Reactive energy compensator and associated method for balancing half-bus voltages

A reactive energy compensator capable of being electrically connected to an AC electrical network having M phase(s) and having a network frequency, M being greater than or equal to 1, the compensator comprising M phase(s) and including:

• at least one input direct voltage bus capable of supplying reactive energy;
• at least one voltage inverter connected to the direct voltage bus and capable of converting a direct input current into an alternating output current, the or each inverter comprising two input terminals, M output terminal(s) and M switching branches, each output terminal corresponding to a phase, each switching branch including controllable electronic switches, the or each inverter also comprising a first capacitor having a first voltage at its terminals and a second capacitor having a second voltage at its terminals, the two capacitors being connected serially between the two input terminals of the inverter;
• and
• control means for the electronic switches of the or each inverter, comprising computation means capable of generating a target control current from a current to be compensated, means for combining the target control current and the output current from the inverter to supply a differential current, means for transmitting a control signal capable of driving the switches from the differential current to shape the output current, and correction means, from the first and second voltages, for the control signals of the switches, the correction means being capable of reducing the difference between the value of the first voltage and that of the second voltage,
• wherein the correction means are able to add a balancing current to the target control current, the balancing current being able to correct the target control current so as to reduce the difference between the values of the first and second voltages, the target control current being increased for an even harmonic of the network frequency.