General Electric Technology Gmbh

Jerome Gregoire

Colin Charnock Davidson

John Lewis Outram

Stefan Schroeder

Francisco Javier Chivite Zabalza

Colin Donald Murray Oates

Timothy James Stott

Francisco Jose Moreno Muñoz

Adrian Keitley

Francisco Javier Chivite-Zabalza

The present disclosure relates to a voltage source converter (VSC) () comprising: a first MOSFET switching element () including a first body diode (); a second MOSFET switching element () including a second body diode (), the second MOSFET switching element () being connected in series with the first MOSFET switching element (); a protection device () connected in parallel with the second MOSFET switching element (); and a controller (), wherein the controller () is configured, on detection of an overcurrent event, to: switch off the first MOSFET switching element (); and switch off the second MOSFET switching element (), thereby forcing current flowing in the VSC () following the overcurrent event to flow through the second body diode () rather than through conducting channels of the first and second MOSFET switching elements ().

Voltage source converters

This application relates to a cell () or sub-module for a voltage source converter (). The cell includes an energy storage apparatus () and a plurality of dual-switch semiconductor packages (), each having first and second semiconductor switches () connected in series. The cell is operable in an active state in which an energy storage apparatus () is electrically connected in series between cell terminals () and a bypass state in the cell terminals () are electrically connected via a path that bypasses the first energy storage apparatus. The plurality of dual-switch semiconductor switch packages are configured to provide a first set of semiconductor switches () connected between nodes of the cell that are electrically connected in the first active state and electrically disconnected in the first bypass state; and a second set of semiconductor switches () is connected between nodes of the cell that are electrically disconnected in the first active state and electrically connected in the bypass state. The second set of switches comprises a greater number of switches in parallel than the first set of switches.

Voltage source converter apparatus

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Stafford, United Kingdom

Jerome Gregoire