# US 10,873,266 B2 · Converter system having an AC/DC converter, and method for operating a converter system

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- Number: US 10,873,266 B2
- Document ID: US10873266B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/301,335
- Filed: 2017-05-03
- Published: 2019-06-27
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2016-05-13
- Assignees: Sew-Eurodrive GmbH & Co. KG
- Applicants: Sew-Eurodrive GmbH & Co. KG
- Inventors: Marcel Stark
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10873266B2

## CPC

- H02M 5/42: by static converters
- B60L 7/02: Dynamic electric resistor braking (B60L7/22 takes precedence)
- H02M 1/08: Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
- H02M 5/4585: {having a rectifier with controlled elements}
- H02M 7/53: using devices of a triode or transistor type requiring continuous application of a control signal {(H02M7/4807, H02M7/493 and H02M7/4826 take precedence)}
- H02P 3/22: by short-circuit or resistive braking
- H02P 27/06: using DC to AC converters or inverters (H02P27/05 takes precedence)
- H02P 29/68: based on the temperature of a drive component or a semiconductor component
- H02H 5/04: responsive to abnormal temperature {(specially adapted for electric machines H02H7/0852)}
- H02H 6/00: Emergency protective circuit arrangements responsive to undesired changes from normal non-electric working conditions using simulators of the apparatus being protected, e.g. using thermal images
- H02M 1/322: {Means for rapidly discharging a capacitor of the converter for protecting electrical components or for preventing electrical shock}
- H02M 1/327: {against abnormal temperatures}
- Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility
- 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)
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS
- H02H: EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS (indicating or signalling undesired working conditions G01R, e.g. G01R31/00, G08B; locating faults along lines G01R31/08; emergency protective devices H01H)
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

In a converter system having an AC/DC converter, and a method for operating a converter system, in which the terminal of the AC/DC converter on the direct-voltage side feeds a series circuit, which has a braking resistor and a controllable switch, the terminal of a DC/AC converter, on the direct-voltage side being connected in parallel to the series circuit. The output signal of a voltage-acquisition device is supplied to an evaluation unit, which generates a control signal for the controllable switch. The evaluation unit includes a device for determining the electric power supplied to the braking resistor. The output signal of the device is supplied to a controller, and the controller controls its set value toward the output signal of the device. The controller in particular has a linear controller element whose set value is forwarded to a difference generator for determining the difference between the set value and the value of the electric power, the set value being supplied, directly or via a limiter, to a parameterizable filter.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A converter system, comprising:
an AC/DC converter;
a series circuit including a braking resistor and a controllable switch connected to a terminal on a direct-voltage side of the AC/DC converter; a DC/AC converter, a terminal on a direct-voltage side of the DC/AC converter connected in parallel to the series circuit;
an evaluation unit adapted to generate a control signal for the controllable switch and including a determination device adapted to determine electric power supplied to the braking resistor;
a voltage-acquisition device adapted to supply an output signal to the evaluation unit; and
a controller, the determination device adapted to supply an output signal to the controller, the controller adapted to regulate a set value toward the output signal of the determination device, the controller adapted to supply, directly and/or via a limiter, to a parameterizable filter adapted to convey an output signal to a switching element, the switching element adapted to generate an output signal to open and/or close the controllable switch as a function of exceeding and/or undershooting of a threshold value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The converter system according to claim 1, wherein the AC/DC converter includes a rectifier and/or a controllable rectifier, and/or wherein the DC/AC converter includes an inverter.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The converter system according to claim 1, wherein the determination device is adapted to determine the electric power supplied to the braking resistor from an intermediate circuit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The converter system according to claim 1, wherein the determination device is adapted to determine the electric power supplied to the braking resistor from an output signal of the voltage-acquisition device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The converter system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged as a linear controller.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The converter system according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes a linear controller element, a PI controller element, and/or integration element adapted to supply a set value and/or an output signal to a difference generator to determine a difference between (a) the set value and/or the output signal and (b) a value of the electric power.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The converter system according to claim 1, wherein the AC/DC converter includes a controllable rectifier.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The converter system according to claim 1, further comprising a squaring device, the determination device being adapted to determine the electric power supplied to the braking resistor by supplying an output signal to the squaring device for a time period of a closed state of the controllable switch and supplying an output signal of the squaring device to a multiplication device adapted to multiply the output signal of the squaring device by a resistance value of the braking resistor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The converter system according to claim 1, wherein the determination is adapted to determine the electric power supplied to the braking resistor by supplying the output signal of the voltage-acquisition device and an output signal of a current-acquisition device, adapted to detect current flowing in the intermediate circuit, for a time period of a closed state of the controllable switch to a device adapted to generate an output signal that corresponds to a product of the output signals of the voltage-acquisition device and the current-acquisition device.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The converter system according to claim 1, wherein the signal representing the electric power vanishes and/or assumes a zero value for a time period of an open state of the controllable switch.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The converter system according to claim 1, wherein the series circuit includes a galvanically decoupled current-acquisition device and/or an optocoupler adapted to supply an output signal to the evaluation unit, a comparison device of the evaluation unit adapted to monitor the output signal for impermissibly high deviations from a time characteristic of the control signal provided for the controllable switch and to report and/or forward a warning and/or an error status as a function thereof.

### Claim 12

A method for operating a converter system including a series circuit, having a controllable switch and a braking resistor, connected at a direct voltage-side terminal of an AC/DC converter, and parallel thereto, a direct voltage-side terminal of a DC/AC converter, comprising:
using a voltage acquired at the terminal of the DC/AC converter and/or the AC/DC converter on the direct voltage-side to determine electric power discharged to the braking resistor when the controllable switch is closed, and when the controllable switch is open, the electric power discharged to the braking resistor vanishes;
supplying a time characteristic of the electric power discharged to the braking resistor to a controller to control a set value toward the time characteristic of the electric power discharged to the braking resistor; and
supplying the set value of the controller, directly or via a limiter, to a parameterizable filter supplying an output signal to a switching element that controls the controllable switch.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, wherein the controller is arranged as a linear controller.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, wherein the switching element controls the controllable switch as a function of exceeding and/or undershooting a threshold value by the set value.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, further comprising comparing the control signal generated by the switching element for impermissibly high deviations from a current characteristic detected in the series circuit and/or in the braking resistor.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, wherein the filter is parameterized such that the time characteristic of the output signal corresponds to a real temperature characteristic.