Device for operating a rectifier, in particular a semi-controlled rectifier bridge, and method for operating a rectifier

1. A system, comprising:

a rectifier adapted to be supplied from system phases and adapted to provide a unipolar voltage on an output side, the rectifier including controllable switches; and

a capacitor and/or an intermediate-circuit capacitor arranged at the rectifier on the output side, and/or a series connection, including a braking resistor and a controllable switch, and/or a braking chopper arranged at the rectifier on the output side;

wherein a respective current source is suppliable from a respective system phase, the respectively generated current arranged as a trigger signal for the controllable switch allocated to the respective system phase as a function of a state of a controllable switch unit and/or as a function of a state of a zero-voltage switch;

wherein a first delay-time constant is provided in an acquisition of the intermediate-circuit voltage, and a second delay-time constant is provided in a trigger path of the current source and/or in a forwarding of an enable signal to the current source, the first time constant being smaller than the second delay-time constant.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the rectifier is arranged as a semi-controlled rectifier bridge and/or a converter.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system phases include a three-phase AC voltage system.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controllable switches include semiconductor switches and/or thyristors.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the respective current source is formed by a respective switch, supplied via a one-way rectifier from the respective system phase

wherein a control input of the switch is suppliable from an output of the one-way rectifier and/or from the unipolar output voltage of the one-way rectifier while another switch of the controllable switch unit is open; and

wherein the control input of the switch is able to be brought to a higher potential in comparison to the respective system phase, an upper intermediate-circuit potential, and/or an upper output potential of the rectifier, when the other switch of the controllable switch unit is closed, so that no current from one of the current sources is able to be supplied to the controllable switches.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the switch is adapted to be triggered as a function of signals from a higher-level control and/or the switch activatable as a function of a zero-voltage switch, a state of the zero-voltage switch being a function of the intermediate-circuit voltage and/or a function of the upper output potential of the rectifier and a respective system phase voltage as well as of signals from a higher-level control.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controllable switches include switches triggerable by a trigger and/or a zero-voltage switch, a respective switch being allocated to a respective system phase, the trigger being controllable by a higher-level control with the aid of a trigger signal and/or the triggerable switches being controllable with the aid of a trigger signal of a higher-level control.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the current sources are controllable in each case, with the aid of a control signal supplied by a higher-level control.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the controllable switches of the rectifier and/or thyristors are arranged in an upper branch of each half-bridge of the rectifier.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein a MOSFET switch is provided as the current source, and/or a MOSFET switch is provided as the controllable switch.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein an overvoltage suppressor is supplied from the system phases, the overvoltage suppressor including a capacitor and diodes, and current from one of the system phases being supplied to the capacitor via the respective diode, a resistor being arranged in parallel with the capacitor.

12. A method for operating a rectifier that includes controllable switches, each controllable switch assigned to a respective system phase, comprising:

supplying the rectifier from the system phases;

supplying a unipolar voltage on an output side of the rectifier;

supplying a capacitor and/or an intermediate-circuit capacitor on the output side of the rectifier;

supplying a respective current source from a respective system phase;

using the current generated by the respective current source as a control current for the controllable switch allocated to the respective system phase as a function of a signal from a higher-level control; and

in an enablement by the higher-level control, charging the capacitor from one of the system phases with a voltage that rises substantially from zero and/or in a system quarter period;

wherein a first delay-time constant is provided in an acquisition of the intermediate-circuit voltage, and a second delay-time constant is provided in a trigger path of the current source and/or in a forwarding of an enable signal to the current source, the first time constant being smaller than the second delay-time constant.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the rectifier is arranged as a semi-controlled rectifier bridge and/or a power converter.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the system phases include a three-phase AC voltage system.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the controllable switches include semiconductor switches and/or thyristors.

16. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the current generated by the current source is forwarded to one of the controllable switch of the rectifier when the corresponding system phase voltage is greater than an output voltage of the rectifier and/or an intermediate-circuit voltage, and when the corresponding system phase voltage is lower than a voltage value that exceeds the intermediate-circuit voltage by a predefined voltage-differential value and/or a value having an absolute value that is between 80 volts and 100 volts.

17. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the voltage applied at the capacitor and/or the intermediate-circuit voltage is acquired, and if a threshold value and/or a threshold value that is between 200 volts and 300 volts is exceeded, the enablement is withdrawn, by the higher-level control, and/or if a drop below the threshold value occurs, the enablement is granted.

18. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the voltage and/or the intermediate-circuit voltage is acquired, and if the peak value of the system phase voltage is reached, the enablement is granted, the reaching of the peak value being identified when the intermediate-circuit voltage lies within a predefined value range and no further rise of the intermediate-circuit voltage is able to be detected for a predefined time interval.

19. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the enablement is withdrawn in an error case and/or in a failure of a braking chopper.