Transient current protection device for electrical energy conversion systems connected to the power grid

1. A protection device structured to be coupled between a DC/AC inverter and a power grid, the protection device comprising:

input terminals adapted to be electrically connected to a filter of said DC/AC inverter;

a first output terminal adapted to be connected to the positive DC input terminal of said DC/AC inverter;

a second output terminal adapted to be connected to the negative DC input terminal of said DC/AC inverter;

power grid terminals adapted to be connected to the power grid; and

a diode bridge, the cathode of said diode bridge being coupled to said first output terminal, the anode of said diode bridge being electrically connected to said second output terminal, and the two intermediate terminals of said diode bridge being electrically connected between said input terminals and the power grid terminals,

wherein the protection device is structured to receive a power grid power transient from the power grid with the diode bridge and transmit the power grid power transient to the first and second output terminals by way of the diode bridge so as to not transmit the power grid power transient to the input terminals.

2. A device according to claim 1 , which further comprises a one-way transient voltage suppressor means electrically connected between the cathode of said diode bridge and said first output terminal.

3. A device according to claim 2 , wherein said one-way transient voltage suppressor means comprise a transient voltage suppressor having the cathode electrically connected to the cathode of said diode bridge and the anode electrically connected to said first output terminal.

4. A device according to claim 2 , wherein said one-way transient voltage suppressor means comprise a series of diodes having the anode of the first diode of the series electrically connected to the cathode of said diode bridge and the cathode of the last diode of the series electrically connected to said first output terminal.

5. A device according to claim 4 , wherein the breakdown voltages of said transient voltage suppressor and of said series of diodes are either lower than or equal to 10V.

6. A device according to claim 2 , which further comprises at least one common-mode eddy current blocking filter associated with said input terminals.

7. A device according to claim 2 , wherein said diode bridge comprises a number of branches equal to the number of phases of said DC/AC inverter.

8. A device according to claim 1 , which further comprises at least one common-mode eddy current blocking filter associated with said input terminals.

9. A device according to claim 8 , wherein said filter is made of a ferromagnetic core on which two electrical conductors are wound.

10. A device according to claim 8 , wherein said at least one common-mode eddy current blocking filter is made by a pair of mutually coupled inductors.

11. A device according to claim 8 , wherein said at least one common-monde eddy current blocking filter comprises a plurality of mutually coupled inductors equal in number to the phases of said inverter apparatus.

12. A device according to claim 1 , which further comprises at least one common-mode eddy current blocking filter associated with said first and second output terminals.

13. A device according to claim 12 , wherein said at least one common-mode eddy current blocking filter is made by a pair of mutually coupled inductors.

14. A device according to claim 12 , wherein said filter is made of a ferromagnetic core on which two electrical conductors are wound.

15. A device according to claim 12 , wherein said at least one common-mode eddy current blocking filter comprises a plurality of mutually coupled inductors equal in number to the phases of said inverter apparatus.

16. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said diode bridge comprises a number of branches equal to the number of phases of said DC/AC inverter.

17. A DC/AC inverter apparatus comprising:

positive and negative DC input terminals,

AC output terminals being the common points of the two serially connected switches of a full bridge,

a filter device having filter input terminals connected to said two AC output terminals and filter output terminals connected to the grid connection terminals, and

a diode full bridge based protection device, the input terminals of said protection device being electrically connected to Dower grid connection terminals, a first output terminal of said protection device being connected to said positive DC input terminal through a one-way transient voltage suppressor, a second output terminal of said protection device being connected to said negative DC input terminal.

18. An AC electrical energy production system from DC electrical energy sources comprising photovoltaic panels, which further comprises at least one DC/AC inverter according to claim 17 .

19. AC electrical energy production system from DC electrical energy sources comprising wind generators, which further includes at least one DC/AC inverter according to claim 17 .

20. The device of claim 17 wherein the protection device is structured to receive a power grid power transient from the power grid connection terminals with the diode bridge and transmit the power grid power transient to the first and second output terminals by way of the diode bridge so as to not transmit the power grid power transient to the filter output terminals.

21. A power system coupled to a power grid comprising:

an inverter including two DC input terminals, a plurality of switching devices structured to receive DC power from the DC input terminals and convert the DC power to AC power having at least one phase, a plurality of recirculation diodes each coupled in anti-parallel with one of the plurality of switching devices, and two AC output terminals structured to output the converted AC power;

a filter including two filter input terminals coupled to the two AC output terminals, a plurality of passive components structured to receive the converted AC power and output filtered AC power, and two filter output terminals structured to output the filtered AC power; and

a passive protection device coupled between the filter and the power grid, including a diode bridge coupled to the filter and the DC input terminals of the inverter, and structured so as to receive a power grid power transient and transmit the power grid power transient to the DC input terminals without the power grid power transient flowing through the plurality of recirculation diodes.

22. The power system of claim 21 comprising a photovoltaic power source coupled to the two DC input terminals and a smoothing capacitor coupled across the two DC input terminals, wherein the smoothing capacitor is structured to receive the power grid power transient.

23. The power system of claim 21 wherein the plurality of switching devices is structured to convert the received DC power to multiphase AC power.

24. The power system of claim 21 wherein the passive protection device includes a pair of mutually coupled inductors coupled between the passive protection Response to Non-Final Office Action device and the power grid.

25. The power system of claim 24 wherein the passive protection device includes a pair of mutually coupled inductors coupled between the diode bridge and the DC input terminals.

26. The power system of claim 24 wherein the passive protection device includes a diode coupled between one of the DC input terminals and the diode bridge.