Modular Vehicle Inverter Layout for Precise Compact Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in designing an inverter for motor vehicle electric drive trains is to create a compact device with minimal installation space requirements and low manufacturing costs, while ensuring effective conversion of direct current to alternating current for traction motors.
Innovation Solution
The inverter design features a housing with separate functional modules, including a power module, filter module, intermediate circuit module, and alternating current module, which are positioned directly on a common reference contact surface, allowing for precise alignment and compact arrangement, and are connected via positioning pins to minimize tolerance errors and facilitate assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If functional modules are separately manufactured and then assembled, then manufacturing flexibility and modularity are improved, but positioning precision and overall tolerance are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
A carrier is introduced as an intermediary component that provides a common reference contact surface for mounting all functional modules. This carrier acts as a mediator that absorbs positioning tolerances and ensures precise relative positioning of modules without requiring tight tolerances in each individual module's manufacturing
Solution Approach 2:
The inverter is divided into separate functional modules (power module, filter module, intermediate circuit module, AC module) that can be manufactured independently and then assembled on the carrier, maintaining manufacturing flexibility while achieving precise overall positioning through the common reference surface
2Volume of moving object
If functional modules are closely positioned to reduce installation space, then compactness is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functional modules are merged onto a single carrier that provides a common reference contact surface, enabling compact arrangement while simplifying manufacturing through standardized mounting interfaces and reduced assembly complexity
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 design enables a compact, cost-effective inverter that efficiently converts direct current to alternating current, reducing manufacturing complexity and improving integration within the motor vehicle drive train, while maintaining high precision and performance.
Implementation Method 1
The power module comprises several transistors for converting an electrical direct voltage into an alternating voltage
Implementation Method 2
a cooling unit arranged below these modules. The cooling unit can also preferably be connected to a cooling circuit of a drive train according to the invention, in which a cooling liquid can preferably circulate as the cooling medium
Implementation Method 3
The filter module is designed to prevent or at least reduce EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) interference
Implementation Method 4
The intermediate circuit module can comprise at least one capacitor
Data Source
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AI summary
Inverter (2) with at least one housing part (5), a carrier (13), a power module (7) as the first functional module comprising several transistors (22) for converting a DC voltage into an AC voltage, and one, several or all of the following further functional modules: filter module (8), intermediate circuit module (9), AC module (10), wherein the carrier (13) has a reference contact surface (17) to which the housing part (5) and the existing functional modules are directly connected.