# US 2019/0173384 A1 · Converter device

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- Number: US 2019/0173384 A1
- Document ID: US20190173384A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/780,287
- Filed: 2016-02-24
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-02-24
- Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Inventors: Tomohiro KUTSUKI; Akira SAKAI; Daisuke SUZUKI; Satoru ICHIKI; Akito TANAKA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190173384A1

## CPC

- H02M 3/1584: {with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel}
- G01R 31/282: {Testing of electronic circuits specially adapted for particular applications not provided for elsewhere (G01R31/2801 and G01R31/2851 take precedence)}
- G01R 31/327: Testing of circuit interrupters, switches or circuit-breakers
- G01R 31/40: Testing power supplies (testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10)
- H02M 1/32: Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
- H02M 1/4225: {using a non-isolated boost converter}
- G01R 31/3278: {of relays, solenoids or reed switches (measuring contact resistance G01R27/205; high voltage magnetic switches G01R31/3271, G01R31/333; testing electric windings G01R31/72; monitoring of fail safe circuits H01H47/002)}
- H02M 1/007: {Plural converter units in cascade (push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826)}
- H02M 1/322: {Means for rapidly discharging a capacitor of the converter for protecting electrical components or for preventing electrical shock}
- H02M 1/325: {with means for allowing continuous operation despite a fault, i.e. fault tolerant converters}
- 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
- 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)
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

The converter device includes a rectification circuit that receives, as an input, AC power from an AC power supply, and performs full-wave rectification on the AC power received, a booster circuit that boosts an output voltage from the rectification circuit, a smoothing capacitor that smooths an output voltage from the booster circuit, and outputs a voltage smoothed, to the load, and a controller that controls the booster circuit. The booster circuit includes a plurality of booster sections each of which includes a reactor, a switching element, and a reverse-blocking diode. The controller maintains, in an ON state, the switching element included in at least one of the plurality of booster sections for a predetermined time period to determine the presence or absence of a fault of the booster section.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A converter device for converting alternating current power supplied from an alternating current power supply into direct current power, and outputting the direct current power to a load, the converter device comprising:
a rectification circuit to receive the alternating current power from the alternating current power supply as an input, and to perform full-wave rectification on the alternating current power received;
a booster circuit to boost an output voltage from the rectification circuit;
a smoothing capacitor to smooth an output voltage from the booster circuit, and to output the voltage smoothed, to the load; and
a controller to control the booster circuit,
wherein
the booster circuit includes a plurality of booster sections each of which includes a reactor, a switching element, and a reverse-blocking diode, and
the controller compares a detected value of bus current that flows while the switching element in the at least one of the plurality of booster sections is maintained in an “on” state for the predetermined time period, with a fault determination threshold to determine the presence or absence of a fault of the booster section.

### Claim 2

(canceled)

### Claim 3

A converter device for converting alternating current power supplied from an alternating current power supply into direct current power, and outputting the direct current power to a load, the converter device comprising:
a rectification circuit to receive the alternating current power from the alternating current power supply as an input, and to perform full-wave rectification on the alternating current power received;
a booster circuit to boost an output voltage from the rectification circuit;
a smoothing capacitor to smooth an output voltage from the booster circuit, and to output the voltage smoothed, to the load;
a controller to control the booster circuit, and
a phase detection section to detect a phase of a voltage applied by the alternating current power supply, wherein
the booster circuit includes a plurality of booster sections each of which includes a reactor, a switching element, and a reverse-blocking diode, and
the controller turns on the switching element when the phase of the voltage applied by the alternating current power supply reaches a predetermined value to determine the presence or absence of a fault of the booster section.

### Claim 4

A converter device for converting alternating current power supplied from an alternating current power supply into direct current power, and outputting the direct current power to a load, the converter device comprising:
a rectification circuit to receive the alternating current power from the alternating current power supply as an input, and to perform full-wave rectification on the alternating current power received;
a booster circuit to boost an output voltage from the rectification circuit;
a smoothing capacitor to smooth an output voltage from the booster circuit, and to output the voltage smoothed, to the load;
a controller to control the booster circuit, and
a supply voltage detector to detect an instantaneous value of a voltage applied by the alternating current power supply, wherein
the booster circuit includes a plurality of booster sections each of which includes a reactor, a switching element, and a reverse-blocking diode, and
the controller turns on the switching element when the instantaneous value of the voltage applied by the alternating current power supply reaches a predetermined value to determine the presence or absence of a fault of the booster section.

