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.

Date of Patent:
Apr. 10, 2018

Filed:

Dec. 11, 2014
Applicant:

Abb Oy, Helsinki, FI;

Inventors:

Ignacio Lizama, Dresden, DE;

Rodrigo Alonso Alvarez Valenzuela, Nürnberg, DE;

Steffen Bernet, Dresden, DE;

Matti Laitinen, Kirkkonummi, FI;

Assignee:

ABB Oy, Helsinki, FI;

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H03K 17/04 (2006.01); H03K 17/042 (2006.01); H03K 17/082 (2006.01); H03K 17/12 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H03K 17/042 (2013.01); H03K 17/082 (2013.01); H03K 17/12 (2013.01); H03K 2217/0027 (2013.01);
Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for balancing currents of two or more parallel-connected power semiconductor switches during an on-state of the switches. A control terminal of each switch is driven by a driver unit. The method includes determining ratios between the currents through the switches. For each switch, the method includes controlling the voltage at the control terminal on the basis of the ratios by controlling a level of a supply voltage of the driver unit of the switch, and after a turn-on commutation transient, modulating the output of the driver unit. The duty cycle of the modulation is controlled to minimize the time required for the transition of the voltage at the control terminal from the one voltage level to another.


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