Multi-cell energy conversion device

A reversible electrical energy conversion device, comprising:

• a voltage source comprising plural series-connected secondary voltage sources (61, . . . , 6n), each secondary voltage source having a first terminal and a second terminal, the second terminal of one secondary voltage source being connected to a first terminal of another secondary voltage source;
• a current source;
• N stages (81, . . . , 8n) parallel-connected between the voltage source and the current source, each stage having a first line connected to the first terminal of a corresponding one of the secondary voltage sources, N being a natural number greater than 1, the N stages including a first stage and a second stage;
• each stage (8i) comprising plural parallel-connected switching cells (10i1, . . . , 10ip0) and a capacitor (20i,k) connected in parallel between adjacent switching cells of each stage,
• each switching cell (10ik) comprising two switches (12ik and 14ik) kept in opposite states;
• and
• a control device (16ik) connected to the two switches of each switching cell, the control device keeping the two switches in the opposite states, wherein,
• the switches of the plural switching cells of the N stages define M parallel-connected switch groups, M=N1,
• the M parallel-connected switch groups comprising a first outside switch group, a second outside switch group, and an interior switch group :Located intermediate the first and second outside switch groups,
• each switch group comprising a first group end and a second group end,
• each of the M switch groups connected at the first group end to the current source and at the second group end to a different one of the terminals of the secondary voltage sources,
• the first switch group comprising switches only from the first stage,
• the second switch group comprising switches only from the second stage, and
• the interior switch group comprising switches from two successive adjacent stages.

A reversible electrical energy conversion device, comprising:

• a voltage source comprising plural series-connected secondary voltage sources (61, . . . , 6n), each secondary voltage source having a first terminal and a second terminal, the second terminal of one secondary voltage source being connected to a first terminal of another secondary voltage source;
• a current source terminal;
• and
• N stages (81, . . . , 8n) parallel-connected between the voltage source and the current source terminal, each stage having a first line connected to a corresponding one of the secondary voltage sources, N being a natural number greater than 1, the N stages including a first stage and a second stage,
• each stage (8i) comprising plural parallel-connected switching cells (10i1, . . . , 10ip0) and a capacitor (20i,k) connected in parallel between adjacent switching cells,
• each switching cell (10ik) comprising two switches (12ik and 14ik) in opposite states, wherein,
• the switches of the plural switching cells of the N stages define M parallel-connected switch groups, M=N1,
• the M parallel-connected switch groups comprising a first outside switch group, a second outside switch group, and an interior switch group located intermediate the first and second outside switch groups,
• each switch group comprising a first group end and a second group end,
• each of the M switch groups connected at the first group end to the current source and at the second group end to a different one of the terminals of the secondary voltage sources,
• the first switch group comprising switches only from the first stage,
• the second switch group comprising switches only from the second stage, and
• the interior switch group comprising switches from two successive adjacent stages.