Electrical power conversion apparatus

An electrical power conversion apparatus comprising:

• a semiconductor module which includes a module body in which a semiconductor device is installed, a plurality of power terminals extending from the module body, and a plurality of control terminals extending from the module body, the module body having major surfaces;
• and
• a first and a second cooling pipe which are stacked on each other through the semiconductor module and hold the major surfaces of the module body therebetween,
• wherein each of the first and second cooling pipes has electrical conductivity and is equipped with a cooling medium flow path in which a cooling medium flows,
• wherein the power terminals extend from the module body in a first height-wise direction that is one of height-wise directions perpendicular to a stacking direction in which the first and second cooling pipes and the semiconductor module are stacked,
• wherein the control terminals extend from the module body in a second height-wise direction that is one of the height-wise directions,
• wherein each of the first and second cooling pipes includes a flow path extension forming portion which extends therefrom over the module body in at least one of the height-wise directions and in which a portion of the cooling medium flow path is formed, and
• wherein the flow path extension forming portions overlap at least either of the power terminals or the control terminals in the stacking direction,
• wherein the flow path extension forming portions are spaced apart from the at least either of the power terminals or the control terminals in the stacking direction,
• and
• wherein a cooling medium supply path formed in the flow path extension forming portions includes a tapered portion that has a dimension in the height-wise directions gradually decreasing with an increase in distance to an inlet of the cooling medium flow path in a lateral direction perpendicular to the height-wise directions and to the stacking direction, the tapered portion shaped to extend in the lateral direction from a portion of the cooling medium flow path located closer to the inlet than a dividing member is to an end of the cooling medium supply path closer to an outlet of the cooling medium flow path, the dividing member disposed in a middle of a heat exchanger designed to have the cooling medium flowing from the cooling medium supply path to a cooling medium draining path.