公开(公告)号：US10686302B2

公开(公告)日：2020-06-16

申请号：US15781000

申请日：2016-11-22

Applicant: General Electric Technology GmbH

Inventor： John Lewis Outram ,  Stephen David Butler

IPC: H02B13/025 ,  H02B1/56 ,  H01L23/051 ,  H01H9/34 ,  H05K5/02

Abstract: A power semiconductor module including a housing within which lies at least one semiconductor switching element. The housing includes a vent aperture that is selectively openable and closeable by a cooperating vent cover. The vent cover is held in an open position during normal operation of the power semiconductor module to open the vent aperture and provide ventilation for the or each semiconductor switching element within the housing. The vent cover is urged into a closed position by an increase in pressure within the housing resulting from an explosive event inside the housing to close the vent aperture and inhibit the escape of explosion gases and/or debris from the housing via the vent aperture

公开(公告)号：US10560014B2

公开(公告)日：2020-02-11

申请号：US16081440

申请日：2017-03-01

Applicant: General Electric Technology GmbH

Inventor： Javier Francisco Chivite-Zabalza ,  David Reginald Trainer ,  Jonathan Christopher Nicholls ,  Konstantin Vershinin ,  Ikenna Bruce Efika ,  Francisco Jose Moreno Munoz ,  John Lewis Outram ,  Rajaseker Reddy Ginnareddy

IPC: H02M1/32 ,  H02M1/34 ,  H02J3/36 ,  H02J7/34 ,  H02M7/797 ,  H02M7/49 ,  H02M7/483

Abstract: Fault protection of a voltage source converter is provided. An apparatus has a chain-link circuit in series with a director switch. The chain-link circuit includes cells including an energy storage element and cell switching elements connected with anti-parallel diodes. Each cell switching element has a cell switching element controller. The director switch includes director switch units, each having a director switching element and a director switch unit controller. Each cell switching element controller monitors for a fault current and turns-off its associated cell switching element and reports a fault event to a fault controller. Each director switch unit controller monitors for a fault current and reports a fault event to the fault controller but the director switch unit control keeps its associated director switching element turned-on. The fault controller monitors for reports of fault events to order the cell switching elements of at least some of the cells to turn-off.

公开(公告)号：US20210104954A1

公开(公告)日：2021-04-08

申请号：US16498203

申请日：2018-03-20

Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH

Inventor： John Lewis Outram

IPC: H02M7/483

Abstract: A method of controlling a voltage source converter (10) including at least one converter limb (16A, 16B, 16C), the or each converter limb (16A, 16B, 16C) extending between first and second DC terminals (12, 14) and including first and second limb portions (18A, 18B, 18C, 20A, 20B, 20C) separated by an AC terminal (22A, 22B, 22C), at least one limb portion (18A, 18B, 18C, 20A, 20B, 20C) including a chain-link converter (28) having a plurality of series-connected modules (30), each module (30) including at least one switching element (32) and at least one energy storage device (34), the or each switching element (32) and the or each energy storage device (34) of each module (30) combining to selectively provide a voltage source (VIND) whereby the corresponding chain-link converter (128) is operable to provide a stepped variable voltage source (VA+, VB+, VC+, VA−, VB−, VC−), comprises with respect to at least one chain-link converter (28) the steps of: (a) establishing during an operating cycle of the chain-link converter (28) a utilisation peak (UP) based on the actual peak number of modules (30) providing a voltage source (VIND); (b) establishing a target utilisation (UT) based on a desired number of modules (30) providing a voltage source (VIND) during an operating cycle of the chain-link converter (28); and (c) determining a control function (FC) based on a difference between the established utilisation peak (UP) and the target utilisation (UT) which alters the peak number of modules (30) providing a voltage source (VIND) during a subsequent operating cycle of the chain-link converter (28) so as to drive the utilisation peak (UP) towards the target utilisation (UT).

公开(公告)号：US10461528B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-29

申请号：US15326105

申请日：2015-07-09

Applicant: General Electric Technology GmbH

Inventor： John Lewis Outram

IPC: H02H9/04 ,  H02M7/483 ,  H02H7/122 ,  H02M3/335 ,  H02M1/32

Abstract: An electrical bypass apparatus is provided, which comprises first and second terminals for connection across an electrical component; an electrically-triggered bypass switch being switchable to form a short circuit across the first and second terminals; and a first control circuit connected between the first and second terminals. The first control circuit includes mutually coupled first and second windings, the first winding being isolated from the second winding. The first control circuit is configured to inhibit a current flowing between the first and second terminals from flowing through the first winding when a normal operating voltage is present across the first and second terminals; and to permit a current to flow between the first and second terminals and through the first winding when an overvoltage is present across the first and second terminals and thereby induce a current pulse in the second winding.

公开(公告)号：US20160141962A1

公开(公告)日：2016-05-19

申请号：US14899379

申请日：2014-06-13

Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH

Inventor： John Lewis Outram ,  David Reginald Trainer

IPC: H02M3/335 ,  H02M5/458

CPC classification number: H02M3/33507 ,  H02M5/458 ,  H02M7/483 ,  H02M7/487 ,  H02M2001/0058 ,  H02M2007/4835 ,  Y02B70/1491

Abstract: A voltage source converter includes a converter limb directly connected between first and second DC terminals. The converter limb includes an AC terminal, a first limb portion directly connected between the first DC terminal and the AC terminal, and a second limb portion directly connected between the second DC terminal and the AC terminal. Only one of the first and second limb portions includes a multilevel converter block, the other of the first and second limb portions includes a switching block, the switching block is switchable to selectively permit current flow in at least one direction in the corresponding limb portion and inhibit current flow in at least one direction in the corresponding limb portion, and at least one of the first and second limb portions is controllable to control the configuration of an AC voltage waveform at the AC terminal.

Abstract translation: 电压源转换器包括直接连接在第一和第二DC端子之间的转换器臂。 转换器臂包括AC端子，直接连接在第一DC端子和AC端子之间的第一支路部分和直接连接在第二DC端子与AC端子之间的第二支路部分。 第一和第二肢体部分中仅有一个包括多电平转换器块，第一和第二肢体部分中的另一个包括切换块，切换块可切换以选择性地允许电流在相应的肢体部分中的至少一个方向上流动， 禁止在相应的肢体部分中的至少一个方向上的电流，并且第一和第二肢体部分中的至少一个是可控的，以控制AC端子处的AC电压波形的配置。