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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Base drive circuit for a four-terminal power Darlington

Patent ·
OSTI ID:864540

A high power switching circuit which utilizes a four-terminal Darlington transistor block to improve switching speed, particularly in rapid turn-off. Two independent reverse drive currents are utilized during turn off in order to expel the minority carriers of the Darlington pair at their own charge sweep-out rate. The reverse drive current may be provided by a current transformer, the secondary of which is tapped to the base terminal of the power stage of the Darlington block. In one application, the switching circuit is used in each power switching element in a chopper-inverter drive of an electric vehicle propulsion system.

Research Organization:
Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University
Assignee:
United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
Patent Number(s):
US 4380795
OSTI ID:
864540
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English