Power supply apparatus

A power supply apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of power modules;
• a holder-case which houses the power modules in a parallel fashion in a plurality of rows, and permits the power modules to be cooled with air passing through its interior;
• a fan for forcibly supplying air to, or exhausting air from, the holder-case;
• and wherein:
• the holder-case has a box shape and has a first surface plate and a second surface plate defining opposite surfaces, and the plurality of power modules are arranged laterally, in parallel, and in a single plane along the first surface plate and the second surface plate;
• the holder-case is provided with a plurality of walls located between the rows of power modules, the walls extend from the first surface plate to the second surface plate and divide the interior of the holder-case into a plurality of rows of partitioned cooling ducts, and each row of the power modules is disposed in one of the partitioned cooling ducts;
• a plurality of flow inlets are opened through the first surface plate of the holder-case so as to communicate with the partitioned cooling ducts, respectively,
• the flow inlets divide and induce air flow into the partitioned cooling ducts, and exhaust outlets are opened through the second surface plate to permit air to be expelled to the outside of the holder-case after passing through the partitioned cooling ducts;
• the fan is operable to create a cooling air flow that is divided and induced to flow through the first surface plate flow inlets into the partitioned cooling ducts to cool the power modules, the cooling air that has performed its cooling function is expelled from the partitioned cooling ducts via the second surface plate exhaust outlets, and thereby cooling the power modules disposed in the partitioned cooling ducts;
• and
• an air outlet duct defined in part by a surface of the second surface plate so as to permit air, which has been warmed by the power modules in the partitioned cooling duct, to be delivered from the second surface plate exhaust outlets to outside of the holder case via the fan.

A power supply casing comprising:

• a holder-case for housing a plurality of power modules in a parallel arrangement and in a single plane,
• said holder-case including a first plate, a second plate positioned in parallel to the first plate, and a plurality of parallel walls extending between said first plate and said second plate,
• wherein said first plate, said second plate, and said parallel walls define a plurality of partitioned cooling ducts for holding the plurality of power modules, respectively,
• wherein said first plate is formed with a plurality of air inlet openings communicating with said partitioned cooling ducts, respectively, and said second plate is formed with a plurality of air outlet openings communicating with said partitioned cooling ducts, respectively;
• a fan for forcibly supplying cooling air to, or exhausting cooling air from, the partitioned cooling ducts, wherein the flow of cooling air is divided by the flow inlets so as to flow through the partitioned cooling ducts and out of the outlet openings so as to cool the power modules held in each of the partitioned cooling ducts;
• and
• an air inlet duct defined in part by a surface of said first plate so as to permit cooling air flow to be delivered from the outside of the holder-case to the first surface plate air inlet openings via the fan, wherein the flow inlets are made smaller at an upstream end of said air inlet duct than at a downstream end of said air inlet duct.

A power supply apparatus comprising:

• a holder-case for housing a plurality of power modules a parallel arrangement in a single plane,
• said holder-case including a first plate, a second plate positioned in parallel to the first plate, and a plurality of parallel walls extending between said first plate and said second plate,
• wherein said first plate, said second plate, and said parallel walls define a plurality of partitioned cooling ducts for holding the plurality of power modules, respectively,
• wherein said first plate is formed with a plurality of air inlet openings communicating with said partitioned cooling ducts, respectively, and said second plate is formed with a plurality of air outlet openings communicating with said partitioned cooling ducts, respectively;
• a fan for forcibly supplying cooling air to, or exhausting cooling air from, the partitioned cooling ducts, wherein the flow of cooling air is divided by the flow inlets so as to flow through the partitioned cooling ducts and out of the outlet openings so as to cool the power modules held in each of the partitioned cooling ducts;
• and
• an air outlet duct defined in part by a surface of said second plate so as to deliver air that has been warmed by the power modules from the second surface plate air outlet openings to outside of the holder-case via the fan, wherein the air outlet openings are made larger at an upstream end of said air outlet duct than at a downstream end of said air outlet duct.