Power converter with voltage drive switching device monitored by device parameters and electric parameters

• US 5,929,665 A
• Filed: 03/17/1998
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirata, Akio, Kawakami, Kazuto, Satoh, Kazuhiro, Ichikawa, Kosaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Riley, Shawn
• Application Number:
  US09/042,576
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 327/109, 327/108, 327/538, 327/540, 327/541, 327/543, 323/350, 363/98, 363/18
• US Class Current: 327/109
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/00 Semiconductor devices specially adapted for rectifying, amplifying, oscillating or switching and having potential barriers; Capacitors or resistors having potential barriers, e.g. a PN-junction depletion layer or carrier concentration layer; Details of semiconductor bodies or of electrodes thereof ; Multistep manufacturing processes therefor H01L31/00 - H01L33/00, H10K10/00, H10N take precedence; details other than of semiconductor bodies or of electrodes thereof H01L23/00; devices consisting of a plurality of solid state components formed in or on a common substrate H01L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/06 Circuits specially adapted for rendering non-conductive gas discharge tubes or equivalent semiconductor devices, e.g. thyratrons, thyristors
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/08 Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/06 using resistors or capacitors, e.g. potential divider
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/10 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode H02M3/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/757 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/08122 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/0828 in composite switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/166 Soft switching
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/168 in composite switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/18 Modifications for indicating state of switch

Abstract

A power converter having at least a pair of voltage drive switching elements, which comprises a gate control circuit, the gate control circuit comprising a detecting section for detecting at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching elements, a monitoring section for monitoring at least one of states of turn-on and turn-off of the voltage drive switching elements based on the at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching elements detected by the detecting section, and a control section for controlling a gate of the voltage drive switching elements based on a monitoring result of the monitoring section.

Claims

1. A power converter having a voltage drive switching device comprising:

detecting means for detecting at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching device;

monitoring means for monitoring at least one of states of turn-on and turn-off of the voltage drive switching device based on the at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching device detected by the detecting means; and

control means for controlling a gate of the voltage drive switching device based on a monitoring result of the monitoring means,

wherein each of the detecting means and the monitoring means comprises deciding means for deciding completion of turnoff of the voltage drive switching device based on a gate voltage of the voltage drive switching device, and the control means comprises bias shift means for shifting a gate voltage of the voltage drive switching device to the negative side when the deciding means determines completion of turn-off of the voltage drive switching device.

2. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means comprises a switching element which goes into an on-state and determines completion of turn-off of the voltage drive switching device when the gate voltage is less than a predetermined value.

3. The power converter according to claim 2, further comprising:

a second switching element which is in an on-state only when the voltage drive switching device is on, and goes into an off-state upon being applied with a gate voltage; and

a gate resistor element which imparts a negative voltage to the gate of the voltage drive switching device from the second twitching element.

4. A power converter having a voltage drive switching device comprising:

detecting means for detecting at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching device;

monitoring means for monitoring at least one of states of turn-on and turn-off of the voltage drive switching device based on the at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching device detected by the detecting means; and

control means for controlling a gate of the voltage drive switching device based on a monitoring result of the monitoring means,

wherein the monitoring means comprises a switching element which goes into an on-state and determines completion of turn-off of the voltage device switching device when a higher one of a gate voltage and a voltage applied to a gate resistor element connected to the gate of the voltage drive switching device is lower than predetermined value.

5. The power converter according to claim, further comprising:

a second switching element, which is in an on-state when the first switching element is in an on-state; and

a gate resistor element which imparts a negative voltage to the gate of the voltage drive switching device through the second switching element.

6. A power converter having a voltage drive switching device comprising:

detecting means for detecting at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching device;

monitoring means for monitoring at least one of states of turn-on and turn-off of the voltage drive switching device based on the at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching device detected by the detecting means;

control means for controlling a gate of the voltage drive switching device based on a monitoring result of the monitoring means; and

self protecting means provided in parallel to the voltage drive switching device, for performing a protecting operation associated with a current flowing in the voltage drive switching device.

7. The power converter according to claim 6, wherein the gate further comprising:

reset means for resetting holding of a protecting operation of the self protecting means based on an external signal.

