Automated method and apparatus for testing a crowbar circuit of a power converter

A method for testing a crowbar circuit within a power converter with an existing power conversion assembly of a renewable energy system, the method comprising:

• implementing a first test sequence for testing operability of a voltage-controlled switching element of the crowbar circuit;
• determining a first current-voltage feedback of the power converter based on the first test sequence, wherein the first current-voltage feedback is indicative of operability of the voltage-controlled switching element of the crowbar circuit;
• implementing a second test sequence for testing operability of an anti-parallel diode of the crowbar circuit;
• and,
• determining a second current-voltage feedback of the power converter based on the second test sequence, wherein the second current-voltage feedback is indicative of operability of the anti-parallel diode of the crowbar circuit.

An apparatus for testing a crowbar circuit within a power converter with an existing power conversion assembly of a renewable energy system, the apparatus comprising:

• the power converter electrically coupled with the existing power conversion assembly, the power converter comprising a bridge circuit, a power filter, and a crowbar circuit, the crowbar circuit comprising a voltage-controlled switching element and a diode;
• a controller communicatively coupled to the power converter, the controller configured to perform a plurality of operations, the operations comprising:
• implementing a test sequence for testing operability of the crowbar circuit, the test sequence comprising:
• transferring a first pulse of energy from the existing power conversion assembly to a capacitive element of the power filter through the bridge circuit,
• implementing a non-gating interval so as to allow the first pulse of energy to decay,
• transferring a second pulse of energy through a second switching element of the bridge circuit such that a bridge circuit voltage is driven substantially to zero, thereby transferring the first pulse of energy from the capacitive element to the inductive element of the power filter,
• determining a first current-voltage feedback of the power filter after the power filter reaches a steady-state condition, wherein the first current-voltage feedback is indicative of the operability of the diode,
• transferring a plurality of additional pulses of energy from the existing power conversion assembly through the bridge circuit to the power filter in conjunction with interleaving non-gating intervals between each of the additional pulses of energy until a filter voltage reaches a predetermined voltage,
• transferring a final pulse of energy that causes the filter voltage to surpass the predetermined voltage,
• determining a second current-voltage feedback of the power filter after the power filter reaches a steady-state condition, and
• determining whether the voltage-controlled switching element is operating properly based on the second current-voltage feedback and the predetermined voltage.