Inverter module having multiple half-bridge modules for a power converter of an electric vehicle

1. An inverter module, comprising:

first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules coupled with each other in a triplet configuration, wherein first, second, and third positive inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, respectively, are aligned with each other and first, second, and third negative inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, respectively, are aligned with respect to each other, and wherein first, second, and third output terminals of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, respectively, are aligned with respect to each other;

a positive bus-bar coupled with the first, second, and third positive inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules;

a negative bus-bar coupled with the first, second, and third negative inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, the positive bus-bar positioned adjacent to and parallel with the negative bus-bar;

the first, second, and third positive inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules disposed at a first level along a first side of each of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules; and

the first, second, and third negative inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules disposed at a second, different level along the first side of each of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules.

2. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:

a first phase bus-bar coupled with the first output terminal of the first half-bridge inverter module;

a second phase bus-bar coupled with the second output terminal of the second half-bridge inverter module; and

a third phase bus-bar coupled with the third output terminal of the third half-bridge inverter module.

3. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:

first, second, and third phase bus-bars extending from the first, second, and third half-bridge inverter modules respectively, the first, second, and third phase bus-bars disposed parallel with respect to each other.

4. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:

a housing, the first, second, and third half-bridge modules disposed within the housing;

a high voltage connector coupled with a first side surface of the housing, the high voltage connector coupled with the positive bus-bar and the negative bus-bar; and

a low voltage connector coupled with a second, different side surface of the housing.

5. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:

a housing, the first, second, and third half-bridge modules disposed within the housing;

a coolant input coupled with a first side surface of the housing, the coolant input configured to provide coolant fluid to the inverter module to cool the first, second, and third half-bridge inverter modules; and

a coolant output coupled with a second, different side surface of the housing, the coolant output configured to release the coolant fluid from the inverter module.

6. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:

a first power printed circuit board (PCB) coupled with the first half-bridge module through a first cold plate;

a second power PCB coupled with the second half-bridge module through a second cold plate; and

a third power PCB coupled with the third half-bridge module through a third cold plate, each of the first, second, and third power PCBs configured to provide power signals to the first, second, and third half-bridge modules, respectively.

7. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:

an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield disposed a predetermined distance from a second surface of the first, second, and third half-bridge inverter modules.

8. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:

a control printed circuit board (PCB) disposed a predetermined distance from a second surface of the first, second, and third half-bridge inverter modules, the control PCB provides control signals to each of the first, second, and third half-bridge inverter modules.

9. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:

the first half-bridge module having a first cold plate, a first plurality of transistors, and a first ceramic layer disposed between the first cold plate and the first plurality of transistors;

the second half-bridge module having a second cold plate, a second plurality of transistors, and a second ceramic layer disposed between the second cold plate and the second plurality of transistors; and

the third half-bridge module having a third cold plate, a third plurality of transistors, and a third ceramic layer disposed between the third cold plate and the third plurality of transistors.

10. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:

the first half-bridge module having a first cold plate, the first cold plate having two shallow regions and a hump region, the hump region disposed between the two shallow regions;

the second half-bridge module having a second cold plate, the second cold plate having two shallow regions and a hump region, the hump region disposed between the two shallow regions; and

the third half-bridge module having a third cold plate, the third cold plate having two shallow regions and a hump region, the hump region disposed between the two shallow regions, the hump region of the first, second, and third regions configured to raise a capacitor of each of the first, second, and third half-bridge modules into a gel tray of each of the first, second, and third half-bridge modules.

11. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:

the first half-bridge inverter module having a first inlet coolant manifold and a first outlet coolant manifold, each of the first inlet coolant manifold and the first outlet coolant manifold fluidly coupled with first coolant channels of a first cold plate to provide liquid coolant to the first coolant channels;

the second half-bridge inverter module having a second inlet coolant manifold and a second outlet coolant manifold, each of the second inlet coolant manifold and the second outlet coolant manifold fluidly coupled with second coolant channels of a second cold plate to provide liquid coolant to the second coolant channels; and

the third half-bridge inverter module having a third inlet coolant manifold and a third outlet coolant manifold, each of the third inlet coolant manifold and the third outlet coolant manifold fluidly coupled with third coolant channels of a third cold plate to provide liquid coolant to the third coolant channels.

12. The inverter module of claim 1 , comprising:

the first half-bridge module having a first gel tray disposed about multiple sides of a first capacitor;

the second half-bridge module having a second gel tray disposed about multiple sides of a second capacitor; and

the third half-bridge module having a third gel tray disposed about multiple sides of a third capacitor.

