Concerter and a method for controlling a converter

• US 20040239298A1
• Filed: 07/09/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Bijlenga, Bo, Norrga, Staffan
• Granted Patent: US 7,411,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/282
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/4811 having auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuits connected to intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/4826 operating from a resonant DC source, i.e. the DC input voltage varies periodically, e.g. resonant DC-link inverters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/487 Neutral point clamped inverters

Abstract

The invention relates to a converter provided with a resonant circuit (16), which comprises a control device (24) adapted, in connection with a commutation of the phase current (i_ph) from a semiconductor element of turn-off type of a first current valve (2, 3) to a rectifying member of a second current valve (3, 2) to effectuate a turn-on of the auxiliary valve (18) of the resonant circuit with a varaible time delay (t_d) after the turn-off of the first current valve, the converter comprising a member (35) for determining said time delay in dependence on the magnitude and the direction of the phase current (i_ph) and the magnitude and the direction of a determined unbalance so that the unbalance is corrected at least partly when the control device applies the time delay (t_d). The invention also relates to a method for controlling such a converter.

Claims

1. A converter comprising:

a series connection of at least two current valves arranged between two poles, a positive and a negative, of a direct voltage side of the converter, each of which current valves comprising a semiconductor element of turn-off type and a rectifying member connected in anti-parallel therewith, an alternating voltage phase line being connected to a midpoint, denominated phase output, of the series connection between two current valves while dividing the series connections into two equal parts,

an intermediate link, arranged between the two poles of the direct voltage side of the converter, which intermediate link comprises a series connection of at least two intermediate link capacitors, said series connection being divided into two equal parts through a midpoint, denominated intermediate link midpoint,

a resonant circuit comprising a series connection of an inductor and an auxiliary valve arranged between the phase output and the intermediate link midpoint, which auxiliary valve comprises at least two semiconductor components of turn-off type arranged in opposite polarity in relation to each other, the resonant circuit further comprising capacitive members, each of which being connected in series with said inductor and auxiliary valve and in parallel with one of said current valves,

a control device for controlling turn-on and turn-off of the semiconductor elements of turn-off type of the current valves and the semiconductor components of turn-off type of the auxiliary valve,

means for measuring the phase current and

means for determining an unbalance of the voltage in the intermediate link, i.e. determining a difference between the voltage between one of the poles and the intermediate link midpoint and the voltage between the intermediate link midpoint and the other pole,

wherein the control device is adapted, in connection with a commutation of the phase current from a semiconductor element of turn-off type of a first current valve to a rectifying member of a second current valve, to effectuate a turn-on of the auxiliary valve with a variable time delay after the turn-off of the first current valve, the converter comprising a member for determining said time delay in dependence on the magnitude and the direction of the phase current and the magnitude and the direction of a determined unbalance so that the unbalance is corrected at least partly when the control device applies the time delay.

2. The converter according to claim 1, wherein the means for determining an unbalance of the voltage in the intermediate link comprises a device for filtering the value of said unbalance, the member for determining the time delay being adapted to determine the time delay in dependence on this filtered value.

3. A converter according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for determining an unbalance of the voltage in the intermediate link comprises a device for measuring a first voltage between the intermediate link midpoint and one of the poles and a second voltage between the intermediate link midpoint and the other pole, and that this means is adapted to determine said unbalance by calculating the difference between said first and second voltage.

4. The converter according to claim 1, wherein the converter comprises means for producing a displacement of a limit value, which controls for what values of the phase current the resonant circuit is to be activated in connection with a commutation, this means being adapted to displace the limit value for positive phase currents upwards or the limit value for negative phase currents downwards in dependence on the direction of the unbalance so as thereby to correct the unbalance at least partly.

5. The converter according to claim 4, wherein the means for displacing the limit value is adapted to adjust the magnitude of a limit value displacement in dependence on the magnitude of a determined unbalance.

6. The converter according to claim 1, wherein the respective current valve consists of several series connected circuits, each of which circuits comprising a semiconductor component of turn-off type and a rectifying component connected in anti-parallel therewith, a snubber capacitor included in said capacitive members being connected in parallel with the semiconductor component of turn-off type included in the circuit.

7. The converter according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary valve comprises two semi-conductor components of turn-off type series connected in opposite polarity in relation to each other and two rectifying components connected in anti-parallel with a respective one of the semiconductor components of turn-off type of the auxiliary valve.

8. The converter according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary valve comprises several series connected sets of auxiliary valve circuits, each set comprising two series connected auxiliary valve circuits, each of which comprising a semiconductor component of turn-off type and a rectifying component connected in anti-parallel therewith, the semiconductor components of turn-off type of the two auxiliary valve circuits in one and the same set being arranged in opposite polarity in relation to each other.

9. A method for controlling a converter, which converter comprises

a series connection of at least two current valves arranged between two poles, a positive and a negative, of a direct voltage side of the converter, each of which current valves comprising a semiconductor element of turn-off type and a rectifying member connected in anti-parallel therewith, an alternating voltage phase line (being connected to a midpoint, denominated phase output, of the series connection between two current valves while dividing the series connection into two equal parts,

an intermediate link arranged between the two poles of the direct voltage side of the converter, which intermediate link comprises a series connection of at least two intermediate link capacitors, said series connection being divided into two equal parts through a midpoint, denominated intermediate link midpoint,

a resonant circuit comprising a series connection of an inductor and an auxiliary valve arranged between the phase output and the intermediate link midpoint, which auxiliary valve comprises at least two semiconductor components of turn-off type arranged in opposite polarity in relation to each other, the resonant circuit further comprising capacitive members, each of which being connected in series with said inductor and auxiliary valve and in parallel with one of said current valves,

a control device for controlling turn-on and turn-off of the semiconductor elements of turn-off type of the current valves and the semiconductor components of turn-off type of the auxiliary valve,

means for measuring the phase current and

means for determining an unbalance of the voltage in the intermediate link, i.e. determining a difference between the voltage between one of the poles and the intermediate link midpoint and the voltage between the immediate link midpoint and the other pole,

wherein the control device, in connection with a commutation of the phase current from a semiconductor element of turn-off type of a first current valve to a rectifying member of a second current valve is made to effectuate a turn-on of the auxiliary valve with a variable time delay after the turn-off of the first current valve, said time delay being determined in dependence on the magnitude and the direction of the phase current and the magnitude and the direction of a determined unbalance so that the unbalance is corrected at least partly when the control device applies the time delay.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the value of the unbalance of the voltage in the intermediate link is filtered, the time delay being determined in dependence on this filtered value.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein the voltage between the intermediate link midpoint and one of the poles and the voltage between the intermediate link midpoint and the other pole are measured, and that an unbalance of the voltage in the intermediate link is determined by calculating the difference, between said voltages.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein a displacement of a limit value is produced, which limit value controls for what values of the phase current the resonant circuit is to be activated in connection with a commutation, the limit value for positive phase currents being displaced upwards or the limit value for negative phase currents being displaced downwards in dependence on the direction of the unbalance, so as thereby to correct the unbalance at least partly.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the magnitude of a limit value displacement is adjusted in dependence on the magnitude of a determined unbalance.