Th1 is a "voltage drop" that carries the risk of excessive inrush current flowing.

[0248] The value of the first threshold Th1 is not limited to 190V as described above, but may be set appropriately based on the voltage value of the AC power supply 81 under normal conditions and the specifications of each component constituting the electrical equipment module 10.

[0249] Then, the control module 42 performs protective control (from steps S14 to S16) when at least one of the voltage across both ends Vc and the DC voltage Vdc falls below the first threshold Th1 (YES in step S12).

[0250] On the other hand, if both the voltage across the terminals Vc and the DC voltage Vdc exceed the first threshold Th1 (NO in step S12), the control module 42 does not perform protective control because the risk of excessive inrush current is low, and returns to step S11.

[0251] [Step S13: Normal determination of voltage drop] Also, if the second switch SW2 is performing a switching operation in step S11 (YES in step S11), the power buffer circuit 25 is functioning as a boost circuit, and the risk of excessive inrush current flowing in the event of a momentary power outage is low. Therefore, the control module 42 performs voltage monitoring for a longer predetermined time Y2 rather than for a short period of time Y1 (step S13).

[0252] Here, the predetermined time Y2 is longer than the predetermined time Y1, for example, 10 milliseconds. Indeed, if the second switch SW2 performs a switching operation and the power buffer circuit 25 functions as a boost circuit, the voltage of the first capacitor C4 can be maintained by the boost operation for a certain period of time. However, if the AC power supply 81 remains in a low voltage state for a longer period of time, the stored energy of the first reactor L4 will be completely transferred to the first capacitor C4, and eventually a voltage drop will occur in the first capacitor C4.

[0253] Therefore, the control module 42 determines whether the state in which at least one of the voltage Vc across the first capacitor C4 and the DC voltage Vdc between the DC links 20 is less than or equal to the first threshold Th1 continues for a predetermined time Y2 or longer (step S13).

[0254] The control module 42 determines that "the state in which the DC voltage Vdc is below the first threshold Th1 continues for a predetermined time Y2" if the detected value of the DC voltage Vdc, which is detected at a predetermined interval X1 (= 0.162 milliseconds), is below the first threshold Th1 for, for example, 62 consecutive times. Alternatively, the control module 42 may calculate the average value of the 62 detected values ​​of the DC voltage Vdc and determine that "the state in which the DC voltage Vdc is below the first threshold Th1 continues for a predetermined time Y2" if the average value is below the first threshold Th1.

[0255] Then, the control module 42 executes protective control (from steps S14 to S16) if at least one of the voltage across both ends Vc and the DC voltage Vdc remains below the first threshold Th1 for a predetermined time Y2 (YES in step S13).

[0256] On the other hand, if neither the voltage across both ends Vc nor the DC voltage Vdc remains below the first threshold Th1 for a predetermined time Y2 (NO in step S13), the control module 42 does not perform protective control because the risk of excessive inrush current is low, and returns to step S11.

[0257] [Step S14: Stop Control] The protection control is performed as a series of controls from step S14 to step S16. First, the control module 42 performs "stop control" by outputting a control signal Sinv to the inverter circuit 21 and inverter circuit 22, thereby stopping the conversion from DC to AC in the inverter circuit 21 and inverter circuit 22 (step S14).

[0258] For example, the control module 42 turns off the waveform outputs of inverter circuits 21 and 22 by turning off all transistors Sup, Svp, Swp, Sun, Svn, and Swn.

[0259] This prevents the power stored in the first capacitor C4 from being released to the inverter circuits 21 and 22, and keeps the voltage Vc across the first capacitor C4 at a certain level. As a result, the voltage drop across the first capacitor C4 is suppressed, and even if the AC power supply 81 is immediately restored, an excessive inrush current is prevented from flowing through the first capacitor C4.

[0260] [Step S15: Disconnection Control] Next, the control module 42 controls the relay circuit 27 to perform "disconnection control" which disconnects the AC power supply 81 and the rectifier circuit 24. Specifically, the control module 42 outputs a control signal SR, which includes a disconnection command, to the relay circuit 27. As a result, the relay circuit 27 turns off (the switch is open), and the conduction between the AC power supply 81 and the rectifier circuit 24 is interrupted.

