US-12620907-B2 - Conductor structure

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed to include: a conductor structure (such as a busbar) comprising a first electrical connection and a second electrical connection; a first capacitor pair including a first capacitor and a second capacitor mounted directly opposite each other on opposite sides of the conductor structure, wherein the first and second capacitors each have a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector having a first electrical capacitance therebetween, and wherein the first and second capacitors each have a first side and a second side opposite the first side; a first connection arrangement connecting the first electrical connector of the first capacitor and the first electrical connector of the second capacitor to the first electrical connection of the conductor structure; and a second connection arrangement connecting the second electrical connector of the first capacitor and the second electrical connector of the second capacitor to the second electrical connection of the conductor structure. The first electrical connectors on the first side of the respective capacitors are aligned on the respective sides of the conductor structure and the second electrical connectors on the first side of the respective capacitors are aligned on the respective sides of the conductor structure.

Inventors

• Fabio Carastro

Assignees

• DANFOSS SILICON POWER GMBH

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20220221

Priority Date

20210224

Claims (19)

1. 1 . An apparatus comprising: a conductor structure comprising a first electrical connection and a second electrical connection; a first capacitor pair comprising a first capacitor and a second capacitor mounted directly opposite each other on opposite sides of the conductor structure, wherein the first and second capacitors each have a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector having a first electrical capacitance therebetween, and wherein the first and second capacitors each have a first side and a second side opposite the first side; a first connection arrangement connecting the first electrical connector of the first capacitor and the first electrical connector of the second capacitor to the first electrical connection of the conductor structure, wherein the first electrical connectors are provided on the first sides of the first and second capacitors, respectively, and are aligned on the opposite sides of the conductor structure; a second connection arrangement connecting the second electrical connector of the first capacitor and the second electrical connector of the second capacitor to the second electrical connection of the conductor structure, wherein the second electrical connectors are provided on the second sides of the first and second capacitors, respectively, and are aligned on the opposite sides of the conductor structure; a second capacitor pair comprising a third capacitor and a fourth capacitor mounted directly opposite each other on opposite sides of the conductor structure, wherein the third and fourth capacitors of the second capacitor pair each have a third electrical connector and a fourth electrical connector having a second electrical capacitance therebetween, and wherein the third and fourth capacitors each have a third side and a fourth side opposite the third side; a third connection arrangement connecting the third electrical connector of the third capacitor and the third electrical connector of the fourth capacitor of the second capacitor pair to the first electrical connection of the conductor structure, wherein the third electrical connectors are provided on the third sides of the third and fourth capacitors, respectively, and are aligned on the opposite sides of the conductor structure; and a fourth connection arrangement connecting the fourth electrical connector of the third capacitor and the fourth electrical connector of the fourth capacitor of the second capacitor pair to the second electrical connection of the conductor structure, wherein the fourth electrical connectors are provided on the fourth sides of the third and fourth capacitors, respectively, and are aligned on the opposite sides of the conductor structure.
2. 2 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conductor structure is a busbar.
3. 3 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the conductor structure has a first layer in electrical contact with the first electrical connection of the conductor structure and a second layer in electrical contact with the second electrical connection of the conductor structure.
4. 4 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conductor structure has a first layer in electrical contact with the first electrical connection of the conductor structure and a second layer in electrical contact with the second electrical connection of the conductor structure.
5. 5 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein one of the first and second layers is a positive DC layer and the other of the first and second layers is a negative DC layer.
6. 6 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the conductor structure has a third layer and a third electric connection, wherein the third layer is in electrical contact with the third electrical connection of the conductor structure.
7. 7 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the third layer is an electrical ground layer.
8. 8 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrical connectors of the first capacitor are each accessible from both the first and the second sides of the first capacitor, wherein the first and second electrical connectors of the second capacitor are each accessible from both the first and the second sides of the second capacitor, wherein the second sides of the first and second capacitors are adjacent to the conductor structure.
9. 9 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first electrical connector of the first capacitor of the first capacitor pair forms part or all of a first electrical connector structure of the first capacitor that extends from the first side of the first capacitor to the second side of the first capacitor, and wherein the first electrical connector of the second capacitor of the first capacitor pair forms part or all of a first electrical connector structure of the second capacitor that extends from the first side of the second capacitor to the second side of the second capacitor.
10. 10 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein each capacitor of the first capacitor pair comprises a hole extending axially within the capacitor from the first side to the second side, wherein the first electrical connector structure of the first capacitor is provided within said hole of the first capacitor, and wherein the first electrical connector structure of the second capacitor is provided within said hole of the second capacitor.
11. 11 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first electrical connector structure of the first capacitor extends along a central axis of the first capacitor, and wherein the first electrical connector structure of the second capacitor extends along a central axis of the second capacitor.
12. 12 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the second electrical connector of the first capacitor is at least partially provided on an exterior of a casing of the first capacitor, such that the second electrical connector is accessible from both the first and the second sides of the first capacitor, and wherein the second electrical connector of the second capacitor is at least partially provided on an exterior of a casing of the second capacitor, such that the second electrical connector is accessible from both the first and the second sides of the second capacitor.
13. 13 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the second electrical connector of the first capacitor has multiple sections, each of the multiple sections of the second electrical connector of the first capacitor separately accessible from both the first and second sides of the first capacitor, wherein the multiple sections of the second electrical connector of the first capacitor are provided symmetrically about the first capacitor, and wherein the second electrical connector of the second capacitor has multiple sections, each of the multiple sections of the second electrical connector of the second capacitor separately accessible from both the first and second sides of the second capacitor, wherein the multiple sections of the second electrical connector of the second capacitor are provided symmetrically about the second capacitor.
