Patents by Inventor Kotaro Higashi

Kotaro Higashi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9812992
    Abstract: In a power conversion system in which one or more converter cells are connected in series to form an arm for each phase, a control device includes a voltage command generating unit for generating a positive arm voltage command and a negative arm voltage command for each phase. The voltage command generating unit includes an AC current control unit, a circulating current control unit, and a command distributing unit. On the basis of inputted voltage commands, the command distributing unit subtracts voltage drop portions due to inductance values in the arms from respective voltages assigned as outputs of the positive arm and the negative arm, to distribute voltage components, thereby determining the positive arm voltage command and the negative arm voltage command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kaho Mukunoki, Toshiyuki Fujii, Osamu Mori, Shinzo Tamai, Sadao Funahashi, Yasuhiko Hosokawa, Kotaro Higashi
  • Patent number: 9806630
    Abstract: A power conversion device performs power conversion between three-phase AC, and DC, and includes a positive arm and a negative arm for each phase, each of which includes one or more converter cells connected in series. A voltage command generating unit in a control device includes an AC current control unit, a circulating current control unit, and a command distributing unit, and generates a positive arm voltage command and a negative arm voltage command for each phase. In the circulating current control unit, a compensator calculates a first control command so that circulating current for each phase approaches a circulating current command value, a suppression unit generates a second control command so as to suppress a 2f component and a 4f component contained in the first control command, and then the first control command and the second control command are combined to generate a circulation control command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kaho Mukunoki, Toshiyuki Fujii, Miwako Tanaka, Osamu Mori, Shinzo Tamai, Sadao Funahashi, Yasuhiko Hosokawa, Kotaro Higashi
  • Patent number: 9780685
    Abstract: An electrical power converter includes: AC voltage terminals U, V, and W; DC voltage terminals P and N; a converter cell series unit composed of one or more converter cells connected in series between the AC voltage terminals U, V, and W and the DC voltage terminals P and N, each converter cell including a semiconductor element and a capacitor; and a first inductance connected in series to the converter cell series unit, between, of the DC voltage terminals P and N, a DC voltage terminal at the lowest potential with respect to the ground, and the AC voltage terminals U, V, and W.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Takushi Jimichi, Kimiyuki Koyanagi, Satoshi Azuma, Sadao Funahashi, Shinzo Tamai, Yasuhiko Hosokawa, Kotaro Higashi
  • Patent number: 9755542
    Abstract: In a power converter which performs power conversion between plural-phase AC and DC, variation in voltage of the DC capacitor in each converter cell is detected, and when the variation exceeds a predetermined value, a DC voltage command value as a control target value in a DC voltage control unit which controls DC voltage between DC buses is corrected by being increased or decreased. Thus, when AC grid failure occurs, the capacitor voltage of each converter cell is maintained and the operation continuity is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Fujii, Kaho Mukunoki, Osamu Mori, Shinzo Tamai, Sadao Funahashi, Yasuhiko Hosokawa, Kotaro Higashi
  • Publication number: 20170214334
    Abstract: A power conversion device performs power conversion between three-phase AC, and DC, and includes a positive arm and a negative arm for each phase, each of which includes one or more converter cells connected in series. A voltage command generating unit in a control device includes an AC current control unit, a circulating current control unit, and a command distributing unit, and generates a positive arm voltage command and a negative arm voltage command for each phase. In the circulating current control unit, a compensator calculates a first control command so that circulating current for each phase approaches a circulating current command value, a suppression unit generates a second control command so as to suppress a 2f component and a 4f component contained in the first control command, and then the first control command and the second control command are combined to generate a circulation control command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2015
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kaho MUKUNOKI, Toshiyuki FUJII, Miwako TANAKA, Osamu MORI, Shinzo TAMAI, Sadao FUNAHASHI, Yasuhiko HOSOKAWA, Kotaro HIGASHI
  • Patent number: 9712084
    Abstract: An electric power conversion device includes a power conversion unit and a converter control unit. The power conversion unit includes three arms connected to an AC circuit. The converter control unit includes a phase DC voltage control unit, a negative sequence current command value calculation unit, an output current control unit, a circulating current control unit, a voltage command value calculation unit, and a gate signal generation unit, and imbalance of cell DC capacitor voltages among phases due to grid imbalance is controlled by circulating current and negative sequence current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Kikuchi, Kaho Mukunoki, Toshiyuki Fujii, Osamu Mori, Shinzo Tamai, Sadao Funahashi, Yasuhiko Hosokawa, Kotaro Higashi