[0261] As a result, it is possible to prevent the inrush current that occurs when power is restored after a voltage drop due to a momentary power outage in the AC power supply 81 from entering the circuits 21 to 27 located downstream of the relay circuit 27. Therefore, the electrical component module 10, including the power buffer circuit 25, can be protected from momentary power outages.

[0262] [Step S16: Restart Control] Finally, the control module 42 performs "restart control" by outputting a control signal Sinv to the inverter circuit 21 and inverter circuit 22, thereby starting the conversion from DC to AC in the inverter circuit 21 and inverter circuit 22 (Step S16).

[0263] For example, the control module 42 outputs a control signal Sinv to transistors Sup, Svp, Swp, Sun, Svn, and Swn, and controls them on and off as appropriate using known methods. As a result, inverter circuits 21 and 22 convert the DC of the DC link 20 to AC, thereby discharging the charge stored in the first capacitor C4 to the load 84 (96, 95). In other words, this "restart control" also functions as "discharge control" of the first capacitor C4.

[0264] Generally, the reaction speed of the relay circuit 27 is slower than the reaction speed of the inverter circuits 21 and 22. Therefore, in this embodiment, by first executing the stop control of the inverter circuit 21 (step S14) in the protection control, the charge capacity of the first capacitor C4 is maintained, and even if an inrush current occurs before the cutoff control of the relay circuit 27 (step S15), it is possible to suppress the inrush current from becoming large.

[0265] Furthermore, by performing restart control (step S16) after the interruption control, the charge of the first capacitor C4 can be released to the load 84 (96, 95) while preventing the inrush current from entering the first capacitor C4. This makes it possible to more reliably protect the electrical component module 10, including the power buffer circuit 25, from momentary power outages. With this, the series of protective controls is completed.

[0266] [Protection Range by Electrical Components Module 10] The protection range by the electrical components module 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 20 and 21. Figure 20 is a table showing the protection range in a comparative example. Figure 21 is a table showing an example of the protection range in this embodiment.

[0267] Figure 20 shows the protection range when undervoltage protection is performed by a conventional protection circuit that, in a state where the second switch SW2 has stopped switching and the power buffer circuit 25 is not functioning as a boost circuit, does not execute the above protection control (steps S14 to S16), but instead calculates the average value of the DC voltage Vdc every 10 milliseconds with a sampling period of 1.0 millisecond and detects a voltage drop based on the average value.

[0268] Here, time X2 represents "the time [milliseconds] during which the DC voltage flowing through the DC link 20 falls below the voltage Vdc shown on the left of the table when a voltage drop occurs in the AC power supply 81." For example, the column where time X2 is 0.1 and DC voltage Vdc is 255 indicates that "the DC voltage flowing through the DC link 20 fell below 255V for 0.1 milliseconds."

[0269] Let's explain each column. First, "normal" means "a range in which low-voltage protection is not activated, normal operation continues, and the risk of component failure due to inrush current is low." In Figures 20 and 21, the range in which the DC voltage Vdc is 198V or higher is shown as "normal" at all times X2. This is because the voltage drop from the normal DC voltage Vdc of 255V is small, so the inrush current is unlikely to be large in the first place, and the risk of component failure is low.

[0270] Next, "NG" means "a range where low-voltage protection is not performed, normal operation continues, and there is a high risk of component failure due to inrush current." The range that is marked as NG is a range where low-voltage protection should ideally be performed, but is not performed due to various circumstances such as insufficient time for low-voltage protection.

[0271] In the comparative example shown in Figure 20, the result is "NG" when the DC voltage Vdc is 184V or less and the time X2 is shorter than 10 milliseconds. This is because the voltage drop in the DC voltage Vdc from the normal state (255V) is relatively large, resulting in a high risk of inrush current. However, since this voltage drop occurs only for a short time, the voltage drop cannot be detected, and undervoltage protection is not performed.

[0272] Furthermore, in conventional protection circuits, the threshold for detecting a drop in the DC voltage Vdc was set to approximately 160V in order to suppress failures of the inverter circuits 21 and 22 caused by a drop in the DC voltage Vdc. Therefore, in the range shown in Figure 20 where the DC voltage Vdc is 184V or less and the time X2 is 10 milliseconds or more, the low voltage protection is not performed and the result is NG because the drop in the DC voltage Vdc cannot be detected in relation to the above threshold.

