Patent · US Active

System and method for protection of a multilevel converter

US8411474B2 · kind B2 · utility

21Cited by

10References

14Claims

0Family size

Assignee

General Electric Company · US

Inventors

Robert Roesner · Oberschleißheim, DE
Stefan Schroeder · Garching bei München, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Apr 30, 2010
Grant date	Apr 2, 2013
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jun 9, 2031

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH02M1/32
WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A three level neutral point clamped (NPC) converter includes a plurality of phase legs each having at least two inner switching devices, at least two outer switching devices, at least two clamping diodes, and a protection circuit. An inner component failure sensing circuit is employed in the protection circuit to detect a failure condition in any of the inner switching devices or clamping diodes. The protection circuit further includes a gating signal generation circuit configured to generate a turn ON signal for a respective outer switching device that is adjacent to the failed inner switching device or the clamping diode.

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