# US 2014/0191745 A1 · Apparatus and method for mitigating perturbations in a power converter

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- Number: US 2014/0191745 A1
- Document ID: US20140191745A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/737,428
- Filed: 2013-01-09
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-09
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: ALVARO JORGE MARI CURBELO; AJITH KUTTANNAIR KUMAR; HENRY TODD YOUNG; JASON DANIEL KUTTENKULER; SEBASTIAN PEDRO ROSADO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191745A1

## CPC

- G05F 3/08: wherein the variable is DC
- H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
- H02M 1/12: Arrangements for reducing harmonics from AC input or output
- H02M 1/123: {Suppression of common mode voltage or current}
- H02M 1/14: Arrangements for reducing ripples from DC input or output
- H02M 1/42: Circuits or arrangements for compensating for or adjusting power factor in converters or inverters
- H02M 3/157: with digital control
- H02M 3/1588: {comprising at least one synchronous rectifier element (H02M3/1582, H02M3/1584 take precedence)}
- 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
- G05F: SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- 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)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A power converter includes a plurality of switches that interconnect first and second input terminals of the power converter with first and second output terminals of the power converter. The switches are switched to convert power from the input terminals to the output terminals. During the switching, voltage spikes are mitigated by a first RLC branch connected from the first input terminal to the first output terminal and by a second RLC branch connected from the second input terminal to the second output terminal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A power converter apparatus comprising:
a first converter leg connecting first and second input terminals of the power converter to a first output terminal of the power converter;
a second converter leg connecting the first and second input terminals to a second output terminal of the power converter;
a first RLC branch connected from the first input terminal to the first output terminal; and
a second RLC branch connected from the second input terminal to the second output terminal,
wherein the first and second RLC branches are configured to mitigate voltage spikes during commutation of the input and output terminals.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The power converter apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second RLC branches are configured to mitigate voltage spikes based on having respective values of resistance, inductance, and capacitance such that respective natural periods of the first and second RLC branches are longer than a duration of a switching transient of the power converter apparatus.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The power converter apparatus of claim 2, wherein the respective natural periods of the first and second RLC branches are at least ten times a jitter between the first and second converter legs.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The power converter apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an output buffer capacitor connected across the first and second output terminals and rated at approximately 18 mF, wherein the first and second converter legs include first and second inductors that are rated at approximately 1.2 mH, and the first and second RLC branches are rated at approximately 20 ohm, 2 μH, and 10 μF.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The power converter apparatus of claim 4, wherein the power converter apparatus is connected with approximately 1800 V direct current voltage across the input terminals, and wherein the power converter apparatus further comprises a control module configured to control switching of the first and second converter legs at approximately 600 Hz to provide approximately 750 V direct current voltage across the output terminals.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The power converter apparatus of claim 5, wherein the power converter apparatus is configured to deliver approximately 450 kW power to the output terminals.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The power converter apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a third RLC branch connected from the first input terminal to the second output terminal; and
a fourth RLC branch connected from the second input terminal to the first output terminal,
wherein the third and fourth RLC branches are configured to mitigate voltage spikes during commutation of the input and output terminals.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The power converter apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first converter leg comprises a first switch connected from the first input terminal to a first node, a first freewheel diode connected from the first node to the second input terminal, and a first inductor connected from the first node to the first output terminal; and
the second converter leg comprises a second switch connected from the second input terminal to a second node, a second freewheel diode connected from the second node to the first input terminal, and a second inductor connected from the second node to the second output terminal.

### Claim 9

A power converter apparatus comprising:
a plurality of converter legs connecting first and second input terminals of the power converter apparatus with first and second output terminals of the power converter apparatus;
a first RLC branch connected from the first input terminal to the first output terminal;
a second RLC branch connected from the second input terminal to the second output terminal;
a third RLC branch connected from the first input terminal to the second output terminal; and
a fourth RLC branch connected from the second input terminal to the first output terminal,
wherein the first, second, third, and fourth RLC branches are configured to mitigate voltage spikes during commutation of the input and output terminals.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The power converter apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth RLC branches are configured to mitigate voltage spikes based on having respective values of resistance, inductance, and capacitance such that respective natural periods of the first, second, third, and fourth RLC branches are at least ten times a jitter between any of the converter legs.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The power converter apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of converter legs comprise:
a first switch connected from a first input terminal to a first node;
a first inductor connected from the first node to a first output terminal;
a second switch connected from the first input terminal to a second node;
a second inductor connected from the second node to a second output terminal;
a third switch connected from the first node to the second input terminal; and
a fourth switch connected from the second node to the second input terminal.

### Claim 12

A method for mitigating voltage spikes in a power converter, comprising:
connecting two or more RLC branches between input terminals and output terminals of the power converter; and
selecting respective resistive, inductive, and capacitive components of the two or more RLC branches to produce natural periods of the two or more RLC branches that are longer than a duration of a switching transient of the power converter.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the duration of the switching transient is a jitter between legs of the power converter, and the natural periods are at least ten times the jitter.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein inductances of the RLC branches are selected to match connecting cables of the RLC branches.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein each inductive component is rated at approximately 1 μH, each resistive component is rated at approximately 20 ohm, and each capacitive component is rated at approximately 5 μF.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising connecting approximately 1800 V direct current input to the power converter, and switching legs of the power converter at approximately 600 Hz to provide approximately 750 V, 450 kW direct current output.

### Claim 17

A method of controlling a power converter, comprising:
controlling, with a control module, switching of a plurality of switches that interconnect first and second input terminals of the power converter with first and second output terminals of the power converter, to convert power from the input terminals to the output terminals; and
mitigating voltage spikes during the switching with a first RLC branch connected from the first input terminal to the first output terminal and with a second RLC branch connected from the second input terminal to the second output terminal.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein respective natural periods of the first RLC branch and the second RLC branch are longer than a duration of a switching transient of the power converter, said natural periods based on respective resistive, inductive, and capacitive components of the first RLC branch and the second RLC branch.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the natural periods are at least ten times the duration of the switching transient of the power converter.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the duration of the switching transient is a jitter between legs of the power converter.