[0273] Here, "n-LVP" refers to the range in which undervoltage protection can be provided by the conventional protection circuit. In Figure 20, undervoltage protection can be provided by the conventional protection circuit in the range where the DC voltage Vdc is 156V or less and the time X2 is 10 milliseconds or more.

[0274] In Figure 21, when the DC voltage Vdc is 184V or less and the time X2 is 0.1 milliseconds or less, the voltage drop occurs only for a short time (specifically, less than the predetermined time Y1), so the voltage drop cannot be detected and the protection control is not executed, resulting in an "NG" (Not Good) result.

[0275] However, in the control module 42, by shortening the predetermined interval X1 (0.162 milliseconds in the above example) and predetermined time Y1 (0.32 milliseconds in the above example) for sampling the DC voltage Vdc, and by employing circuits with high response speed in the inverter circuits 21, 22, etc., it is possible to perform protective control over this range as well. In other words, it is possible to set this range to the range indicated by "i-LVP" described later, rather than "NG". However, considering that setting the predetermined time Y1 to an extremely short value increases the monitoring burden on the control module 42, and that the inrush current is less likely to increase as time X2 is shorter, in this embodiment, 0.32 milliseconds is adopted as a preferred example of the predetermined time Y1.

[0276] Here, "i-LVP" refers to the range in which undervoltage protection can be provided by the protection control of the control module 42 according to this embodiment. In Figure 21, undervoltage protection can be provided by the protection control in the range in which the DC voltage Vdc is 184V or less and the time X2 is 0.5 milliseconds or more.

[0277] The extended protectionable time range from "10 milliseconds or more" in Figure 20 to "0.5 milliseconds or more" in Figure 21 is due to the shortening of the predetermined interval X1 and predetermined time Y1, as described above. Furthermore, the extended protectionable voltage range from "156V or less" in Figure 20 to "184V or less" in Figure 21 (since protection is not required for voltages exceeding 184V, the protectionable voltage range is the entire range) is due to the fact that, conventionally, the threshold was set to 160V, focusing on the protection of inverter circuits 21 and 22, whereas in this embodiment, the threshold (first threshold Th1) is set to a higher value (for example, 190V), focusing on the inrush current.

[0278] Thus, while Figure 20 shows "NG" over a wide range, in Figure 21, "NG" is limited to a specific range where the DC voltage Vdc is 184V or less and the time X2 is 0.1 milliseconds or less. Furthermore, even within this range, it is possible to make it a range where "i-LVP," i.e., undervoltage protection by protection control, is possible by appropriately adjusting the predetermined time Y1.

[0279] Furthermore, even when the protection range is extended in terms of time and voltage as described above, in this embodiment, unnecessary protection operations can be avoided by imposing the restriction that "the power buffer circuit 25 does not operate as a boost circuit (when the second switch SW2 has stopped switching)" as a condition for executing the protection operation.

[0280] As described above, the electrical component module 10 according to this embodiment makes it possible to provide low-voltage protection even in areas where it was practically difficult to provide low-voltage protection with conventional protection circuits, and the electrical component module 10, including the power buffer circuit 25, can be protected from momentary power outages.

[0281] [Modified Examples] Modified examples of the embodiments are described below. In the modified examples, the same reference numerals are used for components that are the same as those in the embodiments described above, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0282] [Modified Examples of Protection Control] In this embodiment, the control module 42 performs stop control (step S14), interruption control (step S15), and restart control (step S16) in this order as protection control. However, the protection control performed by the control module 42 is not limited to this.

[0283] For example, the control module 42 may perform only stop control or only cutoff control as protective control. By performing at least one of the stop control and cutoff control in this way, it is possible to suppress excessive inrush current from entering the first capacitor C4, thereby protecting the electrical component module 10, including the power buffer circuit 25, from momentary power outages.

