Converter

US9590489B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-9590489-B2
Application numberUS-201314758095-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateDec 27, 2013
Priority dateDec 28, 2012
Publication dateMar 7, 2017
Grant dateMar 7, 2017

How to read this patent

A practical reading order for non-experts. Skip the full description unless you need deep technical detail.

  1. Title

    What the patent document calls the invention.

  2. Abstract

    A short plain-language summary of the technical disclosure.

  3. Assignees and inventors

    Who owns or filed the patent and who is credited as inventor.

  4. Key dates

    Filing, priority, publication, and grant dates set the timeline.

  5. First independent claim

    The legal scope of protection — read this for what is actually claimed.

  6. CPC / IPC classifications

    Technology tags used to group this patent with similar filings.

  7. Citations and related patents

    Prior art links and similar publications in this corpus.

Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

The present invention provides a converter including a plurality of sub-modules connected in series to each other, wherein each of the sub-modules includes a first half-bridge unit including a first energy storage unit, and a plurality of first power semiconductors connected in parallel to the first energy storage unit and connected in series to each other; a second half-bridge unit including a second energy storage unit, and a plurality of second power semiconductors connected in parallel to the second energy storage unit and connected in series to each other; and an auxiliary circuit unit connecting the first half-bridge unit and the second half-bridge unit; wherein the auxiliary circuit unit includes a single third power semiconductor and a single diode.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

The invention claimed is: 1. A converter comprising a plurality of sub-modules connected in series to each other, wherein: each of the sub-modules comprises: a first half-bridge unit comprising a first energy storage unit, and a plurality of first power semiconductors connected in parallel to the first energy storage unit and connected in series to each other; a second half-bridge unit comprising a second energy storage unit, and a plurality of second power semiconductors connected in parallel to the second energy storage unit and connected in series to each other; and an auxiliary circuit unit connecting the first half-bridge unit and the second half-bridge unit; wherein the auxiliary circuit unit comprises a single third power semiconductor and a single diode, wherein a collector terminal of the single third power semiconductor is directly connected to a positive terminal of the first energy storage unit and an emitter terminal of the single third power semiconductor is directly connected to a negative terminal of the second energy storage unit, and wherein an anode terminal of the single diode is directly connected to a negative terminal of the first energy storage unit and a cathode terminal of the single diode is directly connected to a positive terminal of the second energy storage unit. 2. The converter of claim 1 , wherein when fault current flows into a sub-module of the plurality of sub-modules, the fault current is supplied to each energy storage unit of the first and second half-bridge units through any one of the single third power semiconductor and the single diode of the auxiliary circuit unit. 3. The converter of claim 2 , wherein the fault current is supplied to the second energy storage unit through the single third power semiconductor of the auxiliary circuit unit when the fault current flows in a first direction, and the fault current is supplied to the first energy storage unit through the single diode of the auxiliary circuit unit when the fault current flows in an opposite direction to the first direction. 4. The converter of claim 1 , A converter comprising a plurality of sub-modules connected in series to each other, wherein: each of the sub-modules comprises: a first half-bridge unit comprising a first energy storage unit, and a plurality of first power semiconductors connected in parallel to the first energy storage unit and connected in series to each other; a second half-bridge unit comprising a second energy storage unit, and a plurality of second power semiconductors connected in parallel to the second energy storage unit and connected in series to each other; and an auxiliary circuit unit connecting the first half-bridge unit and the second half-bridge unit; wherein the auxiliary circuit unit comprises a single third power semiconductor and a single diode, wherein the third power semiconductor is connected in parallel to the first energy storage unit, and the diode is connected in series to the first energy storage unit, wherein a collector terminal of the single third power semiconductor is directly connected to a positive terminal of the first energy storage unit, an anode terminal of the single diode is directly connected to a negative terminal of the first energy storage unit, and a common connection point of an emitter terminal of the single third power semiconductor and a cathode terminal of the single diode is directly connected to a negative terminal of the second energy storage unit. 5. A converter comprising a plurality of sub-modules connected in series to each other, wherein: each of the sub-modules comprises: a first half-bridge unit comprising a first energy storage unit, and a plurality of first power semiconductors connected in parallel to the first energy storage unit and connected in series to each other; a second half-bridge unit comprising a second energy storage unit, and a plurality of second power semiconductors connected in parallel to the second energy storage unit and connected in series to each other; and an auxiliary circuit unit connecting the first half-bridge unit and the second half-bridge unit; wherein the auxiliary circuit unit comprises a single third power semiconductor and a single diode, wherein the single third power semiconductor is connected in parallel to the second energy storage unit and is further connected in series to the first energy storage unit, and the single diode is connected in series to the second energy storage unit, wherein an emitter terminal of the single third power semiconductor is directly connected to a negative terminal of the second energy storage unit, a cathode terminal of the single diode is directly connected to a positive terminal of the second energy storage unit, and a common connection point of a collector terminal of the single third power semiconductor and an anode terminal of the single diode is directly connected to a positive terminal of the first energy storage unit.

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • Details of apparatus for conversion · CPC title

  • Electricity · mapped topic

  • H02M7/483Primary

    Converters with outputs that each can have more than two voltages levels · CPC title

  • Electricity · mapped topic

  • H02M1/32Primary

    Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection · CPC title

Patent family

Related publications grouped by family.

External sources

Frequently asked questions

Answers are generated from the same data shown on this page.

What does patent US9590489B2 cover?
The present invention provides a converter including a plurality of sub-modules connected in series to each other, wherein each of the sub-modules includes a first half-bridge unit including a first energy storage unit, and a plurality of first power semiconductors connected in parallel to the first energy storage unit and connected in series to each other; a second half-bridge unit including a…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Hyosung Corp
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification H02M7/483. Mapped technology areas include Electricity.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Mar 07 2017 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 2 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).