Multi-mode power converters incorporating balancer circuits and methods of operation thereof

A power converter, comprising:

• a rectifier circuit configured to connect to an AC power source and operative to produce first and second DC voltages at first and second voltage busses, respectively, by selectively coupling the first and second voltage busses to the AC power source through a first inductance;
• first and second capacitors coupling the first and second voltage busses, respectively, to a neutral bus;
• an inverter circuit configured to connect to a load and operative to selectively couple the first and second voltage busses to the load through a second inductance;
• and
• a balancer circuit operative to selectively couple the first and second voltage busses to the neutral bus through a third inductance such that relative magnitudes of the first and second DC voltages are controlled responsive to respective first and second rates at which the balancer circuit couples the first and second voltage busses to the neutral bus.

A method of controlling power transfer between and an AC power source that produces an AC input voltage between a phase bus and a neutral bus, the method comprising the steps of:

• selectively coupling first and second voltage busses to the phase bus through a first inductance to produce first and second DC voltages at first and second voltage busses, respectively;
• selectively coupling the first and second voltage busses to the load through a second inductance;
• and
• selectively coupling the first and second voltage busses to the neutral bus through a third inductance such that relative magnitudes of the first and second DC voltages are controlled responsive to respective first and second rates at which the first and second voltage busses are coupled to the neutral bus.