Voltage converter having a commutation circuit with reduced inductance

• US 5,870,300 A
• Filed: 10/02/1997
• Issued: 02/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Asea Brown Boveri AB (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Asea Brown Boveri AB (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Blidberg, Ingemar, Ekwall, Olle
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Bao Q.
• Application Number:
  US08/942,622
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 363/131, 363/132, 363/141, 363/142, 363/144
• US Class Current: 363/132
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/117 Stacked arrangements of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections

Abstract

A VSC converter has each current valve of a phase leg formed by a plurality of units of semiconductor elements and rectifying members, located on top of each other forming at least one stack. The phase leg is constructed according to the flat cable principle with the phase leg formed by such stacks arranged side by side in pairs at small distances (d) running back and forth. A cooling plate of electrically conducting material is arranged between each unit in the stacks.

Claims

1. A VSC converter comprising:

a first valve means including a plurality of switching units connected in series, each of said switching units including a turn-off rectifier semiconductor switching element connected in parallel with an element which carries current in a direction opposite of the current carrying direction of said semiconductor switching element and a cooling plate, said plurality of switching units forming a first stack of units;

a second valve means adjacent to said first valve means including a plurality of switching units connected in series, each of said switching units including a turn-off rectifier semiconductor switching element connected in parallel with an element which carries current in a direction opposite a current carrying direction for said semiconductor element, and a cooling plate, said plurality of switching units forming a second stack of units being arranged side by side with respect to the first stack of units and spaced a small distance therefrom;

one phase of a direct voltage network or an alternating voltage network being connected to one end of each of said first and second stacks of units, the remaining ends of said first and second stacks of switching units being connected to a pole conductor each of a direct voltage network, said first and second stacks of switching units carrying current in opposite directions simulating a flat cable thereby lowering an effective inductance for said first and second stacks of switching units.

2. The VSC converter according to claim 1 wherein said cooling plates are perpendicular to an axis of a respective stack.

3. The VSC converter according to claim 1 wherein said first and second stack of units are positioned so that said remaining ends are further apart than said one end of each stack of units to provide an electrical free distance which increases towards said remaining ends.

4. The VSC converter according to claim 1 wherein said first and second stacks of units are spaced so that higher voltage portions of said stacks are spaced a greater distance from each other than lower voltage portions.

5. The VSC converter according to claim 3 wherein the space between said first and second stacks of units change stepwise.

6. The VSC converter according to claim 3 wherein the space between said first and second stacks of units increases linearly.

7. The VSC converter according to claim 1 further comprising:

a third valve means including a plurality of switching units connected in series, each of said switching units including a turn-off semiconductor switching element rectifier connected in parallel with an element which carries current in a direction opposite of the current carrying direction of said semiconductor switching element; and

a cooling plate, said series of switching units forming a third stack of units;

a fourth valve means including a plurality of switching units connected in series, each of said switching units including a turnoff semiconductor switching element rectifier connected in parallel with an element which carries current in a direction opposite a current carrying direction of said semiconductor element, a cooling plate, said series of switching units forming a fourth stack of units;

a second phase of said alternating voltage network being connected to one end of each of said third and fourth stacks, the remaining ends of said third and fourth stacks of switching units being connected to said direct voltage network.

8. The VSC converter according to claim 7 wherein said second and third stacks remaining ends are connected to each other and to said direct voltage network.

9. The VSC converter according to claim 7 further comprising:

a fifth valve means including a plurality of switching units connected in series, each of said switching units including a turn-off semiconductor switching element rectifier connected in parallel with an element which carries current in a direction opposite of the current carrying direction of said semiconductor switching element and cooling plate, said series of switching units forming a fifth stack of units;

a sixth valve means including a plurality of switching units connected in series, each of said switching units including a turn-off semiconductor switching element rectifier connected in parallel with an element which carries current in a direction opposite a current carrying direction of said semiconductor element and a cooling plate, said series of switching units forming a sixth stack of units; and

a third phase of said alternating voltage network being connected to one end of each of said fifth and sixth stacks, the remaining ends of said fifth and sixth stacks of switching units being connected to said direct voltage network.

10. The VSC converter according to claim 9 wherein said second and third stack remaining ends are connected to each other, and said fourth and fifth stacks remaining ends are connected to each other.

11. The VSC converter according to claim 10 wherein said first and second stacks remaining ends, said third and fourth stacks remaining ends, and said fifth and sixth remaining ends are spaced from each other.

12. The VSC converter according to claim 1 wherein said first and second stacks are connected to a frame.