Inverter diagnostic testing methods and apparatus
AssigneeEaton Intelligent Power Limited
InventorsSTAN REX SIMMS, IRVING A. GIBBS, GABRIEL BRAGA, THOMAS A. FARR
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Abstract
Methods of testing a multilevel inverter include selectively pulsing (i.e., attempting to turn on) at least one of the inner and outer switches of the inverter and determining a status of at least one of the inner switches, the outer switches and the neutral clamping diodes of the inverter based whether the pulsed at least one of the inner and outer switches desaturates. The pulsing may be preceded by charging the DC bus to a predetermined voltage magnitude that is less than a nominal working voltage magnitude of the DC bus, e.g., the predetermined voltage magnitude may be around 50% or less of the nominal working voltage magnitude.
Claims18
A method of testing a multilevel inverter comprising a plurality of poles coupled to a DC bus, each pole having inner and outer switches and a neutral clamping diode coupled thereto, the method comprising:
- selectively pulsing at least one of the inner and outer switches;
- and
- determining a status of at least one of the inner switches, the outer switch and the neutral clamping diodes based whether the pulsed at least one of the inner and outer switches desaturates.
A method of testing a multilevel inverter comprising a plurality of poles coupled to a DC bus, each pole having inner and outer switches and a neutral clamping diode coupled thereto, the method comprising:
- selectively pulsing at least one the inner and outer switches;
- and
- determining a status of at least one of the inner switches and the outer switches based whether a non-zero phase current for a load attached to the inverter occurs in response to the pulsing.
A method of testing a multilevel inverter comprising at least one pole having inner and outer switches and a neutral clamping diode coupled thereto, the method comprising:
- pulsing the outer switch;
- and
- determining a status of at least one of at least one of the inner switch and the neutral clamping diode based on whether the outer switch desaturates in response to the pulsing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.