Bidirectional energy transfer control
AssigneeITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
InventorsDean P. WILLIAMS, Lee EMPRINGHAM, Liliana V. DE LILLO
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates to the field of matrix converters and more specifically to the field of matrix converters comprising bidirectional switches. There is proposed a concept of providing a minimum transistor switching period for any given transistor in the matrix converter. Such a minimum transistor switching period may be induced by introducing a delay into a commutation sequence that is typically used to switch an output from a first input to a second input.
Claims20
A matrix converter (1) comprising:
- m input nodes (111, 112) for connection to an m-phase voltage source (100), where m is at least one:
- n output nodes (130) for connection to an n-phase load (140), where n is at least one and at least one of m or n is two or more;
- m×n bidirectional switches (121, 122), wherein each bidirectional switch is connected between a single input node and a single output node, such that each output node is selectively connectable to each input node by a bidirectional switch;
- and
- a controller connected to control the conductivity of the said bidirectional switches, such that the bidirectional connect-on between each input node to each output node is selectively controllable,
- wherein the controller is adapted such that the minimum time period between chancing the conductivity of any single bidirectional switch is no less than a predetermined time period.
A method of switching a bidirectional connection to an output node from a first input, node to a second input node, wherein the first input node is connectable to the output node by a first bidirectional switch comprising a first transistor and a first clods arranged in series:
- and a second transistor and a second diode arranged in series, wherein the first and second transistor are a ranged back to back:
- and the second input node is connectable to the output node by a second bidirectional switch comprising:
- a third translator and a third diode arranged in series, and a fourth transistor and a fourth diode arranged in series, wherein the third and fourth translator are arranged back-to-back, wherein the conductivity of each transistor is controllable by a controller to switch between a higher, on, conductivity and a lower, off, conductivity, at an initial state (1201) the first and second transistor are both on, and the third and fourth transistor are both off,
- the method comprising:
- at a first point in lime (1202), switching the first transistor off;
- at a second point In time (1203), switching the third transistor on;
- at a third point In time (1204), switching the second transistor of;
- at a fourth point in time (1205), switching the fourth transistor on;
- characterized in that the method further comprises:
- at the fourth point in time, latching the fourth translator to remain on;
- at a fifth point in time (1206), unlatching the fourth transistor, wherein the fifth point in time is no less than a predetermined time period after the fourth point in time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.