# US 11,909,299 B2 · Power converting apparatus, motor driving apparatus, and air conditioner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,909,299 B2 - Document ID: US11909299B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/057,238 - Filed: 2018-07-19 - Published: 2021-06-03 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-19 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation - Inventors: Takashi Yamakawa; Koichi Arisawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909299B2 ## CPC - H02M 1/0006: {Arrangements for supplying an adequate voltage to the control circuit of converters} - H02M 1/4233: {using a bridge converter comprising active switches} - H02M 1/0043: {Converters switched with a phase shift, i.e. interleaved (non-isolated DC/DC converters H02M3/1586)} - H02M 1/088: for the simultaneous control of series or parallel connected semiconductor devices - H02M 1/327: {against abnormal temperatures} - H02M 7/219: in a bridge configuration - H03K 17/063: {in field-effect transistor switches} - F24F 11/88: Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits - H02M 1/0009: {Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter} - H03K 2217/0081: Power supply means, e.g. to the switch driver - 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) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) - F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A power converting apparatus includes a first arm including a switching element and a switching element connected in series, a second arm connected in parallel with the first arm and including a switching element and a switching element connected in series, a reactor having one end connected to the switching element and the switching element and the other end connected to a single-phase alternating-current power supply, and a smoothing capacitor connected in parallel with the first arm and the second arm. The power converting apparatus includes a driving circuit driving the switching element, a bootstrap circuit, and a diode adjusting a power supply voltage, wherein a first voltage at which a forward current starts to flow to the diode is lower than a second voltage at which a forward current starts to flow in a body diode formed in the second switching element. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power converting apparatus for converting an alternating-current power supplied from an alternating-current power supply into a direct-current power, the power converting apparatus comprising: a first line and a second line, each of the first line and the second line being connected to the alternating-current power supply; a first reactor disposed on the first line; a first arm comprising a first switching element, a second switching element, and a third line having a first connection point, the first switching element being connected to the second switching element in series by the third line, the first connection point being connected to the first reactor by the first line; a second arm connected in parallel with the first arm and comprising a third switching element, a fourth switching element, and a fourth line having a second connection point, the third switching element being connected to the fourth switching element in series by the fourth line, the second connection point being connected to the alternating-current power supply by the second line; a first capacitor connected in parallel with the second arm; a first driving circuit outputting a first driving signal for driving the first switching element; a bootstrap circuit comprising a second capacitor, the second capacitor applying a power supply voltage to the first driving circuit; and a diode adjusting the power supply voltage, wherein a first voltage is lower than a second voltage, the first voltage being a voltage at which a forward current starts to flow in the diode, the second voltage being a voltage at which a forward current starts to flow in a body diode formed in the second switching element, and wherein the diode adjusting the power supply voltage is provided between the second capacitor and the first driving circuit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power converting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second driving circuit outputting a second driving signal for driving the second switching element, wherein the first voltage is set to a value at which a voltage of the first driving signal is equal to a voltage of the second driving signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The power converting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a switching frequency of the first arm is higher than a switching frequency of the second arm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The power converting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the switching frequency of the first arm is higher than 266 times of a frequency of the alternating-current power supply. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The power converting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the switching frequency of the first arm is higher than 16 kHz. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The power converting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first switching element and the second switching element are made of wide band gap semiconductor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The power converting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the wide band gap semiconductor is silicon carbide or gallium nitride material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The power converting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the third switching element and the fourth switching element are made of silicon carbide semiconductor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The power converting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the third switching element and the fourth switching element are super junction metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The power converting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first arm and the second arm is configured as a 2-in-1 module. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The power converting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a current detecting unit detecting a power supply current output from the alternating-current power supply, wherein whether or not to permit the third switching element and the fourth switching element to be ON is determined depending on the power supply current. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The power converting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein when the power supply current is equal to or smaller than a threshold, the first switching element and the second switching element are not permitted to be ON, and wherein when the power supply current is larger than the threshold, the first switching element and the second switching element are permitted to be ON. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The power converting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein when the power supply current is equal to or smaller than a threshold, the third switching element and the fourth switching element are not permitted to be ON, and wherein when the power supply current is larger than the threshold, the third switching element and the fourth switching element are permitted to be ON. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The power converting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first arm includes a fifth switching element and a sixth switching element, the fifth switching element being connected in series to the sixth switching element, wherein the fifth switching element is connected in parallel with the first switching element, and wherein the sixth switching element is connected in parallel with the second switching element. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The power converting apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first switching element and the fifth switching element are driven simultaneously, and wherein the second switching element and the sixth switching element are driven simultaneously. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A motor driving apparatus for driving a motor, the motor driving apparatus comprising: the power converting apparatus according to claim 1; and an inverter converting a direct-current power output from the power converting apparatus into an alternating-current power, and outputting the alternating-current power to the motor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) An air conditioner comprising: the motor; and the motor driving apparatus according to claim 16. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The air conditioner according to claim 17, further comprising a fan driven by the motor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The air conditioner according to claim 17, further comprising a compressor driven by the motor. ### Claim 20 A power converting apparatus for converting an alternating-current power supplied from an alternating-current power supply into a direct-current power, the power converting apparatus comprising: a first line and a second line, each of the first line and the second line being connected to the alternating-current power supply; a first reactor disposed on the first line; a first arm comprising a first switching element, a second switching element, and a third line having a first connection point, the first switching element being connected to the second switching element in series by the third line, the first connection point being connected to the first reactor by the first line; a second arm connected in parallel with the first arm and comprising a third switching element, a fourth switching element, and a fourth line having a second connection point, the third switching element being connected to the fourth switching element in series by the fourth line, the second connection point being connected to the alternating-current power supply by the second line; a first capacitor connected in parallel with the second arm; a first driving circuit outputting a first driving signal for driving the first switching element; a bootstrap circuit comprising a second capacitor, the second capacitor applying a power supply voltage to the first driving circuit; and a diode adjusting the power supply voltage, wherein a first voltage is lower than a second voltage, the first voltage being a voltage at which a forward current starts to flow in the diode, the second voltage being a voltage at which a forward current starts to flow in a body diode formed in the second switching element, and wherein the diode adjusting the power supply voltage is connected in parallel with the second switching element. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A motor driving apparatus for driving a motor, the motor driving apparatus comprising: the power converting apparatus according to claim 20; and an inverter converting a direct-current power output from the power converting apparatus into an alternating-current power, and outputting the alternating-current power to the motor. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) An air conditioner comprising: the motor; and the motor driving apparatus according to claim 21.