8. The power converter according to claim 6, further comprising:

reset means for resetting holding of a protecting operation of the self protecting means based on an internal signal in one of cases that protecting operation of the self protecting means is performed not more than a predetermined number of times and that consecutive protecting operations of the self protecting means are performed before a predetermined interval elapses, and based on an external signal in one of cases that protecting operation of the self protecting means is performed more than a predetermined number of times and that consecutive protecting operations of the self protecting means are performed after a predetermined interval elapses.

9. A power converter having at least a pair of voltage drive switching devices comprising;

detecting means for detecting at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the pair of voltage drive switching devices;

monitoring means for monitoring at least one of states of turn-on and turn-off of the pair of voltage drive switching devices based on the at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the pair of voltage drive switching devices detected by the detecting means; and

control means for controlling a gate of the pair of voltage drive switching devices based on a monitoring result of the monitoring means,

wherein the detecting means comprises means for detecting a current flowing in the pair of voltage drive switching devices; and

each of the monitoring means and the control means comprises means for controlling a dead time between turn-off of one of the pair of voltage drive switching devices and supply of an on-gate signal to the other one of the pair of voltage drive switching devices, to decrease when the current detected by the determining means exceeds a predetermined value, and to increase when the current detected by the determining means is smaller than the predetermined value.

10. A power converter having at least a pair of voltage drive switching devices comprising:

detecting means for detecting at least one at a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the pair of voltage drive switching devices;

monitoring means for monitoring at least one of states of turn-on and turn-off of the pair of voltage drive switching devices based on the at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the pair of voltage drive switching devices detected by the detecting means; and

control means for controlling a gate of the pair of voltage drive switching devices based on a monitoring result of the monitoring means,

wherein the detecting means comprises polarity determining means for determining a polarity of a current flowing in the pair of voltage drive switching devices based on an output signal of the detecting means; and

the control means comprises means for delaying supply of an on-gate signal to the pair of voltage drive switching devices for a predetermined period of time, based on a result by the polarity determining means, thereby increasing a dead time.

11. A power converter having at least a pair of voltage drive switching devices comprising:

detecting means for detecting at least one at a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the pair of voltage drive switching devices;

monitoring means for monitoring at least one of states of turn-on and turn-off of the pair of voltage drive switching devices based on the at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the pair of voltage drive switching devices detected by the detecting means; and

control means for controlling a gate of the pair of voltage drive switching devices based on a monitoring result of the monitoring means,

wherein the detecting means comprises a power supply current detector for detecting a current of a direct current power supply connected to the pair of voltage drive switching devices; and

each of the monitoring means and the control means comprises means for controlling a dead time between turn-off of one of the pair of voltage drive switching devices and supply of an on-gate signal to the other one of the pair of voltage drive switching devices, to decrease when the current detected by the determining means exceeds a predetermined value, and to increase when the current detected by the determining means is smaller than the predetermined value.

12. A power converter having at least a pair of voltage drive switching devices comprising:

detecting means for detecting at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the pair of voltage drive switching devices;

monitoring means for monitoring at least one of states of turn-on and turn-off of the pair of voltage drive switching devices based on the at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the pair of voltage drive switching devices detected by the detecting means; and

control means for controlling a gate of the pair of voltage drive switching devices based on a monitoring result of the monitoring means,

wherein the detecting means comprises an alternating current power detector for detecting an alternating current power of the pair of voltage drive switching devices; and

each of the monitoring means and the control means comprises means for controlling a dead time between turn-off of one of the pair of voltage drive switching devices and supply of an on-gate signal to the other one of the pair of voltage drive switching devices, to decrease when the current detected by the determining means exceeds a predetermined value, and to increase when the current detected by the determining means is smaller than the predetermined value.

13. A power converter having at least a pair of voltage drive switching devices comprising:

detecting means for detecting at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the pair of voltage drive switching devices;

monitoring means for monitoring at least one of states of turn-on and turn-off of the pair of voltage drive switching devices based on the at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the pair of voltage drive switching devices detected by the detecting means; and

control means for controlling a gate of the pair of voltage drive switching devices based on a monitoring result of the monitoring means,

wherein the detecting means comprises negative bias voltage detecting means for detecting a state that an absolute value of a gate negative bias voltage of the pair of voltage drive switching devices exceeds a predetermined value; and

each of the monitoring means and the control means comprises means for supplying an on-gate signal to one of the pair of voltage drive switching devices based on a conjugation of an output signal of the negative bias voltage detecting means and an on-gate signal of the other one of the pair of voltage drive switching devices which is an object for detection by one negative bias voltage detecting means.