[0284] [Effects of the Second Embodiment] (12) The electrical component module 10 according to the embodiment includes a rectifier circuit 24 that converts AC input from an AC power source 81 to DC, a DC link 20 including a first power line LH and a second power line LL connected to the output side of the rectifier circuit 24, a power buffer circuit 25 that receives charging power from the DC link 20 and outputs discharge power to the DC link 20, inverter circuits 21 and 22 that convert DC input from the DC link 20 to AC and output to a load 84 (96, 95), and a control module 42 that controls the power buffer circuit 25 and the inverter circuits 21 and 22, wherein the power buffer circuit 25 includes a first capacitor C4 and a first switch SW1 connected in series with the first capacitor C4, and a discharge circuit 25a that supplies discharge power to the DC link 20 by the discharge of the first capacitor C4 when the first switch SW1 conducts between the DC links 20, The electrical component module 10 includes a first reactor L4 and a second switch SW2 connected in series with the first reactor L4, and a charging circuit 25b that charges the first capacitor C4 with the charging power input from the DC link 20 and stored in the first reactor L4 when the second switch SW2 is performing a switching operation that repeatedly switches between a state of conducting and a state of not conducting between the DC links 20, and the control module 42 performs protection control when the second switch SW2 stops the switching operation and the voltage Vc of the first capacitor C4 or the voltage Vdc between the DC links 20 falls below a predetermined first threshold Th1, and the protection control includes at least one of a stop control S14 that stops the conversion from DC to AC in the inverter circuits 21 and 22, and a cutoff control S15 that cuts off the connection between the AC power supply 81 and the rectifier circuit 24.

[0285] When the second switch SW2 stops switching, the first capacitor C4 is not charged, so the voltage Vc of the first capacitor C4 tends to drop during a power outage, and the inrush current tends to increase. In such cases, the control module 42 can protect the electrical component module 10, including the power buffer circuit 25, from momentary power outages by performing protective control.

[0286] (13) Preferably, the circuit further includes a relay circuit 27 that controls the conduction between the AC power supply 81 and the rectifier circuit 24, and the interruption control S15 includes control of the relay circuit 27 to interrupt the connection between the AC power supply 81 and the rectifier circuit 24.

[0287] By interrupting the connection between the AC power supply 81 and the rectifier circuit 24 using the relay circuit 27, it is possible to prevent inrush current from entering circuits 22 to 26 after the rectifier circuit 24.

[0288] (14) Preferably, the protection control includes a stop control S14, a cutoff control S15 performed after the stop control S14, and a restart control S16 performed after the cutoff control S15 to start the DC to AC conversion in the inverter circuits 21 and 22.

[0289] Generally, the response speed of the relay circuit 27 is slower than that of the inverter circuits 21 and 22. Therefore, by performing the stop control S14 for the inverter circuits 21 and 22 first in the protection control, the voltage in the first capacitor C4 can be maintained, and even if an inrush current occurs before the tripping control S15 for the relay circuit 27, it is possible to suppress the inrush current from becoming large. Furthermore, by performing the restart control S16 after the tripping control S15, the charge in the first capacitor C4 can be released to the load 84 (96, 95) while preventing the inflow of inrush current. As a result, the electrical component module 10, including the power buffer circuit 25, can be protected more reliably from momentary power outages.

[0290] (15) Preferably, the control module 42 performs protective control only while the load 84 (96, 95) is in operation.

[0291] Generally, when the load 84 (96, 95) is not operating, the circuit breaker can protect the electrical equipment module 10 from momentary power outages. In contrast, when the load 84 (96, 95) is operating, the circuit breaker cannot take countermeasures, making protective control by the control module 42 more important. By executing protective control only when the load 84 (96, 95) is operating, the situations in which protective control is executed can be limited, and the control burden on the control module 42 can be reduced.

[0292] (16) Preferably, the control module 42 detects the voltage Vc of the first capacitor C4 or the voltage Vdc between the DC links 20 at predetermined intervals X1, and executes protection control when the voltage Vc of the first capacitor C4 or the voltage Vdc between the DC links 20 is 2 or more times n1 consecutively less than or equal to the first threshold Th1.

[0293] With this configuration, the control module 42 detects the voltage Vc of the first capacitor C4 or the voltage Vdc across the DC link 20 at a predetermined sampling period. If the need for protection control is determined based on only one sampling, protection control may be frequently triggered due to false detections caused by momentary noise, for example, which could hinder power conversion in the electrical component module 10. Therefore, by executing protection control when these voltages Vc and Vdc remain below the first threshold Th1 for two or more predetermined n1 consecutive times, malfunctions can be reduced.

[0294] (17) Preferably, the predetermined interval X1 is 0.5 milliseconds or less, and the predetermined number of times n1 is 2.

