Abstract: A modular power converter with wide-bandgap semiconductors, in particular SiC semiconductors. The modular power converter has at least two base units. The base units are connected together on the input side, and each base unit has an input circuit on the input side and an output circuit on the output side. The input circuit and the output circuit are each formed by the wide-bandgap semiconductors arranged in a B6-bridge circuit. An intermediate circuit capacitor is connected in parallel with the input circuit and the output circuit forming an intermediate circuit. The input circuits of the base units or a sub-quantity of the base units are arranged in a series circuit. At least one inductor is arranged between each pair of input circuits.

Abstract: With a method and an actuation arrangement for actuating a MOSFET, in particular a wide-bandgap semiconductor MOSFET, a monitoring process is performed to determine whether the body diode of the MOSFET is electrically conducting or blocking. If the body diode is electrically conducting, the MOSFET is activated, and if the body diode is electrically blocking, the MOSFET is actuated in response to an actuation signal generated based on the drain-source voltage and the direction and intensity of the drain-source current of the MOSFET.

Abstract: A method of driving a transistor includes generating an off-current during a plurality of turn-off switching events to control a gate voltage at a gate terminal of the transistor, wherein generating the off-current includes sinking a first portion of the off-current from the gate terminal to discharge a first portion of the gate voltage, and sinking, during a boost interval, a second portion of the off-current from the gate terminal to discharge a second portion of the gate voltage; measuring a transistor parameter indicative of an oscillation of a drain-source voltage of the transistor for a first turn-off switching event during which the transistor is transitioned off; activating the first portion of the off-current for a second turn-off switching event; and activating the second portion of the off-current for the second turn-off switching event, including regulating a length of the boost interval based on the measured transistor parameter.

Abstract: In a method for protecting a field-effect transistor, which is operated in a switching mode, against an overload current in a switched-on switching state, an electric drain-source voltage between a drain connection and a source connection of the field-effect transistor is detected. The drain-source voltage is compared with a predefined voltage comparison value, and the field-effect transistor is switched into a switched-off switching state in the event that the drain-source voltage is greater than the voltage comparison value. For the purpose of providing a temperature compensation of the protection, the temperature of the field-effect transistor is detected; and the voltage comparison value is adjusted depending on the temperature. The voltage comparison value is, in addition, also dependent on time during the switched-on switching state.

Abstract: A drive device (102) with a converter function for a vehicle (100) has at least one first motor connection and one second motor connection for connecting the drive device (102) to a converter (108), a least one first motor coil and one second motor coil, wherein a first connection of the first motor coil is connected to the first motor connection and a first connection of the second motor coil is connected to the second motor connection, at least one first intermediate tap and one second intermediate tap, wherein the first intermediate tap is connected to a first tap point of the first motor coil and the second intermediate tap is connected to a first tap point of the second motor coil, and at least one first supply line connection and one second supply line connection for connecting the drive device (102) to an AC voltage supply line, wherein the first supply line connection is connected to the first intermediate tap and the second supply line connection is connected to the second intermediate tap.

Abstract: A switching half-bridge has two field-effect transistors and a supplementary circuit arranged upstream of a gate terminal of a first field-effect transistor and formed of a first circuit branch having a damping resistor and an inductor connected in series with the damping resistor and a second circuit branch being connected in parallel with the first circuit branch and having a series resistor and an auxiliary switch connected in series with the series resistor. The half-bridge can be switched from a first switching state to a second switching state, wherein while the auxiliary switch is open, a change in the control voltage causes the first circuit branch to temporarily change the gate-source voltage of the first field-effect transistor from the switch-on level to a second switch-off level greater than a first switch-off level, with the gate-source voltage thereafter returning to the first switch-off level.

Abstract: A longitudinal voltage source interconnects into a first line and a second line and feeds a longitudinal voltage into each of the two lines. The voltage source has first and second H-bridge circuits, each with four switches, and with outer terminals and center terminals. The center terminals are connectable to disconnected locations of the first and second lines. A capacitor has a first capacitor terminal connected to the two first output terminals of the two H-bridge circuits and a second capacitor terminal connected to the two second output terminals of the two H-bridge circuits. One or more switching modules are connected between the first capacitor terminal and the first output terminals of the first and second H-bridge circuits, and one or more switching modules are connected between the second capacitor terminal and the second output terminals of the first and second H-bridge circuits.

Abstract: A modular converter assembly has at least one AC voltage terminal and at least two DC voltage terminals. The DC voltage terminals are formed by the outer terminals of a series circuit and the AC voltage terminal is formed by the connecting node between two sub-circuits of the series circuit. Capacitors of submodules of the subcircuits are activated or deactivated based on their capacitor voltages. The capacitors are operated exclusively in a unipolar mode or exclusively in a bipolar mode. In a time period in which the temporal mean value of the current flowing through the sub-circuit has a different sign than the actual current flowing through the sub-circuit, capacitors operating in a unipolar mode are preferred over capacitors operating in a bipolar manner. That is, the unipolar capacitors are reactivated or remain activated. A selection loop is carried out repeatedly to select the capacitors for activation or deactivation.

Abstract: A switching half-bridge has two field-effect transistors and a supplementary circuit arranged upstream of a gate terminal of a first field-effect transistor and formed of a first circuit branch having a damping resistor and an inductor connected in series with the damping resistor and a second circuit branch being connected in parallel with the first circuit branch and having a series resistor and an auxiliary switch connected in series with the series resistor.

