Power Integrations, Inc.

Abb Research Ltd.

Det International Holding Limited

Power Integrations Switzerland Gmbh

Karsten Fink

Andreas Volke

Rodrigo Alonso Alvarez Valenzuela

Antonio Coccia

Michael Hornkamp

Steffen Bernet

Christoph Dustert

Richard Griessel

Martin Ulbrich

Kilian Noetzold

Michael Bragard

Ralf Wegener

In one aspect, a device includes a first power switch having a first gate, a second power switch paralleled with the first power switch and having a second gate, a gate driver to output a gate drive signal to drive both the first gate and the second gate, a first conduction path to couple the gate drive signal to the first gate, a second conduction path to couple the gate drive signal to the second gate, and a distribution choke to distribute the gate drive signal to the first and second power switches. The distribution choke has a first winding disposed in the first conduction path and a second winding disposed in the second conduction path. The distribution choke is coupled in a differential mode.

Paralleling power switches using a differential mode choke in the gate drive loop

Circuitry for soft shutdown of a power switch and a power converters that includes circuitry for soft shutdown are described. In one aspect, circuitry for soft shutdown of a power switch includes a sense input to be coupled to a power switch receive a signal representative of current passing through the power switch, a comparator to compare the signal with an overcurrent threshold indicative of an overcurrent condition of the power switch and to output a triggering signal in response to the comparison indicating the overcurrent condition, and a gating transistor to be coupled to a control terminal of the power switch, the gating transistor configured to divert a portion of a drive signal away from the control terminal of the power switch in response to the triggering signal.

Soft shutdown modular circuitry for power semiconductor switches

In a converter for converting energy from a generator to a power network, wherein the converter comprises multiple power modules, wherein each power module includes at least two power cells and a transformer for connecting the power cells to the power network, wherein each power cell includes a phase input, a phase output, a transformer output connected to the transformer, a rectifier circuit and an inverter, the transformer (T) of a power module () includes one generator-side winding () for each of the power cells () and exactly one common grid-side winding for balancing an energy flow through the power cells () of a power module ().

Bypassed cascaded cell converter

A method and an arrangement are provided for balancing the switching transient behavior of parallel connected power semiconductor components. The method includes providing a switch signal to the parallel connected power semiconductor components for changing the state of the components, forming control signals for each of the parallel connected components from the switch signal, and determining, during the change of state of the power semiconductor component, the voltage induced to an inductance in the main current path of the component in each of the parallel connected components. The method also includes comparing each of the induced voltages with a predetermined threshold voltage, measuring time differences between the time instants at which the induced voltages crosses the threshold voltage, and modifying one or more of the control signals on the basis of the measured time differences in the respective following state change for balancing the switching transient behavior.

Current balancing of parallel connected semiconductor components

Growing community of inventors

Werl, Germany

Karsten Fink