Power converter system

• US 6,845,020 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2003
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rhombus Energy Solutions, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ballard Power Systems Corporation (Superior Plus Corporation)
• Inventors: Raceu, Dumitru D., Harmon, Kent M., Deng, Duo
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MATTHEW VAN
• Application Number:
  US10/453,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20040027839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 363/34, 363/35, 363/37, 318792-811
• US Class Current: 363/37
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/062 for AC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/4585 having a rectifier with controlled elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/10 Applications of fuel cells in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

A power conversion system which comprises a controller and conversion assemblies which selectively rectify and invert an electrical signal. Conversion assemblies comprise a plurality of integrated gate bipolar transistor assemblies. The power conversion system is effective to convert DC current to AC current, to convert AC current to DC current, and to control the output frequency of a received electrical signal to a conventional operating range.

Claims

1. A power converter, comprising:

a first power conversion assembly comprising a number of switching transistors and a number of diodes, the switching transistors and the diodes electrically coupled in a first circuit configuration;

a second power conversion assembly comprising a number of switching transistors and a number of diodes, the number of switching transistors and the number of diodes in the second power conversion assembly being equal to the number of switching transistors and the number of diodes in the first power conversion assembly, the switching transistors and the diodes electrically coupled in a second circuit configuration, the second circuit configuration being the same as the first circuit configuration;

a power bus electrically coupling the first and the second power conversion assemblies;

at least one controller coupled to control at least one of the first and the second power conversion assemblies, wherein the first and the second circuit configurations are such that the first and the second power conversion assemblies are each operable as at least two of an AC to DC rectifier, a DC to AC inverter, and a DC to DC converter dependent on a set of control signals provided by the controller to control the operation of the switching transistors;

a first contactor assembly electrically coupled between a first interface assembly and the first power conversion assembly; and

a second contactor assembly electrically coupled between a second interface assembly and the second power conversion assembly.

2. The power converter of claim 1, further comprising:

a first inductor assembly electrically coupled between the first contactor assembly and the first power conversion assembly; and

a second inductor assembly electrically coupled between the second contactor assembly and the second power conversion assembly.

3. The power converter of claim 2, further comprising:

a first filter assembly electrically coupled between the first contactor assembly and the first inductor assembly; and

a second filter assembly electrically coupled between the second contactor assembly and the second inductor assembly.

4. The power converter of claim 3, further comprising:

a first transformer electrically coupled between the first contactor assembly and the first filter assembly; and

a second transformer electrically coupled between the second contactor assembly and the second filter assembly.

5. The power converter of claim 4, further comprising:

a first voltage sensor assembly electrically coupled between the first contactor assembly and the first transformer; and

a second voltage sensor assembly electrically coupled between the second contactor assembly and the second transformer.

6. The power converter of claim 3 wherein the controller provides a first set of control signals to operate the first power conversion assembly as an AC to DC rectifier and a second set of control signals to operate the second power conversion assembly as a DC to AC inverter.

7. The power converter of claim 3 wherein the controller provides a first set of control signals to operate the first power conversion assembly as a DC to DC converter and a second set of control signals to operate the second power conversion assembly as a DC to AC inverter.

8. The power converter of claim 3 wherein the controller provides a first set of control signals to operate the first power conversion assembly as an active rectifier.

9. The power converter of claim 3 wherein the controller provides a first set of control signals to operate the first power conversion assembly as a passive rectifier.

10. A power converter, comprising:

a first interface assembly electrically couplable to at least one of a first load and a first source;

a second interface assembly electrically couplable to at least one of a second load and a second source;

a DC power bus;

a first power conversion assembly electrically coupled between the first interface assembly and the DC power bus, the first power conversion assembly comprising three switching assemblies, each of the switching assemblies comprising a pair of switching transistors and a pair of diodes, each of the diodes electrically coupled across a respective one of the switching transistors;

a second power conversion assembly electrically coupled between the second interface assembly and the DC power bus, the second power conversion assembly comprising three switching assemblies, each of the switching assemblies comprising a pair of switching transistors and a pair of diodes, each of the diodes electrically coupled across a respective one of the switching transistors; and

at least one controller coupled to control operation of the switching transistors of at least one of the first and the second power conversion assemblies.

11. The power converter of claim 10, further comprising:

a first inductor assembly electrically coupled between the first interface assembly and the first power conversion assembly; and

a second inductor assembly electrically coupled between the second interface assembly and the second power conversion assembly.

