# US 11,444,530 B2 · Regenerative undeland snubber circuit for half-arm of an inverter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,444,530 B2 - Document ID: US11444530B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/777,790 - Filed: 2016-10-26 - Published: 2018-12-27 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-23 - Assignees: Mavel Edt S.P.A. - Applicants: IFP Energies nouvelles; MAVEL S.r.l. - Inventors: Wissam Dib; Denny Chiono; Davide Bettoni - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11444530B2 ## CPC - H02M 1/34: Snubber circuits - H02M 7/003: {Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections} - H02M 7/5387: in a bridge configuration - H02M 7/5395: by pulse-width modulation - H02P 27/08: with pulse width modulation - H02M 1/0058: {by employing soft switching techniques, i.e. commutation of transistors when applied voltage is zero or when current flow is zero (using an auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuit connected to an intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches of an inverter bridge H02M7/4811; in resonant inverters H02M7/4815; in inverters operating from a resonant DC source H02M7/4826)} - H02M 1/346: {Passive non-dissipative snubbers} - Y02B 70/10: Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes - 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) - H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract The present invention is a power module for a system for converting a direct electrical power into a three-phase electrical power. The power module according to the invention comprises two inputs (E1, E2), an output (S), two switches (1), two diodes (D), and two capacitors (Cs, Cov) and to a conversion system comprising such a power module. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for converting direct current into multiple phase alternating current comprising: at least one power module with each power module being associated with a different alternating phase current; each power module being configured for connection to a DC source for providing electrical energy to be converted from the DC source into the multiple phase alternating current, the DC source providing a non-reference voltage and a reference voltage, each power module including two switches connected in series and having an input and an output which are respectively connected to the voltages and a common connection between the switches which provides an output phase of the multiple phase alternating current, and the switches are switched to produce the output phase of the multiple phase alternating current; two diodes connected in series between the voltages, having an output providing energy recovery of switching losses from the switches and are coupled together at a common point; a first capacitor coupled between the reference voltage and the output of the two diodes which stores energy recovered from the switching losses of the switches; a second capacitor coupled between the common point of the switches and the common point of the diodes for producing voltage modulation of soft switching losses of the switches; and wherein each power module does not include a resistor coupled between the non-reference voltage and the output phase of alternating current. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the switches are either MOSFETs or IGBTs. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the second capacitor has a capacitance of between 4 and 15 nF. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system according to claim 2, wherein the second capacitor has a capacitance of between 4 and 15 nF. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the first capacitor has a capacitance of between 500 and 5000 nF. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The system according to claim 2, wherein the first capacitor has a capacitance of between 500 and 5000 nF. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The system according to claim 3, wherein the first capacitor has a capacitance of between 500 and 5000 nF. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The system according to claim 4, wherein the first capacitor has a capacitance of between 500 and 5000 nF. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the power conversion module is a block configured for mounting on a board of the system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system according to claim 9, wherein the block comprises means for fixing the block to the power conversion module. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The system according to claim 2, wherein the power conversion module is a block configured for mounting on a board of the system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The system according to claim 3, wherein the power conversion module is a block configured for mounting on a board of the system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 4) The system according to claim 4 wherein the power conversion module is a block configured for mounting on a board of the system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system for converting a direct electrical power in accordance with claim 1, comprising three switching arms with each switching arm comprising a power module. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises at least one current modulation coil for voltage modulation of the soft switching losses. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the reference voltage is ground and the non-reference voltage is positive. ### Claim 17 A system for converting direct current into alternating current comprising: at least one power module with each power module being associated with the alternating current; each power module being configured for connection to a DC source for providing electrical energy to be converted from the DC source into the alternating current, the DC source providing a non-reference voltage and a reference voltage, each power module including two switches connected in series and having an input and an output which are respectively connected to the voltages and a common connection between the switches which provides an output of the alternating current, and the switches are switched to produce the alternating current; and two diodes connected in series between the voltages, having an output of the two diodes providing energy recovery of switching losses from the two switches, and being coupled together at a common point; a first capacitor coupled between the reference voltage and the output of the two diodes which is storage of energy recovered from the switching losses of the two modules; a second capacitor coupled between the common point of the switches and the common point of the diodes for producing voltage modulation of soft switching losses of the switches; and wherein each power module does not include a resistor coupled between the non-reference voltage and the output of the alternating current. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, in which the switches are either MOSFETs or IGBTs. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein the second capacitor has a capacitance of between 4 and 15 nF. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The system according to claim 18, wherein the second capacitor has a capacitance of between 4 and 15 nF. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein the first capacitor has a capacitance of between 500 and 5000 nF. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The system according to claim 18, wherein the first capacitor has a capacitance of between 500 and 5000 nF. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The system according to claim 19 wherein the first capacitor has a capacitance of between 500 and 5000 nF. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The system according to claim 20, wherein the first capacitor has a capacitance of between 500 and 5000 nF. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) The system according to claim 16, wherein the power conversion module is a block configured for mounting on a board of the system. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The system according to claim 25, wherein the block comprises means for fixing to the power conversion module. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises at least one current modulation coil. ### Claim 28 (depends on 2) The system according to claim 2, wherein the system comprises at least one current modulation coil. ### Claim 29 (depends on 3) The system according to claim 3, wherein the system comprises at least one current modulation coil. ### Claim 30 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein the system comprises at least one current modulation coil. ### Claim 31 (depends on 18) The system according to claim 18, wherein the system comprises at least one current modulation coil. ### Claim 32 (depends on 19) The system according to claim 19, wherein the system comprises at least one current modulation coil. ### Claim 33 (depends on 21) The system according to claim 21, wherein the system comprises at least one current modulation coil. ### Claim 34 (depends on 17) The system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the reference voltage is ground and the non-reference voltage is positive.