Protection scheme for power converters utilizing cascaded bipolar and unipolar power semiconductor devices
US11563370B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 1, 2020 |
| Grant date | Jan 24, 2023 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 1, 2040 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02B70/10
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A protection circuit for a power converter with cascaded bipolar and/or unipolar semiconductors is provided. The protection circuit includes at least one comparator circuit which is adapted to monitor a voltage characteristic on a collector-emitter path of at least one semiconductor which is arranged in a polarity selection stage of the power converter and/or to monitor a voltage characteristic on at least one capacitor, which is arranged in the power converter. The at least one comparator circuit is further adapted to output an electrical signal, representing the voltage characteristic of the semiconductor and/or the at least one capacitor to at least one evaluation unit. The at least one evaluation unit is further adapted to evaluate the result from the at least one comparator circuit and to deactivate the semiconductors in case that the voltage characteristic of the semiconductors and/or the capacitors deviate from a predetermined threshold.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.