IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,537,436
Granted Patent B2
US 12,537,436 · App. 18/563,920 · Granted Jan 27, 2026

Power semiconductor element drive adjustment circuit, power module, and power conversion device

Inventors: Kenichi Morokuma (Tokyo, JP); Yoshiko Tamada (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
H02M1/08H02M1/0009H02M1/325
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,537,436
App. No.
18/563,920
Granted
Jan 27, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A power semiconductor element drive adjustment circuit is provided with a difference unit to calculate a difference value between a normalized value of the differential value of the collector-emitter voltage and a normalized value of the differential value of the collector current, a comparison unit to compare the difference value with a comparison reference value, a drive control unit to generate, on the basis of a comparison result of the comparison unit, a drive adjustment signal that adjusts a drive signal for the power semiconductor element, and a drive variable circuit to output, on the basis of the drive adjustment signal, the drive signal for the power semiconductor element.

Claims (44)

1 . A power semiconductor element drive adjustment circuit, comprising:

a voltage detector to detect a collector-emitter voltage of a power semiconductor element;

a current detector to detect a collector current of the power semiconductor element;

a differentiating circuit to differentiate the collector-emitter voltage and differentiate the collector current;

a normalizer to normalize a differential value of the collector-emitter voltage and normalize a differential value of the collector current;

a difference circuit to calculate a difference value between a normalized value of the differential value of the collector-emitter voltage and a normalized value of the differential value of the collector current;

a comparison circuit to compare the difference value with a comparison reference value;

a drive controller to generate, on the basis of a comparison result of the comparison circuit, a drive adjustment signal for adjusting a drive signal for the power semiconductor element; and

a drive variable circuit to output, on the basis of the drive adjustment signal, the drive signal for the power semiconductor element.

2 . The power semiconductor element drive adjustment circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the normalizer includes:

a normalization constant setter to set a first normalization constant and a second normalization constant; and

a normalization circuit to normalize the differential value of the collector-emitter voltage on the basis of the first normalization constant and normalize the differential value of the collector current on the basis of the second normalization constant.

3 . The power semiconductor element drive adjustment circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the difference circuit includes:

a maximum value holder to hold a maximum value of a normalized differential value of the collector-emitter voltage and hold a maximum value of a normalized differential value of the collector current;

a holding period setter to set a holding period in the maximum value holder; and

a differencer to generate a difference value between the maximum value of the normalized differential value of the collector-emitter voltage held in the maximum value holder and the maximum value of the normalized differential value of the collector current held in the maximum value holder.

4 . The power semiconductor element drive adjustment circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the comparison circuit includes:

a comparison reference value setter to set the comparison reference value;

a comparator to compare the difference value with the comparison reference value; and

a comparison period setter to set a period during which a comparison is made in the comparator.

5 . The power semiconductor element drive adjustment circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the drive controller includes:

a drive adjuster to generate a drive adjustment signal for adjusting the drive signal for the power semiconductor element in accordance with the comparison result of the comparison circuit; and

a drive adjustment signal holder to hold and output the drive adjustment signal generated by the drive adjuster in accordance with the comparison result of the comparison circuit.

6 . The power semiconductor element drive adjustment circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the drive controller:

includes a drive adjustment setter to set a change amount to be adjusted from a change amount per unit time of the collector-emitter voltage of the power semiconductor element and a change amount per unit time of the collector current of the power semiconductor element; and

outputs, on the basis of the setting of the drive adjustment setter, the adjusted drive adjustment signal in accordance with the comparison result of the comparison circuit.

7 . The power semiconductor element drive adjustment circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising a loss calculator to calculate a loss of the power semiconductor element, wherein:

the normalizer further normalizes the loss of the power semiconductor element; and

the difference circuit calculates a difference value between any two from among the normalized differential value of the collector-emitter voltage, the normalized differential value of the collector current, and a normalized loss of the power semiconductor element.

8 . The power semiconductor element drive adjustment circuit according to claim 1 , further comprising a surge detector that is connected to the voltage detector and the current detector so as to detect a surge voltage of the power semiconductor element and a surge current of the power semiconductor element, wherein:

the normalizer normalizes the surge voltage of the power semiconductor element and normalizes the surge current of the power semiconductor element; and

the difference circuit calculates a difference value between any two from among the normalized differential value of the collector-emitter voltage, the normalized differential value of the collector current, the normalized loss of the power semiconductor element, a normalized surge voltage of the power semiconductor element, and a normalized surge current of the power semiconductor element.

9 . The power semiconductor element drive adjustment circuit according to claim 1 , wherein:

the drive adjuster of the drive controller includes:

a selector to select a driving signal to be adjusted from a driving signal in a turn-on operation of the power semiconductor element and a drive signal in a turn-off operation of the power semiconductor element;

a turn-on drive adjuster to adjust the drive signal for the turn-on operation of the power semiconductor element when adjusting the drive signal in the turn-on operation of the power semiconductor element is selected by the selector; and

a turn-off drive adjuster to adjust the drive signal for the turn-off operation of the power semiconductor element when adjusting the drive signal in the turn-off operation of the power semiconductor element is selected by the selector, and

the drive adjustment signal holder of the drive controller includes:

a turn-on holder to hold and output a drive adjustment signal adjusted by the turn-on drive adjuster in accordance with the comparison result of the comparison circuit; and

a turn-off holder to hold and output a drive adjustment signal adjusted by the turn-off drive adjuster in accordance with the comparison result of the comparison circuit.

10 . A power module comprising a power semiconductor element, and the power semiconductor element drive adjustment circuit according to claim 1 .

11 . A power conversion device, comprising:

a main conversion circuit that includes a power semiconductor element and the power semiconductor element drive adjustment circuit according to claim 1 , to convert and output inputted power; and

a control circuit to output, to the main conversion circuit, a control signal for controlling the main conversion circuit.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 24, 2023
From: MOROKUMA, KENICHI; TAMADA, YOSHIKO
To: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065655/0360 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240275265A1 · Aug 15, 2024
References Cited (11)
US 10461732B1 · Norling et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 11316513B2 · Zhang · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 12132472B2 · Yamamoto · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20170104479A1 · Kanamori et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180159521A1 · Tsurumaru · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20210028702A1 · Morokuma · 2021 [cited by examiner]
JP 3132648B2 · 2001 [cited by applicant]
JP 2002369553A · 2002 [cited by applicant]
JP 6187428B2 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP 2019220955A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion mailed on Aug. 10, 2021, received for PCT Application PCT/JP2021/020785, filed on Jun. 1, 2021, 10 pages including English Translation. [cited by applicant]