Power converter for electric locomotive

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016285380-A1
Application number	US-201415030021-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 26, 2014
Priority date	Oct 25, 2013
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A power converter for an electric locomotive includes an insulating transformer, an AC/DC converter, an inverter, a PWM controller, and a voltage controller. The insulating transformer is supplied with high-voltage AC power from an AC overhead wire to convert a high voltage to a low voltage and output low-voltage AC power. The AC/DC converter receives the low-voltage AC power and performs AC/DC conversion. The inverter receives an output from the AC/DC converter and performs DC/AC conversion for supply to a load. The PWM controller outputs a PWM control signal having a predetermined pattern, the pattern for removing specific harmonic components from an output of the inverter or attenuating the specific harmonic components to at most a predetermined level. The voltage controller controls a DC output voltage of the AC/DC converter to control an output voltage of the inverter.

First claim

1 . A power converter for an electric locomotive comprising:
an insulating transformer supplied with high-voltage AC power from an AC overhead wire to convert a high voltage to a low voltage and output low-voltage AC power; an AC/DC converter that receives the low-voltage AC power and performs AC/DC conversion; an inverter that receives an output from the AC/DC converter and performs DC/AC conversion for supply to a load; a PWM controller that outputs a PWM control signal having a predetermined pattern, the pattern for removing specific harmonic components from an output of the inverter or attenuating the specific harmonic components to a predetermined level or lower; and a voltage controller that controls a DC output voltage of the AC/DC converter to control an output voltage of the inverter.

2 . The power converter for an electric locomotive according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage controller controls the DC output voltage of the AC/DC converter according to the output voltage of the inverter.

3 . The power converter for an electric locomotive according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage controller controls the DC output voltage of the AC/DC converter according to an input current of the low-voltage AC power.

4 . The power converter for an electric locomotive according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a filter provided at a stage subsequent to the inverter, the filter that inhibits a component of the specific harmonic components for output to the load, the component having a frequency higher than a highest central frequency of a harmonic component of the specific harmonic components.

5 . The power converter for an electric locomotive according to claim 4 , wherein the filter is configured to as an LC filter having a reactor and a capacitor.

6 . The power converter for an electric locomotive according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a reactor provided at a stage subsequent to the inverter to smoothen the output of the inverter.

7 . The power converter for an electric locomotive according to claim 1 , wherein the specific harmonic components are third to thirteenth-order harmonic components.

8 . The power converter for an electric locomotive according to claim 1 , wherein the PWM controller generates and outputs the PWM control signal, the PWM control signal including n pulses in one period of a fundamental wave, for removing harmonic components or attenuating the harmonic components to a predetermined level or lower, the harmonic components corresponding to n central frequencies corresponding to switch firing angles of the pulses, n being a natural number.

9 . The power converter for an electric locomotive according to claim 1 , wherein:
the load includes a three-phase AC motor, and the specific harmonic components are fifth, seventh, eleventh, and thirteenth harmonic components.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Toda Shinichi
• Yasuoka Ikuo
• Souma Saburou

Classifications

• H02M5/458 Primary

  using semiconductor devices only · CPC title

• H02M2001/0009

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02M1/08

  Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters · CPC title

• H02M1/12 Primary

  Arrangements for reducing harmonics from AC input or output · CPC title

• H02M1/0009

  Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter · CPC title