[0295] For example, conventionally, voltage was sampled at 1-millisecond intervals, and normal LVP (Level Valve Protection) was performed based on the average value of 10 samples, making it impossible to respond to very short momentary power outages. In contrast, by shortening the sampling interval to 0.5 milliseconds or less, and further limiting the number of samples to two, it is possible to reduce malfunctions while enabling protective control even for very short momentary power outages. This makes it possible to protect the electrical component module 10, including the power buffer circuit 25, from momentary power outages.

[0296] (18) Preferably, the power buffer circuit 25 further includes a second reactor L3 connected in series with the first power line LH, and a smoothing circuit 26 for smoothing the DC input to the power buffer circuit 25, wherein the rectifier circuit 24, power buffer circuit 25, inverter circuits 21, 22 and smoothing circuit 26 are mounted on a printed circuit board, and the DC resistance of the second reactor L3 is 50 mΩ or less.

[0297] Increasing the DC resistance of the second reactor L3 can reduce the inrush current flowing through each component. However, this can lead to problems such as dielectric breakdown of the reactor or deformation of the printed circuit board due to the reactor overheating during operation. In this disclosure, inrush current is prevented by protective control, thus reducing the need to select a reactor with a large DC resistance value as the second reactor L3, and allowing the use of a smaller reactor with a DC resistance value of 50 mΩ or less. This eliminates the aforementioned problems associated with a large DC resistance value.

[0298] (19) Preferably, the rectifier circuit 24, the power buffer circuit 25, and the inverter circuits 21 and 22 are mounted on a printed circuit board, and the capacitance of the first capacitor C4 is 760 uF or more.

[0299] While a larger capacitance of the first capacitor C4 allows for greater power output to the inverter circuits 21 and 22, it also carries the risk of a larger inrush current. In this disclosure, a capacitor with a larger capacitance can be used as the first capacitor C4 with a lower risk because the inrush current is prevented by protective control.

[0300] (20) The control module 42 of the present disclosure is a control module 42 for controlling a power converter 10a, the power converter 10a includes a rectifier circuit 24 that converts AC output from an AC power source 81 to DC, a DC link 20 including a first power line LH and a second power line LL connected to the output side of the rectifier circuit 24, a power buffer circuit 25 that receives charging power from the DC link 20 and outputs discharge power to the DC link 20, and inverter circuits 21 and 22 that convert the DC input from the DC link 20 to AC and output to a load 84 (96, 95), the power buffer circuit 25 includes a first capacitor C4 and a first switch SW1 connected in series with the first capacitor C4, and a discharge circuit 25a that supplies discharge power to the DC link 20 by the discharge of the first capacitor C4 when the first switch SW1 conducts between the DC links 20, and The control module 42 includes a reactor L4 and a second switch SW2 connected in series with the first reactor L4, and a charging circuit 25b that charges the first capacitor C4 with the charge power input from the DC link 20 and stored in the first reactor L4 when the second switch SW2 is performing a switching operation that repeatedly switches between a state of conducting and a state of not conducting between the DC links 20. The control module 42 performs protection control when the second switch SW2 stops switching and the voltage Vc of the first capacitor C4 or the voltage Vdc between the DC links 20 falls below a predetermined first threshold Th1, and the protection control includes at least one of a stop control S14 that stops the conversion from DC to AC in the inverter circuits 21 and 22, and a cutoff control S15 that cuts off the connection between the AC power supply 81 and the rectifier circuit 24.

[0301] When the second switch SW2 stops switching, the first capacitor C4 is not charged, so the voltage of the first capacitor C4 tends to drop during a power outage, and the inrush current tends to increase. In such cases, the control module 42 can protect the power converter 10a, including the power buffer circuit 25, from momentary power outages by performing protective control.

[0302] (21) The refrigeration system 90 according to the embodiment is a refrigeration system 90 having any of the electrical component modules 10 described in (1) to (19) above.

[0303] According to the refrigeration device 90, the same effects and advantages as any of the electrical component modules 10 described in (1) to (19) above can be obtained.

[0304] [Note] The embodiments have been described above, but it should be understood that various modifications to the form and details are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.

