Method for protecting a high-performance power converter and a protection arrangement for executing the method
US6134128A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 9, 1999 |
| Grant date | Oct 17, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 9, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02M1/32
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for protecting a high-performance power converter. The high-performance power converter comprises a mains power converter, which converts an alternating voltage from a mains power supply into a direct voltage and supplies the direct voltage to an intermediate direct voltage circuit. The intermediate direct voltage circuit is equipped with an intermediate circuit capacitor, and includes a second power converter which converts the direct voltage from the intermediate direct voltage circuit into an alternating voltage, whereby each of the mains power converter and the second power converter is set up as a bridge circuit and each contains a number of IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) arranged in pairs in bridge arms. Protection against destruction is achieved in that, when a destructive discharge of the intermediate circuit capacitor via one of the bridge arms, which has become unintentionally continuously conductive, other bridge arms in the power converters are specifically switched through by way of a relief break-through in order to limit the destruction.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.