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US 2002/0118560 A1Published application
Substrate-level DC bus design to reduce module inductance
AssigneeBallard Power Systems Inc.
InventorsSayeed Ahmed, Scott Parkhill, Fred Flett, Douglas Maly
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A DC bus for use in a power module includes a positive DC conductor bus plate parallel with a negative DC conductor bus plate. The positive bus and negative bus permit counter-flow of currents, thereby canceling magnetic fields and their associated inductances, and the positive and negative bus are connectable to the center portion of a power module.
Claims18
A DC Bus for use in a power module, comprising:
- a negative bus plate;
- and
- a positive bus plate substantially parallel to said negative bus plate, wherein said positive bus plate and said negative bus plate are configured for placement substantially centered with respect to a power module.
A DC Bus for use in a power module, comprising:
- a positive DC conductor bus plate;
- a negative DC conductor bus plate placed parallel to said positive bus;
- a positive lead connected to said positive bus plate, wherein said positive leads are connectable to a positive terminal of a power source;
- a negative lead connected to said negative bus plate, wherein said negative leads are connectable to a ground terminal;
- a positive connection fastenable from said positive bus plate to a high side of a power module;
- a negative connection fastenable from said negative bus plate to a low side of a power module;
- wherein said positive bus plate and said negative bus plate permit counter-flow of currents thereby canceling magnetic fields and their associated inductances;
- and
- wherein said positive bus plate and said negative bus plate are configured to be located between the high side and the low side of the power module;
- and
- wherein said positive bus plate and said negative bus plate are shaped to be connected substantially parallel to the substrate of the power module.
8 more elements
A power module for reducing inductance, comprising:
- a lead frame for supporting the module and for providing interconnections to the motor and power source;
- a substrate connected to said lead frame;
- one or more pairs of high and low switches at the substrate level of the module;
- a positive DC bus plate connected to the center portion of the power module;
- a negative DC conductor bus plate placed parallel to said positive bus;
- one or more positive leads connected to said positive bus, wherein said positive leads are connectable to a positive terminal of a power source;
- one or more negative leads connected to said negative bus, wherein said negative leads are connectable to ground;
- one or more positive connections fastenable from said positive bus to the high side of a power module;
- one or more negative connections fastenable from said negative bus to the low side of a power module;
- wherein said positive bus and said negative bus permit counter-flow of currents thereby canceling magnetic fields and their associated inductances;
- wherein said positive bus and said negative bus are located between the high side and the low side of the power module;
- and
- wherein the positive bus and the negative bus are shaped to be connected substantially parallel to the substrate of the power module.
10 more elements
A method of reducing inductance in a power module comprising:
- allowing DC current to flow substantially symmetrically and directly to the switches of the module;
- and
- permitting counter-flow of electric currents, thereby canceling magnetic fields and their associated inductances.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.