US 12,283,878 B2
Method for operating a power electronic converter, and power electronic converter
Giulia Beanato, Fahrweid (CH); Jerome Fischer, Egerkingen (CH); Simon Herold, Affoltern am Albis (CH); Martin Klaeusler, Rombach (CH); and Luigi Lucano, Waldshut (DE)
Assigned to Hitachi Energy Ltd, Zürich (CH)
Appl. No. 17/613,377
Filed by Hitachi Energy Ltd, Zürich (CH)
PCT Filed May 20, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/062970
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 22, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/233786, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 26, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0216807 A1, Jul. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. H02M 1/32 (2007.01); H01L 23/473 (2006.01); H02M 7/483 (2007.01); H02M 7/5387 (2007.01)
CPC H02M 1/32 (2013.01) [H01L 23/473 (2013.01); H02M 1/327 (2021.05); H02M 7/4835 (2021.05); H02M 7/53875 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for operating a power electronic converter that comprises a power semiconductor device, the method comprising:
determining a semiconductor temperature value based on a temperature of the power semiconductor device;
comparing the semiconductor temperature value with an upper temperature threshold and a lower temperature threshold;
determining a current limit of the power electronic converter by carrying out a first operation when the semiconductor temperature value is above the upper temperature threshold to always decrease the current limit from an immediately-previous current limit subject to an absolute lower floor current limit, carrying out a second operation when the semiconductor temperature value is below the lower temperature threshold to always increase the current limit from the immediately-previous current limit subject to an absolute upper ceiling current limit, and setting the current limit as the immediately-previous current limit when the semiconductor temperature value is not above the upper temperature threshold and not below the lower temperature threshold, wherein the first and second operations are respectively based on a current temperature of the power semiconductor device and a previous temperature value of the power semiconductor device, the previous temperature value being based on an accumulated or average of previous temperature values; and
controlling the power electronic converter in order to maintain a current at or below the current limit.