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US 9,755,537 B2Granted
Multi-cell power conversion method with failure detection and multi-cell power converter
AssigneeInfineon Technologies Austria AG
InventorsJohann Kolar, Gerald Deboy, Matthias Kasper
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Abstract
A power converter includes a plurality of first converter cells, a plurality of second converter cells, and a plurality of DC link capacitors. Each DC link capacitor links one of the plurality of first converter cells and one of the plurality of second converter cells. A failure management unit is configured to detect a faulty converter cell, and to deactivate the faulty converter cell while maintaining a power conversion operation of the power converter.
Claims16
A method, comprising:
- detecting a faulty converter cell in a power converter comprising a plurality of first converter cells, a plurality of second converter cells, and a plurality of DC link capacitors, wherein each DC link capacitor links one of the plurality of first converter cells and one of the plurality of second converter cells;
- and
- deactivating the faulty converter cell while maintaining a power conversion operation of the power converter,
- wherein each of the plurality of first converter cells includes a cell input and each of the plurality of second converter cells includes a cell output,
- wherein the cell inputs of the plurality of first converter cells are connected in series at an input of the power converter,
- wherein the cell outputs of the plurality of second converter cells are connected in parallel at an output of the power converter,
- wherein detecting the faulty converter cell comprises detecting a faulty second converter cell,
- wherein deactivating the faulty second converter cell comprises disconnecting the cell output of the faulty second converter cell from the output of the power converter.
5 more elements
A power converter, comprising:
- a plurality of first converter cells, a plurality of second converter cells, and a plurality of DC link capacitors, wherein each DC link capacitor links one of the plurality of first converter cells and one of the plurality of second converter cells;
- and
- a failure management unit configured to detect a faulty converter cell, and to deactivate the faulty converter cell while maintaining a power conversion operation of the power converter,
- wherein each of the plurality of first converter cells includes a cell input and each of the plurality of second converter cells includes a cell output,
- wherein the cell inputs of the plurality of first converter cells are connected in series at an input of the power converter,
- wherein the cell outputs of the plurality of second converter cells are connected in parallel at an output of the power converter,
- wherein the failure management unit is configured to detect the faulty converter cell by detecting a faulty second converter cell, and to disconnect the cell output of the faulty second converter cell from the output of the power converter.
4 more elements
A method, comprising:
- detecting a faulty converter cell in a power converter comprising a plurality of first converter cells, a plurality of second converter cells, and a plurality of DC link capacitors, wherein each DC link capacitor links one of the plurality of first converter cells and one of the plurality of second converter cells;
- and
- deactivating the faulty converter cell while maintaining a power conversion operation of the power converter,
- wherein each of the plurality of first converter cells includes a cell input and each of the plurality of second converter cells includes a cell output,
- wherein the cell inputs of the plurality of first converter cells are connected in parallel at an input of the power converter,
- wherein the cell outputs of the plurality of second converter cells are connected in series at an output of the power converter,
- wherein detecting the faulty converter cell comprises detecting a faulty first converter cell,
- wherein deactivating the faulty first converter cell comprises disconnecting the cell input of the faulty first converter cell from the input of the power converter.
5 more elements
A power converter, comprising:
- a plurality of first converter cells, a plurality of second converter cells, and a plurality of DC link capacitors, wherein each DC link capacitor links one of the plurality of first converter cells and one of the plurality of second converter cells;
- and
- a failure management unit configured to detect a faulty converter cell, and to deactivate the faulty converter cell while maintaining a power conversion operation of the power converter,
- wherein each of the plurality of first converter cells includes a cell input and each of the plurality of second converter cells includes a cell output,
- wherein the cell inputs of the plurality of first converter cells are connected in parallel at an input of the power converter,
- wherein the cell outputs of the plurality of second converter cells are connected in series at an output of the power converter,
- wherein the failure management unit is configured to detect the faulty converter cell by detecting a faulty first converter cell, and to deactivate the faulty first converter cell by disconnecting the cell input of the faulty first converter cell from the input of the power converter.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.