Circuit for synchronously switching series connected electronic switches

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9564832-B2
Application number	US-201314053872-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2013
Priority date	Oct 16, 2012
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

A circuit includes first and second electronic switches, first and second excitation circuits, and first and second inductors. The first and second electronic switches are electrically coupled in series. The first and second excitation circuits are used for respectively controlling the first and second electronic switches to be turned on and turned off and are configured to synchronously switch the first and second electronic switches. The first inductor is electrically coupled between the first excitation circuit and the first electronic switch, for transmitting the switch control signal of the first excitation circuit to the first electronic switch. The second inductor is electrically coupled between the second excitation circuit and the second electronic switch, for transmitting the switch control signal of the second excitation circuit to the second electronic switch.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A circuit comprising:
a first electronic switch and a second electronic switch which are electrically coupled in series;
a first excitation circuit and a second excitation circuit, for respectively controlling the first and second electronic switches to be turned on and turned off, wherein the first and second excitation circuits are configured to synchronously switch the first and second electronic switches; and
a first inductor and a second inductor which are magnetically coupled between each other; wherein
the first inductor is electrically coupled between the first excitation circuit and the first electronic switch, for transmitting the switch control signal of the first excitation circuit to the first electronic switch;
the second inductor is electrically coupled between the second excitation circuit and the second electronic switch, for transmitting the switch control signal of the second excitation circuit to the second electronic switch;
a first clamping circuit, for providing at least two different clamping voltages to the first electronic switch; and
a second clamping circuit, for providing at least two different clamping voltages to the second electronic switch,
wherein each of the first clamping circuit and the second clamping circuit comprises:
a first zener diode and a second zener diode electrically coupled in series, and both together electrically coupled between two terminals of the corresponding one of the first electronic switch and the second electronic switch;
a third electronic switch electrically coupled between two terminals of the second zener diode; and
a third excitation circuit for controlling the third electronic switch.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first and second magnetically coupled inductors include a common magnetic core, a first winding, and a second winding, wherein the first winding is wound on the common magnetic core acting as the first inductor, and the second winding is wound on the common magnetic core acting as the second inductor.

3. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the common magnetic core is ring-shaped.

4. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the first winding and the second winding are symmetrically wound on different positions of the common magnetic core.

5. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the turn ratio of the first winding and the second winding is 1:1.

6. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the first winding and second winding are arranged on the magnetic core in an insulation mode.

7. The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first clamping diode electrically coupled between a DC supply and the first electronic switch, for providing a clamping voltage to the first electronic switch; and
a second clamping diode electrically coupled between the DC supply and the second electronic switch, for providing a clamping voltage to the second electronic switch.

8. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second clamping circuits further comprises:
one or more third zener diodes electrically coupled to the second zener diode in series;
one or more fourth electronic switches respectively electrically coupled between two terminals of the one or more third zener diodes; and
one or more fourth excitation circuits for respectively controlling the one or more fourth electronic switches to be turned on and turned off.

9. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second clamping circuits further comprises a diode and resistor electrically coupled to the first and second zener diodes in series.

10. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electronic switches comprise insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), the first and second zener diodes are electrically coupled between the gate and the collect terminals of the corresponding one of the first and second electronic switches.

11. A circuit comprising:
a first electronic switch, a second electronic switch, and a third electronic switch which are electrically coupled in series;
a first excitation circuit, a second excitation circuit, and a third excitation circuit for respectively controlling the first, second, and third electronic switches to be turned on and turned off, wherein the first, second and third excitation circuits are configured to synchronously switch the first, second, and third electronic switches;
a first inductor and a second inductor which are magnetically coupled to each other; and
a third inductor and a fourth inductor which are magnetically coupled between each other; wherein
the first inductor is electrically coupled to the first excitation circuit and between the first electronic switch, for transmitting the switch control signal of the first excitation circuit to the first electronic switch;
the second inductor and the third inductor are electrically coupled in series and then the second and third inductors are electrically coupled between the second excitation circuit and the second electronic switch, for transmitting the switch control signal of the second excitation circuit to the second electronic switch; and
the fourth inductor is electrically coupled to the third excitation circuit and between the third electronic switch, for transmitting the switch control signal of the third excitation circuit to the third electronic switch.

12. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the first, second, and third electronic switches comprise insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs).

13. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein:
a driving terminal of the first excitation circuit is electrically coupled to the gate of the first electronic switch through the first inductor, a ground terminal of the first excitation circuit is electrically coupled to the emitter of the first electronic switch;
a driving terminal of the second excitation circuit is electrically coupled to the gate of the second electronic switch through the second and third inductors, a ground terminal of the second excitation circuit is electrically coupled to the emitter of the second electronic switch; and
a driving terminal of the third excitation circuit is electrically coupled to the gate of the third electronic switch through the fourth inductor, a ground terminal of the third excitation circuit is electrically coupled to the emitter of the third electronic switch.

14. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein:
the first and second magnetically coupled inductors include a first common magnetic core, a first winding, and a second winding; the first winding is wound on the first common magnetic core acting as the first inductor and the second winding is wound on the first common magnetic core acting as the second inductor; and
the third and fourth magnetically coupled inductors include a second common magnetic core, a third winding, and a fourth winding; the third winding is wound on the second common magnetic core acting as the third inductor, the fourth winding is wound on the second common magnetic core acting as the fourth inductor.

15. The circuit of claim 11 , further comprising:
a first clamping diode electrically coupled between a DC supply and the first electronic switch, for providing a clamping voltage to the first electronic switch;
a second clamping diode electrically coupled between a DC supply and the second electronic switch, for providing a clamping voltage to the second electronic switch; and
a third clamping diode electrically coupled between a DC supply and the third electronic switch, for providing a clamping voltage to the third electronic switch.

16. The circuit of claim 11 , further comprising:
a first clamp

Assignees

• Ge Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd
• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Wu Tao
• Zhang Yingqi
• Zhang Fan
• Chen Kunlun
• Hao Xin

Classifications

• G02F2001/133311

  Physics · mapped topic

• H03K17/107 Primary

  in composite switches · CPC title

• G02F2001/133357

  Physics · mapped topic

• H02M7/537 Primary

  using semiconductor devices only, e.g. single switched pulse inverters · CPC title

• G02F1/1339

  Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells · CPC title