[0305] 10 Electrical component module 11 Circuit board 12 Cooling target element 13 Heat sink 20 DC link 21 Inverter circuit, first inverter circuit 22 Inverter circuit, second inverter circuit 23 PFC circuit 24 Rectifier circuit 25 Power buffer circuit 26 Smoothing circuit 27 Relay circuit 31 Communication circuit 41 Power supply circuit 42 Control module 44 Shunt resistor 45 Detection wire 51 Resin spacer 52 Spacer hole 53 Ground spacer 55 Input / output terminal 60 Thermistor element 61 Mounting part 62 Resistor 63 Wiring 70 Screw 71 Screw 72 Screw 81 AC power supply 82 Input wire section 83 Output wire section 84 Load 90 Refrigeration device 91 Casing 92 Heat exchange chamber 93 Machine room 94 Partition plate 95 Fan 96 Compressor 97 Refrigerant piping 111 Lead 112 First terminal hole 113 Second terminal hole 114 Hole 130 Heat sink 131 Fixing area 132 First screw hole 133 Second screw hole 200 Element to be measured 201 Chip part 202 Terminal 241 Chip part 242 One side 243 Terminal 244 Screw hole 246 Low-profile screw 247 Screw 248 Screw 441 Resistor 442 First electrode 443 Second electrode 444 First signal line 445 Second signal line 446 First signal line 447 Second signal line 10a Power converter 11a First board 11b Second board 11c Third board 11d Fourth board 13a Screw hole 201a Screw hole 24a First rectifier circuit 24b Second rectifier circuit 25a Discharge circuit25b Charging circuit 442a Center part 442b End part 443a Center part 443b End part 44b Shunt resistor 44c Shunt resistor 61a Screw hole 90a Indoor unit 90b Outdoor unit 90c Refrigerant circuit 97a Refrigerant jacket A1 Main surface A2 Back surface B1 Building C3 Second capacitor C4 First capacitor D1 Distance between regions D21 Diode D22 Diode D23 Diode D24 Diode D40 Diode D41 Diode D42 Diode D43 Diode G1 Gap G2 Gap Gx Insulation distance L3 Second reactor L4 First reactor LH First power line LL Second power line n1 Predetermined number of times R1 Communication circuit area R2 Other circuit area S1 Indoor space SW1 First switch S2 Outdoor space SW2 Second switch SC Transistor SL Transistor SP1 First space SP2 Second space Th1 First threshold Vc Voltage across both ends Vdc DC voltage Vin Single-phase AC voltage Vrec Rectified voltage W41 Gap W42 Gap X1 Determined interval Y1 Determined time Y2 Determined time

Claims

1. An electrical component module (10) provided in the outdoor unit (90b) of a single-phase power supply refrigeration system (90), comprising: a circuit board (11); a plurality of cooling target elements (12) arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction of the main surface (A1) of the circuit board (11); and a heat sink (13) installed with a gap in the thickness direction relative to the main surface (A1), having a shape that is elongated along the longitudinal direction of the plurality of cooling target elements (12) and in contact with the plurality of cooling target elements (12), wherein the plurality of cooling target elements (12) include a plurality of inverter circuits (21, 22) and a PFC circuit (23), and the longitudinal length (L1) of the circuit board (11) is 350 mm or less. An electrical component module (10) wherein the length (L2) from one side to the other in the longitudinal direction where the plurality of cooling target elements (12) are arranged on the main surface (A1), and the length (L3) of the heat sink (13) in the longitudinal direction are both 250 mm or less, and are 75% or less of the length (L1) of the substrate (11).

2. The plurality of cooling target elements (12) include a packaged rectifier circuit (24), the rectifier circuit (24) includes a flat plate-shaped chip portion (241) with screw holes (244) formed in the thickness direction, and a plurality of terminals (243) extending in a first direction from one side (242) of the chip portion (241), the heat sink (13) includes a fixing region (131) to which either a first rectifier circuit (24a) having the chip portion (241) with one side (242) having a first length (W1) and a thickness of a first thickness (T1), or a second rectifier circuit (24b) having the chip portion (241) with one side (242) having a second length (W2) shorter than the first length (W1) and a thickness of a second thickness (T2) thinner than the first thickness (T1), is fixed. The electrical component module (10) according to claim 1, wherein the fixed area (131) is provided with a plurality of first screw holes (132) for screwing in the first rectifier circuit (24a), and a second screw hole (133) provided between the plurality of first screw holes (132) for screwing in the second rectifier circuit (24b).

