Abstract: A motor drive system includes: a first inverter connected to one end of an open-end winding of a three-phase motor, an input voltage from a single-phase AC power source being rectified into a rectified voltage and input to the first inverter; a second inverter connected to another end of the open-end winding and including a DC link capacitor; and a control unit that controls the first inverter so that a first inverter output voltage supplied from the first inverter to the three-phase motor is in phase with a motor current flowing in the three-phase motor, controls the second inverter to supply reactive power to the three-phase motor by making a second inverter output voltage supplied from the second inverter to the three-phase motor orthogonal to the motor current in order to make an instantaneous power supplied from the DC link capacitor to the three-phase motor zero, and also controls the second inverter so that a q-axis component of the second inverter output voltage orthogonal to a d-axis component, which

Abstract: Disclosed is a current source inverter that includes a combination of normally-on and normally-off switches configured to provide free-wheeling paths for current in case of loss of control signals or gate drive power.

Abstract: A monolithically integrated bidirectional switch includes: an output terminal; a control terminal; a compound semiconductor substrate; a common drift region in the compound semiconductor substrate and in series between the input terminal and the output terminal; a first gate; and a second gate. The first gate is electrically connected to the control terminal and the second gate is electrically connected to the input terminal, or one of the first gate and the second gate is a normally-on gate and the other one of the first gate and the second gate is a normally-off gate. In either case, the monolithically integrated bidirectional switch is configured to conduct current in a single direction from the input terminal to the output terminal through the common drift region. A corresponding power electronic system that uses the monolithically integrated bidirectional switch is also described.

Abstract: Disclosed is a power converter circuit and a method for operating the power converter circuit. The power converter circuit includes at least one converter stage and a control circuit. The at least one converter stage includes an input configured to receive an input power, an output configured to supply an output power, a first electronic switch, and a first inductor coupled to the first electronic switch. The control circuit includes a hysteresis controller configured to drive the first electronic switch based on a current measurement signal representing a current through the inductor, a first threshold signal, and a second threshold signal, and an operating point controller configured to detect an operating point of the converter stage to generate the first threshold signal and the second threshold signal based on the detected operating point.

Abstract: A power converter circuit includes an input configured to receive an input voltage and an output configured to provide an output voltage; a main converter coupled between a main converter input and the output and comprising a first winding and a second winding that are inductively coupled; and an auxiliary converter comprising an auxiliary converter input coupled to a third winding and an auxiliary converter output, wherein the third winding is inductively coupled with the first winding and the second winding. The auxiliary converter output is coupled between the input and the main converter input.

Abstract: A power converter circuit includes an input configured to receive an input voltage and an output configured to provide an output voltage; a main converter coupled between a main converter input and the output and comprising a first winding and a second winding that are inductively coupled; and an auxiliary converter comprising an auxiliary converter input coupled to a third winding and an auxiliary converter output, wherein the third winding is inductively coupled with the first winding and the second winding. The auxiliary converter output is coupled between the input and the main converter input.

Abstract: A method for operating a power converter is described. The power converter includes three input nodes each configured to receive a respective one of three input voltages, two DC link nodes configured to provide a DC link voltage, and a midpoint coupled to each DC link node. Three inductors are each connected to a respective one of the three input nodes. A rectifier bridge including three bridge legs are each coupled to a respective one of the three inputs through a respective one of the three inductors and connected to the respective one of the three inductors at a respective switch node. Each bridge leg is connected to the two DC link nodes and the midpoint, and includes at least one electronic switch. The power converter is operated in a reduced switching mode by deactivating at least one of the three bridge legs for a predefined time period.

Abstract: Examples of power converter circuits and power conversion methods are disclosed. One example of a power converter circuit includes an input configured to receive an input voltage and an output configured to provide an output voltage; a main converter coupled between a main converter input and the output and comprising a first winding and a second winding that are inductively coupled; and an auxiliary converter comprising an auxiliary converter input coupled to a third winding and an auxiliary converter output, wherein the third winding is inductively coupled with the first winding and the second winding. The auxiliary converter output is coupled between the input and the main converter input.

Abstract: Disclosed is a current source inverter that includes a combination of normally-on and normally-off switches configured to provide free-wheeling paths for current in case of loss of control signals or gate drive power.

Abstract: A method for operating a power converter is described. The power converter includes three input nodes each configured to receive a respective one of three input voltages, two DC link nodes configured to provide a DC link voltage, and a midpoint coupled to each DC link node. Three inductors are each connected to a respective one of the three input nodes. A rectifier bridge including three bridge legs are each coupled to a respective one of the three inputs through a respective one of the three inductors and connected to the respective one of the three inductors at a respective switch node. Each bridge leg is connected to the two DC link nodes and the midpoint, and includes at least one electronic switch. The power converter is operated in a reduced switching mode by deactivating at least one of the three bridge legs for a predefined time period.

