18269339. POWER CONVERTER AND CONTROL METHOD FOR POWER CONVERTER simplified abstract (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)

POWER CONVERTER AND CONTROL METHOD FOR POWER CONVERTER

Organization Name

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Inventor(s)

Hiroya Natsuhara of Tokyo (JP)

Isao Kezobo of Tokyo (JP)

Tatsuya Mori of Tokyo (JP)

Chiaki Fujimoto of Tokyo (JP)

Atsushi Ito of Kobe-shi (JP)

Yusuke Takarada of Tokyo (JP)

POWER CONVERTER AND CONTROL METHOD FOR POWER CONVERTER - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18269339 titled 'POWER CONVERTER AND CONTROL METHOD FOR POWER CONVERTER

Simplified Explanation

The patent application describes a power converter with advanced fault detection and identification capabilities. Here is a simplified explanation of the patent:

• The power converter includes a multiphase inverter circuit with multiple switching elements.
• Current sensors detect the current in the inverter circuit and output the detected values.
• A terminal voltage detector monitors the voltage at each terminal of the load connected to the inverter circuit.
• A switching element drive circuit controls the switching elements according to a given pattern.
• A fault detector identifies faults in the inverter circuit or current sensors.
• A fault identifier adjusts the switching pattern after a fault is detected and performs identification processing to determine the type and location of the fault based on the detected values.

1. 1. 1. Potential Applications

- Renewable energy systems - Electric vehicles - Industrial motor drives

1. 1. 1. Problems Solved

- Efficient fault detection in power converters - Quick identification of fault types and locations - Enhanced system reliability and safety

1. 1. 1. Benefits

- Improved system performance - Reduced downtime for maintenance - Cost savings from early fault detection

1. 1. 1. Potential Commercial Applications
         1. Advanced Fault Detection in Power Converters

1. 1. 1. Possible Prior Art

There are existing power converters with fault detection capabilities, but the advanced identification processing described in this patent application appears to be a novel feature.

1. 1. 1. Unanswered Questions

1. 1. 1. 1. How does the fault identifier determine the type of fault based on the detected values?

The patent application mentions that the fault identifier uses the values detected by the current sensors and terminal voltage detector, but it does not provide specific details on the algorithm or methodology used for fault type identification.

1. 1. 1. 1. What are the specific types of faults that can be detected and identified by the fault detector?

While the patent application mentions that the fault detector can detect faults in the inverter circuit or current sensors, it does not list the specific types of faults that can be identified. Additional information on the range of detectable faults would be helpful for understanding the capabilities of this technology.

Original Abstract Submitted

A power converter includes: a multiphase inverter circuit including a plurality of switching elements; a plurality of current sensors each configured to detect a current of the inverter circuit and output a value of the current detected; a terminal voltage detector configured to detect a voltage of each terminal of a load connected to the inverter circuit and output a value of the voltage detected; a switching element drive circuit configured to control the plurality of switching elements of the inverter circuit according to a switching pattern given; a fault detector configured to detect a fault in the inverter circuit or the plurality of current sensors; and a fault identifier configured to, after the fault detector detects the fault, switch the switching pattern to be given to the switching element drive circuit according to types of faults detectable by the fault detector, and perform identification processing of identifying a type and a location of the fault in the inverter circuit or the plurality of current sensors based on the value of the current detected by the plurality of current sensors or the value of the voltage detected by the terminal voltage detector during the control according to the switching pattern.