A Review of the Packaging Scheme of a Traction Inverter: Layout, Capacitor, Current Sensing and Power Module

A traction inverter is required to drive the AC motors found in electric vehicles, by means of DC/AC conversion. To achieve high power density and reliability, advancements in power electronics for inverters are highly required in the automotive market. Advances in power electronics and packaging have enabled these inverters to be highly reliable, cost efficient, have a higher power density and be more suited to the mass market. This paper presents an independent review of the BMW iX3 inverter. It will first focus on the overall configuration and layout of components inside the inverter. Then, the focus will be shifted to individual components such as the DC capacitors, current sensors, and power module. The aim of this paper is to provide an in-depth review of the inverter, which would prove a useful resource for an engineer designing an inverter or related components.