Power conversion circuit having fault protection and voltage balance functions

• US 9,692,293 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2014
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Limited (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Zhang, Fan, Wu, Tao, Qin, Laigui, Hao, Xin, Zhang, Ying, Zhang, Yingqi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gblende, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Singh, David A.
• Application Number:
  US14/323,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20150009729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 363 13, 363 50, 363 52, 363 53, 363 55, 363 5601, 363 5605, 363 5609, 363 561, 363 5611, 363 5612, 361 1, 361 88, 361 911, 361 912, 361 915, 361 916, 361 917, 361 92, 361 931, 361 935, 361 937, 361 939
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/1203 Circuits independent of the type of conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/325 with means for allowing continuous operation despite a fault, i.e. fault tolerant converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/107 in composite switches

Abstract

A circuit includes a switching module, a control module, and a driving module. The driving module is electrically coupled between the control module and the switching module for generating a driving signal. The driving module includes a normal driving unit and a fault protection unit. The normal driving unit is for turning on and off the switching module according to a first command signal from the control module. The fault protection unit is for lowering the driving signal from a driving value to a protection value according to a second command signal from the control module during a fault protection period after the control module receives a fault signal.

Claims

1. A circuit comprising:

a plurality of switching modules;

a control module;

a driving module electrically coupled between the control module and a corresponding one of the switching modules for generating a driving signal, the driving module comprising;

a normal driving unit for turning on and off the corresponding switching module according to a first command signal from the control module; and

a fault protection unit for lowering the driving signal from a driving value to a protection value according to a second command signal from the control module during a fault protection period after the control module receives a fault signal, and

a voltage balance module electrically coupled to the switching modules for injecting a current to a drive terminal of the switching module to balance voltage among the switching modules, the voltage balance module including a first resistance, a first capacitor, a second resistance, a second capacitor, and a diode, wherein;

first terminals of the first resistance, the first capacitor, the second resistance, and the second capacitor are electrically coupled with an anode of the diode;

second terminals of the first resistance and the first capacitor are electrically coupled with a collector of the switching module;

second terminals of the second resistance and the second capacitor are electrically coupled with an emitter of the switching module; and

a cathode of the diode is electrically coupled to a gate of the switching module.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the normal driving unit is further for providing the driving signal having a breaking value to the switching module to turn off the switching modules after the fault protection period, and the protection value is greater than the breaking value.

3. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the first command signal comprises a low-frequency component signal, the second command signal comprises a high-frequency component signal, the first command signal and the second command signal are combined as one command signal provided by the control module.

4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the fault protection unit comprises a voltage stabilizing element for clamping the driving signal from the driving value to the protection value.

5. The circuit of claim 4, wherein the fault protection unit further comprises a first switch for triggering the voltage stabilizing element to operate in a voltage stabilizing state according to the second command signal from the control module.

6. The circuit of claim 5, wherein the voltage stabilizing element comprises a first zener diode electrically coupled between the switching modules and the first switch.

7. The circuit of claim 6, wherein the driving signal is lowered step by step from the driving value to the protection value.

8. The circuit of claim 7, wherein the voltage stabilizing element comprises:

a plurality of second zener diodes electrically coupled to the first zener diode in series; and

a plurality of second switches, wherein each second switch is electrically coupled between two terminals of each second zener diode; and

wherein after the first switch is triggered to be operated in a turn-on state according to the second command signal, the plurality of second switches are successively turned on according to third command signals provided by the control module.

9. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the fault protection unit comprises a variable impedance element electrically coupled between the switching modules and the normal driving unit for lowering the driving signal from the driving value to the protection value.

10. The circuit of claim 9, wherein the variable impedance element comprises a resistance and a controllable switch electrically coupled with two terminals of the resistance, and the controllable switch is turned off when receiving the second command signal.

11. A power conversion circuit, comprising:

a control module;

a converter electrically coupled to the control module for converting a first power to a second power, and wherein the converter comprises;

a plurality of switching modules;

a driving module electrically coupled between the control module and a corresponding one of the switching modules for generating a driving signal, the driving module comprising;

a normal driving unit for turning on and off the corresponding switching module according to a first command signal from the control module;

a fault protection unit for lowering the driving signal from a driving value to a protection value according to a second command signal from the control module during a fault protection period after the control module receives a fault signal, and

a voltage balance module electrically coupled to the switching modules for injecting a current to a drive terminal of the switching module to balance voltage among the switching modules, the voltage balance module including a first resistance, a first capacitor, a second resistance, a second capacitor, and a diode,

wherein first terminals of the first capacitor, the first resistance, the second capacitor, and the second resistance are electrically coupled with an anode of the diode;

wherein second terminals of the first resistance and the first capacitor are electrically coupled with a collector of the switching module;

wherein second terminals of the second resistance the second capacitor are electrically coupled with an emitter of the switching; and

a cathode of the diode is electrically coupled to a gate of the switching module.

12. The power conversion circuit of claim 11, wherein the normal driving unit is further for providing the driving signal having a breaking value to the switching modules to turn off the switching modules after the fault protection period, and the protection value is greater than the breaking value.

13. The power conversion circuit of claim 11, wherein the fault protection unit comprises a voltage stabilizing element for clamping the driving signal from the driving value to the protection value.

14. The power conversion circuit of claim 11, wherein the fault protection unit comprises a variable impedance element electrically coupled between the switching modules and the normal driving unit for lowering the driving signal from the driving value to the protection value.

15. A power conversion circuit, comprising:

a control module;

a converter electrically coupled to the control module, the converter including a plurality of switching modules and a driving module electrically coupled to a corresponding one of the switching modules, the driving module having a normal driving unit for turning on and off a corresponding switching module according to a command signal from the control module; and

a voltage balance module electrically coupled to the switching modules for injecting a current to a drive terminal of the switching module to balance voltage among the switching modules, the voltage balance module including a first resistance, a first capacitor, a second resistance, a second capacitor, and a diode,

wherein second terminals of the first capacitor and first resistance are electrically coupled with a collector of a corresponding one of the switching modules;

wherein second terminals of the first resistance the first capacitor are electrically coupled with a collector of the corresponding one of the switching modules; and

wherein second terminals of the second resistance and the second capacitor are electrically coupled with an emitter of the corresponding one of the switching modules.

16. The power conversion circuit of claim 15, a capacity of the first capacitor is larger than a capacity of the second capacitor.

17. The power conversion circuit of claim 15, wherein a cathode of the diode is electrically coupled with a gate of the corresponding one of the switching modules.