### Claim 5

A converter device for converting alternating current power supplied from an alternating current power supply into direct current power, and outputting the direct current power to a load, the converter device comprising:
a rectification circuit to receive the alternating current power from the alternating current power supply as an input, and to perform full-wave rectification on the alternating current power received;
a booster circuit to boost an output voltage from the rectification circuit;
a smoothing capacitor to smooth an output voltage from the booster circuit, and to output the voltage smoothed, to the load;
a controller to control the booster circuit, and
a bus current detector to detect a current flowing to the rectification circuit, wherein
the booster circuit includes a plurality of booster sections each of which includes a reactor, a switching element, and a reverse-blocking diode, and
the controller maintains, in an “on” state, the switching element included in at least one of the plurality of booster sections for a predetermined time period to determine presence or absence of a fault of the at least one of the booster sections, and performs, on bus current information detected by the bus current detector, a low-pass filtering operation based on a first time constant, or no low-pass filtering operation based on the first time constant, for detecting a fault of the booster section, and a low-pass filtering operation based on a second time constant larger than the first time constant, for power factor regulation control.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The converter device according to claim 1,
wherein
a MOSFET that is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor is used in place of the reverse-blocking diode, and
the controller performs synchronous rectification in which the MOSFET is maintained in an “off” state during a time period in which the switching element is in an “on” state, and the MOSFET is maintained in an “on” state during a time period in which the switching element is in an “off” state.

### Claim 7

A converter device for converting alternating current power supplied from an alternating current power supply into direct current power, and outputting the direct current power to a load, the converter device comprising:
a rectification circuit to receive the alternating current power from the alternating current power supply as an input, and to perform full-wave rectification on the alternating current power received;
a booster circuit to boost an output voltage from the rectification circuit;
a smoothing capacitor to smooth an output voltage from the booster circuit, and to output the voltage smoothed, to the load;
a controller to control the booster circuit, and
wherein
the converter device includes a bus voltage detection circuit to detect a voltage applied to the smoothing capacitor,
the booster circuit includes a plurality of booster sections each of which includes a reactor, a switching element, and a MOSFET that is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor, and
the controller turns on both of the switching element in the at least one of the plurality of booster sections and the MOSFET, and compares the bus voltages detected by the bus voltage detection circuit before and after the turning on to determine the presence or absence of a fault of the at least one of the booster sections.

### Claim 8

A converter device for converting alternating current power supplied from an alternating current power supply into direct current power, and outputting the direct current power to a load, the converter device comprising:
a rectification circuit to receive the alternating current power from the alternating current power supply as an input, and to perform full-wave rectification on the alternating current power received;
a booster circuit to boost an output voltage from the rectification circuit;
a smoothing capacitor to smooth an output voltage from the booster circuit, and to output the voltage smoothed, to the load;
a controller to control the booster circuit, and
wherein
the booster circuit includes a plurality of booster sections each of which includes a reactor, a switching element, and a MOSFET that is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor, and
the controller turns on both of the switching element in the at least one of the plurality of booster sections and the MOSFET, and compares the amount of current detected by a current detector that detects a total amount of currents flowing through the switching elements in the plurality of booster sections during the “on” state with a fault determination threshold to determine the presence or absence of a fault of the at least one of the booster sections.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The converter device according to claim 1, wherein when the at least one booster section of the plurality of booster sections is detected as having a fault, the controller inhibits power factor regulation control and an increase in a load of the load.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The converter device according to claim 1, wherein when n booster sections are detected as having a fault among parallel-coupled m booster sections of the plurality of booster sections, a power factor improvement operation is permitted, but an increase in a load of the load is limited to (m−n)/m times a rated value of the load, wherein m and n are each an integer greater than or equal to 1, and satisfy n≤m.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The converter device according to claim 1, wherein the load is an air conditioner

### Claim 12 (depends on 3)

The converter device according to claim 3,
wherein
a MOSFET that is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor is used in place of the reverse-blocking diode, and
the controller performs synchronous rectification in which the MOSFET is maintained in an “off” state during a time period in which the switching element is in an “on” state, and the MOSFET is maintained in an “on” state during a time period in which the switching element is in an “off” state.

