Abstract: In a power converting apparatus including a capacitor connected in series which serves to divide a DC voltage, and a PWM inverter bridge for converting the DC voltage into an AC phase voltage having three electric potentials of a positive voltage, a negative voltage and an intermediate voltage in a plurality of phases, a zero voltage period generator (11) is switched by signal switching devices (5 to 10) when a load current reaches a first overcurrent level based on the detection of an overcurrent detector (12), and there is provided a zero voltage period having an intermediate voltage in which output phase voltages having all phases of the power converting apparatus become the intermediate voltages, thereby carrying out a current limitation. With an inexpensive structure, consequently, a rapidly increased current in an inverter can be instantaneously suppressed at time of the detection of an overcurrent.