Frequency converter voltage pulse shaping device and method

• US 8,228,698 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2008
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Danfoss Drives OY
• Original Assignee: Vacon Oyj (Danfoss A/S)
• Inventors: Rauma, Kimmo, Hortans, Magnus, Sarén, Hannu, Ström, Juha-Pekka
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE III, HENRY E
• Application Number:
  US12/153,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20080316780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 363/40, 363/41, 363/46, 363/58, 363/98, 363/131, 363/132
• US Class Current: 363/98
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/126 using passive filters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/53873 with digital control

Abstract

The shape of the rising and falling edges of AC output voltage pulses of a PWM frequency converter is controlled by reducing a speed of change, and a height, of the AC output voltage pulse. The PWM frequency converter rectifies the alternating voltage of a supply network into a DC voltage which is filtered. A load bridge having power semiconductor phase switches forms an AC output voltage from the DC voltage for controlling the load. An average speed of voltage change of AC output voltage pulses is set using a phase switch to control at least one power component to be conductive and non-conductive in turn for a period of at least about one microsecond to change a pulse edge of the AC output voltage pulses into at least one micropulse, the width of which is controlled to increase towards a final state of the phase switch.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the shape of the rising and falling edges of AC output voltage pulses of a PWM frequency converter by reducing a speed of change of, and a height of, the AC output voltage pulse, in which the PWM frequency converter is a network bridge for rectifying the alternating voltage of the supply network into a DC voltage (U_DC) of a DC intermediate circuit, which is filtered with a filtering capacitor (C_DC), a load bridge comprised of phase switches implemented with power semiconductor components, which forms an AC output voltage (U, V, W) from the DC voltage of the intermediate circuit for controlling the load (M),

comprising setting an average speed of voltage change of the AC output voltage pulses of at least one power component by using one of said phase switch to control the at least one power component to be conductive and non-conductive in turn for a period of at least about one microsecond to change a pulse edge of the AC output voltage pulses into at least one micropulse, and

wherein the width of the at least one micropulse is controlled to increase towards a final state of said phase switch.

2. The method according to claim 1,

further comprising controlling the at least one power component by using the phase switch to be conductive and non-conductive in turn for a period of several microsecond to change a pulse edge of the AC output voltage pulses into a plurality of micropulses, and

wherein the width of AC voltage pulse which has the plurality of said micropulses changes linearly towards a final stage of the phase switch.

3. Method according to claim 2,

further comprising setting the number of micropulses and the period of time during which they are used.

4. Method according to claim 2,

further comprising using only the number of micropulses to control power component which has an effect on the status of the AC output voltage.

14. The method according to claim 2,

further comprising setting a number of the plurality of micropulses and the period of time during which they are used.

15. The method according to claim 2,

further comprising using the plurality of micropulses only in the control of that at least one power component which has an effect on the status of the output voltage.

16. The method according to claim 3,

further comprising using the plurality of micropulses only in the control of a component which has an effect on the status of the output voltage.

5. An apparatus for controlling the shape of the rising and falling edges of AC output voltage pulses of a PWM frequency converter by reducing a speed of change of, and a height of, the AC output voltage pulses, in which the PWM frequency converter is a network bridge for rectifying an alternating voltage of a supply network into a DC voltage (U_DC) of a DC intermediate circuit, which is filtered with a filtering capacitor (C_DC), a load bridge comprised of phase switches implemented with power semiconductor components, which forms an AC output voltage (U, V, W) from the DC voltage of the intermediate circuit for controlling the load (M), and a control unit,

comprising one of said phase switches for setting an average speed of voltage change of the AC output voltage pulses of at least one power component to control the at least one power component to be conductive and non-conductive in turn for a period of at least about one microsecond to change a pulse edge of the AC output voltage pulses into at least one micropulse, and

wherein the width of the at least one micropulse is controlled to increase towards a final state of said phase switch.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the phase switch is adapted to control the at least one power component to be conductive and non-conductive in turn for a period of about several microseconds to change a pulse edge of the AC output voltage pulses into a plurality of micropulses;

and

wherein the width of the AC voltage pulses which have the plurality of said micropulses changes linearly towards a final stage of the phase switch.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is adapted to set the number of micropulses and the period of time during which they are used.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the control unit is adapted to use the at least one micropulse only in the control of at least one power component which has an effect on the status of the output voltage.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5,

further comprising a filter containing passive components for filtering voltages of the at least one micropulse into a final output voltage of the PWM frequency converter.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9,

further comprising a filter containing passive components for filtering a voltage of the at least one micropulse into a final output voltage of the PWM frequency converter, and

wherein the filter comprises a switch implemented with diodes (D₁, D₂), for leading switching energy of the filter to an energy-storing capacitor (C_s).

11. The apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the at least one power component controlled by the phase switch comprises a power FET (power field-effect transistor).

12. The apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the at least one power component controlled by the phase switch comprises an IGBT transistor with silicon carbide (SiC).

13. The apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the phase switch has a zero diode which comprises silicon carbide (SiC).

17. The apparatus according to claim 6,

further comprising setting a number of micropulses and the period of time during which they are used.

18. The apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the control unit is adapted to use the micropulses only in the control of that the at least one power component which has an effect on the status of the output voltage.

19. The apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the control unit is adapted to use the micropulses only in the control of at least one power component which has an effect on the status of the output voltage.

20. The apparatus according to claim 6,

further comprising a filter containing passive components, for filtering voltages of the micropulses into final AC output voltage of the PWM frequency converter.