Power Module Gate Busbar Placement for Compact Bridge Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power modules face challenges in achieving high integration levels while ensuring performance and reducing manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
The power module design optimizes structural layouts by arranging upper and lower bridge power chips linearly between DC+ and AC busbars, respectively, with gate busbars adjacent to source connections, allowing for compact arrangement and reduced size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If the number of elements and their sizes are reduced to optimize structure, then the size of the power module is reduced, but the performance and reliability are sacrificed
Solution Approach 1:
The power module employs a bridge rectifier chip divided into multiple independent power units (first power unit, second power unit, third power unit, fourth power unit), each handling a specific phase combination. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high reliability through functional distribution while keeping the overall module size compact, as each unit is optimized for its specific function rather than requiring a large integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes three-dimensional spatial arrangement by stacking busbars vertically (first busbar at first height, second busbar at second height, third busbar at third height) and positioning power units at different locations. This vertical and spatial dimensionality allows efficient use of space, reducing the footprint while maintaining proper electrical connections and thermal management, thus achieving compact size without sacrificing performance.
2Reliability
If elements with better performance are selected to guarantee performance and reliability, then the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge rectifier chip serves multiple functions simultaneously: it performs rectification for all four phases, provides thermal management through integrated heat dissipation structures, and enables compact packaging. The busbars are designed to provide both electrical connections and structural support. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, thereby lowering manufacturing cost while maintaining high performance and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the rectifier function, heat dissipation function, and electrical connection function into an integrated structure. The bridge rectifier chip is directly mounted on the circuit board with thermal contact to the heat dissipation structure, and busbars are integrated to provide both electrical pathways and mechanical support. This consolidation reduces the number of separate components and assembly steps, lowering manufacturing cost while improving reliability through reduced connection points.
3Volume of stationary object
If the integration level is increased to reduce size, then the compactness is improved, but the heat dissipation and electrical connections become more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dedicated heat dissipation structure as an intermediary between the bridge rectifier chip and the environment. This intermediary component efficiently transfers heat from the compactly arranged power units, solving the heat dissipation challenge posed by high integration. The busbars also serve as intermediaries providing optimized electrical pathways between power units and external connections, managing the complexity of electrical connections within the compact form factor.
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosure provides a power module, including a power chip, and a DC+ busbar, an AC busbar and a DC- busbar arranged substantially parallel to one another, where a plurality of upper bridge power chips are linearly distributed between the DC+ busbar and the AC busbar, and a plurality of lower bridge power chips are linearly distributed between the AC busbar and the DC- busbar; each upper bridge power chip has a drain electrically connected to the DC+ busbar, a source electrically connected to the AC busbar and a gate connected to a first gate busbar, where the first gate busbar is immediately adjacent to a connection between the source and AC busbar; and each lower bridge power chip has a drain electrically connected to the AC busbar, a source electrically connected to the DC-busbar, and a gate connected to a second gate busbar, where the second gate busbar is immediately adjacent to a connection between the source and the DC- busbar. The power module of the disclosure is higher in integration level, smaller in size and lower in manufacturing cost while its performance is guaranteed.