# US 10,770,962 B2 · Converter cell comprising an energy converter in parallel to a clamp inductor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,770,962 B2 - Document ID: US10770962B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/071,367 - Filed: 2016-04-08 - Published: 2019-11-07 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-08 - Assignees: ABB Schweiz AG - Applicants: ABB Schweiz AG - Inventors: Aneeshkumar As; Kalpesh Bhalodi; Tomas Jonsson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770962B2 ## CPC - H02M 1/08: Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters - H02M 3/1584: {with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel} - H02M 7/162: in a bridge configuration - H02M 7/4835: {comprising two or more cells, each including a switchable capacitor, the capacitors having a nominal charge voltage which corresponds to a given fraction of the input voltage, and the capacitors being selectively connected in series to determine the instantaneous output voltage} - H02M 1/0006: {Arrangements for supplying an adequate voltage to the control circuit of converters} - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) ## Abstract A converter cell includes a first terminal; a second terminal; a plurality of switching elements provided with respective gate units; an energy storage element; an clamp inductor provided to restrict a rate of change of current from the energy storage element to the switching elements; and a first energy converter provided in parallel to the clamp inductor. The first energy converter is provided to power the gate units by utilising energy from the clamp inductor when the converter cell changes state to be in a short circuit state. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A modular multilevel converter cell comprising: a first terminal; a second terminal; a plurality of switching elements provided with respective gate units; an energy storage element; a clamp inductor in a serial connection with the energy storage element, wherein the energy storage element is provided in parallel, via said clamp inductor, across a first leg of two switching elements, thereby the clamp inductor is configured to restrict a rate of change of current from the energy storage element to the switching elements; and a first energy converter in the form of a DC, direct current, to DC converter provided in parallel to the clamp inductor, the first energy converter being configured to power the gate units by utilising energy from the clamp inductor when the converter cell changes state to be in a short circuit state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The converter cell according to claim 1, the converter cell further comprises a second energy converter, the second energy converter being a DC to DC converter configured to power the gate units using energy from the energy storage element when the first energy converter provides insufficient power for powering the gate units. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The converter cell according to claim 1, wherein each switching element is an integrated gate-commutated thyristor, IGCT. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The converter cell according to claim 1, wherein a component string is provided in parallel with the clamp inductor, the component string comprising a diode and a converter capacitor, wherein the first energy converter is provided in parallel to the converter capacitor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The converter cell according to claim 1, wherein the converter cell is a four quadrant converter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The converter cell according to claim 1, wherein the converter cell is a two quadrant converter. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A multilevel AC/DC, alternating current/DC, converter comprising a plurality of converter cells according to claim 1. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The converter cell according to claim 2, wherein the second energy converter is a bidirectional DC to DC converter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The converter cell according to claim 2, wherein the second energy converter is a buck converter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The converter cell according to claim 2, wherein each switching element is an integrated gate-commutated thyristor, IGCT. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The converter cell according to claim 2, wherein a component string is provided in parallel with the clamp inductor, the component string comprising a diode and a converter capacitor, wherein the first energy converter is provided in parallel to the converter capacitor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The converter cell according to claim 2, wherein the converter cell is a four quadrant converter. ### Claim 13 (depends on 3) The converter cell according to claim 3, wherein a component string is provided in parallel with the clamp inductor, the component string comprising a diode and a converter capacitor, wherein the first energy converter is provided in parallel to the converter capacitor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 4) The converter cell according to claim 4, the converter cell further comprises a second energy converter, the second energy converter being a DC to DC converter configured to power the gate units using energy from the energy storage element when the first energy converter provides insufficient power for powering the gate units, and wherein the second energy converter is provided in parallel to the serial connection of the energy storage element and the clamp inductor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 5) The converter cell according to claim 5, wherein the converter cell is a full bridge cell. ### Claim 16 (depends on 6) The converter cell according to claim 6, wherein the converter cell is a half bridge cell. ### Claim 17 (depends on 8) The converter cell according to claim 8, wherein each switching element is an integrated gate-commutated thyristor, IGCT. ### Claim 18 (depends on 8) The converter cell according to claim 8, wherein a component string is provided in parallel with the clamp inductor, the component string comprising a diode and a converter capacitor, wherein the first energy converter is provided in parallel to the converter capacitor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 9) The converter cell according to claim 9, wherein each switching element is an integrated gate-commutated thyristor, IGCT. ### Claim 20 (depends on 9) The converter cell according to claim 9, wherein a component string is provided in parallel with the clamp inductor, the component string comprising a diode and a converter capacitor, wherein the first energy converter is provided in parallel to the converter capacitor.