Converter cell with integrated photovoltaic cell

1. A converter cell for a modular converter, the converter cell comprising:

at least one power semiconductor switch for switching a cell current through the converter cell;

a cell capacitor interconnected with the at least one power semiconductor switch, such that the cell capacitor is loadable by the cell current;

a controller for switching the at least one power semiconductor switch, wherein the controller is supplyable with auxiliary power from the cell capacitor; and

a photovoltaic cell for providing further auxiliary power to the controller.

2. The converter cell of claim 1 ,

wherein during operation of the converter cell, the photovoltaic cell is on an electric potential of the converter cell.

3. The converter cell of claim 2 , further comprising:

an auxiliary power capacitor for storing auxiliary power for the controller and for receiving auxiliary power from the cell capacitor and the photovoltaic cell.

4. The converter cell of claim 2 , further comprising:

a DC/DC converter for converting a cell capacitor voltage of the cell capacitor into a supply voltage for the controller.

5. The converter cell of claim 3 , further comprising:

a DC/DC converter for converting a cell capacitor voltage of the cell capacitor into a supply voltage for the controller.

6. The converter cell of claim 1 , further comprising:

an auxiliary power capacitor for storing auxiliary power for the controller and for receiving auxiliary power from the cell capacitor and the photovoltaic cell.

7. The converter cell of claim 6 , further comprising:

a DC/DC converter for converting a cell capacitor voltage of the cell capacitor into a supply voltage for the controller.

8. The converter cell of claim 1 , further comprising:

a DC/DC converter for converting a cell capacitor voltage of the cell capacitor into a supply voltage for the controller.

9. The converter cell of claim 8 ,

wherein the DC/DC converter is adapted for converting a voltage from the photovoltaic cell into a voltage supplied to the cell capacitor.

10. The converter cell of claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one power semiconductor switch is a normally-on switch.

11. The converter cell of claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one power semiconductor switch is based on a wide bandgap substrate.

12. The converter cell of claim 1 ,

wherein the cell controller comprises a network interface for connecting the device to a data network,

wherein the cell controller is operatively connected to the network interface for carrying out commands received from the data network and/or sending device status information to the data network.

13. A method for operating a modular converter comprising a plurality of converter cells connected in series, each of the converter cells including at least one power semiconductor switch for switching a cell current through the converter cell, a cell capacitor interconnected with the at least one power semiconductor switch, such that the cell capacitor is loadable by the cell current, a controller for switching the at least one power semiconductor switch, wherein the controller is supplyable with auxiliary power from the cell capacitor, a photovoltaic cell for providing further auxiliary power to the controller, and at least one light source, which is galvanically separated from the converter cells and which is adapted for radiating light on one or more of the photovoltaic cells of the converter cells, the method comprising:

radiating light on photovoltaic cells of the converter cells;

supplying the controllers of the converter cells with a voltage from the photovoltaic cells.

14. The method of claim 13 ,

wherein the semiconductor switches of the converter cells comprise normally-on switches and the method further comprises:

radiating light on the photovoltaic cells during a start-up of the converter;

switching the at least one normally-on switch of a converter cell into a blocking state with the controller of the converter cell, which is supplied by the photovoltaic cell.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

detecting a failure in a converter cell;

radiating light on the photovoltaic cell of the failed converter cell and supplying the controller of the failed converter cell with a voltage from the photovoltaic cell, such that the controller continues operating without a power supply from the cell capacitor.

16. A modular converter, comprising:

a plurality of converter cells connected in series, the converter cell comprising;

at least one power semiconductor switch for switching a cell current through the converter cell,

a cell capacitor interconnected with the at least one power semiconductor switch, such that the cell capacitor is loadable by the cell current,

a controller for switching the at least one power semiconductor switch, wherein the controller is supplyable with auxiliary power from the cell capacitor,

a photovoltaic cell for providing further auxiliary power to the controller, and

at least one light source, which is galvanically separated from the converter cells and which is adapted for radiating light on one or more of the photovoltaic cells of the converter cells.

17. The modular converter of claim 16 , further comprising:

a plurality of light sources, wherein every light source is associated with one or more photovoltaic cells.

18. The modular converter of claim 17 , wherein the at least one light source comprises a laser.

19. The modular converter of claim 16 ,

wherein the at least one light source comprises a laser.

20. The modular converter of claim 16 , further comprising:

at least one movable light source, such that converter cells and/or groups of converter cells are supplyable sequentially with at least one movable light source.