# US 2021/0344283 A1 · Multiple-Switch Types Hybrid PEBB Power Converter

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- Number: US 2021/0344283 A1
- Document ID: US20210344283A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/358,065
- Filed: 2021-06-25
- Published: 2021-11-04
- Earliest claimed: 2020-04-29
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Zhi Zhou; Steven Mankevich
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210344283A1

## CPC

- H02M 7/4807: {having a high frequency intermediate AC stage}
- H02M 7/53875: {with analogue control of three-phase output}
- 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 1/0077: {Plural converter units whose outputs are connected in series}
- H02M 3/1582: {Buck-boost converters (H02M3/1584 takes precedence)}
- H02M 7/49: Combination of the output voltage waveforms of a plurality of converters
- H02M 7/538466: {for transistor type converters}
- H02M 3/01: {Resonant DC/DC converters}
- H02M 3/33573: {Full-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer}
- H02M 3/33584: {Bidirectional converters}
- H02M 5/4585: {having a rectifier with controlled elements}
- 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)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A multi-switch types hybrid power electronics build block (MST HPEBB) least replaceable unit converter employs a first low voltage side (for example, 1000 volt power switches) and a second high voltage side (for example, 3000 volt power switches). The MST HPEBB LRU employs multiple bridge converters connected in series and/or in parallel, and coupled in part by a 1:1 transformer. To reduce weight and volume requirements compared to known PEBB LRUs, different power switch types are employed in different bridge converters. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, low voltage 1.7 kVolt SiC MOSFETS may be employed on the lower voltage side, while at least some 4.5 kVolt Silicon IGBTs may be employed on the high voltage side.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A multi-switch type hybrid power electronics building block least replaceable unit (MST HPEBB LRU) comprising:
a first end comprising a low-voltage power stage for power transmission at a first voltage A, the first power stage comprising a low-voltage bridge converter, the low voltage bridge converter comprising a plurality of low-voltage switches of a first fundamental type of switching device which is configured to carry the first voltage A;
a second end comprising a high-voltage power stage for power transmission at a second voltage B which is higher than the first voltage A, the high-voltage second power stage comprising a high-voltage power bridge, wherein:
(i) the high-voltage power bridge comprises a plurality of high-voltage switches of a second fundamental type of switching device which is different than the type of the first fundamental type of switching device and (ii) the high-voltage power bridge is configured to carry the higher second voltage B; and
the first end and the second end are voltage coupled and galvanically isolated via a 1:1 transformer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The MST HPEBB LRU of claim 1, wherein:
the low-voltage bridge converter comprises a fundamental switching type suitable for switching a low voltage (A) while maximizing a power density of the MST HPEBB LRU; and
the high-voltage bridge converter comprises a fundamental switching type suitable for boosting the low voltage (A) to the high voltage (B), wherein a voltage buck or boost of the MST HPEBB LRU is provided via the high-voltage bridge converter.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The MST HPEBB LRU of claim 1, wherein:
the plurality of low-voltage switches comprise a plurality of Silicon Carbide MOSFET switches; and
the plurality of high-voltage switches comprise at least one of:
a plurality of Silicon (Si) IGBT switches,
a plurality of integrated gate-commutated thyristor switches,
and a plurality of injection-enhanced gate transistor switches.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The MST HPEBB LRU of claim 3, wherein:
the plurality of low-voltage switches comprise a plurality of SiC MOSFET switches rated at 2 kVolt or less, and the plurality of high-voltage switches comprises a plurality of SI IGBT switches rated at 3 kVolt or greater.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The MST HPEBB LRU of claim 4, wherein:
the plurality of low-voltage switches comprise a plurality of 1.7 kVolt switches and the plurality of high-voltage switches comprise a plurality of 4.5 kVolt switches.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The MST HPEBB LRU of claim 5, wherein:
the 1:1 transformer comprises a transformer with an amorphous core.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The MST HPEBB LRU of claim 1, wherein the high voltage power bridge with the second fundamental type of power switches comprises a half-bridge converter subunit which is coupled in parallel with a full-bridge converter subunit, wherein:
the half-bridge converter subunit is configured for at least one of boosting voltage and bucking voltage and the full-bridge converter is configured for coupling with a high-voltage load.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The MST HPEBB LRU of claim 1, wherein the high voltage power bridge with the second fundamental type of power switches comprises a first half-bridge converter which is coupled in parallel with a second half-bridge converter, wherein:
the first half-bridge converter subunit is configured for at least one of boosting voltage and bucking voltage, and
the full-bridge converter is configured for coupling with a high-voltage load.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The MST HPEBB LRU of claim 1, wherein:
the low-voltage end comprises a first low-voltage bridge converter coupled in parallel with a second low-voltage bridge converter, the first low-voltage bridge converter also having a power port for connection with a low-voltage power resource;
the high-voltage end comprises a third low-voltage bridge converter coupled in parallel with the high-voltage bridge converter, the high-voltage bridge converter also having a power port for connection with a high-voltage power resource;
the transformer couples the second low-voltage bridge converter with the third low-voltage bridge converter; and
each respective bridge converter of the four bridge converters comprises one and only one respective fundamental type of switching device of two and only two different fundamental types of switching devices.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The MST HPEBB LRU of claim 1, wherein:
the MST HPEBB LRU is configured with a respective full-bridge converter, at each respective end of the MST HPEBB LRU, and
the MST HPEBB LRU is configured for field-adaptation for any of DC-to-DC power conversion, DC-to-AC power conversion, AC-to-DC power conversion, and AC-to-AC power conversion.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The MST HPEBB LRU of claim 1, wherein:
the MST HPEBB LRU comprises a respective full-bridge converter −1.F, at each respective end of the MST HPEBB LRU, and
the MST HPEBB LRU is configurable for field-adaptation for any of DC-to-DC power conversion, DC-to-AC power conversion, AC-to-DC power conversion, and AC-to-AC power conversion.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The MST HPEBB LRU of claim 1, wherein:
the MST HPEBB LRU comprises a respective half-bridge converter, at each respective end of the MST HPEBB LRU, and
the MST HPEBB LRU is configurable for field-adaptation for either of buck conversion or boost conversation.

### Claim 13

A Multi-Device Type Hybrid Power Electronics Building Block (MST HPEBB) comprising:
a first voltage phase module which comprises a plurality of multi-switch types power electronic building block line replacement units (MST HPEBB LRUs) connected in series, wherein the MST HPEBB further comprises:
(i) a plurality of low-voltage bridge converters each comprising a plurality of low-voltage switches of a first fundamental type of switching device which are configured to carry a first voltage A; and
(ii) a plurality of high-voltage bridge converters each comprising a plurality of high-voltage switches of a second fundamental type of switching device which are configured to carry a second voltage B which is greater than A.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The MST HPEBB LRU of claim 13, wherein:
the plurality of low-voltage switches comprise a plurality of SiC MOSFET switches rated at 2 kVolt or less, and the plurality of high-voltage switches comprises a plurality of SI IGBT switches rated at 3 kVolt or greater.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The MST HPEBB of claim 13, wherein:
the MST HPEBB is field-adaptable for any of DC-to-DC power conversion, DC-to-AC power conversion, AC-to-DC power conversion, and AC-to-AC power conversion.