Converter and power converter that becomes it with the converter

• US 7,839,663 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2008
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Appliances Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takahiro, Tanaka, Chikara, Ando, Tatsuo, Kurita, Yoshiaki, Iwaji, Yoshitaka, Notohara, Yasuo, Endo, Tsunehiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Bao Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang; Jue
• Application Number:
  US12/335,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20090135630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: 363/37, 363/146, 439/76.2, 361760-775, 361/790, 257690-692, 257685-686
• US Class Current: 363/37
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0012 Control circuits using digital or numerical techniques in DC/DC converters H02M3/157, H02M3/33515; in DC-AC converters H02M7/53873
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/4585 having a rectifier with controlled elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections

Abstract

A converter includes a converter circuit 1 having a plurality of bridge-connected semiconductor switching devices for converting AC power into DC power, a smoothing condenser connected in parallel to the DC side of the converter circuit and a current detector provided in a condenser circuit to control a condenser current flowing through the smoothing condenser to be a set value. The condenser current is controlled to be the set value (e.g. zero) to thereby reduce the capacity of the smoothing condenser and make the converter small.

Claims

1. A power converter of packaged type comprising

a main circuit board in which two sets of power converter circuits each including a plurality of bridge-connected semiconductor switching devices are connected to each other through a DC circuit, a controller board in which a controller for controlling said plurality of semiconductor switching devices for said two sets of power converter circuits is formed and a package in which said main circuit board is provided and on which said controller board is placed to connect therebetween,

said package including two sets of AC terminals connected to said two sets of power converter circuits, respectively, an external terminal for a smoothing condenser connected in parallel to said DC circuit and an external terminal connected to said controller, all said terminals being disposed at periphery of said package,

said main circuit board including at least two current detectors for detecting a DC current flowing through said external terminal for said smoothing condenser and DC currents in said power converter circuits,

wherein said controller includes decision means for deciding an AC terminal connected to an AC power supply on the basis of a detected current of said at least one current detector and means for controlling to operate said power converter circuit connected to said AC power supply as a converter and to operate the other power converter circuit as an inverter on the basis of decision result of said decision means.

3. A power converter of packaged type according to claim 1, wherein said controller includes current calculation means for calculating a current in a part where said current detector is not provided on the basis of two detected current values detected by said two current detectors.

4. A power converter of packaged type according to claim 1, wherein said controller controls said plurality of semiconductor switching devices for one of said two sets of power converter circuits so that said DC current flowing through the external terminal for said smoothing condenser is controlled to be a set value.

5. A power converter of packaged type according to claim 1, wherein said at least two current detectors each include a shunt resistor.

6. A power converter of packaged type according to claim 5, wherein said at least two shunt resistors each have one terminal connected to the same potential.

7. An air-conditioner comprising said power converter of packaged type according to claim 1 and a motor of a compressor that is driven by said power converter.

2. A power converter of packaged type comprising

a main circuit board in which two sets of power converter circuits each including a plurality of bridge-connected semiconductor switching devices are connected to each other through a DC circuit, a controller board in which a controller for controlling said plurality of semiconductor switching devices for said two sets of power converter circuits is formed and a package in which said main circuit board is provided and on which said controller board is placed to connect therebetween,

said package including two sets of AC terminals connected to said two sets of power converter circuits, respectively, an external terminal for a smoothing condenser connected in parallel to said DC circuit and an external terminal connected to said controller, all said terminals being disposed at periphery of said package,

said main circuit board including at least two current detectors for detecting a DC current flowing through said external terminal for said smoothing condenser and DC currents in said power converter circuits,

wherein said controller includes decision means for deciding an AC terminal connected to an AC power supply on the basis of a detected current of said at least one current detector after said semiconductor switching devices of lower arms for one of said two sets of power converter circuits are turned on and means for controlling to operate said power converter circuit connected to said AC power supply as a converter and to operate the other power converter circuit as an inverter on the basis of decision result of said decision means.

8. A power converter of packaged type according to claim 2, wherein said controller includes current calculation means for calculating a current in a part where said current detector is not provided on the basis of two detected current values detected by said two current detectors.

9. A power converter of packaged type according to claim 2, wherein said controller controls said plurality of semiconductor switching devices for one of said two sets of power converter circuits so that said DC current flowing through the external terminal for said smoothing condenser is controlled to be a set value.

10. A power converter of packaged type according to claim 2, wherein said at least two current detectors each include a shunt resistor.

11. A power converter of packaged type according to claim 10, wherein said at least two shunt resistors each have one terminal connected to the same potential.

12. An air-conditioner comprising said power converter of packaged type according to claim 2 and a motor of a compressor that is driven by said power converter.