Power Conversion Apparatus Frame Segmentation for Rigidity and Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing power conversion apparatuses in electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles face issues with rigidity, maintainability, and manufacturing costs due to non-rigid cases, direct fixation of electronic components, and complex sealing requirements, leading to vibration-related failures and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus integrates electronic components and a cooler into a frame as an internal unit, which is then fixed within a case, using a conductive frame to enhance rigidity and reduce external forces, with a single sealing surface and improved assembly and maintenance capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If electronic components are directly fixed to the case, then assembly is simple, but the case must be rigid enough to prevent vibration and thermal stress failures
Solution Approach 1:
The case is divided into a case body and a separate lid, with the electronic components mounted on the case body. This segmentation allows the case body to be optimized for rigidity and component mounting, while the lid can be optimized for sealing and accessibility, resolving the contradiction between assembly simplicity and case rigidity.
2Reliability
If the case has two large sealing surfaces (bottom and top lids), then water tightness is improved, but manufacturing cost increases due to many sealing members
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function is extracted from multiple lid-sealing-surface configurations and concentrated into a single sealing surface at the lid-case body interface. This reduces the number of sealing members required while maintaining water tightness, resolving the contradiction between reliability and manufacturing cost.
3Reliability
If both bottom lid and top lid are removed for maintenance, then sealing is comprehensive, but maintainability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The case is segmented into a fixed case body and a removable lid. The lid is designed to be selectively removable for maintenance while the case body remains fixed. This allows comprehensive sealing when the lid is attached, while enabling easy maintenance when the lid is removed, resolving the contradiction between sealing comprehensiveness and maintainability.
4Reliability
If the case is made rigid to prevent vibration, then component protection is improved, but thermal expansion and contraction stress increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is designed with flexible mounting characteristics that allow it to expand and contract with thermal changes while maintaining secure attachment. This flexibility accommodates thermal stress while the overall case structure maintains rigidity for vibration protection, resolving the contradiction between component protection and thermal stress.
5Device complexity
If electronic components are directly assembled to the case, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different vehicle types deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The case is segmented into a standardized case body with optimized internal layout and a configurable lid. The lid can be adapted to different vehicle types through configuration changes while the case body maintains its optimized internal layout, resolving the contradiction between device complexity and vehicle type adaptability.
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 provides a cost-effective, rigid, and maintainable power conversion apparatus that reduces external forces and thermal stress on components, improves assembly and maintenance, and enhances water tightness by using a single sealing surface.
Implementation Method 1
a cooler for cooling at least some of the electronic components
Implementation Method 2
the cooler includes therein coolant passages
Data Source
AI summary
The power conversion apparatus includes electronic components constituting a power conversion circuit, a cooler for cooling at least some of the electronic components, and a case housing the electronic components and the cooler. The at least some of the electronic components and the cooler are fixed to and integrated in a frame as an internal unit . The internal unit including therein the semiconductor modules also includes a control circuit board fitted to board fixing sections formed in the frame so as to project from the frame in the height direction perpendicular to the plane of the frame. Each of the board fixing sections has a board abutment surface at a position closer to the frame than the tips of control terminals of the semiconductor modules formed so as to project in the height direction.