13. An inverter module, comprising:

first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules coupled with each other in a triplet configuration, wherein first, second, and third positive inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, respectively, are aligned with each other and first, second, and third negative inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, respectively, are aligned with respect to each other, and wherein first, second, and third output terminals of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, respectively, are aligned with respect to each other;

a positive bus-bar coupled with the first, second, and third positive inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules;

a negative bus-bar coupled with the first, second, and third negative inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, the positive bus-bar positioned adjacent to and parallel with the negative bus-bar; and

first, second, and third phase bus-bars having first, second, and third phase outputs respectively, the first, second, and third phase outputs disposed at the same level with respect to a first surface of the first, second, and third half-bridge inverter modules.

14. A method, comprising:

forming a first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules;

coupling the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules with each other in a triplet configuration;

aligning first, second, and third positive inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, respectively, with each other;

aligning first, second, and third negative inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, respectively, with each other;

coupling a positive bus-bar with the first, second, and third positive inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules;

coupling a negative bus-bar with the first, second, and third negative inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules such that the positive bus-bar is positioned adjacent to and parallel with the negative bus-bar;

aligning first, second, and third output terminals of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, respectively, with respect to each other;

disposing a first cold plate, a first plurality of transistors, and a first ceramic layer within the first half-bridge module, the first ceramic layer disposed between the first cold plate and the first plurality of transistors;

disposing a second cold plate, a second plurality of transistors, and a second ceramic layer within the second half-bridge module, the second ceramic layer disposed between the second cold plate and the second plurality of transistors; and

disposing a third cold plate, a third plurality of transistors, and a third ceramic layer within the third half-bridge module, the third ceramic layer disposed between the third cold plate and the third plurality of transistors.

15. The method of claim 14 , comprising:

disposing the first, second, and third positive inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules at a first level along a first side of each of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules; and

disposing the first, second, and third negative inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules at a second, different level along the first side of each of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules.

16. The method of claim 14 , comprising:

coupling a first phase bus-bar to the first output terminal of the first half-bridge inverter module;

coupling a second phase bus-bar with the second output terminal of the second half-bridge inverter module; and

coupling a third phase bus-bar coupled with the third output terminal of the third half-bridge inverter module.

17. The method of claim 14 , comprising:

coupling first, second, and third phase bus-bars with the first, second, and third half-bridge inverter modules respectively, the first, second, and third phase bus-bars disposed parallel with respect to each other.

18. The method of claim 14 , comprising:

forming first, second, and third phase outputs on first, second, and third phase bus-bars, of the first, second, and third half-bridge modules respectively, the first, second, and third phase outputs formed at the same level with respect to a first surface of the first, second, and third half-bridge inverter modules.

19. A method, comprising:

providing an inverter module, the inverter module comprising:

first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules coupled with each other in a triplet configuration, wherein first, second, and third positive inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, respectively, are aligned with each other and first, second, and third negative inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, respectively, are aligned with respect to each other, and wherein first, second, and third output terminals of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, respectively, are aligned with respect to each other;

a positive bus-bar coupled with the first, second, and third positive inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules;

a negative bus-bar coupled with the first, second, and third negative inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, wherein the positive bus-bar is positioned adjacent to and parallel with the negative bus-bar; and

first, second, and third phase bus-bars extending from the first, second, and third half-bridge inverter modules respectively, the first, second, and third phase bus-bars disposed parallel with respect to each other.

20. An electric vehicle, comprising:

an inverter module disposed in a drive train unit of the electric vehicle, the inverter module comprising:

first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules coupled with each other in a triplet configuration, wherein first, second, and third positive inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, respectively, are aligned with each other and first, second, and third negative inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, respectively, are aligned with respect to each other, and wherein first, second, and third output terminals of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, respectively, are aligned with respect to each other;

a positive bus-bar coupled with the first, second, and third positive inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules;

a negative bus-bar coupled with the first, second, and third negative inputs of the first, second and third half-bridge inverter modules, the positive bus-bar positioned adjacent to and parallel with the negative bus-bar;

a first phase bus-bar coupled with the first output terminal of the first half-bridge inverter module;

a second phase bus-bar coupled with the second output terminal of the second half-bridge inverter module; and

a third phase bus-bar coupled with the third output terminal of the third half-bridge inverter module.