Gate driver circuit for priming a switched reluctance generator converter

A system, comprising:

• a switched reluctance (SR) generator;
• a bus electrically coupled to the SR generator;
• and
• a converter comprising a first phase leg, the first phase leg comprising:
• an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT);
• a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET);
• a gate drive circuit electrically coupled to a first gate of the IGBT and a first node of the MOSFET, the gate drive circuit configured to:
• control the IGBT based at least in part on a commutation signal received from a controller;
• and
• provide a gate drive voltage on the bus via the MOSFET, wherein providing the gate drive voltage on the bus via the MOSFET induces a magnetic field in one or more coils of the SR generator.

A method, comprising:

• receiving, from a controller, a commutation signal;
• providing, by a gate drive circuit of a converter and based at least in part on the commutation signal, a gate drive voltage on a gate of an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT);
• providing, by the gate drive circuit, the gate drive voltage on a node of a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), the MOSFET coupled to a bus of the converter;
• determining, by a sensing circuit, that a bus voltage on the bus is less than a threshold level;
• and
• providing, based at least in part on the bus voltage being less than the threshold level, a priming enable signal on a gate of the MOSFET to conduct the gate drive voltage to the bus.