Switching device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9893520-B2
Application number	US-201214126134-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2012
Priority date	Jun 24, 2011
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A switching device for switching bipolar DC currents in a high-voltage system includes at least two electromechanical switching units and a semiconductor switching arrangement. The electromechanical switching units have a first switching status and a second switching status. In the first switching status, the DC current can be passed via at least one of the electromechanical switching units without in this case flowing via the semiconductor switching arrangement. In the second switching status of the electromechanical switching units, the DC current can be passed via the semiconductor switching arrangement and can be switched off.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A switching device for switching bipolar direct currents in a DC line of a high-voltage power supply system, comprising:
at least two electromechanical switching units having a first switching state and a second switching state; and
a semiconductor switching arrangement including a series connection of semiconductor cells;
said at least two electromechanical switching units and said semiconductor switching arrangement being connected such that, in the first switching state of the at least two electromechanical switching units, direct current is conducted via at least one of said at least two electromechanical switching units and without flowing through said semiconductor switching arrangement, and, in the second switching state of the at least two electromechanical switching units, the direct current is conducted via said semiconductor switching arrangement for switching off the direct current; and
said at least two electromechanical switching units connected in the DC line.

2. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein said semiconductor switching arrangement has a first node connected to a first pole of the DC line and a second node connected to a second pole of the DC line, and further comprising a further electromechanical switching unit disposed to form a connection between said first node of said semiconductor switching arrangement and the second pole of the DC line.

3. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein said at least two electromechanical switching units are four electromechanical switching units in a full-bridge arrangement.

4. The switching device according to claim 3 , wherein said semiconductor switching arrangement is switched to form a connection between center points of two bridge branches of said full-bridge arrangement.

5. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein said semiconductor switching arrangement comprises an element for taking up switching energy during a disconnection process.

6. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein said semiconductor cells are configured to take up in each case a partial voltage of a high voltage present across the switching device.

7. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein each of said electromechanical switching units comprises a combination of a plurality of switches for switching alternating currents.

8. The switching device according to claim 1 , configured for opening at least one of said electromechanical switching units to disconnect the current, thus causing a commutation of the current onto said semiconductor switching arrangement.

9. The switching device according to claim 8 , wherein, following the commutation of the current to said semiconductor switching arrangement, said semiconductor switching arrangement is disconnected.

10. The switching device according to claim 8 , wherein, following the disconnection of the current, the remaining said electromechanical switching units are opened.

11. The switching device according to claim 1 , which comprises one or more high-voltage arresters for taking up switching energy during a disconnection process.

12. The switching device according to claim 1 , wherein said semiconductor cells are modular multilevel converters.

13. The switching device according to claim 1 , further comprising: at least one energy absorbing element for dissipating energy stored in the switching device; said at least one energy absorbing element connected in parallel with said semiconductor switching arrangement.

Assignees

• Gambach Herbert
• Griepentrog Gerd
• Jaenicke Lutz Ruediger
• Maier Reinhard
• Trapp Norbert
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Gambach Herbert
• Griepentrog Gerd
• Jaenicke Lutz Ruediger
• Maier Reinhard
• Trapp Norbert

Classifications

• H02H3/087

  for DC applications · CPC title

• H01H9/541 Primary

  Contacts shunted by semiconductor devices · CPC title

• H01H33/596

  for interrupting DC · CPC title

• H02J1/00 Primary

  Circuit arrangements for DC mains or DC distribution networks · CPC title

• H02H3/025

  Disconnection after limiting, e.g. when limiting is not sufficient or for facilitating disconnection · CPC title