Protection circuits configured for use with microinverters
AssigneeEnphase Energy, Inc.
InventorsGraeme Thomas MARSHALL, Daniel John O’NEILL, Philip Mark HUNTER, Henrique Rocha e MAMEDE
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Abstract
A protection circuit configured for use with a power converter is provided and comprises a metal oxide varistor-semiconductor protection thyristor (MOV-TSPD) circuit comprising a first MOV and a second MOV connected in series with one another and in parallel with a TSPD connected between a first leg of switches and a second leg of switches coupled in parallel to one another, wherein the MOV-TSPD circuit is configured to clamp the first leg of switches and the second leg of switches to a predetermined voltage during operation.
Claims20
A protection circuit configured for use with a power converter, comprising:
- a Metal Oxide Varistor - Thyristor Surge Protection Device (MOV-TSPD) circuit comprising a first MOV and a second MOV connected in series with one another and a T-connection with a TSPD connected between a first leg of switches and a second leg of switches, wherein the MOV-TSPD circuit is configured to clamp the first leg of switches and the second leg of switches to a predetermined voltage during operation.
A power conversion system, comprising:
- a power converter;
- a DC component coupled to a DC side of the power converter;
- a plurality of switches coupled to a primary winding of a transformer;
- and
- a bridge coupled to a secondary winding of the transformer and comprising a protection circuit comprising:
- a metal oxide varistor-semiconductor protection thyristor (MOV-TSPD) circuit comprising a first MOV and a second MOV connected in series with one another and a T-connection with a TSPD connected between a first leg of switches and a second leg of switches, wherein the MOV-TSPD circuit is configured to clamp the first leg of switches and the second leg of switches to a predetermined voltage during operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.