Abstract:
An electrical system forming part of a solar power plant is described. The electrical system includes a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) panels, a power converter, and a controller. In response to a detected electric arc on the DC side of the power converter, the controller is configured to enable a short circuit state of the power converter by controlling semiconductor switches of the power converter (e.g., turning on some or all of the semiconductor switches) to create a short circuit between DC input terminals of the power converter. The short circuit path though the power converter will extinguish the detected electric arc in the connected DC circuit.
Abstract:
A short-circuit device and a protection method for a submodule for a power converter are disclosed. The submodule includes a bridge circuit having at least one power semiconductor branch extending between a first and a second DC voltage node and at least one controllable power semiconductor switch disposed therein to which a freewheeling diode is connected in anti-parallel, and a capacitor connected in parallel to the bridge circuit. The short-circuit device has at least one selected of the freewheeling diodes anti-parallel to the power semiconductor switches of the bridge circuit, wherein the at least one selected freewheeling diode is manufactured in press pack design and rated such that, when a fault occurs in the submodule, the at least one selected freewheeling diode breaks down due to the fault conditions and provides a durable, stable, low-impedance short circuit path between a first and a second AC voltage connection of the submodule.
Abstract:
A switch module and a converter developed with the help of a switch module. The switch module presents two series connections comprising a power semi-conductor switch and and a diode and. Parallel to the first series connection a first capacitor is connected. Between the first capacitor and the second series connection at least one intermediate connection is connected. This is designed as quadripole, whereby between both the output connections a second capacitor is connected. The first output connection is connected through a third power semi-conductor switch with the first input connection. The second output connection is connected with the cathode of a third diode, whose anode is connected with the second input connection of the intermediate circuit. With this switch module at least five voltage levels can be set up for an output voltage. For each additionally present intermediate circuit the number of the possible voltage levels increases by two.
Abstract:
An electrical system forming part of a solar power plant is described. The electrical system includes a plurality of photovoltaic (PV) panels, a power converter, and a controller. In response to a detected electric arc on the DC side of the power converter, the controller is configured to enable a short circuit state of the power converter by controlling semiconductor switches of the power converter (e.g., turning on some or all of the semiconductor switches) to create a short circuit between DC input terminals of the power converter. The short circuit path though the power converter will extinguish the detected electric arc in the connected DC circuit.
Abstract:
A dual submodule is created for a modular multilevel converter, whereby the dual submodule has two interconnected submodules, whereby each submodule has an asymmetrical half-bridge circuit with two parallel bridge branches, which are connected between a first and a second terminal connection of the submodule, whereby each bridge branch is formed from a series circuit of a power semiconductor switch, and a diode, whereby the power semiconductor switch is allocated to an antiparallel free-wheeling diode, and has a capacitor, which is connected in parallel with the asymmetrical half-bridge circuit between the first and the second terminal connections of the module. The submodules are connected to each other via their AC terminals to form the dual submodule. Further, a modular multilevel converter is created, comprising a number of such dual submodules in each of its converter branches.
Abstract:
A device (2) for the on-demand commutation of an electrical current from a first line branch (14, 3; 36) to another, second line branch (4; 41; 71) is created, which has a number of power semiconductor switching elements (7; 47; 53), which are arranged in series and/or parallel to one another in the second line branch (4; 41; 71), and a control unit (18; 51) for controlling the number of power semiconductor switching elements (7; 47; 53). The control unit (18; 51) is adapted to apply to each of the number of power semiconductor switching elements (7; 47; 53) an increased control voltage (VGE) whose level is above the maximum permissible control voltage specified for continuous operation, in order to switch on or maintain the conduction of the number of power semiconductor switching elements and to cause an increased current flow through it, whose current rating is at least double the nominal operating current. The control unit (18; 51) is further adapted to switch off the number of power semiconductor switching elements after a respectively provided short switch-on duration by switching off the control voltage (VGE) again while they conduct an increased current flow. The device (2) can thus be designed for a higher power in operation, or, at a given operating power, the semiconductor area and size of the device (2) can be reduced.