3. The circuit board (11) includes, on its main surface (A1), a plurality of first terminal holes (112) formed on a plurality of leads (111) into which a plurality of terminals (243) of the first rectifier circuit (24a) are each inserted, and a plurality of second terminal holes (113) formed on a plurality of leads (111) in the first direction, inward from the two first terminal holes (112) located at both ends of the plurality of first terminal holes (112), into which a plurality of terminals (243) of the second rectifier circuit (24b) are each inserted, wherein the plurality of second terminal holes (113) are located between the chip portion (241) and the plurality of first terminal holes (112) in the thickness direction, the electrical component module (10) according to claim 2.

4. The first rectifier circuit (24a) is fixed to the fixing area (131) by inserting a low-profile screw (246) with a head of 1.2 mm or less into the screw hole (244) and the first screw hole (132) of the tip portion (241), and the gap (G1) in the thickness direction between the low-profile screw (246) and the substrate (11) is wider than the insulation distance (Gx) of the tip portion (241), as described in claim 2 or claim 3, the electrical component module (10).

5. The electrical component module (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the substrate (11) includes a communication circuit (31) and is a substrate stacked in multiple layers in the thickness direction, and the communication circuit (31) is provided in a position on the substrate (11) that does not overlap with circuits other than the communication circuit (31) when viewed in the thickness direction.

6. The electrical component module (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: a power supply circuit (41) provided on one of the short-side directions of the plurality of cooling target elements (12) on the main surface (A1); and a control module (42) provided on the other of the short-side directions of the plurality of cooling target elements (12) on the main surface (A1) for controlling the plurality of inverter circuits (21, 22), wherein the power supply circuit (41) supplies power to the plurality of inverter circuits (21, 22) through a plurality of input line sections (82) provided on one of the short-side directions of the plurality of cooling target elements (12); and the control module (42) has a plurality of detection lines (45) connected to a plurality of shunt resistors (44) provided on each of the plurality of input line sections (82) for detecting current values.

7. The electrical component module (10) according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of detection lines (45) are input to a predetermined side of the control module (42).

8. The shunt resistor (44) comprises: a resistor (441); a first electrode (442) and a second electrode (443) facing each other in a second direction and connected to both ends of the resistor (441); a first signal line (444) drawn out from the central part (442a) of the first electrode (442) in a direction perpendicular to the second direction; and a second signal line (445) drawn out from the end (443b) of the second electrode (443) in the perpendicular direction, wherein the first electrode (442) and the second electrode (443) are connected to the input line section (82), the electrical component module (10) according to claim 6.

9. An electrical component module (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a plurality of resin spacers (51) for fixing the substrate (11) to the wall surface inside the outdoor unit (90b).

10. The electrical component module (10) according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of resin spacers (51) is an earth spacer (53) including a resin part and a metal part, and the metal part provides electrical conductivity between the substrate (11) and the wall surface.

11. The electrical component module (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a thermistor element (60) for measuring the temperature of a measurement target element (200) among a plurality of cooling target elements (12), wherein the thermistor element (60) is fixed to the heat sink (13) together with the measurement target element (200) by sequentially inserting screws (70) into a screw hole (61a) formed in the thickness direction of the thermistor element (60), a screw hole (201a) formed in the thickness direction of the measurement target element (200), and a screw hole (13a) formed in the heat sink (13).

