IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,700,681
Granted Patent B1
US 10,700,681 · App. 16/355,382 · Granted Jun 30, 2020

Paralleled power module with additional emitter/source path

Inventors: Fan Xu (Novi, MI); Lihua Chen (Farmington Hills, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
H03K17/6871H03K17/567
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,700,681
App. No.
16/355,382
Granted
Jun 30, 2020
Kind
B1
Abstract

Power electronics circuitry includes a pair of parallel switching elements. Each of the switching elements includes two power terminals, two control terminals, and an additional terminal. Corresponding ones of the two power terminals from each of the pair are connected via respective first and second power paths. Corresponding ones of the two control terminals from each of the pair are connected via respective first and second control paths. The additional terminals are connected via an additional path. The circuitry also includes a gate driver tapping the first and second control paths, and a magnet surrounding the additional terminals to couple inductance of the additional path.

Claims (34)

1. Power electronics circuitry comprising:

a pair of switching elements in parallel, each including a gate, a Kelvin source, a drain, and a source;

a gate path connecting the gates;

a Kelvin path connecting the Kelvin sources;

a source path connecting the sources;

a gate driver tapping the gate and Kelvin paths and configured to drive the gates, wherein the gate driver, gate path, and Kelvin path define portions of gate loops;

an additional path outside the gate loops in parallel with the Kelvin and source paths; and

a magnet surrounding terminals of the additional path to couple inductance of the additional path.

2. The power electronics circuitry of claim 1 , wherein a bus bar partially defines a portion of the additional path.

3. The power electronics circuitry of claim 1 , wherein the pair, gate driver, and paths define portions of a half-bridge cell.

4. The power electronics circuitry of claim 3 , wherein the source path is a mid-terminal of the half-bridge cell.

5. The power electronics circuitry of claim 4 further comprising a U/V/W phase tapping the source path.

6. The power electronic circuitry of claim 1 further comprising a DC terminal tapping the source path.

7. The power electronic circuitry of claim 1 , wherein each of the switching elements includes an anti-parallel diode.

8. Power electronics circuitry comprising:

a pair of parallel switching elements each including two power terminals, two control terminals, and an additional terminal, corresponding ones of the two power terminals from each of the pair being connected via respective first and second power paths, corresponding ones of the two control terminals from each of the pair being connected via respective first and second control paths, and the additional terminals being connected via an additional path;

a gate driver tapping the first and second control paths, and

a magnet surrounding the additional terminals to couple inductance of the additional path.

9. The power electronics circuitry of claim 8 , wherein the switching elements are metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors.

10. The power electronics circuitry of claim 8 , wherein the switching elements are insulated-gate bipolar transistors.

11. The power electronic circuitry of claim 8 , wherein a bus bar defines a portion of the additional path.

12. The power electronics circuitry of claim 8 , wherein the additional terminals are bent toward each other.

13. Power electronics circuitry comprising:

a pair of switching elements in parallel, each including a gate, a Kelvin emitter, a collector, and an emitter;

a gate path connecting the gates;

a Kelvin path connecting the Kelvin emitters;

an emitter path connecting the emitters;

a gate driver, tapping the gate and Kelvin paths, configured to drive the gates, wherein the gate driver, gate path, and Kelvin path define portions of gate loops; and

an additional path outside the gate loops in parallel with the Kelvin and emitter paths, wherein the pair, gate driver, and paths define portions of a half-bridge cell.

14. The power electronics circuitry of claim 13 further comprising a magnet surrounding terminals of the additional path to couple inductance of the additional path.

15. The power electronics circuitry of claim 13 , wherein a bus bar partially defines the additional path.

16. The power electronics circuitry of claim 13 , wherein the emitter path is a mid-terminal of the half-bridge cell.

17. The power electronics circuitry of claim 16 further comprising a U/V/W phase tapping the emitter path.

18. The power electronic circuitry of claim 13 further comprising a DC terminal tapping the emitter path.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 15, 2019
From: XU, FAN; CHEN, LIHUA
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 048616/0428 →
Cited By (2)
US 12,375,006 US 12,400,986