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:
Oct. 17, 2000
Filed:
Aug. 09, 1999
Gernot Enzensberger, Wettingen, CH;
Ingo Herbst, Greifensee, CH;
Stefan Umbricht, Untersiggenthal, CH;
DaimlerChrysler AG, Stuttgart, DE;
Abstract
A method and apparatus for protecting a high-performance power converter. The high-performance power converter comprises a mains power converter, which converts an alternating voltage from a mains power supply into a direct voltage and supplies the direct voltage to an intermediate direct voltage circuit. The intermediate direct voltage circuit is equipped with an intermediate circuit capacitor, and includes a second power converter which converts the direct voltage from the intermediate direct voltage circuit into an alternating voltage, whereby each of the mains power converter and the second power converter is set up as a bridge circuit and each contains a number of IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) arranged in pairs in bridge arms. Protection against destruction is achieved in that, when a destructive discharge of the intermediate circuit capacitor via one of the bridge arms, which has become unintentionally continuously conductive, other bridge arms in the power converters are specifically switched through by way of a relief break-through in order to limit the destruction.