POWER CONVERTER SUBMODULE WITH A SHORT-CIRCUIT DEVICE AND POWER CONVERTER HAVING SAME

• Main Authors: GESKE, Martin, JAKOB, Roland, BRUECKNER, Thomas, JANNING, Jörg
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 27.02.2019
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC,OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWERSUPPLY SYSTEMS; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUTPOWER; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; CORONA DEVICES; ELECTRICITY; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS; GENERATING IONS TO BE INTRODUCED INTO NON-ENCLOSED GASES; GENERATION; OVERVOLTAGE ARRESTERS USING SPARK GAPS; SPARK GAPS; SPARKING PLUGS

A short-circuit device and a protection method for a submodule (12) for a power converter (8, 9) are provided wherein the submodule comprises a bridge circuit (21) having at least one power semiconductor branch (23, 24) extending between a first and a second DC voltage node (26, 27) and having at least one controllable power semiconductor switch (T1-T4) disposed therein to which a freewheeling diode (D1-D4) is connected in anti-parallel, and a capacitor (22) connected in parallel to the bridge circuit (21). The short-circuit device (30) comprises at least one selected freewheeling diode (D1-D4) connected in anti-parallel to a power semiconductor switch (T1-T4) of the bridge circuit (21). The selected freewheeling diode (D1-D4) is manufactured in press pack design and rated such that, when a fault occurs in the submodule (12), the selected freewheeling diode (D1-D4) breaks down due to the fault conditions and provides a durable, stable, low-impedance short circuit path (33) between a first and a second AC voltage connection (28, 29) of the submodule (12).