The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 07, 2022
Filed:
Feb. 12, 2021
GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd., Warwickshire, GB;
GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd., Warwickshire, GB;
Abstract
A method of short-circuiting a faulty submodule for a voltage-source power converter is disclosed. The submodule is based on a full-bridge, asymmetric full-bridge or half-bridge circuit design having power semiconductor switches with anti-parallel freewheeling diodes and optionally non-controllable semiconductor valves. The methodincludes identifying a faulty semiconductor device and determining a failure mode selected from a short-circuit failure mode and an open circuit failure mode. The method further includes selecting a minimum number of power semiconductor switches suitable to provide a bypass path through the submodule depending on the identified faulty semiconductor device and the determined failure mode and driving the selected power semiconductor switches by a modified driving voltage compared to normal operation to cause them to break down in order to provide a durable, stable, low impedance short-circuit path between the AC voltage terminals of the submodule. A power converter comprising a series connection of such submodules and supporting the method of short-circuiting a faulty submodule is also disclosed.