Electric power conversion apparatus

1. A power converter, comprising:

a semiconductor module that comprises a power semiconductor element to convert DC power to AC power;

a capacitor for smoothing the DC power;

a DC-side connecting conductor that transmits the DC power from the capacitor to the semiconductor module;

a passage forming body that is constructed of a thermally conductive member and forms a passage through which coolant flows; and

a case that defines a housing space for housing the semiconductor module and is provided with an opening portion, wherein:

the semiconductor module is disposed at one side of the passage forming body and the capacitor is disposed at another side of the passage forming body, opposite to the semiconductor module via the passage forming body;

the passage forming body is provided with an opening that communicates with the passage at the side of the passage forming body where the semiconductor module is disposed and a through hole that connects between a space in which the semiconductor module is disposed and a space in which the capacitor is disposed;

the semiconductor module is provided with a heat transfer plate on which the power semiconductor element is mounted via an insulating substrate;

the heat transfer plate closes the opening so as to directly contact with the coolant;

the opening portion of the case is closed by the passage forming body in a state in which the semiconductor module is housed in the housing space of the case; and

the DC-side connecting conductor extends through the through hole to electrically connect the capacitor with the semiconductor module.

2. A power converter according to claim 1 , wherein:

the capacitor is disposed at the other side of the passage forming body and is in contact with the passage forming body.

3. A power converter according to claim 1 , wherein:

the DC-side connecting conductor comprises a plate-like positive capacitor terminal, a plate-like negative capacitor terminal facing to the positive capacitor terminal, and an insulation member disposed between the positive capacitor terminal and the negative capacitor terminal.

4. A power converter according to claim 1 , wherein:

the semiconductor module comprises a plate-like positive module terminal and a plate-like negative module terminal;

the DC-side connecting conductor comprises a plate-like positive capacitor terminal and a plate-like negative capacitor terminal;

the positive capacitor terminal and the negative capacitor terminal protrude through the through hole into the space in which the semiconductor module is disposed;

the positive module terminal extends along a direction in which the positive capacitor terminal protrudes, and is connected with the positive capacitor terminal; and

the negative module terminal extends along a direction in which the negative capacitor terminal protrudes, and is connected with the negative capacitor terminal.

5. A power converter according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a control circuit board on which a control circuit for controlling drive of the power semiconductor element is mounted, wherein:

the control circuit board is disposed outside the housing space of the case for housing the semiconductor module and housed in a case other than the case for housing the semiconductor module.

6. A power converter according to claim 1 , wherein:

the power semiconductor module comprises a plurality of U-phase power semiconductor elements that constitutes a U-phase, a plurality of V-phase power semiconductor elements that constitutes a V-phase, and a plurality of W-phase power semiconductor elements that constitutes a W-phase, a first plate-like positive module terminal disposed closer to the plurality of U-phase power semiconductor elements than the plurality of V-phase power semiconductor elements and the plurality of W-phase power semiconductor elements, a second plate-like positive module terminal disposed closer to the plurality of V-phase power semiconductor elements than the plurality of U-phase power semiconductor elements and the plurality of W-phase power semiconductor elements, a third plate-like positive module terminal disposed closer to the plurality of W-phase power semiconductor elements than the plurality of U-phase power semiconductor elements and the plurality of V-phase power semiconductor elements.

7. A power converter according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an AC bus bar that transmits the AC power, wherein

the passage forming body is provided with a second through hole, and

the AC bus bar extends through the second through hole to be electrically connected with the semiconductor module.

8. A power converter according to claim 1 , further comprising:

the heat transfer plate provides cooling fin.

9. An electric power conversion apparatus, comprising:

a semiconductor module that comprises a plurality of power semiconductor devices for converting a direct current to an alternate current; and

a channel forming body configured to form a channel through which a refrigerant for cooling the semiconductor module flows, wherein:

the semiconductor module comprises a first metal heat dissipation member and a second metal heat dissipation member that are thermally in contact with the refrigerant and are disposed so as to face each other and to sandwich the plurality of power semiconductor devices, and a positive terminal and a negative terminal for conducting the direct current;

the plurality of power semiconductor devices include an upper arm IGBT that constitutes an upper arm circuit of an inverter circuit, an upper arm diode that is electrically connected in parallel with the upper arm IGBT, a lower arm IGBT that constitutes a lower arm circuit of the inverter circuit, and a lower arm diode that is electrically connected in parallel with the lower arm IGBT;

the upper arm IGBT and the upper arm diode are sandwiched by a first conducting plate that is electrically connected to a collector of the upper arm IGBT and a cathode of the upper arm diode and a second conducting plate that is electrically connected to an emitter of the upper arm IGBT and an anode of the upper arm diode;

the lower arm IGBT and the lower arm diode are sandwiched by a third conducting plate that is electrically connected to a collector of the lower arm IGBT and a cathode of the lower arm diode and a fourth conducting plate that is electrically connected to an emitter of the lower arm IGBT and an anode of the lower arm diode;

a projected part obtained by projecting the first heat dissipation member in a direction perpendicular to a heat dissipation surface of the first heat dissipation member is formed in a rectangle that includes a first side, a second side facing the first side, a third side connecting the first side and the second side, and a fourth side facing the third side;

the positive terminal and the negative terminal project out from the third side;

the upper arm IGBT and the upper arm diode are disposed side by side along the first side so that the upper arm IGBT is arranged closer to the third side than the upper arm diode is;

the lower arm IGBT and the lower arm diode are disposed side by side along the second side so that the lower arm IGBT is arranged closer to the third side than the lower arm diode is; and

a connecting portion that electrically connects the second conducting plate and the third conducting plate is disposed at a position closer to a row in which the upper arm diode and the lower arm diode are arranged than to a row in which the upper arm IGBT and the lower arm IGBT are arranged.

10. An electric power conversion apparatus, according to claim 9 , further comprising:

a capacitor module that includes a capacitor element for smoothing the direct current, wherein;

the channel forming body forms a first channel and a second channel through which the refrigerant flows;

the first channel is disposed at a side of the capacitor module;

the second channel is disposed at another side of the capacitor module, opposite to the first channel;

the semiconductor module includes a plurality of semiconductor modules; and

one or more first semiconductor modules among the plurality of semiconductor modules are disposed in and fixed to the first channel and one or more second semiconductor modules among the plurality of semiconductor modules are disposed in and fixed to the second channel.

11. An electric power conversion apparatus, according to claim 10 , wherein:

a third channel that connects the first channel and the second channel is formed in the channel forming body; and

the capacitor module is formed in a rectangular cross-section, and three sides of the rectangular cross-section are surrounded by the first channel, the second channel and the third channel.

12. An electric power conversion apparatus, according to claim 10 , wherein:

the plurality of semiconductor modules include more than three semiconductor modules and are divided into a first unit, a second unit and a third unit; and

the first unit, the second unit, and third unit are disposed in and fixed to the first channel, the second channel and the third channel, respectively.