12. The power converter of claim 10, further comprising:

a first filter assembly electrically coupled between the first interface assembly and the first power conversion assembly; and

a second filter assembly electrically coupled between the second interface assembly and the second power conversion assembly.

13. The power converter of claim 10, further comprising:

a first transformer electrically coupled between the first interface assembly and the first power conversion assembly; and

a second transformer electrically coupled between the second interface assembly and the second power conversion assembly.

14. The power converter of claim 10, further comprising:

a first transformer electrically coupled between the first interface assembly and the first power conversion assembly;

a second transformer electrically coupled between the second interface assembly and the second power conversion assembly;

a first contactor assembly electrically coupled between the first interface assembly and the first transformer; and

a second contactor assembly electrically coupled between the second interface assembly and the second transformer.

15. The power converter of claim 10, further comprising:

a first transformer electrically coupled between the first interface assembly and the first power conversion assembly;

a second transformer electrically coupled between the second interface assembly and the second power conversion assembly;

a first contactor assembly electrically coupled between the first interface assembly and the first transformer;

a second contactor assembly is electrically coupled between the second interface assembly and the second transformer;

a first voltage sensor assembly electrically coupled between the first transformer and the first contactor assembly; and

a second voltage sensor assembly electrically coupled between the second transformer and the second contactor assembly.

16. The power converter of claim 10, further comprising:

a number of capacitors electrically coupled across the DC power bus between the first and the second power conversion assemblies.

17. The power converter of claim 10 wherein the first interface assembly comprises at least three terminals.

18. The power converter of claim 10, further comprising:

an energy storage device electrically couplable to the DC power bus to supply power thereto.

19. The power converter of claim 10, further comprising:

at least one internal load; and

a hotel power supply electrically couplable to the DC power bus to supply power therefrom to the at least one internal load.

20. The power converter of claim 10 wherein the first power conversion assembly is selectively operable by the controller alternatively as a passive rectifier and an active rectifier.

21. A power converter, comprising:

a first power conversion assembly comprising a number of switching transistors and a number of diodes, the switching transistors and the diodes electrically coupled in a first circuit configuration;

a second power conversion assembly comprising a number of switching transistors and a number of diodes, the switching transistors and the diodes electrically coupled in a second circuit configuration;

a power bus electrically coupling the first and the second power conversion assemblies; and

at least one controller coupled to control at least one of the first and the second power conversion assemblies;

a first contactor assembly operable to electrically couple the first power conversion assembly to a first one of a load and a source;

a second contactor assembly operable to electrically couple the second power conversion assembly to a second one of the load and the source;

a first transformer assembly electrically coupled between the first contactor assembly and the first power conversion assembly;

a second transformer assembly electrically coupled between the second contactor assembly and the second power conversion assembly.

22. The power converter of claim 21, further comprising:

a first voltage sensor assembly electrically coupled between the first contactor assembly and the first transformer assembly; and

a second voltage sensor assembly electrically coupled between the second contactor assembly and the second transformer assembly.

23. The power converter of claim 22 wherein the second circuit configuration is the same as the first circuit configuration.

24. A method of operating a first power conversion assembly and a second power conversion assembly electrically coupled to the first power conversion assembly, the method comprising:

providing a first power conversion assembly having a first electrical configuration and capable of operation as at least a rectifier and an inverter;

providing a second power conversion assembly having a second electrical configuration that matches the first electrical configuration and capable of operation as at least a rectifier and an inverter, the second power conversion assembly electrically coupled to the first power conversion assembly;

providing a controller coupled to control at least one of the first and the second power conversion assemblies;

at a first time, operating at least one of the first and the second power conversion assemblies as one of the rectifier and the inverter in response to a first set of control signals provided by the controller; and

at a second time, operating the at least one of the first and the second power conversion assemblies as the other one of the rectifier and the inverter in response to a second set of control signals provided by the controller.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

providing a first set of instructions to provide signals to operate the first power conversion assembly as the rectifier at the first time.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

providing a first set of instructions to provide signals to operate the first power conversion assembly as the inverter at the second time.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

providing a first set of instructions to provide signals to operate the first power conversion assembly as the rectifier and to operate the second power conversion assembly as the inverter at the first time.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

providing a second set of instructions to provide signals to operate the first power conversion assembly as the inverter and to operate the second power conversion assembly as the rectifier at the second time.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

providing a first set of instructions to provide signals to operate the first power conversion assembly as the inverter and to operate the second power conversion assembly as the rectifier at the first time.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

providing a second set of instructions to provide signals to operate the first power conversion assembly as the rectifier and to operate the second power conversion assembly as the inverter at the second time.