Electrical connection arrangement for a prepackage power converter

An electrical vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft comprising:

• a plurality of electrical propulsion units (EPUs), each EPU of the plurality of EPUs having a propeller or a fan configured to be driven to rotate by an electrical motor arranged to receive electrical power from at least one power electronics converter of a plurality of power electronics converters,
• wherein each power electronics converter of the plurality of power electronics converters comprises:
• a converter commutation cell having a power circuit and a gate driver circuit, the power circuit comprising at least one power semiconductor switching element and at least one capacitor;
• and
• a multi-layer planar carrier substrate defining an x-y direction parallel to a planar surface of the multi-layer planar carrier substrate and a z-direction perpendicular to the x-y direction, the multi-layer planar carrier substrate comprising a plurality of electrically conductive layers extending in the x-y direction and at least one electrical connection extending in the z-direction,
• wherein each power semiconductor switching element of the at least one power semiconductor switching element is comprised in a power semiconductor prepackage,
• wherein each power semiconductor prepackage comprises one or more power semiconductor switching elements embedded in a solid insulating material, each power semiconductor switching element having at least three terminals,
• wherein each power semiconductor prepackage further comprises an electrical connection from at least one terminal of the at least one power semiconductor switching element to an electrical connection side of the respective power semiconductor prepackage, wherein the electrical connection from the at least one terminal extends in the z-direction through the solid insulating material,
• wherein at least one terminal of each power semiconductor switching element of the at least one of the power semiconductor switching element is connected to at least one electrically conductive layer of the plurality of electrically conductive layers of the multi-layer planar carrier substrate at the electrical connection side of the power semiconductor prepackage,
• wherein each power semiconductor prepackage further comprises one or more electrically conductive layers extending in the x-y direction,
• wherein at least one electrically conductive layer of the one or more electrically conductive layers is located on an opposite side of the respective power semiconductor switching element to the electrical connection side of the power semiconductor prepackage and connects to at least one terminal of the respective power semiconductor switching element, and
• wherein a value of a converter parameter α is less than or equal to 5 pHm3, where the converter parameter α is a product of a smallest cuboidal volume that encloses the converter commutation cell and a parasitic inductance of the power circuit of the converter commutation cell.

An aircraft electrical propulsion unit (EPU) comprising:

• an electric motor having a winding;
• and
• an AC-DC power electronics converter configured as an inverter and arranged to supply current to the winding of the electric motor,
• wherein the AC-DC power electronics converter comprises:
• a converter commutation cell having a power circuit and a gate driver circuit, the power circuit comprising at least one power semiconductor switching element and at least one capacitor;
• and
• a multi-layer planar carrier substrate defining an x-y direction parallel to a planar surface of the multi-layer planar carrier substrate and a z-direction perpendicular to the x-y direction, the multi-layer planar carrier substrate comprising a plurality of electrically conductive layers extending in the x-y direction and at least one electrical connection extending in the z-direction,
• wherein each power semiconductor switching element of the at least one power semiconductor switching element is comprised in a power semiconductor prepackage,
• wherein each power semiconductor prepackage comprises one or more power semiconductor switching elements embedded in a solid insulating material, each power semiconductor switching element having at least three terminals,
• wherein each power semiconductor prepackage further comprises an electrical connection from at least one terminal of the at least one power semiconductor switching element to an electrical connection side of the respective power semiconductor prepackage, wherein the electrical connection from the at least one terminal extends in the z-direction through the solid insulating material,
• wherein at least one terminal of each power semiconductor switching element of the at least one of the power semiconductor switching element is connected to at least one electrically conductive layer of the plurality of electrically conductive layers of the multi-layer planar carrier substrate at the electrical connection side of the power semiconductor prepackage,
• wherein each power semiconductor prepackage further comprises one or more electrically conductive layers extending in the x-y direction,
• wherein at least one electrically conductive layer of the one or more electrically conductive layers is located on an opposite side of the respective power semiconductor switching element to the electrical connection side of the power semiconductor prepackage and connects to at least one terminal of the respective power semiconductor switching element, and
• wherein, for each power semiconductor prepackage, each electrical connection extending from the at least one terminal of the respective power semiconductor switching element through the solid insulating material terminates at the electrical connection side of the respective power semiconductor prepackage.

A power electronics converter comprising:

• a converter commutation cell having a power circuit and a gate driver circuit, the power circuit comprising at least one power semiconductor switching element and at least one capacitor;
• and
• a multi-layer planar carrier substrate defining an x-y direction parallel to a planar surface of the multi-layer planar carrier substrate and a z-direction perpendicular to the x-y direction, the multi-layer planar carrier substrate comprising a plurality of electrically conductive layers extending in the x-y direction and at least one electrical connection extending in the z-direction,
• wherein each power semiconductor switching element of the at least one power semiconductor switching element is comprised in a power semiconductor prepackage,
• wherein each power semiconductor prepackage comprises one or more power semiconductor switching elements embedded in a solid insulating material, each power semiconductor switching element having at least three terminals,
• wherein each power semiconductor prepackage further comprises an electrical connection from at least one terminal of the at least one power semiconductor switching element to an electrical connection side of the respective power semiconductor prepackage, wherein the electrical connection from the at least one terminal extends in the z-direction through the solid insulating material,
• wherein at least one terminal of each power semiconductor switching element of the at least one of the power semiconductor switching element is connected to at least one electrically conductive layer of the plurality of electrically conductive layers of the multi-layer planar carrier substrate at the electrical connection side of the power semiconductor prepackage, and
• wherein each power semiconductor prepackage further comprises one or more electrically conductive layers extending in the x-y direction,
• wherein at least one electrically conductive layer of the one or more electrically conductive layers is located on an opposite side of the respective power semiconductor switching element to the electrical connection side of the power semiconductor prepackage and connects to at least one terminal of the respective power semiconductor switching element,
• wherein, for each power semiconductor prepackage, each electrical connection extending from the at least one terminal of the respective power semiconductor switching element through the solid insulating material terminates at the electrical connection side of the respective power semiconductor prepackage.