  • Publication number: 20170047860
    Abstract: In a power converter which performs power conversion between plural-phase AC and DC, variation in voltage of the DC capacitor in each converter cell is detected, and when the variation exceeds a predetermined value, a DC voltage command value as a control target value in a DC voltage control unit which controls DC voltage between DC buses is corrected by being increased or decreased. Thus, when AC grid failure occurs, the capacitor voltage of each converter cell is maintained and the operation continuity is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Applicants: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION, TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI- ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiyuki FUJII, Kaho MUKUNOKI, Osamu MORI, Shinzo TAMAI, Sadao FUNAHASHI, Yasuhiko HOSOKAWA, Kotaro HIGASHI
  • Patent number: 9564827
    Abstract: A power conversion device includes: a DC current calculation unit for calculating a circulating current component for each phase which circulates between the phases through first arms and/or second arms not via an AC power supply and a DC power supply; and a circulating current control unit for controlling the circulating current component for each phase so as to follow a predetermined circulating current command value, thereby reliably suppressing variation in voltages of DC capacitors of unit cells among the phases even in such a case where an impedance is additionally inserted in a DC circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kaho Mukunoki, Toshiyuki Fujii, Osamu Mori, Shinzo Tamai, Sadao Funahashi, Yasuhiko Hosokawa, Kotaro Higashi
  • Patent number: 9564808
    Abstract: An electric power conversion device includes a plurality of cell converters connected in cascade and including main circuits, drive circuits, and self-feeding devices for supplying power to the drive circuits by being supplied with power from the main circuits. The drive circuit is supplied with power via a first feed line from the self-feeding device in the corresponding cell converter, and supplied with power from the self-feeding device in another cell converter via a second feed line on which an insulation input/output circuit is provided. When the self-feeding device is abnormal, the drive circuit is supplied with power from the self-feeding device in the other cell converter, whereby the electric power conversion device continuously provides a desired output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Kimiyuki Koyanagi, Takushi Jimichi, Satoshi Azuma, Yasuhiko Hosokawa, Shinzo Tamai, Sadao Funahashi, Kotaro Higashi
  • Publication number: 20160336874
    Abstract: An electric power conversion device includes a power conversion unit and a converter control unit. The power conversion unit includes three arms connected to an AC circuit. The converter control unit includes a phase DC voltage control unit, a negative sequence current command value calculation unit, an output current control unit, a circulating current control unit, a voltage command value calculation unit, and a gate signal generation unit, and imbalance of cell DC capacitor voltages among phases due to grid imbalance is controlled by circulating current and negative sequence current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Applicants: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION, TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi KIKUCHI, Kaho MUKUNOKI, Toshiyuki FUJII, Osamu MORI, Shinzo TAMAI, Sadao FUNAHASHI, Yasuhiko HOSOKAWA, Kotaro HIGASHI
  • Publication number: 20160329831
    Abstract: In a power conversion system in which one or more converter cells are connected in series to form an arm for each phase, a control device includes a voltage command generating unit for generating a positive arm voltage command and a negative arm voltage command for each phase. The voltage command generating unit includes an AC current control unit, a circulating current control unit, and a command distributing unit. On the basis of inputted voltage commands, the command distributing unit subtracts voltage drop portions due to inductance values in the arms from respective voltages assigned as outputs of the positive arm and the negative arm, to distribute voltage components, thereby determining the positive arm voltage command and the negative arm voltage command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2014
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Kaho MUKUNOKI, Toshiyuki FUJI, Osamu MORI, Shinzo TAMAI, Sadao FUNAHASHI, Yasuhiko HOSOKAWA, Kotaro HIGASHI
  • Publication number: 20160190924
    Abstract: An electric power conversion device includes a plurality of cell converters connected in cascade and including main circuits, drive circuits, and self-feeding devices for supplying power to the drive circuits by being supplied with power from the main circuits. The drive circuit is supplied with power via a first feed line from the self-feeding device in the corresponding cell converter, and supplied with power from the self-feeding device in another cell converter via a second feed line on which an insulation input/output circuit is provided. When the self-feeding device is abnormal, the drive circuit is supplied with power from the self-feeding device in the other cell converter, whereby the electric power conversion device continuously provides a desired output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2013
