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This paper presents a compact, partially laminated busbar design to connect the DC-link capacitor, high-voltage DC (HVDC) connector, and power module using a single integrated busbar. The proposed busbar design is designed for a high-power and high-voltage Silicon Carbide (SiC) traction inverter. The proposed solution eliminates the need for using separate busbars: one for the connection between the HVDC connector and the DC-link capacitor, and the other one between the connection of the DC-link capacitor and the power module. Incorporating two busbars in a single traction inverter increases the total volume of the inverter and the parasitic components. Thus, the main design goals in this paper are minimizing the parasitic inductances, increasing the power density, and achieving a uniform current distribution across the capacitor cores.

This paper presents a compact thermal management solution for a high-power traction inverter. The proposed design utilizes a stacked cooling system that enables heat extraction from two of the largest heat sources in a power inverter: the power module and the DC-link capacitor. The base plate of the power module has circular pin fins while the capacitor comes with a flat surface which must be placed on a cold plate to provide the adequate heat dissipation. Incorporating individual cooling mechanisms for the DC-link capacitor and the power module would increase the weight, complexity and overall volume of the inverter housing. The proposed cooling system mitigates these problems by integrating the cooling mechanisms of the power module and the DC-link capacitor within a single cooling system. The cooling mechanism is designed to provide a uniform coolant flow with minimal pressure drop across the heat sink of the power module and DC-link capacitor.