### Claim 13 (depends on 4)

The converter device according to claim 4,
wherein
a MOSFET that is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor is used in place of the reverse-blocking diode, and
the controller performs synchronous rectification in which the MOSFET is maintained in an “off” state during a time period in which the switching element is in an “on” state, and the MOSFET is maintained in an “on” state during a time period in which the switching element is in an “off” state.

### Claim 14 (depends on 5)

The converter device according to claim 5,
wherein
a MOSFET that is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor is used in place of the reverse-blocking diode, and
the controller performs synchronous rectification in which the MOSFET is maintained in an “off” state during a time period in which the switching element is in an “on” state, and the MOSFET is maintained in an “on” state during a time period in which the switching element is in an “off” state.

### Claim 15 (depends on 3)

The converter device according to claim 3, wherein when the at least one booster section of the plurality of booster sections is detected as having a fault, the controller inhibits power factor regulation control and an increase in a load of the load.

### Claim 16 (depends on 4)

The converter device according to claim 4, wherein when the at least one booster section of the plurality of booster sections is detected as having a fault, the controller inhibits power factor regulation control and an increase in a load of the load.

### Claim 17 (depends on 5)

The converter device according to claim 5, wherein when the at least one booster section of the plurality of booster sections is detected as having a fault, the controller inhibits power factor regulation control and an increase in a load of the load.

### Claim 18 (depends on 7)

The converter device according to claim 7, wherein when the at least one booster section of the plurality of booster sections is detected as having a fault, the controller inhibits power factor regulation control and an increase in a load of the load.

### Claim 19 (depends on 8)

The converter device according to claim 8, wherein when the at least one booster section of the plurality of booster sections is detected as having a fault, the controller inhibits power factor regulation control and an increase in a load of the load.

### Claim 20 (depends on 3)

The converter device according to claim 3, wherein when n booster sections are detected as having a fault among parallel-coupled m booster sections of the plurality of booster sections, a power factor improvement operation is permitted, but an increase in a load of the load is limited to (m−n)/m times a rated value of the load, wherein m and n are each an integer greater than or equal to 1, and satisfy n≤m.

### Claim 21 (depends on 4)

The converter device according to claim 4, wherein when n booster sections are detected as having a fault among parallel-coupled m booster sections of the plurality of booster sections, a power factor improvement operation is permitted, but an increase in a load of the load is limited to (m−n)/m times a rated value of the load, wherein m and n are each an integer greater than or equal to 1, and satisfy n≤m.

### Claim 22 (depends on 5)

The converter device according to claim 5, wherein when n booster sections are detected as having a fault among parallel-coupled m booster sections of the plurality of booster sections, a power factor improvement operation is permitted, but an increase in a load of the load is limited to (m−n)/m times a rated value of the load, wherein m and n are each an integer greater than or equal to 1, and satisfy n≤m.

### Claim 23 (depends on 7)

The converter device according to claim 7, wherein when n booster sections are detected as having a fault among parallel-coupled m booster sections of the plurality of booster sections, a power factor improvement operation is permitted, but an increase in a load of the load is limited to (m−n)/m times a rated value of the load, wherein m and n are each an integer greater than or equal to 1, and satisfy n≤m.

### Claim 24 (depends on 8)

The converter device according to claim 8, wherein when n booster sections are detected as having a fault among parallel-coupled m booster sections of the plurality of booster sections, a power factor improvement operation is permitted, but an increase in a load of the load is limited to (m−n)/m times a rated value of the load, wherein m and n are each an integer greater than or equal to 1, and satisfy n≤m.

### Claim 25 (depends on 3)

The converter device according to claim 3, wherein the load is an air conditioner.

### Claim 26 (depends on 4)

The converter device according to claim 4, wherein the load is an air conditioner.

### Claim 27 (depends on 5)

The converter device according to claim 5, wherein the load is an air conditioner.

### Claim 28 (depends on 7)

The converter device according to claim 7, wherein the load is an air conditioner.

### Claim 29 (depends on 8)

The converter device according to claim 8, wherein the load is an air conditioner.