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Kimiyuki KOYANAGI, Takushi JIMICHI, Satoshi AZUMA, Yasuhiko HOSOKAWA, Shinzo TAMAI, Sadao FUNAHASHI, Kotaro HIGASHI
  • Publication number: 20160056727
    Abstract: A power conversion device includes: a DC current calculation unit for calculating a circulating current component for each phase which circulates between the phases through first arms and/or second arms not via an AC power supply and a DC power supply; and a circulating current control unit for controlling the circulating current component for each phase so as to follow a predetermined circulating current command value, thereby reliably suppressing variation in voltages of DC capacitors of unit cells among the phases even in such a case where an impedance is additionally inserted in a DC circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kaho MUKUNOKI, Toshiyuki FUJII, Osamu MORI, Shinzo TAMAI, Sadao FUNAHASHI, Yasuhiko HOSOKAWA, Kotaro HIGASHI
  • Publication number: 20160036314
    Abstract: A cell block including a plurality of cell converters connected in cascade and each including switching elements and a capacitor is provided. The cell block includes external connection terminals for connecting to another cell block in cascade, and a bypass circuit is connected to the external connection terminals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kimiyuki KOYANAGI, Takushi JIMICHI, Satoshi AZUMA, Sadao FUNAHASHI, Yasuhiko HOSOKAWA, Shinzo TAMAI, Kotaro HIGASHI
  • Patent number: 9154049
    Abstract: When switching control signals of self-excited semiconductor devices from OFF-control to ON-control, a control circuit controls the self-excited semiconductor device to be ON after a lapse of a turn-ON time from when a control voltage is applied to the self-excited semiconductor device. When switching the control signals of the self-excited semiconductor devices from ON-control to OFF-control, the control circuit controls the control signal of the self-excited semiconductor device to be OFF after a lapse of a turn-OFF time from when the control voltage is applied to the self-excited semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kotaro Higashi
  • Publication number: 20150188447
    Abstract: An electrical power converter includes: AC voltage terminals U, V, and W; DC voltage terminals P and N; a converter cell series unit composed of one or more converter cells connected in series between the AC voltage terminals U, V, and W and the DC voltage terminals P and N, each converter cell including a semiconductor element and a capacitor; and a first inductance connected in series to the converter cell series unit, between, of the DC voltage terminals P and N, a DC voltage terminal at the lowest potential with respect to the ground, and the AC voltage terminals U, V, and W.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Takushi Jimichi, Kimiyuki Koyanagi, Satoshi Azuma, Sadao Funahashi, Shinzo Tamai, Yasuhiko Hosokawa, Kotaro Higashi
  • Publication number: 20150124504
    Abstract: When switching control signals of self-excited semiconductor devices from OFF-control to ON-control, a control circuit controls the self-excited semiconductor device to be ON after a lapse of a turn-ON time from when a control voltage is applied to the self-excited semiconductor device. When switching the control signals of the self-excited semiconductor devices from ON-control to OFF-control, the control circuit controls the control signal of the self-excited semiconductor device to be OFF after a lapse of a turn-OFF time from when the control voltage is applied to the self-excited semiconductor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kotaro Higashi
  • Patent number: 8552696
    Abstract: A control device of a self-excited reactive power compensation apparatus controls a reactive current output from a self-excited converter to a power system. The control device includes a first reference generating unit, a second reference generating unit, and a selecting unit. The first reference generating unit generates a first voltage reference of an output voltage output from the self-excited converter, such that the reactive current detected by a reactive current detecting unit follows a current reference. The second reference generating unit generates a second voltage reference of the output voltage output from the self-excited converter, such that a value of the reactive current becomes a predetermined value. The selecting unit selects a maximum value from the first and second voltage references.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Morishima, Kotaro Higashi
  • Publication number: 20110254517
    Abstract: A control device of a self-excited reactive power compensation apparatus controls a reactive current output from a self-excited converter to a power system. The control device includes a first reference generating unit, a second reference generating unit, and a selecting unit. The first reference generating unit generates a first voltage reference of an output voltage output from the self-excited converter, such that the reactive current detected by a reactive current detecting unit follows a current reference. The second reference generating unit generates a second voltage reference of the output voltage output from the self-excited converter, such that a value of the reactive current becomes a predetermined value. The selecting unit selects a maximum value from the first and second voltage references.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUS. SYS. CORP.
    Inventors: Naoki Morishima, Kotaro Higashi