Power converter control system

Abstract

A power converter control system for use with a power converter of the type which comprises a plurality of cascade-connected converter units of which at least one converter unit is subjected to continuous control of its conduction phase angle and the remaining converter units are subjected to on-off control of their conductivity is arranged to include a master controller for instructing the number of the converter units to be rendered operative, a reversible counter operative to change its content in response to a phase controlling command applied to the continuously controlled converter unit indicating a maximum or minimum conduction phase angle or delayed phase angle in conduction, a unit change control unit for producing unit changing operation signals to be applied to the respective converter units for controlling the operation of the same, by using one of the binary bits derived from the counter without modification and decoding the remaining bits, and a comparing and identifying circuit which compares the content of the reversible counter with the output of the master controller and causing the reversible counter to operate in response to the aforementioned phase control command until the content of the same becomes identical to the output of the master controller.