IP Library Granted Patent US 11,888,411
Granted Patent B2
US 11,888,411 · App. 17/606,047 · Granted Jan 30, 2024

Power conversion device

Inventors: Akito Nakayama (Tokyo, JP); Taichiro Tsuchiya (Tokyo, JP); Jumpei Isozaki (Tokyo, JP)
Assignees: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION; TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
H02M7/4835H02M1/08H02M1/32H02M3/33523H02M7/483H02M7/4833
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,888,411
App. No.
17/606,047
Granted
Jan 30, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A main circuit power supply device includes: a plurality of voltage-division power storage elements connected in series; voltage adjustment circuits for adjusting each of voltages of the plurality of voltage-division power storage elements through mutual transfer of power between the plurality of voltage-division power storage elements; and at least one DC/DC converter which is connected to at least one of the voltage-division power storage elements and supplies a control power source to a main circuit control circuitry to control a main circuit.

Claims (51)

1. A power conversion device comprising:

a main circuit including a main circuit switching element and a main circuit power storage element;

main circuit control circuitry to control the main circuit; and

a main circuit power supply device to supply a control power source from the main circuit power storage element to the main circuit control circuitry, wherein

the main circuit power supply device includes

a plurality of voltage-division power storage elements connected in series,

a voltage adjustment circuit which is connected to the plurality of voltage-division power storage elements and adjusts each of voltages of the plurality of voltage-division power storage elements through mutual transfer of power between the plurality of voltage-division power storage elements, and

at least one DC/DC converter which is connected to at least one of the plurality of voltage-division power storage elements and supplies the control power source.

2. The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein

the main circuit power supply device includes three or more of the voltage-division power storage elements connected in series, and a plurality of the voltage adjustment circuits,

each voltage adjustment circuit is connected to a set of at least two voltage-division power storage elements among the three or more voltage-division power storage elements, and

a part of the set of the voltage-division power storage elements to which the voltage adjustment circuit is connected and a part of the at least two voltage-division power storage elements to which another one of the voltage adjustment circuits is connected, overlap each other.

3. The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein

the main circuit power supply device includes N number of the voltage-division power storage elements connected in series, and the voltage adjustment circuits whose number is not less than 2 and not greater than (N−1), N being an integer not less than 3,

the N number of voltage-division power storage elements connected in series are connected in parallel to the main circuit power storage element,

a set of the voltage-division power storage elements is composed of n number of the voltage-division power storage elements, n being an integer in a range of 2≤n≤(N−1), and

a kth one of the voltage adjustment circuits from a positive side of the main circuit power storage element is connected to the set of voltage-division power storage elements composed of kth to (k+n−1)th ones of the voltage-division power storage elements from the positive side of the main circuit power storage element, k being an integer in a range of 1≤k≤(N−1).

4. The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein

the voltage adjustment circuit includes at least two voltage adjustment switching elements and at least one magnetic element.

5. The power conversion device according to claim 4 , wherein

in all the voltage adjustment circuits, ON periods and OFF periods of the voltage adjustment switching elements are set to be equal.

6. The power conversion device according to claim 5 , wherein

each voltage adjustment circuit includes at least one signal insulation unit, and ON/OFF signals for the voltage adjustment switching elements generated outside the voltage adjustment circuit are sent to the voltage adjustment circuit via the signal insulation unit.

7. The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein

at least one of the voltage adjustment circuits includes a voltage detection circuit for detecting voltage of at least one of the voltage-division power storage elements, and includes a circuit for controlling the voltage of the voltage-division power storage element to be a constant value, based on a voltage value obtained by the voltage detection circuit.

8. The power conversion device according to claim 4 , wherein

at least one of the voltage adjustment circuits includes a voltage detection circuit for detecting voltage of at least one of the voltage-division power storage elements, and includes a circuit for controlling the voltage of the voltage-division power storage element to be a constant value, on the basis of a voltage value obtained by the voltage detection circuit.

9. The power conversion device according to claim 8 , wherein

all the voltage adjustment circuits other than the voltage adjustment circuit that includes the voltage detection circuit for detecting the voltage of the voltage-division power storage element each include the at least two voltage adjustment switching elements, and ON periods and OFF periods of the voltage adjustment switching elements of said other voltage adjustment circuits are set to be equal.

10. The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein

the DC/DC converter includes at least one transformer.

11. The power conversion device according to claim 10 , wherein

the transformer is a multi-winding transformer having three or more windings.

12. The power conversion device according to claim 1 , wherein

the main circuit power supply device includes, in parallel to each of the voltage-division power storage elements, a protection circuit switch and a protection circuit resistor connected in series.

13. The power conversion device according to claim 12 , wherein

all the protection circuit switches are turned off when operation of the main circuit control circuitry is started.

14. The power conversion device according to claim 12 , wherein

the protection circuit switch is turned on when voltage of the voltage-division power storage element connected in parallel to the series unit of the protection circuit switch and the protection circuit resistor has become not less than a product of withstand voltage of a voltage adjustment switching element included in the voltage adjustment circuit connected to the voltage-division power storage element and a reciprocal of two times a number of the voltage-division power storage elements connected to the voltage adjustment circuit.

15. The power conversion device according to claim 12 , wherein

the protection circuit switch is driven using power supplied from the main circuit power supply device.

16. The power conversion device according to claim 2 , wherein

the voltage adjustment circuit includes at least two voltage adjustment switching elements and at least one magnetic element.

17. The power conversion device according to claim 3 , wherein

the voltage adjustment circuit includes at least two voltage adjustment switching elements and at least one magnetic element.

18. The power conversion device according to claim 2 , wherein

at least one of the voltage adjustment circuits includes a voltage detection circuit for detecting voltage of at least one of the voltage-division power storage elements, and includes a circuit for controlling the voltage of the voltage-division power storage element to be a constant value, based on a voltage value obtained by the voltage detection circuit.

19. The power conversion device according to claim 2 , wherein

the DC/DC converter includes at least one transformer.

20. The power conversion device according to claim 2 , wherein

the main circuit power supply device includes, in parallel to each of the voltage-division power storage elements, a protection circuit switch and a protection circuit resistor connected in series.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 26, 2024
From: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
To: TMEIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 067244/0359 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 25, 2021
From: NAKAYAMA, AKITO; TSUCHIYA, TAICHIRO; ISOZAKI, JUMPEI
To: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION; TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057894/0708 →
Continuity (1)
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