General Electric Company

Ge Energy Power Conversion Technology Gmbh

Todd David Greenleaf

Alan Carroll Lovell

Robert Gregory Wagoner

Mark Eugene Shepard

Qin Chen

Andrew David McArthur

Allen Michael Ritter

Anthony Michael Klodowski

Jordan Brantley Casteel

Tobias Schuetz

Terry Michael Tackman

Systems, methods, and apparatus for controlling power semiconductor devices are described. According to one embodiment of the disclosure, there is disclosed a system. The system may include a serial communication link between a controller and a power electronics module, where a continuous bit stream passes through the serial communications link.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for controlling power semiconductor devices

A device includes a printed circuit board (PCB). The device may also include a high voltage coil disposed on the PCB and a low voltage coil disposed on the PCB. Further, a conductive shield forms a three-dimensional enclosure around the high voltage coil and confines an electric field generated by the device to the PCB.

System and method for reducing partial discharge in high voltage planar transformers

There are provided methods and systems for operating insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). For example, there is provided a method that can include detecting a desaturation condition in an IGBT and initiating a turn off procedure when desaturation is detected. The turn off procedure can include holding a gate of the IGBT at at least one voltage level intermediate between a positive rail voltage and a negative rail voltage of an operational range of the IGBT.

IGBT gate drive circuit and method

A gate drive circuit for applying a voltage to a gate of a semiconductor switching device is disclosed. The gate drive circuit includes a gate drive controller that provides voltage commands for operating the semiconductor switching device, a plurality of primary gate resistors coupled between the gate drive controller and the semiconductor switching device, one or more secondary gate resistors connected in parallel with the primary gate resistors, a primary transistor connected in series with each of the primary gate resistors, and a secondary transistor connected in series with each of the secondary gate resistors. Further, one of the primary or secondary transistors receives the one or more voltage commands from the gate drive controller and provides one or more corresponding voltage levels to the semiconductor switching device via one of the primary or secondary gate resistors so as to control the on-off behavior of the semiconductor switching device.

Gate drive circuit and method of operating same

In one aspect, a method for controlling the operation of switching elements contained within a single-phase bridge circuit of a power convertor may include monitoring gate voltages of a first switching element and a second switching element of the single-phase bridge circuit and controlling the first and second switching elements so that each switching element is alternated between an activated state and a deactivated state. In addition, the method may include transmitting a gating command signal to adjust the first switching element from the deactivated state to the activated state when: a first gate drive command is received that is associated with switching the first switching element to the activated state; a second gate drive command is received that is associated with switching the second switching element to the deactivated state; and the gate voltage of the second switching element is less than a predetermined voltage threshold.

System and method for controlling switching elements within a single-phase bridge circuit

Systems, methods, and apparatus for controlling power semiconductor devices are described. According to one embodiment of the disclosure, there is disclosed a system. The system may include at least one power source for selectively providing power to one or more power semiconductor devices controlled by a gate driver. The gate driver may include at least one controller coupled to at least one power semiconductor device interface via a first channel and a second channel configured to provide galvanic isolation of information communicated between the controller and the at least one power semiconductor device interface.

A system for regulating semiconductor devices may include a current regulator configured to regulate one or more currents provided to an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT). The current regulator may regulate the currents by generating a current profile based at least in part on a collector voltage value associated with the IGBT, a rate of collector voltage change value associated with the IGBT, or any combination thereof. The current profile may include one or more current values to be provided to a gate of the IGBT such that the current values are configured to limit the rate of collector voltage change to a first value. The current regulator may then send the one or more current values to a current source configured to supply the gate of the IGBT with one or more currents that correspond to the one or more current values.

Systems and methods for regulating semiconductor devices

A method of conditioning tantalum capacitors on printed wire assemblies is disclosed. According to the method, each of the capacitors on an assembly is subjected to the same conditioning level during testing. To condition the tantalum capacitors, surge currents are induced in the capacitors in a controlled manner as a way of aging the capacitors so that they can be used without de-rating rating with low failure rates. The level of voltage, timing and current levels are set by circuitry used to perform the testing. The same circuits that are used with the capacitors in a system application are also used for the tantalum capacitor test circuit during the conditioning process.

Processing tantalum capacitors on assembled PWAs to yield low failure rate

Grouped gating control logic allows for one or more inputs in a group to be active at any given time. Once an input signal in a group is active, all other pulse trains received in the same group can be locked out. Thus, by using a finite state machine to control gate pulses, the noise margin of the gating unit can be regulated and an extra level of protection is available should one of the input gating signals be defective.

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Salem, VA, United States of America

Todd David Greenleaf