Power conversion apparatus and refrigeration air-conditioning apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9742267-B2
Application number	US-201314781606-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2013
Priority date	Apr 2, 2013
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A power converter for converting electrical power from a power source to a load, including: a boosting device including a boost rectifier configured to prevent a backflow of a current from the load to the power source, the boosting device being configured to change a voltage of electrical power from the power source to a predetermined voltage; and a commutation device including: a commutation operation device configured to perform a commutation operation of directing a current flowing through the boosting device to an other path; and a commutation rectifier including a plurality of rectifiers and connected in series on the other path, the commutation rectifier being configured to rectify a current relating to commutation, thereby reducing a capacitance component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power converter for converting electric power between a power source and a load, comprising:
a voltage changing device including a rectifier configured to prevent a backflow of a current from a load to a power source, the voltage changing device being configured to change a voltage of electric power supplied from the power source to a predetermined voltage; and
a commutation device including
a commutation operation device configured to perform a commutation operation of directing a current flowing through the voltage changing device to an other path, and
a commutation rectifier including a plurality of rectifiers connected in series on the other path, the commutation rectifier being configured to rectify a current related to commutation, wherein

the commutation device includes a transformer configured to apply a voltage, induced by a current flowing through a primary-side winding of the transformer, to a secondary-side winding of the transformer on the other path, and
a turns ratio between the primary-side winding and the secondary-side winding of the transformer is adjusted so that the current generating a voltage causing reverse recovery of the rectifier flows through the commutation device while making a return current flowing on a side of the primary-side winding smaller than a current capacity of each element connecting to the primary winding, wherein
the transformer includes a reset winding provided to the primary-side winding.

2. The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the transformer is a pulse transformer.

3. The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the commutation device further includes a resistor on the other path, and the resistance value of the resistor is adjusted so that the current generating the voltage causing the reverse recovery of the rectifier flows through the commutation device.

4. The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the commutation device includes a plurality of switching elements to be opened or closed for causing the commutation device to start or stop the commutation operation.

5. The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the voltage changing device further includes a transformer unit, and applies a voltage for performing the commutation operation to the commutation device based on a voltage excited by the transformer unit.

6. The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the voltage changing device further includes a reactor serving as a magnetic energy storage unit.

7. The power converter of claim 1 ,
wherein the voltage changing device further includes an open/close switch unit configured to change the voltage through switching, and
wherein the open/close switch unit includes an insulated gate bipolar transistor or a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor.

8. The power converter of claim 1 ,
wherein the commutation device includes
a switching element to be opened or closed for causing the commutation device to start or stop the commutation operation,
wherein the switching element includes an insulating unit configured to insulate a gate side and a drain (collector)-source (emitter) side from each other.

9. The power converter of claim 8 , wherein the insulating unit includes a photocoupler or a pulse transformer.

10. The power converter of claim 1 , further comprising:
a commutation power source unit configured to supply electric power for performing the commutation operation; and
a commutation smoothing unit configured to smooth the electric power supplied from the commutation amount power source unit.

11. The power converter of claim 1 , further including a current detection unit configured to detect a current flowing through the commutation device.

12. The power converter of claim 11 , wherein the current detection unit includes a current transformer or a resistor.

13. The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the voltage changing device further includes a current interruption device configured to interrupt a current, the current interruption device being connected on a path of a current flowing from the power source to the side of the load.

14. The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the commutation device includes a commutation rectification element for rectifying the current flowing through the other path.

15. The power converter of claim 14 , wherein the commutation rectification element includes an element using a wide band-gap semiconductor.

16. The power converter of claim 15 , wherein the wide band-gap semiconductor includes silicon carbide, a gallium nitride-based material, or diamond as a material of the wide band-gap semiconductor.

17. A refrigeration air-conditioning apparatus, including the power converter of claim 1 for driving at least one of a compressor and an air-sending device.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Arisawa Koichi
• Shimomugi Takuya
• Yamakawa Takashi
• Uemura Keisuke
• Shinomoto Yosuke
• Yuasa Kenta
• Tsumura Akihiro
• Matsubara Noriyuki
• Kusube Shinsaku

Classifications

• Y02B70/1491

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H02M3/156

  with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators · CPC title

• H02M1/34 Primary

  Snubber circuits · CPC title

• H02M3/08 Primary

  using discharge tubes without control electrode or semiconductor devices without control electrode · CPC title

• H02M2001/0051

  Electricity · mapped topic