IP Library Granted Patent US 12,549,084
Granted Patent B2
US 12,549,084 · App. 18/580,778 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Control device and power conversion device for detecting failure of an AC capacitor

Inventors: Daiki Terashima (Tokyo, JP); Issei Fukasawa (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: TMEIC Corporation
H02M1/0009G01R31/2843H02M1/36H02M7/003
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,549,084
App. No.
18/580,778
Granted
Feb 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control device of a power conversion device includes: an amplitude calculating circuit which calculates each of values of amplitudes of fundamental wave components of the alternating currents of the respective phases based on the current values of the alternating currents of the respective phases and a fault determining circuit which performs a magnitude comparison between each of the values of the amplitudes of the fundamental wave components of the alternating currents of the respective phases calculated by the amplitude calculating circuit and a predetermined determination value and which determines a fault of the alternating-current capacitor when the value of the amplitude of at least any phase among the values of the amplitudes of the fundamental wave components of the alternating currents of the respective phases is smaller than the predetermined determination value.

Claims (35)

1 . A control device of a power conversion device including:

at least one alternating-current capacitor which is positioned in a capacitor circuit branching from an alternating-current circuit on an output side of an inverter and which is disconnected from the capacitor circuit in an event of a fault; and

a current sensor which is positioned in the capacitor circuit and which obtains each of current values of alternating currents of respective phases that flow through the alternating-current capacitor,

the control device comprising:

an amplitude calculating circuit which obtains each of the current values of the alternating currents of the respective phases that flow through the alternating-current capacitor from the current sensor and which calculates each of values of amplitudes of fundamental wave components of the alternating currents of the respective phases based on the obtained current values of the alternating currents of the respective phases; and

a fault determining circuit which performs a magnitude comparison between each of the values of the amplitudes of the fundamental wave components of the alternating currents of the respective phases calculated by the amplitude calculating circuit and a predetermined determination value and which determines a fault of the alternating-current capacitor when the value of the amplitude of at least any phase among the values of the amplitudes of the fundamental wave components of the alternating currents of the respective phases is smaller than the predetermined determination value, wherein

the amplitude calculating circuit calculates each of the values of the amplitudes of the fundamental wave components of the alternating currents of the respective phases based on a predetermined current component of the alternating current of each phase calculated by multiplying each of the current values of the alternating currents of the respective phases by a value based on a phase angle adjusted based on a system voltage on a system side.

2 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the amplitude calculating circuit calculates each of the values of the amplitudes of the fundamental wave components of the alternating currents of the respective phases based on a direct-current component extracted using a predetermined low-pass filter from a predetermined current component of the alternating current of each phase.

3 . The control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an operation control circuit which, when a fault of the alternating-current capacitor is determined by the fault determining circuit in a state where an alternating-current switch on the system side has been closed, outputs an operation instruction to stop the power conversion device and, at the same time, open the alternating-current switch.

4 . The control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an operation control circuit which, when a fault of the alternating-current capacitor is determined by the fault determining circuit during synchronous control for synchronizing an output voltage of the inverter and the system voltage of the system side which is performed during start-up of the power conversion device in a state where an alternating-current switch on the system side has been opened, outputs an operation instruction to stop the power conversion device.

5 . A power conversion device comprising:

an inverter which converts power and outputs alternating-current power;

at least one alternating-current capacitor which is positioned in a capacitor circuit branching from an alternating-current circuit on an output side of the inverter and which is disconnected from the capacitor circuit in an event of a fault;

a current sensor which is positioned in the capacitor circuit and which obtains each of current values of alternating currents of respective phases that flow through the alternating-current capacitor;

an alternating-current switch which is positioned closer to a system side than a branch point to the capacitor circuit in the alternating-current circuit and which is capable of interrupting the alternating current flowing towards the system side; and

the control device according to claim 1 .

6 . A control device of a power conversion device including:

at least one alternating-current capacitor which is positioned in a capacitor circuit branching from an alternating-current circuit on an output side of an inverter and which is disconnected from the capacitor circuit in an event of a fault; and

a current sensor which is positioned in series with an alternating-current reactor between the inverter and a branch point to the capacitor circuit in the alternating-current circuit on the output side of the inverter and which obtains each of current values of alternating currents of respective phases that flow through the alternating-current circuit,

the control device comprising:

an amplitude calculating circuit which, during synchronous control for synchronizing an output voltage of the inverter and a system voltage of a system side which is performed during start-up of the power conversion device in a state where an alternating-current switch on the system side has been opened, obtains each of the current values of the alternating currents of the respective phases that flow through the alternating-current capacitor from the current sensor and which calculates each of values of amplitudes of fundamental wave components of the alternating currents of the respective phases based on the obtained current values of the alternating currents of the respective phases;

a fault determining circuit which performs a magnitude comparison between each of the values of the amplitudes of the fundamental wave components of the alternating currents of the respective phases calculated by the amplitude calculating circuit and a predetermined determination value and which determines a fault of the alternating-current capacitor when the value of the amplitude of at least any phase among the values of the amplitudes of the fundamental wave components of the alternating currents of the respective phases is smaller than the predetermined determination value; and

a fault information reporting circuit which, when a fault of the alternating-current capacitor is determined by the fault determining circuit during the synchronous control, reports fault information of the alternating-current capacitor, wherein

the amplitude calculating circuit calculates each of the values of the amplitudes of the fundamental wave components of the alternating currents of the respective phases based on a predetermined current component of the alternating current of each phase calculated by multiplying each of the current values of the alternating currents of the respective phases by a value based on a phase angle adjusted based on the system voltage on the system side.

7 . The control device according to claim 6 , wherein:

the amplitude calculating circuit calculates each of the values of the amplitudes of the fundamental wave components of the alternating currents of the respective phases based on a direct-current component extracted using a predetermined low-pass filter from a predetermined current component of the alternating current of each phase.

8 . The control device according to claim 6 , further comprising:

an operation control circuit which, when a fault of the alternating-current capacitor is reported by the fault information reporting circuit during the synchronous control, outputs an operation instruction to stop the power conversion device.

9 . A power conversion device comprising:

an inverter which converts power and outputs alternating-current power;

at least one alternating-current capacitor which is positioned in a capacitor circuit branching from an alternating-current circuit on an output side of the inverter and which is disconnected from the capacitor circuit in an event of a fault;

a current sensor which is positioned in series with an alternating-current reactor between the inverter and a branch point to the capacitor circuit in the alternating-current circuit on the output side of the inverter and which obtains each of current values of alternating currents of respective phases that flow through the alternating-current circuit; an alternating-current switch which is positioned closer to a system side than the branch point in the alternating-current circuit and which is capable of interrupting the alternating current flowing towards the system side; and the control device according to claim 6 .

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 21, 2024
From: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
To: TMEIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 067476/0956 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 19, 2024
From: TERASHIMA, DAIKI; FUKASAWA, ISSEI
To: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 066180/0960 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240380303A1 · Nov 14, 2024
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