Power Converter Substrate Positioning via Holding Plates
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In power converters with stacked bodies of power modules and coolers, relative displacement between the substrate and the stacked body can cause strong forces at connected portions, leading to contact failures and inefficiencies due to the need for long control terminals and dead space between the substrate and power modules.
Innovation Solution
A power converter design that includes holding plates and connecting beams to fix the substrate relative to the stacked body, reducing relative displacement and allowing shorter control terminals by integrating the substrate and stacked body during vibrations, and optionally incorporating a capacitor, elastic members, or springs for enhanced contact and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the substrate and stacked body are separately fixed to the housing, then the assembly is simple to manufacture, but strong forces are applied to connected portions between control terminals and substrate during vibration, causing contact failure
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is integrated with the stacked body by fixing it to the holding plate, creating a unified structure that moves together during vibration. This eliminates relative displacement between the substrate and stacked body, preventing strong forces from being applied to the connected portions between control terminals and substrate, thereby ensuring contact reliability while maintaining ease of manufacture.
2Reliability
If long control terminals are adopted to accommodate relative displacement, then contact failure is prevented, but the space between substrate and stacked body increases, creating dead space
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the substrate with the stacked body through the holding plate, the invention eliminates relative displacement between these components. This allows the use of shorter control terminals that directly connect the control circuit board to the power modules, reducing the space between the substrate and stacked body and eliminating dead space while ensuring reliable electrical contact.
3Reliability
If the substrate is fixed to the holding plate, then the substrate and stacked body vibrate integrally reducing relative displacement, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holding plate serves multiple functions: it holds the stacked body of power modules, fixes the substrate to ensure integral vibration, and provides positioning features for accurate alignment. By making the holding plate a multi-functional component, the invention achieves vibration resistance without significantly increasing device complexity, as the same structural element performs multiple roles.
Data Source
AI summary
A power converter includes: a plurality of power modules that houses semiconductor elements for electric power conversion; a pair of holding plates sandwiching a stacked body of the plurality of power modules in the first direction; a pair of connecting beams that connects the pair of holding plates respectively on both side ends of the stacked body in the second direction intersecting the first direction; and a substrate connected to control terminals of the power modules. At least one of the pair of holding plates is provided with a positioner to position the substrate.