Mitsubishi electric corporation (20240136915). POWER CONVERTER AND CONTROL METHOD FOR POWER CONVERTER simplified abstract

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 20240136915 titled 'POWER CONVERTER AND CONTROL METHOD FOR POWER CONVERTER

Simplified Explanation

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

• The power converter includes a multiphase inverter circuit with multiple switching elements.
• It has current sensors to detect the current in the inverter circuit and output the detected values.
• A terminal voltage detector is used to detect the voltage of each terminal of a load connected to the inverter circuit.
• A switching element drive circuit controls the switching elements according to a given switching pattern.
• A fault detector identifies faults in the inverter circuit or current sensors.
• A fault identifier switches 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 machinery

1. 1. 1. Problems Solved:

- Efficient fault detection in power converters - Quick identification of faults for timely maintenance

1. 1. 1. Benefits:

- Improved reliability of power converters - Reduced downtime due to quick fault identification

1. 1. 1. Potential Commercial Applications:
         1. Optimizing Power Converter Performance for Enhanced Reliability

1. 1. 1. Possible Prior Art:

There are existing fault detection systems in power converters, but the specific method described in this patent application for fault identification based on detected values may be unique.

1. 1. 1. 1. Unanswered Questions:
         2. How does the fault identification system impact the overall efficiency of the power converter?

The fault identification system helps in quickly identifying faults, leading to timely maintenance and reduced downtime, ultimately improving the efficiency of the power converter.

1. 1. 1. 1. Are there any limitations to the fault detection and identification system described in the patent application?

The patent application does not mention any limitations of the fault detection and identification system, so further testing and real-world implementation may be needed to identify any potential limitations.

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.