14. A power converter having at least a pair of voltage drive switching devices comprising;

detecting means for detecting at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the pair of voltage drive switching devices;

monitoring means for monitoring at least one of states of turn-on and turn-off of the pair of voltage drive switching devices based on the at least one of set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the pair of voltage drive switching devices detected by the detecting means; and

control means for controlling a gate of the pair of voltage drive switching devices based on a monitoring result of the monitoring means,

wherein the detecting means comprises gate current detecting means for detecting when a negative gate current of the pair of voltage drive switching devices exceeds a predetermined value; and

each of the monitoring means and the control means comprises means for supplying a gate signal to one of the pair of voltage drive switching devices based on conjugation of an output signal of the gate current detecting means and an on-gate signal of the other one of the pair of voltage drive switching devices which is an object for detection by the negative bias voltage detecting means.

15. A power converter having a voltage drive switching device comprising:

detecting means for detecting at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching device;

monitoring means for monitoring at least one of states of turn-on and turn-off of the voltage drive switching device based on the at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching device detected by the detecting means;

control means for controlling a gate of the voltage drive switching device based on a monitoring result of the monitoring means;

self protecting means for performing a protecting operation associated with a current flowing in the voltage drive switching device;

self holding means for holding a protecting operation when the self protecting means is activated; and

reset means for resetting holding of a protecting operation of the self protecting means based on an external signal.

16. A power converter having a voltage drive switching device comprising:

detecting means for detecting at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching device;

monitoring means for monitoring at least one of states of turn-on and turn-off of the voltage drive switching device based on the at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching device detected by the detecting means;

control means for controlling a gate of the voltage drive switching device based on a monitoring result of the monitoring means;

self protecting means for performing a protecting operation associated with a current flowing in the voltage drive switching device;

self holding means for holding a protecting operation when the self protecting means is activated; and

reset means for resetting holding of a protecting operation of the self protecting means based on an internal signal in one of cases that protecting operation of the self protecting means is performed not more than a predetermined number of times and that consecutive protecting operations of the self protecting means are performed before a predetermined interval elapses, and based on an external signal in one of cases that protecting operation of the self protecting means is performed more than a predetermined number of times and that consecutive protecting operations of the self protecting means are performed after a predetermined interval elapses.

17. A power converter having a voltage drive switching device comprising:

detecting means for detecting at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching device;

monitoring means for monitoring at least one of states of turn-on and turn-off of the voltage drive switching device based on the at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching device detected by the detecting means; and

control means for controlling a gate of the voltage drive switching device based on a monitoring result of the monitoring means,

wherein the voltage drive switching device includes;

an electrode pressure-welded to the voltage drive switching device; and

an inductance element formed in a shape having features of a cylinder and a spiral, and provided between an end of the voltage switching device and the electrode.

18. A power converter having a voltage drive switching device comprising:

detecting means for detecting at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching device;

monitoring means for monitoring at least one of states of turn-on and turn-off of the voltage drive switching device based on the at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching device detected by the detecting means; and

control means for controlling a gate of the voltage drive switching device based on a monitoring result of the monitoring means,

wherein the voltage drive switching device includes;

an electrode pressure-welded to the voltage drive switching device; and

an inductance element formed in a shape having features of a quadrangular prism and a spiral, and provided between an end of the voltage switching device and the electrode.

19. A power converter having a voltage drive witching device comprising:

detecting means for detecting at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching device;

monitoring means for monitoring at least one of states of turn-on and turn-off of the voltage drive switching device based on the at least one of a set of device parameters and a set of electric parameters of the voltage drive switching device detected by the detecting means; and

control means for controlling a gate of the voltage drive switching device based on a monitoring result of the monitoring means,

wherein the voltage drive switching device includes;

an electrode pressure-welded to the voltage drive switching device; and

an inductance element formed in a spiral shape, and provided between an end of the voltage switching device and the electrode.