US 12,231,027 B2
Chain-link converters
Andrew Nolan, Stafford (GB)
Assigned to GE INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY LLC, Greenville, SC (US)
Appl. No. 17/998,739
Filed by General Electric Technology GmbH, Baden (CH)
PCT Filed May 28, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/064361
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 14, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/244969, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 9, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 20275100 (EP), filed on Jun. 4, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0336067 A1, Oct. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. H02M 7/483 (2007.01); H02M 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC H02M 1/0009 (2021.05) [H02M 7/4835 (2021.05)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A chain-link converter comprising:
a plurality of series-connected chain-link modules, each chain-link module having a module controller programmed to control operation of the corresponding chain-link module to selectively provide a voltage source whereby the chain-link converter is able to provide a stepped variable voltage source; and
a chain-link converter controller arranged in communication with each module controller and programmed to in-use communicate to a plurality of module controllers a measured converter current flowing through the chain-link converter;
the module controllers receiving the measured converter current each being further programmed in-use to combine the measured converter current with a rate of change of current flowing through and measured in the corresponding chain-link module to establish an instantaneous module current flowing through the corresponding chain-link module.