SWITCHING SYNCHRONIZATION FOR MODULAR MULTILEVEL CONVERTERS

• Main Authors: LI, Xiaohong, BEBIC, Jovan, HAWES, Nathaniel
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 11.10.2023
• 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; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUTPOWER; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; GENERATION; MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION; TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHICCOMMUNICATION

Provided is a modular multilevel converter and a method for synchronizing outputs of sub-modules of the converter. The modular multilevel converter includes sub-modules (200a, 200b, ..., 200n) connected in parallel, and each sub-module generates an output. The modular multilevel converter also includes a controller (240) that is communicatively coupled to the sub-modules (200a, 200b, ..., 200n). The controller (240) controls a flow of one or more synchronizing signals between the plurality of sub-modules (200a, 200b, ..., 200n), such that each sub-module receives the synchronizing signals in opposite directions simultaneously, thereby controlling a synchronization of the outputs generated by the sub-modules (200a, 200b, ..., 200n).