Converter arrangement and method for the operation thereof

1. A converter configuration, comprising:

a central unit;

at least one series circuit having at least two series-connected sub-modules which in each case have at least one switch and are installed in each case at a predefined electrical installation position of the converter configuration, said central unit connected to said sub-modules to control said sub-modules, said sub-modules in each case further having a memory in which an identifier uniquely identifying a respective sub-module, is stored, and said sub-modules in each case additionally having a control device which can forward a stored identifier to said central unit via a communication connection connecting said respective sub-module and said central unit; and

said central unit including a monitoring device which, on receiving the identifier of one of said sub-modules for a first time, generates an activation timestamp that indicates a reception of the identifier and therefore an initial commissioning of said one of said sub-modules in the converter configuration, and stores the activation timestamp and the identifier for each said predefined electrical installation position.

2. The converter configuration according to claim 1 , wherein said control device of each of said sub-modules is configured in each case in such a way that, when prompted by said central unit, said control device forwards the identifier of said respective sub-module to said central unit.

3. The converter configuration according to claim 1 , wherein said control device of each of said sub-modules is configured in each case in such a way that, following each recommissioning, said control device forwards the identifier of said respective sub-module to said central unit in each case independently and unprompted, or prompted by said central unit.

4. The converter configuration according to claim 1 , wherein said central unit has a memory in which said central unit stores identifiers of said sub-modules of the converter configuration for each said predefined electrical installation position.

5. The converter configuration according to claim 1 , wherein said central unit has a monitoring device which, following an initial commissioning of the converter configuration or following a system restart of the converter configuration, receives identifiers of said sub-modules for each said predefined electrical installation position, compares the identifiers received with reference identifiers which have been manually or automatically recorded and stored in a reference dataset for each said predefined electrical installation position, and, in the event of a discrepancy between the identifiers received and a reference identifier stored for each said predefined electrical installation position, generates error information.

6. The converter configuration according to claim 1 , wherein said central unit has a monitoring device, which, on receiving each said identifier, compares the identifier with the identifier previously stored for the predefined electrical installation position and, in an event of a discrepancy, stores a new identifier and generates sub-module exchange information indicating a sub-module exchange.

7. The converter configuration according to claim 1 , wherein said central unit is configured in such a way that, if said central unit receives a new identifier for the predefined electrical installation position, said central unit stores the identifier of a recommissioned sub-module and an associated activation timestamp for the predefined electrical installation position and retains the identifier of a previously active sub-module and an associated activation timestamp.

8. The converter configuration according to claim 1 , wherein said central unit stores a historical dataset in each case containing, for each said predefined electrical installation position, the identifier of one of said sub-modules currently in operation and an activation timestamp, and also identifiers and activation timestamps of all said sub-modules that were previously in operation for said predefined electrical installation position.

9. The converter configuration according to claim 1 , wherein said central unit enables an external querying of operating times of individual ones of said sub-modules and, in a presence of an external query signal, outputs an operating time indication indicating a respective operating time using identifiers stored for each individual installation position and activation timestamps stored for each said predefined electrical installation position for each of said sub-modules or for said sub-modules selected with the external query signal.

10. The converter configuration according to claim 1 , wherein said central unit has a processing device and a memory in which a monitoring program module is stored, wherein the monitoring program module is configured in such a way that said processing device forms a monitoring device when the monitoring program module is executed.

11. A method for operating a converter configuration having at least one series circuit with at least two series-connected sub-modules which in each case have at least one switch and are installed in each case at a predefined electrical installation position of the converter configuration, and a central unit, which comprises the steps of:

storing an identifier uniquely identifying a sub-module in each case in a memory of the sub-modules;

forwarding stored identifiers of the sub-modules in each case to the central unit via a communication connection connecting a respective sub-module to the central unit;

generating an activation timestamp when the central unit receives the identifier of the sub-module for a first time, the activation timestamp indicating a reception of the identifier and therefore an initial commissioning of the sub-module in the converter configuration; and

storing the activation timestamp and the identifier for each of the predefined electrical installation position.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the sub-module comprises:

a memory storing an identifier uniquely identifying the sub-module; and

a control device which can forward a stored identifier to the central unit via the communication connection connecting the sub-module and the central unit.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the identified is a serial number.

14. The method according to claim 11 , which further comprises:

following an initial commissioning or following a system restart, the central unit receives the stored identifiers of the sub-modules for predefined electrical installation positions;

comparing, via the central unit, received identifiers for each of the electrical installation positions with reference identifiers which have previously been manually or automatically recorded and stored in a reference dataset for each of the predefined electrical installation positions of the converter configuration; and

generating error information in an event of a discrepancy between a received identifier and a reference identifier stored for the predefined electrical installation position.

15. The method according to claim 14 , which further comprises:

if the central unit receives a new identifier for a respective predefined electrical installation position, storing the identifier of a recommissioned sub-module and an associated activation timestamp for the respective predefined electrical installation position and the identifier of a previously operated sub-module and an activation timestamp remain stored; and

generating a historical dataset keeping the historical dataset updated, in each case containing, for each of the predefined electrical installation positions, the identifier of the sub-module currently in operation and the activation timestamp and identifiers and activation timestamps of all sub-modules that were previously in operation for the respective installation position.