Voltage source converter with switching cell bypass arrangement

• US 8,614,904 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2008
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Energy Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Ltd.)
• Inventors: Norrga, Staffan, Jonsson, Tomas U.
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane, Adolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): Quddus, Nusrat
• Application Number:
  US12/933,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20110044082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,105 Days
• Field of Search: 363/16, 363/17, 363/34, 363/35, 363/37, 363/56.01, 363/56.02, 363/56.05, 363/56.12, 363/58, 363/81, 363/95, 363/98, 363/125, 363/127, 363/131, 363/132, 363136-138
• US Class Current: 363/127
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/007 Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/325 with means for allowing continuous operation despite a fault, i.e. fault tolerant converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/483 Converters with outputs that each can have more than two voltages levels
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/4835 comprising two or more cells, each including a switchable capacitor, the capacitors having a nominal charge voltage which corresponds to a given fraction of the input voltage, and the capacitors being selectively connected in series to determine the instantaneous output voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/49 Combination of the output voltage waveforms of a plurality of converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/5388 with asymmetrical configuration of switches
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

A Voltage Source Converter having at least one phase leg connected to opposite poles of a direct voltage side of the converter and including a series connection of switching cells has an arrangement configured to apply a pressure to opposite ends of stacks of semiconductor assemblies for pressing the assemblies towards each other so as to obtain electric contact between semiconductor assemblies in the stack while ensuring that the semiconductor assemblies of a first path of each switching cell of the converter go into a permanently closed circuit state in case of a failure of the respective switching cell. A second path of each switching cell has a member configured to keep the second path including an energy storing capacitor non-conducting upon occurrence of the failure.

Claims

1. A multi-cell converter having at least one phase leg connecting to opposite poles of a direct voltage side of the converter and comprising a series connection of switching cells, each said switching cell having at least two current paths between first and second terminals thereof with a first current path formed by one or more first semiconductor assemblies connected in series and having each a semiconductor device of turn-off type and a free-wheeling diode connected in parallel therewith, and a second path including a series connection of on one hand at least one second semiconductor assembly having a semiconductor device of turn-off type and a free-wheeling diode connected in parallel therewith and on the other at least one energy storing capacitor, a mid point of said series connection of switching cells forming a phase output being configured to be connected to an alternating voltage side of the converter, wherein said first semiconductor assemblies of said switching cells are arranged in stacks comprising each at least one semiconductor assembly, the converter comprises an arrangement configured to obtain electric contact through semiconductor assemblies in said stack while ensuring that the semiconductor assemblies of said first path go into a permanently closed circuit state in case of a failure of the respective switching cell, and said second path of each switching cell has a member configured to keep said second path non-conducting upon occurrence of said failure.

2. The converter according to claim 1, wherein said member is configured to interconnect the second semiconductor assembly in said second path and configured to break and by that transfer said second path into an open circuit state upon occurrence of said failure.

3. The converter according to claim 2, wherein said member comprises at least one wire bonded the second semiconductor assembly to each other and configured to fuse and electrically disconnect said second semiconductor assembly by an over-current through this wire upon occurrence of said failure.

4. The converter according to claim 1, wherein said member is connected in series with said energy storing capacitor in said second path and configured to burn through by an over-current resulting in said second path therethrough upon occurrence of said failure.

5. The converter according to claim 4, wherein said member is a fuse.

6. The converter according to claim 1, wherein said member is connected in series with said energy storing capacitor in said second path and configured to mechanically interrupt said second path therethrough upon occurrence of said failure.

9. The converter according to claim 1, wherein each said switching cell has N said first semiconductor assemblies following upon each other in said stack, in which N is an integer ≦

2 or ≦

4.

10. The converter according to claim 1, wherein the number of the switching cells of said phase leg is ≦

4, ≦

12, ≦

30 or ≦

50.

11. The converter according to claim 1, wherein semiconductor devices of the switching cell assemblies are IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor), IGCTs (Integrated Gate Commutated Thyristor) or GTOs (Gate Turn-Off Thyristor).

12. The converter according to claim 1, wherein it is configured to have said direct voltage side connected to a direct voltage network for transmitting High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) and the alternating voltage side connected to an alternating voltage phase line belonging to an alternating voltage network.

13. The converter according to claim 1, wherein it is a part of a SVC (Static Var Compensator) with a direct voltage side formed by said energy storing capacitors of the switching cells and the alternating voltage phase output connected to an alternating voltage network.

14. The converter according to claim 1, wherein it is configured to have a direct voltage across said two poles being 1 kV-1200 kV, 10 kV-1200 kV or 100 kV-1200 kV.

15. A plant for transmitting electric power comprising a direct voltage network and at least one alternating voltage network connected thereto through a station, said station being adapted to perform transmitting of electric power between the direct voltage network and the alternating voltage network and comprises at least one multi-cell converter adapted to convert direct voltage into alternating voltage and conversely, wherein in that said station of the plant comprises a multi-cell converter according to claim 1.

16. The converter according to claim 2, wherein said arrangement comprises a structure configured to apply a spring loaded pressure to each said stack urging the two ends of the stack towards each other while releasing potential energy stored in members of said structure.

17. The converter according to claim 2, wherein each said switching cell has N said first semiconductor assemblies following upon each other in a said stack, in which N is an integer ≦

2 or ≦

4.

18. The converter according to claim 2, wherein the number of the switching cells of said phase leg is ≦

4, ≦

12, ≦

30 or ≦

50.

19. The converter according to claim 2, wherein semiconductor devices of the switching cell assemblies are IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor), IGCTs (Integrated Gate Commutated Thyristor) or GTOs (Gate Turn-Off Thyristor).

20. The converter according to claim 2, wherein it is configured to have said direct voltage side connected to a direct voltage network for transmitting High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) and the alternating voltage side connected to an alternating voltage phase line belonging to an alternating voltage network.

21. The converter according to claim 2, wherein one end of the member is directly connected to the second terminal of the respective switching cell and said stack, and the other end of the member is directed connected to the second semiconductor assembly.

22. The converter according to claim 21, wherein the stack, the member and the second semiconductor assembly are connected in series in this order, and the second terminal is directly connected to a point between the stack and the member.

7. A multi-cell converter having at least one phase leg connecting to opposite poles of a direct voltage side of the converter and comprising a series connection of switching cells, each said switching cell having at least two current paths between two terminals thereof with a first current path formed by one or more first semiconductor assemblies connected in series and having each a semiconductor device of turn-off type and a free-wheeling diode connected in parallel therewith, and a second path including a series connection of on one hand at least one second semiconductor assembly having a semiconductor device of turn-off type and a free-wheeling diode connected in parallel therewith and on the other at least one energy storing capacitor, a mid point of said series connection of switching cells forming a phase output being configured to be connected to an alternating voltage side of the converter, wherein said first semiconductor assemblies of said switching cells are arranged in stacks comprising each at least one semiconductor assembly, the converter comprises an arrangement configured to obtain electric contact through semiconductor assemblies in said stack while ensuring that the semiconductor assemblies of said first path go into a permanently closed circuit state in case of a failure of the respective switching cell, and said second path of each switching cell has a member configured to keep said second path non-conducting upon occurrence of said failure,

wherein said arrangement comprises a structure configured to apply a spring loaded pressure to each said stack urging the two ends of the stack towards each other while releasing potential energy stored in members of said structure.

8. The converter according to claim 7, wherein said members storing potential energy are springs acting on at least one end of each said stack.