12. The electrical component module (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising: a rectifier circuit (24) that converts AC input from an AC power source (81) to DC; a DC link (20) including a first power line (LH) and a second power line (LL) connected to the output side of the rectifier circuit (24); inverter circuits (21, 22) that convert DC input from the DC link (20) to AC and output to a load (84); and a control module (42) that controls the PFC circuit (23) and the inverter circuits (21, 22), wherein the PFC circuit (23) includes a power buffer circuit (25) that receives charging power from the DC link (20) and outputs discharge power to the DC link (20), and the power buffer circuit (25) The circuit includes: a discharge circuit (25a) which includes a first capacitor (C4) and a first switch (S1) connected in series with the first capacitor (C4), and which supplies discharge power to the DC link (20) by the discharge of the first capacitor (C4) when the first switch (S1) conducts between the DC links (20); and a charging circuit (25b) which includes a first reactor (L4) and a second switch (S2) connected in series with the first reactor (L4), and which charges the first capacitor (C4) with the charge power input from the DC link (20) and stored in the first reactor (L4) when the second switch (S2) is performing a switching operation that repeatedly switches between conducting and not conducting between the DC links (20). The control module (42) executes protection control when the second switch (S2) stops the switching operation and the voltage (Vc) of the first capacitor (C4) or the voltage (Vdc) between the DC links (20) falls below a predetermined first threshold (Th1), and the protection control includes at least one of the following: stop control (S14) which stops the conversion from DC to AC in the inverter circuits (21, 22), and interruption control (S15) which interrupts the connection between the AC power supply (81) and the rectifier circuit (24), the electrical component module (10).

13. The electrical component module (10) according to claim 12, further comprising a relay circuit (21) that controls the conduction between the AC power supply (81) and the rectifier circuit (24), wherein the interruption control (S15) includes control of the relay circuit (21) to interrupt the connection between the AC power supply (81) and the rectifier circuit (24).

14. The electrical component module (10) according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the protection control includes: the stop control (S14); the interruption control (S15) performed after the stop control (S14); and the restart control (S16) performed after the interruption control (S15) to initiate the conversion from DC to AC in the inverter circuits (21, 22).

15. The electrical component module (10) according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the control module (42) performs the protective control only while the load (84) is in operation.

16. The electrical component module (10) according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the control module (42) detects the voltage (Vc) of the first capacitor (C4) or the voltage (Vdc) between the DC links (20) at predetermined intervals (X1), and executes the protection control when the voltage (Vc) of the first capacitor (C4) or the voltage (Vdc) between the DC links (20) is 2 or more predetermined times (n1) and falls below the first threshold (Th1).

17. The electrical component module (10) according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined interval (X1) is 0.5 milliseconds or less, and the predetermined number of times (n1) is 2 times.

18. An electrical component module (10) according to any one of claims 12 to 17, further comprising a second reactor (L3) connected in series with the first power line (LH), and a smoothing circuit (26) for smoothing the DC input to the power buffer circuit (25), wherein the rectifier circuit (24), the power buffer circuit (25), the inverter circuits (21, 22), and the smoothing circuit (26) are each mounted on a printed circuit board, and the DC resistance of the second reactor (L3) is 50 mΩ or less.

19. The rectifier circuit (24), the power buffer circuit (25), and the inverter circuits (21, 22) are each mounted on a printed circuit board, and the capacitance of the first capacitor (C4) is 760 uF or more, the electrical component module (10) according to any one of claims 12 to 18.

20. A control module (42) for controlling a power converter (10a), wherein the power converter (10a) comprises: a rectifier circuit (24) that converts AC output from an AC power source (81) to DC; a DC link (20) including a first power line (LH) and a second power line (LL) connected to the output side of the rectifier circuit (24); a power buffer circuit (25) that receives charging power from the DC link (20) and outputs discharge power to the DC link (20); and inverter circuits (21, 22) that convert the DC input from the DC link (20) to AC and output it to a load (84), wherein the power buffer circuit (25) is The circuit includes: a discharge circuit (25a) which includes a first capacitor (C4) and a first switch (S1) connected in series with the first capacitor (C4), and which supplies discharge power to the DC link (20) by the discharge of the first capacitor (C4) when the first switch (S1) conducts between the DC links (20); and a charging circuit (25b) which includes a first reactor (L4) and a second switch (S2) connected in series with the first reactor (L4), and which charges the first capacitor (C4) with the charge power input from the DC link (20) and stored in the first reactor (L4) when the second switch (S2) is performing a switching operation that repeatedly switches between conducting and not conducting between the DC links (20). The control module (42) executes protective control when the second switch (S2) stops the switching operation and the voltage (Vc) of the first capacitor (C4) or the voltage (Vdc) between the DC links (20) falls below a predetermined first threshold (Th1), and the protective control includes at least one of the following: stop control (S14) which stops the conversion from DC to AC in the inverter circuits (21, 22), and interruption control (S15) which interrupts the connection between the AC power supply (81) and the rectifier circuit (24).

21. A refrigeration system (90) having an electrical component module (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

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