초록 ▼

A method and apparatus for a multilevel rectifier with fewer switching components is provided. The method reduces the required number of switching devices in an n level switching device and clamp diode rectifier. The method is valid for any positive integer number of levels equal to or greater than

A method and apparatus for a multilevel rectifier with fewer switching components is provided. The method reduces the required number of switching devices in an n level switching device and clamp diode rectifier. The method is valid for any positive integer number of levels equal to or greater than three. The method is also applicable to any phase system. The method reduces the number of switching devices required for an n-level rectifier from the standard 2(n-1) by 2 switching devices for every phase leg. A multilevel uni-directional power converter system including a multilevel rectifier that has a reduced number of switching devices is provided. The system comprises an input to a multilevel rectifier with at least one phase leg. The rectifier is composed of switching device and anti-parallel diode pairs and clamping diodes. The number of switching devices required depends on the given number of voltage levels according to the equation 2(n-1) where n is the number of voltage levels. This number of required devices is then reduced in accordance with the present invention by removing the top and the bottom switching devices from the rectifier circuit. The anti-parallel diodes remain in the rectifier circuit. There is no performance degradation from this reduction in the number of switching devices to the rectifier.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A reduced parts count multilevel rectifier comprising:at least one input node; at least one phase leg corresponding to each said input node; a plurality of switching device and anti-parallel diode pairs arranged in each said phase leg according to a given number, n, greater than or equal to 4, of

1. A reduced parts count multilevel rectifier comprising:at least one input node; at least one phase leg corresponding to each said input node; a plurality of switching device and anti-parallel diode pairs arranged in each said phase leg according to a given number, n, greater than or equal to 4, of voltage levels wherein the number of said switching devices is reduced by removing two switching devices from the circuit but the anti-parallel diodes remain; at least one clamping diode corresponding to each said remaining switching device and anti-parallel diode pairs; a plurality of output nodes corresponding to the number of voltage levels; and a plurality of capacitors connected between adjacent said output nodes.