# US 2019/0173373 A1 · Current limiting control method and device for three-level inverter

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- Number: US 2019/0173373 A1
- Document ID: US20190173373A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/980,043
- Filed: 2018-05-15
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-01
- Assignees: Vertiv Tech Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Vertiv Tech Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yuan ZHOU; Huawei HU; Xiangbiao PENG
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190173373A1

## CPC

- H02M 1/32: Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
- H02M 1/36: Means for starting or stopping converters
- H02M 7/487: Neutral point clamped inverters
- H02M 7/53871: {with automatic control of output voltage or current}
- 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)

## Abstract

A current limiting control method for a three-level inverter, comprising the following steps: S1. when a current output from a bridge arm is greater than or equal to a current limiting threshold and a received overcurrent signal is enabled, first turning off the main switch transistors and then turning off the auxiliary switch transistors; S2. when the current output from the bridge arm drops to lower than the current limiting threshold and the received overcurrent signal is disabled, turning on the auxiliary switch transistors; S3. when the received overcurrent signal is disabled and a next PWM effective edge of the main switch transistors arrives, turning on the main switch transistors. The present invention relates also to a current limiting control device for a three-level inverter. By implementing the present invention, it is possible to ensure voltage waveform quality and reduce switching loss.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A current limiting control method for a three-level inverter, wherein the three-level inverter at least comprises a bridge arm including main switch transistors and auxiliary switch transistors, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps:
S1. when a current output from the bridge arm is greater than or equal to a current limiting threshold and a received overcurrent signal is enabled, first turning off the main switch transistors and then turning off the auxiliary switch transistors;
S2. when the current output from the bridge arm drops to lower than the current limiting threshold and the received overcurrent signal is disabled, turning on the auxiliary switch transistors;
S3. when the received overcurrent signal is disabled and a next PWM effective edge of the main switch transistors arrives, turning on the main switch transistors.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The current limiting control method for a three-level inverter according to claim 1, characterized in that the step S2 further comprises:
S21. when the current output from the bridge arm drops to lower than the current limiting threshold and the received overcurrent signal is disabled, turning on the auxiliary switch transistors after elapse of a first delay time;
S22. when the current output from the bridge arms rises to greater than or equal to the current limiting threshold and the received overcurrent signal is enabled, again turning off the auxiliary switch transistors and no longer turning on the auxiliary switch transistors within this switching cycle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The current limiting control method for a three-level inverter according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising:
S4. switching, based on the number of switching cycles during each of which current limit switching of the auxiliary switch transistors has occurred twice, a switching frequency of the auxiliary switch transistors within each switching cycle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The current limiting control method for a three-level inverter according to claim 3, characterized in that the step S4 further comprises:
S41. when among the set number of switching cycles the number of switching cycles during each of which current limit switching of the auxiliary switch transistors has occurred twice is equal to or greater than a switching threshold, limiting that current limit switching can be performed only once for the auxiliary switch transistors in consecutive cycles;
S42. when among the set number of switching cycles the number of switching cycles during each of which current limit switching of the auxiliary switch transistors has occurred once is equal to or greater than a switching threshold, allowing that current limit switching is performed twice for the auxiliary switch transistors in consecutive cycles.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The current limiting control method for a three-level inverter according to claim 3, characterized in that the three-level inverter comprises an I-type three-level inverter and a T-type three-level inverter.

### Claim 6

A current limiting control device for a three-level inverter, wherein the current limiting control device at least comprises a bridge arm including main switch transistors and auxiliary switch transistors, characterized in that the current limiting control device comprises:
a current limiting control module for, when a current output from the bridge arm is greater than or equal to a current limiting threshold and a received overcurrent signal is enabled, first turning off the main switch transistors and then turning off the auxiliary switch transistors;
an auxiliary switch transistor turn-on module for, when the current output from the bridge arm drops to lower than the current limiting threshold and the received overcurrent signal is disabled, turning on the auxiliary switch transistors;
a main switch transistor turn-on module for, when the received overcurrent signal is disabled and a next PWM effective edge of the main switch transistors arrives, turning on the main switch transistors.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The current limiting control device for a three-level inverter according to claim 6, characterized in that the auxiliary switch transistor turn-on module further comprises:
a turn-on unit for, when the current output from the bridge arm drops to lower than the current limiting threshold and the received overcurrent signal is disabled, turning on the auxiliary switch transistors after elapse of a first delay time;
a turn-off unit for, when the current output from the bridge arms rises to greater than or equal to the current limiting threshold and the received overcurrent signal is enabled, again turning off the auxiliary switch transistors and no longer turning on the auxiliary switch transistors within this switching cycle.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The current limiting control device for a three-level inverter according to claim 6, further comprising:
a switching-frequency switching module for switching, based on the number of switching cycles during each of which current limit switching of the auxiliary switch transistors has occurred twice, a switching frequency of the auxiliary switch transistors within each switching cycle.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The current limiting control device for a three-level inverter according to claim 8, characterized in that the switching-frequency switching module further comprises:
a switching limitation unit for, when among the set number of switching cycles the number of switching cycles during each of which current limit switching of the auxiliary switch transistors has occurred twice is equal to or greater than a switching threshold, limiting that current limit switching can be performed only once for the auxiliary switch transistors in consecutive cycles;
a switching transition unit for, when among the set number of switching cycles the number of switching cycles during each of which current limit switching of the auxiliary switch transistors has occurred once is equal to or greater than a switching threshold, allowing that current limit switching is performed twice for the auxiliary switch transistors in consecutive cycles.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The current limiting control device for a three-level inverter according to claim 9, characterized in that the three-level inverter comprises an I-type three-level inverter and a T-type three-level inverter.