Short-circuiting device, converter and short-circuiting method

A converter comprising:

• a plurality of power modules;
• and
• at least one short-circuiting device rendered responsive when one of the power modules fails thereby bridging the failed power module, said at least one short-circuiting device comprising a fixed contact piece and a movable contact piece, said fixed and movable contact pieces being distanced from one another in a basic position and being electrically conductively connected to one another in a short-circuit position, a drive configured to transfer the movable contact piece from the basic position into the short-circuit position, and a trigger device including an electrically driven actuator for triggering the drive, wherein the actuator comprises a fixed stator which includes a first coil, and a rotor which includes a second coil for interaction with, the first coil, the rotor and second coil linearly movable along an axis of motion with the stator and the rotor being as air-core coils capable of being actively energized so that the interaction of the first coil with the second coil causes the first coil and the second coil to repel motion to trigger the drive.

A method for short-circuiting a fixed contact piece with a movable contact piece, said method comprising:

• activating a short-circuiting device by an electrically driven actuator of a trigger device;
• and
• energizing a fixed stator of the actuator, the fixed stator including a first coil and energizing a rotor of the actuator, the rotor including a second coil for interaction with, the first coil, the rotor and second coil linearly movable along an axis of motion, with the stator and the rotor being arranged along the axis of motion, said first and second coils being configured as air-core coils so that the interaction of the first coil with the second coil causes the first coil and the second coil to repel one another thereby moving the rotor and the second coil aeon the axis of motion to trigger a drive of the short-circuiting device to thereby cause the movable contact piece to move from a basic position in which the fixed and movable contact pieces are distanced from one another into a short-circuit position in which the fixed and movable contact pieces are electrically conductively connected to one another.

A multilevel converter comprising:

• a plurality of power modules connected in series;
• and
• at least one short-circuiting device rendered responsive when one of the power modules fails thereby bridging the failed power module, said at least one short-circuiting device comprising a fixed contact piece and a movable contact piece, said fixed and movable contact pieces being distanced from one another in a basic position and being electrically conductively connected to one another in a short-circuit position, a drive configured to transfer the movable contact piece from the basic position into the short-circuit position, and a trigger device including an electrically driven actuator for triggering the drive, wherein the actuator comprises a fixed stator which includes a first coil, and a rotor which includes a second coil for interaction with the first coil, the rotor and second coil linearly movable along an axis of motion, with the stator and the rotor being arranged along the axis of motion, said first and second cons being configured as air-core cons capable of being actively energized so that the interaction of the first coil with the second coil causes the first coil and the second coil to repel one another, thereby moving the rotor and the second coil along the axis of motion to trigger the drive.