14. 14 . An electrical capacitor as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the multiple sections of the second electrical connector of the first capacitor meet at a flange that extends around one end of the first capacitor, and wherein the multiple sections of the second electrical connector of the second capacitor meet at a flange that extends around one end of the second capacitor.
15. 15 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: a first switching component having a first terminal in electrical contact with the first electrical connection of the conductor structure and a second terminal in electrical contact with a first output; a second switching component having a first terminal in electrical contact with the first output and a second terminal in electrical contact with the second electrical connection of the conductor structure; and a control circuit for controlling the switching of the first and second switching components.
16. 16 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: a plurality of first switching components, each having a first terminal in electrical contact with the first electrical connection of the conductor structure and a second terminal in electrical contact with one of a plurality of outputs; a plurality of second switching components, each having a first terminal in electrical contact with one of the plurality of output and a second terminal in electrical contact with the second electrical connection of the conductor structure; and a control circuit for controlling the switching of the plurality of switching components.
17. 17 . An inverter comprising: a rectifier for converting an AC power source into a DC signal; a DC storage capacitor; and the apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the DC signal is provided across the first and second electrical connections of the conductor structure.
18. 18 . An apparatus comprising: a conductor structure comprising a first electrical connection and a second electrical connection; a first capacitor pair comprising a first capacitor and a second capacitor mounted directly opposite each other on opposite sides of the conductor structure, wherein the first and second capacitors each have a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector having a first electrical capacitance therebetween, and wherein the first and second capacitors each have a first side and a second side opposite the first side; a first connection arrangement connecting the first electrical connector of the first capacitor and the first electrical connector of the second capacitor to the first electrical connection of the conductor structure, wherein the first electrical connectors are provided on the first sides of the first and second capacitors, respectively, and are aligned on the opposite sides of the conductor structure; and a second connection arrangement connecting the second electrical connector of the first capacitor and the second electrical connector of the second capacitor to the second electrical connection of the conductor structure, wherein the second electrical connectors are provided on the second sides of the first and second capacitors, respectively, and are aligned on the opposite sides of the conductor structure; wherein the conductor structure has a first layer in electrical contact with the first electrical connection of the conductor structure and a second layer in electrical contact with the second electrical connection of the conductor structure, and wherein the first and second layers are arranged on respective upper and lower sides of the structure and are aligned on the respective upper and lower sides of the conductor structure.
19. 19 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the conductor structure has a third layer and a third electric connection, wherein the third layer is in electrical contact with the third electrical connection of the conductor structure.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a National Stage application of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2022/054198, filed on Feb. 21, 2022, which claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2021 104 341.7, filed on Feb. 24, 2021, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present specification relates to a conductor structure, such as a busbar, including electrical capacitors. BACKGROUND Many configurations of electrical capacitor arrangements and conductor structures (e.g. busbars) are known in the art. However, there remains a need for further developments in this field. SUMMARY In a first aspect, this specification describes an apparatus comprising: a conductor structure (e.g. a busbar) comprising a first electrical connection and a second electrical connection; a first capacitor pair comprising a first capacitor and a second capacitor mounted directly opposite each other on opposite sides of the conductor structure, wherein the first and second capacitors each have a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector having a first electrical capacitance therebetween, and wherein the first and second capacitors each have a first side and a second side opposite the first side; a first connection arrangement connecting the first electrical connector of the first capacitor and the first electrical connector of the second capacitor to the first electrical connection of the conductor structure, wherein the first electrical connectors on the second side of the respective capacitors are aligned on the respective sides of the conductor structure; and a second connection arrangement connecting the second electrical connector of the first capacitor and the second electrical connector of the second capacitor to the second electrical connection of the conductor structure, wherein the second electrical connectors on the second side of the respective capacitors are aligned on the respective sides of the conductor structure. An apparatus comprising the structure defined above provides a symmetry of connections reflected about the plane of the conductor structure. That is to say, the electrical connectors of the first capacitor on one side of the conductor structure are matched by the electrical connectors of the second capacitor on the other side of the conductor structure. This symmetry in turn provides an electrical circuit of relatively low stray inductance, since current flow in one part may be matched by current flows in another. Such low-inductance circuits are of great advantage when, for example, high switching frequencies are used in the apparatus. The conductor structure (which may be a busbar) may have a first layer in electrical contact with the first electrical connection of the conductor structure and a second layer in electrical contact with the second electrical connection of the conductor structure. One of the first and second layers may be a positive DC layer and the other of the first and second layers may be a negative DC layer. Furthermore, the conductor structure may have a third layer (e.g. an electrical ground layer) and a third electric connection, wherein the third layer is in electrical contact with the third electrical connection of the conductor structure. The first and second electrical connectors of the capacitors may each be accessible from both the first and the second side of the respective capacitor, wherein the second sides of the capacitors are adjacent to the conductor structure. The first electrical connector of each capacitor of the first capacitor pair may form part or all of a first electrical connector structure, wherein the first electrical connector structure of each capacitor extends within the respective capacitor from the first side of the capacitor to the second side of the capacitor. Furthermore, each capacitor of the first capacitor pair may comprise a hole extending axially within the capacitor from the first side to the second side, wherein the first electrical connector structure is provided within said hole. The first electrical connector structure may extend along a central axis of the respective capacitor. In some example embodiments, the second electrical connector is at least partially provided on an exterior of a casing of the respective electrical capacitor, such that the second electrical connector is accessible from both the first and the second sides of the capacitor. The second electrical connector may have multiple sections each separately accessible from both the first and second sides of the capacitor, wherein the multiple sections are provided symmetrically about the respective capacitor. For example, the multiple sections of the second electrical connector may meet at a flange that extends around one end of the respective capacitor. Some example embodiments further comprise: a second capacitor pair comprising a first capacitor and a second capacitor mounted