Method and apparatus for controlling reverse-conducting GTO thyristor
US4644240A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 25, 1984 |
| Grant date | Feb 17, 1987 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 25, 2004 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K17/732
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A reverse-conducting GTO thyristor comprises a gate turn-off thyristor and a diode which are formed on a single semiconductor substrate so as to have a common layer and be connected electrically in an inverse-parallel connection. A power converter is composed of a plurality of pairs of these reverse-conducting GTO thyristors connected in series, each pair of thyristors being controlled so that they are turned on and off in opposite phases. An OFF gate pulse for one of each pair of thyristors continues from a time on or after the generation of an ON gate pulse for the other thyristor to the time when a recovery current flowing through the diode portion of the first thyristor is extinguished. The thus-extended OFF gate pulse functions to prevent any displacement current flowing through the GTO portion of the first thyristor during the recovery time for the diode portion thereof.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.