POWER CONVERSION APPARATUS

• Main Authors: IWATA AKIHIKO, AKAMATSU MASAHIKO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 08.01.2004
• Edition: 7
• 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; ELECTRICITY; GENERATION

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce power loss in the size and cost of the clamp snubber circuits of a DC-AC power conversion apparatus for use in DC power transmission or the like. SOLUTION: A high-voltage semiconductor switch arrangement is constituted of a switch group wherein semiconductor switching devices having self-arc-extinguishing function are connected in series. A snubber circuit is installed at both the ends of each of the semiconductor switching devices. In each of the snubber circuits, a series circuit of a diode and a clamp capacitor is connected with both the ends of each of the semiconductor switching devices. A non-linear resistance circuit having such a characteristic that, if clamp voltage is exceeded, a current is let to flow is connected with both the ends of each of the clamp capacitors. The clamp voltage is set to a value higher than off voltage equivalent to one stage. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO