Method and apparatus for fault detection of series diodes in rectifiers
US9160164B2 · kind B2 · utility
1Cited by
8References
16Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 2, 2011 |
| Grant date | Oct 13, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 28, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02M1/32
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for fault detection of series diodes in rectifiers is disclosed, wherein the voltages across one or both of the individual diodes, and/or the voltage across the pair of diodes are measured to determine a ratio between two of those voltages. The ratio is then analyzed to determine if a fault (e.g., a short circuit or an open circuit) is present. In some embodiments, circuitry can be included to compensate for the normal variations in diode characteristics (e.g., reverse leakage current, reverse recovery charge) between the pair of series diodes to minimize the potential for erroneous fault detection.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.