Current Source Inverter Overlap Period Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional current source inverters require additional control circuits and detectors to prevent switching loss and element destruction during commutation, which complicates the control of switching elements and increases the risk of damage.

Innovation Solution

A current source inverter with a predetermined overlap period during commutation, where the timing for driving switching elements is controlled to generate a sufficient overlap time for load current fluctuations, allowing resonant current to flow and reducing switching loss without the need for additional control circuits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If conventional commutation control is used without overlap period, then switching elements can be controlled simply, but switching loss occurs and element destruction may happen due to overvoltage and current generation during commutation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveswitching lossVSAvoidcontrol circuit complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by establishing a predetermined overlap period in the control program before commutation occurs. This overlap period is set in advance to ensure that the commutation source switching element is turned off after the commutation target switching element is turned on, preventing switching loss and overvoltage without requiring complex real-time detection or additional control circuits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If additional control circuits and detectors are added to prevent switching loss and element destruction, then element reliability improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveswitching element reliabilityVSAvoidcontrol circuit complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies self-service by using the control program itself to provide the protective overlap period function. The control program automatically ensures that the commutation source switching element remains on for a predetermined overlap period after the commutation target switching element is turned on, making the system self-protecting without external detectors or additional control circuits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If commutation is performed without overlap period, then switching elements can be controlled with simpler timing, but current and voltage generation during commutation causes element destruction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveswitching element control simplicityVSAvoidovervoltage and current damage
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by preemptively introducing an overlap period in the control program that prevents the harmful effects of commutation. The overlap period ensures that the commutation source switching element is not turned off immediately when the commutation target is turned on, thereby preventing overvoltage and current generation that would otherwise damage the switching elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach enables zero current and zero voltage switching during commutation, reducing switching losses and preventing element damage without additional control circuits, thus simplifying the control of switching elements in current source inverters.

Implementation Method 1

a resonant circuit for supplying resonant current to switching elements in the multiphase inverter

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectResonant current: Resonance

Data Source

PatentEP2677652B1Current source inverter device, and method for controlling current source inverter device
Publication Date: 2016.11.16 KYOSAN ELECTRIC MFG CO LTD
  • EP2677652B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2677652B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2677652B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3D

AI summary

In controlling switching elements of a current source inverter, a switching loss in the switching element is prevented according to a normal switching operation for a commutation operation, without requiring any particular control. In the commutation operation of the current source inverter, a timing for driving the switching elements is controlled in such a manner that an overlap period is generated, during when both a switching element at the commutation source and a switching element at the commutation target are set to be the ON state, a resonant circuit is controlled based on the control of the switching elements having this overlap period, and resonant current of the resonant circuit reduces the switching loss upon commutation operation of the switching elements. By controlling the generation of the resonant current of the resonant circuit by using the control of the switching elements having the overlap period, the resonant current generated by this control renders current and voltage of the switching element at the commutation source to zero when commutation is performed, thereby reducing the switching loss in the commutation operation.