Power switch control
AssigneeABB Schweiz AG
InventorsYuzhi Zhang, Utkarsh Raheja, Pietro Cairoli
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Abstract
Systems, methods, techniques and apparatuses of power switch control are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment is a power switch comprising a thyristor-based branch including a thyristor device; a FET-based branch coupled in parallel with the thyristor-based branch and including a FET device; and a controller. The controller is structured to turn on the FET device, turn on the thyristor device after turning on the FET device based on a thyristor voltage threshold, and update the thyristor voltage threshold based on a voltage measurement corresponding to the thyristor-based branch measured while the thyristor device is turned on.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a thyristor-based branch including a thyristor device;
- a FET-based branch coupled in parallel with the thyristor-based branch and including a FET device;
- and
- a controller structured to turn on the FET device, turn on the thyristor device after turning on the FET device based on a thyristor voltage threshold, and update the thyristor voltage threshold based on a voltage measurement corresponding to the thyristor-based branch measured while the thyristor device is turned on.
A method comprising:
- operating a thyristor-based branch including a thyristor device and a FET-based branch coupled in parallel with the thyristor-based branch and including a FET device;
- turning on the FET device;
- turning on the thyristor device after turning on the FET device based on a thyristor voltage threshold;
- receiving a voltage measurement measured while the thyristor device is turned on;
- and
- updating the thyristor voltage threshold based on the voltage measurement.
A controller for a power switch including a FET device and a thyristor device, the controller comprising:
- a voltage sensor structured to output a series of voltage measurements corresponding to a voltage of the thyristor device including a first voltage measurement;
- and
- a processing device structured to execute a set of instructions effective to turn on the FET device, turn on the thyristor device after turning on the FET device based on a thyristor voltage threshold, update the thyristor voltage threshold based on the first voltage measurement measured while the thyristor device is turned on, turn off the thyristor device, and turn on the thyristor device using the updated thyristor threshold voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.