Abstract: A drive device (102) with a converter function for a vehicle (100) has at least one first motor connection and one second motor connection for connecting the drive device (102) to a converter (108), a least one first motor coil and one second motor coil, wherein a first connection of the first motor coil is connected to the first motor connection and a first connection of the second motor coil is connected to the second motor connection, at least one first intermediate tap and one second intermediate tap, wherein the first intermediate tap is connected to a first tap point of the first motor coil and the second intermediate tap is connected to a first tap point of the second motor coil, and at least one first supply line connection and one second supply line connection for connecting the drive device (102) to an AC voltage supply line, wherein the first supply line connection is connected to the first intermediate tap and the second supply line connection is connected to the second intermediate tap.

Abstract: A modular converter assembly has at least one AC voltage terminal and at least two DC voltage terminals. The DC voltage terminals are formed by the outer terminals of a series circuit and the AC voltage terminal is formed by the connecting node between two sub-circuits of the series circuit. Capacitors of submodules of the subcircuits are activated or deactivated based on their capacitor voltages. The capacitors are operated exclusively in a unipolar mode or exclusively in a bipolar mode. In a time period in which the temporal mean value of the current flowing through the sub-circuit has a different sign than the actual current flowing through the sub-circuit, capacitors operating in a unipolar mode are preferred over capacitors operating in a bipolar manner. That is, the unipolar capacitors are reactivated or remain activated. A selection loop is carried out repeatedly to select the capacitors for activation or deactivation.

Abstract: Devices and methods are provided, which detect a short circuit condition related to a semiconductor switch. A short circuit condition may be determined when a control signal of the switch exceeds a first reference, and a change of load current of the switch exceeds a second reference.

Abstract: A longitudinal voltage source interconnects into a first line and a second line and feeds a longitudinal voltage into each of the two lines. The voltage source has first and second H-bridge circuits, each with four switches, and with outer terminals and center terminals. The center terminals are connectable to disconnected locations of the first and second lines. A capacitor has a first capacitor terminal connected to the two first output terminals of the two H-bridge circuits and a second capacitor terminal connected to the two second output terminals of the two H-bridge circuits. One or more switching modules are connected between the first capacitor terminal and the first output terminals of the first and second H-bridge circuits, and one or more switching modules are connected between the second capacitor terminal and the second output terminals of the first and second H-bridge circuits.

Abstract: A converter arrangement has a first phase module with a first phase module branch between a first AC voltage connection and a first DC voltage pole and a second phase module branch between the first AC voltage connection and a second DC voltage pole. A second phase module has third and fourth phase module branchs. The phase module branches have double-pole sub modules with a power semiconductor switch and an energy accumulator that can be bridged independently of the current direction by a bridging unit. A freewheeling path has a semiconductor element with a blocking direction and a pass direction. The converter arrangement is short-circuit protected when, in the event of a short-circuit on the DC voltage side, all sub modules are bridged independently of the current direction, and the DC voltage switch is switched off, to commutate a short-circuit current on the DC voltage side to the freewheeling path.

Abstract: A converter arrangement has phase module branches each with two-pole submodules having an energy storage device and a power semiconductor switch. The first phase module branch extends between a first alternating voltage connection and a first direct voltage pole, the second phase module branch extends between the first alternating voltage connection and a second direct voltage pole, the third phase module branch extends between a second alternating voltage connection and the first direct voltage pole, the fourth phase module branch extends between the second alternating voltage connection and the second direct voltage pole. Each submodule can be bridged, independently of the current direction, by a bridging unit. A direct voltage switch is connected between one of the direct voltage poles and the associated direct voltage connection, and a freewheeling path extends between the two direct voltage connections and has a semiconductor element with a blocking and a bypass direction.

Abstract: A device switches a direct current in a branch of a direct current voltage network node. The device contains a constant current path extending between two connection terminals, in which a mechanical switch is disposed. The device further has a switching current path bridging the constant current path and a power switching unit is disposed therein. The power switching unit has power semiconductor switches which can be switched on and off and configured to interrupt a short-circuit current in the event of a fault. The device contains a longitudinal voltage source for generating a counter-voltage in a loop formed by the constant current path and the switching current path. The device can be used economically over long periods of time to control the load flow on a network node. Accordingly, the longitudinal voltage source has a circuit for connecting and disconnecting the electrical power.

Abstract: A device for monitoring a power semiconductor switch includes a circuit section for applying to the power semiconductor switch an HF voltage having a frequency above a switching threshold of the power semiconductor switch, a shunt resistor for detecting an actual HF current resulting from application of the HF voltage to the power semiconductor switch, a monitoring circuit for comparing the actual HF current with an expected HF current that depends on a switching state of the power semiconductor switch when the HF voltage is applied to the power semiconductor switch, and a comparator for generating a power semiconductor status signal depending on a result of the comparison. A corresponding method for monitoring a power semiconductor switch of this type is also described.

Abstract: Devices and methods are provided, which detect a short circuit condition related to a semiconductor switch. A short circuit condition may be determined when a control signal of the switch exceeds a first reference, and a change of load current of the switch exceeds a second reference.

Abstract: Devices and methods are provided, which detect a short circuit condition related to a semiconductor switch. A short circuit condition may be determined when a control signal of the switch exceeds a first reference, and a change of load current of the switch exceeds a second reference.

Abstract: A DC converter is suitable for continuous operation for connecting high-voltage DC networks having different voltages. The DC converter has a first partial converter and a second partial converter, which are connected in series with each other, forming a converter series circuit. The converter series circuit extends between the DC terminals of a DC connection. The second partial converter extends between the DC terminals of a second DC connection. The first partial converter and the second partial converter are connected to each other via a power exchange device, such that the exchange of electrical power between the first partial converter and the second partial converter is made possible via the power exchange device.