Patent · US Active

Four-level power converter

US12176823B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
4References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMar 5, 2021
Grant dateDec 24, 2024
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 16, 2041

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02B70/10
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Power converter for converting between a DC voltage and a AC voltage. The power converter may include: a DC link with a series of three capacitors, the outer nodes of the series forming an upper and a lower DC terminal and connection points between the capacitors forming an upper and a lower intermediate voltage node; and one or more phase legs. Each phase leg includes: an upper switch series between the upper DC terminal and the lower intermediate voltage node, with two semiconductor switches; a lower switch series between the lower DC terminal and the upper intermediate voltage node, with two semiconductor switches; and an inner switch series between the midpoints of the upper and the lower switch series, the inner switch series comprising two semiconductor switches, the midpoint forming an AC terminal of the power converter, wherein the semiconductor switches of the inner switch series are bidirectional semiconductor switches.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.