Abstract: Disclosed is a power converter circuit and a method for operating the power converter circuit. The power converter circuit includes at least one converter stage and a control circuit. The at least one converter stage includes an input configured to receive an input power, an output configured to supply an output power, a first electronic switch, and a first inductor coupled to the first electronic switch. The control circuit includes a hysteresis controller configured to drive the first electronic switch based on a current measurement signal representing a current through the inductor, a first threshold signal, and a second threshold signal, and an operating point controller configured to detect an operating point of the converter stage to generate the first threshold signal and the second threshold signal based on the detected operating point.

Abstract: Disclosed is a power converter circuit and a method for operating the power converter circuit. The power converter circuit includes at least one converter stage and a control circuit. The at least one converter stage includes an input configured to receive an input power, an output configured to supply an output power, a first electronic switch, and a first inductor coupled to the first electronic switch. The control circuit includes a hysteresis controller configured to drive the first electronic switch based on a current measurement signal representing a current through the inductor, a first threshold signal, and a second threshold signal, and an operating point controller configured to detect an operating point of the converter stage to generate the first threshold signal and the second threshold signal based on the detected operating point.

Abstract: A power converter circuit includes a plurality of first converter cells, a plurality of second converter cells, and a plurality of DC link capacitors. Each of the plurality of first converter cells is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of DC link capacitors. Each of the plurality of second converter cells is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of DC link capacitors. At least one of the plurality of second converter cells is configured to, during start-up of the power converter, internally dissipate power received from the corresponding DC link capacitor while a cell output power of the at least one of the plurality of second converter cells is substantially zero.

Abstract: A power converter circuit includes a chopper circuit configured to receive an input voltage and generate a chopper voltage with an alternating voltage level based on the input voltage, an autotransformer including at least one tap, the autotransformer being coupled to the chopper circuit and configured to generate a tap voltage at the at least one tap, and a selector circuit configured to receive a plurality of voltage levels. At least one of these the voltage levels is based on the at least one tap voltage. The selector circuit is further configured to generate a selector output voltage based on the plurality of voltage levels such that the selector circuit selects two of the plurality of voltage levels and switches at a switching frequency between the two voltage levels.

Abstract: Disclosed is a power converter circuit and a method for operating the power converter circuit. The power converter circuit includes at least one converter stage and a control circuit. The at least one converter stage includes an input configured to receive an input power, an output configured to supply an output power, a first electronic switch, and a first inductor coupled to the first electronic switch. The control circuit includes a hysteresis controller configured to drive the first electronic switch based on a current measurement signal representing a current through the inductor, a first threshold signal, and a second threshold signal, and an operating point controller configured to detect an operating point of the converter stage to generate the first threshold signal and the second threshold signal based on the detected operating point.

Abstract: Examples of power converter circuits and power conversion methods are disclosed. One example of a power converter circuit includes an input configured to receive an input voltage and an output configured to provide an output voltage; a main converter coupled between a main converter input and the output and comprising a first winding and a second winding that are inductively coupled; and an auxiliary converter comprising an auxiliary converter input coupled to a third winding and an auxiliary converter output, wherein the third winding is inductively coupled with the first winding and the second winding. The auxiliary converter output is coupled between the input and the main converter input.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method includes driving at least one electronic switch coupled to at least one inductor in a converter stage of a switched mode power supply based on a clock signal, and modulating a clock frequency of the clock signal over a predefined first frequency range around a center frequency such that a frequency spectrum of the clock signal is asymmetric. The switched mode power supply includes a filter coupled between the converter stage and an input of the switched mode power supply.

Abstract: A power converter circuit includes a plurality of first converter cells, a plurality of second converter cells, and a plurality of DC link capacitors. Each of the plurality of first converter cells is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of DC link capacitors. Each of the plurality of second converter cells is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of DC link capacitors. At least one of the plurality of second converter cells is configured to, during start-up of the power converter, internally dissipate power received from the corresponding DC link capacitor while a cell output power of the at least one of the plurality of second converter cells is substantially zero.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method includes driving at least one electronic switch coupled to at least one inductor in a converter stage of a switched mode power supply based on a clock signal, and modulating a clock frequency of the clock signal over a predefined first frequency range around a center frequency such that a frequency spectrum of the clock signal is asymmetric. The switched mode power supply includes a filter coupled between the converter stage and an input of the switched mode power supply.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a periodic voltage by a power converter comprising a plurality of converter cells and, in a series of time frames of equal duration, alternating an average power level of power converted by at least one converter cell of the plurality of converter cells. Each of the series of time frames corresponds to a time period between sequential zero crossings of the periodic voltage.