Driver Board Insulation via Through-Thickness Barrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
The driver board for semiconductor switching elements in three-phase inverters tends to increase in size due to the need for insulation voltage resistance, which complicates miniaturization while maintaining insulation performance.
Innovation Solution
A driver board configuration with a flat insulating board, a transformer, a power supply control IC, and circuit regions on both surfaces, utilizing through holes for electrical connections and insulating regions to minimize size while ensuring insulation voltage resistance, with the transformer and power supply control IC crossing insulating regions to separate high and low-voltage circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If insulating regions are provided between circuit components with different potential levels to ensure insulation voltage resistance, then insulation performance is improved, but the driver board size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the thickness dimension of the insulating board to provide insulation distance. By having insulating regions on both the front and back surfaces that face each other through the board thickness, the insulation path extends in the vertical dimension rather than only in the planar dimensions, thereby maintaining insulation performance while reducing the footprint area of the driver board.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent configures insulating regions on opposite surfaces of the insulating board to face each other, creating a nested insulation structure where the front surface insulating region and back surface insulating region form a through-thickness insulation barrier. This nested arrangement maximizes insulation effectiveness within the limited board thickness, preventing the need for larger planar insulation areas.
2Area of stationary object
If the driver board is miniaturized to reduce inverter size, then inverter compactness is improved, but insulation voltage resistance performance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent compensates for reduced planar insulation distance by extending the insulation path into the thickness dimension. Insulating regions are positioned on both front and back surfaces facing each other, creating a vertical insulation barrier that maintains adequate creepage and clearance distances even when the board footprint is minimized.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies insulating regions selectively at critical locations where high voltage and low voltage circuits are in close proximity. Rather than providing uniform insulation throughout the entire board, insulating regions are concentrated at specific areas requiring electrical isolation, thereby minimizing overall board size while maintaining necessary insulation performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration allows for the miniaturization of the driver board while maintaining insulation voltage resistance performance, preventing the reduction in insulation voltage resistance and enabling a more compact inverter design.
Implementation Method 1
a transformer that converts an input primary side voltage to a secondary side voltage for driving the switching element
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a driver board capable of miniaturizing itself while ensuring insulation voltage resistance performance. In the driver board: a transformer 114 is configured, so as to cross a first insulating region 120a, such that a primary side terminal 114a is connected to a primary side circuit 112a and a secondary side terminal 114b is connected to a secondary side circuit 113a; a power supply control IC 115 is configured, so as to cross a insulating region 120b, such that a primary side terminal 115a is connected to a primary side circuit 112b and a secondary side terminal 115b is connected to a secondary side circuit 113b; and the insulating region 120a and the insulating region 120b are formed so as to at least partially face each other via an insulating board 111 such that the primary side circuit 112a and the secondary side circuit 113b do not face each other via the insulating board and the primary side circuit 112b and the secondary side circuit 113a do not face each other via the insulating board.