AC-DC converters with bi-directional thyristor valves

• US 6,587,362 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2002
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John J. Vithayathil
• Original Assignee: John J. Vithayathil
• Inventors: Vithayathil, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US10/150,775
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 363/39, 363/44, 363/45, 363/52, 363/53, 363/54, 363/84, 363/85, 363/125, 363/128
• US Class Current: 363/128
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/162 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/2195 the switches being synchronously commutated at the same frequency of the AC input voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/521 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

An ac-dc converter using bi-directional thyristor valves made up of back-to-back connected thyristors as converter valves. The bi-directional thyristor valves permit operation of the converter as a rectifier or an inverter with both polarities of the voltage across the dc terminals of the converter. The bi-directional valves can be used to prevent the reversal of the polarity of the dc voltage across the dc terminals of the converter or to minimize the magnitude of the reverse voltage. The bi-directional thyristor valves can be used to provide protection against overvoltage across the converter valves and eliminate or reduce the energy rating of converter valve arresters. AC-DC converters could also be provided with some bi-directional thyristor valves as converter valves while retaining regular thyristor valves in other converter valve positions

Claims

1. An ac-dc converter with bi-directional thyristor valves made up of back-to-back connected thyristors as converter valves which could operate with two different polarities across its dc terminals by selecting one or the other of the back-to-back connected thyristors for ac-dc conversion in which protective firing of the back-to-back connected thyristors is used to protect overvoltages of both polarities across the bi-directional thyristor valves.

2. An ac-dc converter with bi-directional thyristor valves made up of back-to-back connected thyristors as converter valves which could operate with two different polarities across its dc terminals by selecting one or the other of the back-to-back connected thyristors for a-dc conversion in which the thyristors of the bi-directional thyristor valves conducting in one direction are used for ac-dc conversion and the thyristors conducting in the opposite direction are used to eliminate, or to minimize the magnitude of, the reverse voltage across the dc terminals of the converter.

3. An ac-dc converter with bi-directional thyristor valves made up of back-to-back connected thyristors as converter valves and at least one conventional thyrisor valve as converter valve in which protective firing of the back-to-back connected thyristors is used to protect against overvoltages of both polarities across the bi-directional thyristor valves.

4. An ac-dc converter with bi-directional thyristor valves made up of back-to-back connected thyristors as converter valves and at least one conventional thyristor valve as converter valve in which the thyristors of the bi-directional thyristor valves conducting in one direction are used for ac-dc conversion and the thyristors conducting in the opposite direction are used to eliminate, or to minimize the magnitude of, the reverse voltage across the dc terminals of the converter.