Power converter

A power converter comprising:

• a first flying capacitor circuit and a second flying capacitor circuit connected in series so as to be in parallel with a DC power supply;
• a third flying capacitor circuit and a fourth flying capacitor circuit connected in series so as to be in parallel with the DC power supply and the first flying capacitor circuit and the second flying capacitor circuit connected in series;
• a first switching element and a second switching element connected in series between output terminals of the first flying capacitor circuit and the second flying capacitor circuit;
• a third switching element and a fourth switching element connected in series between output terminals of the third flying capacitor circuit and the fourth flying capacitor circuit;
• a first output terminal provided at a midpoint between the first switching element and the second switching element connected in series, and
• a second output terminal provided at a midpoint between the third switching element and the fourth switching element connected in series, wherein
• a node between the first flying capacitor circuit and the second flying capacitor circuit and a node between the third flying capacitor circuit and the fourth flying capacitor circuit are connected to a midpoint of a DC power supply voltage,
• an AC power is output from the first output terminal and the second output terminal,
• a difference between an output voltage of the first flying capacitor circuit and an output voltage of the second flying capacitor circuit and a difference between an output voltage of the third flying capacitor circuit and an output voltage of the fourth flying capacitor circuit are controlled to be half the DC power supply voltage or smaller,
• the first switching element, the second switching element, the third switching element, and the fourth switching element are controlled to operate when a polarity of the AC power output from the first output terminal and the second output terminal is switched, and
• switching patterns of switching elements forming the first flying capacitor circuit, the second flying capacitor circuit, the third flying capacitor circuit, and the fourth flying capacitor circuit induced to output a voltage half the DC power supply voltage from the first output terminal and the second output terminal include a first switching pattern in which a flying capacitor forming the first flying capacitor circuit, the second flying capacitor circuit, the third flying capacitor circuit, or the fourth flying capacitor circuit is charged and a second switching pattern in which the flying capacitor is discharged.