Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Voltage balancing in series-connected power switches
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Application No.: US15315559Application Date: 2015-07-29
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Publication No.: US10230354B2Publication Date: 2019-03-12
- Inventor: Robert John Leedham , Mark Snook
- Applicant: Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen GmbH
- Applicant Address: DE Regensburg
- Assignee: MASCHINENFABRIK REINHAUSEN GMBH
- Current Assignee: MASCHINENFABRIK REINHAUSEN GMBH
- Current Assignee Address: DE Regensburg
- Agent Andrew Wilford
- Priority: GB1414092.5 20140808
- International Application: PCT/EP2015/067325 WO 20150729
- International Announcement: WO2016/020227 WO 20160211
- Main IPC: H03K3/011
- IPC: H03K3/011 ; H03K17/10 ; H03K17/16 ; H03K17/082 ; H03K17/567

Abstract:
A method for voltage balancing series-connected power switching devices (IGBTs) each connected in parallel with a respective diverter having controllable impedance to controllably conduct current diverted from the associated power switching device, the method comprising the step of controlling each diverter to follow a series of at least two successively higher impedance states during an OFF period of the power switching devices. The series of impedance states for each diverter comprises a first impedance and then a second, higher impedance, the first impedance occurring in response to an indication of a start of the OFF period. The first impedance state preferably occurs during a tail current of the power switching device in parallel with the respective diverter and the second or later impedance state during a leakage current of that power switching device.
Public/Granted literature
- US20180191332A1 VOLTAGE BALANCING IN SERIES-CONNECTED POWER SWITCHES Public/Granted day:2018-07-05
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