Power converter having first and second power conversion units with thyristors

• US 6,125,045 A
• Filed: 08/24/1999
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishikawa, Hiroyuki, Nakajima, Kihei, Irokawa, Shoichi, Uchino, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Riley, Shawn
• Application Number:
  US09/379,916
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 363/34, 363/35, 363/36, 363/37
• US Class Current: 363/37
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/4505 having a rectifier with controlled elements

Abstract

A power converter includes first and second power conversion units that are connected to each other by a d.c. reactor. The first power conversion unit is a converter in which arms consisting of thyristors are connected in a bridge configuration. The second power conversion unit is an inverter in which arms each of a series combination of a thyristor and a self-excited switch unit having a GTO for producing a commutation voltage for the thyristor are connected in a bridge configuration.

Claims

1. A power converter comprising first and second power conversion units that are connected to each other by a d.c. reactor,

wherein the first power conversion unit has arms consisting of thyristors connected in a bridge configuration, and the second power conversion unit comprises a thyristor-based conversion unit consisting of thyristors and a self-excited conversion unit having self-extinguishing semiconductor devices for producing a commutation voltage for the thyristor-based conversion unit, and the thyristors and the self-extinguishing semiconductor devices are connected in series to form arms, the arms being connected in a bridge configuration.

2. A power converter comprising first and second power conversion units that are connected to each other by a d.c. reactor,

wherein at least one of the first and second power conversion units comprises a thyristor-based conversion unit and a self-excited conversion unit having self-extinguishing semiconductor devices for producing a commutation voltage for the thyristor-based conversion unit, the self-excited conversion unit comprises a plurality of self-excited switch units, and

wherein each of the self-excited switch units comprises:

a first series combination of a first self-extinguishing semiconductor device and a first diode,

a second series combination of a second diode and a second self-extinguishing semiconductor device, the second series combination being connected in parallel with the first series combination, and

a capacitor connected between a connection point between the first diode and the first self-extinguishing semiconductor device and a connection point between the second diode and the second self-extinguishing semiconductor device.

3. A power converter comprising first and second power conversion units that are connected to each other by a d.c. reactor,

wherein at least one of the first and second power conversion units comprises a thyristor-based conversion unit and a self-excited conversion unit having self-extinguishing semiconductor devices for producing a commutation voltage for the thyristor-based conversion unit,

wherein the self-excited conversion unit comprises a plurality of self-excited switch units, and each of the self-excited switch units comprises:

a first series combination of a first self-extinguishing semiconductor device and a first diode,

a second series combination of a second diode and a second self-extinguishing semiconductor device, the second series combination being connected in parallel with the first series combination,

a capacitor connected between a connection point between the first diode and the first self-extinguishing semiconductor device and a connection point between the second diode and the second self-extinguishing semiconductor device,

a third diode connected in antiparallel connection with the first self-extinguishing semiconductor device, and

a fourth diode connected in antiparallel connection with the second self-extinguishing semiconductor device.

4. The power converter according to claim 3, wherein the first power conversion unit has converter control means for performing gate control to converter operate the first power conversion unit, and the second power conversion unit has inverter control means for performing gate control to inverter operate the second conversion unit.

5. The power converter according to claim 4, wherein the inverter control means comprises means for, on the basis of the phase of a.c. voltage of the first or second power conversion unit, in commutation from an arm in conduction to an arm to be conducted next, turning on simultaneously the self-excited conversion unit and the thyristor-based conversion unit in the arm to be conducted next at a time at which a backward voltage is applied across the conducting arm and, at the same time, turning off the self-excited conversion unit in the conducting arm.

6. A power converter comprising first and second power conversion units that are connected to each other by a d.c. reactor, wherein each of the first and second power conversion units comprises a thyristor-based conversion unit consisting of thyristors and a self-excited conversion unit having self-extinguishing semiconductor devices for producing a commutation voltage for the thyristor-based conversion unit, and the thyristors and the self-extinguishing semiconductor devices are connected in series to form arms, the arms being connected in a bridge configuration.

7. The power converter according to claim 6, wherein each of the first and second power conversion units has inverter control means for performing gate control to inverter operate each of the first and second conversion units.

8. The power converter according to claim 7, wherein the inverter control means comprises means for, on the basis of the phase of a.c. voltage of the first or second power conversion unit, in commutation from an arm in conduction to an arm to be conducted next, turning on simultaneously the self-excited conversion unit and the thyristor-based conversion unit in the arm to be conducted next at a time at which a backward voltage is applied across the conducting arm and, at the same time, turning off the self-excited conversion unit in the conducting arm.

9. The power converter according to claim 6, wherein the self-excited conversion unit comprises means for, on the basis of the phase of a.c. voltage of the first or second power conversion unit, in commutation from an arm in conduction to an arm to be conducted next, turning on simultaneously the self-excited conversion unit and the thyristor-based conversion unit in the arm to be conducted next at a time at which a backward voltage is applied across the conducting arm and, at the same time, turning off the self-excited conversion unit in the conducting arm.

10. A power converter comprising first and second power conversion units that are connected to each other by a d.c. reactor,

wherein the first power conversion unit is connected with a first transformer, the second power conversion unit is connected with a second transformer, each of the first and second power conversion units comprises a thyristor-based conversion unit consisting of thyristors and a self-excited conversion unit having self-extinguishing semiconductor devices for producing a commutation voltage of the thyristor-based conversion unit, and the thyristors and the self-extinguishing semiconductor devices are connected in series to form arms, the arms being connected in a bridge configuration.

11. The power converter according to claim 10, wherein each of the first and second power conversion units has inverter control means for performing gate control to inverter operate each of the first and second conversion units.

12. The power converter according to claim 11, wherein the inverter control means comprises means for, on the basis of the phase of a.c. voltage of the first or second power conversion unit, in commutation from an arm in conduction to an arm to be conducted next, turning on simultaneously the self-excited conversion unit and the thyristor-based conversion unit in the arm to be conducted next at a time at which a backward voltage is applied across the conducting arm and, at the same time, turning off the self-excited conversion unit in the conducting arm.

13. The power converter according to claim 10, wherein each of the first and second transformers has a plurality of single-phase transformers, the primary windings of the single-phase transformers are connected in a star configuration, and the secondary windings of the single-phase transformers are connected at their one ends with a.c. terminals of the thyristor-based conversion unit and at their other ends with a.c. terminals of the self-excited conversion unit.

14. The power converter according to claim 10, wherein each of the first and second transformers has a multi-phase transformer having its primary winding connected in a star configuration and its secondary windings separated, and the secondary windings of the transformer are connected at their one ends with a.c. terminals of the thyristor-based conversion unit and at their other ends with a.c. terminals of the self-excited conversion unit.