DOE Patents title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Over-voltage protection system and method

Abstract

An over-voltage protection system includes an electronic valve connected across two terminals of a circuit and an over-voltage detection circuit connected across one of the plurality of semiconductor devices for detecting an over-voltage across the circuit. The electronic valve includes a plurality of semiconductor devices connected in series. The over-voltage detection circuit includes a voltage divider circuit connected to a break-over diode in a way to provide a representative low voltage to the break-over diode and an optocoupler configured to receive a current from the break-over diode when the representative low voltage exceeds a threshold voltage of the break-over diode indicating an over-voltage condition. The representative low voltage provided to the break-over diode represents a voltage across the one semiconductor device. A plurality of self-powered gate drive circuits are connected to the plurality of semiconductor devices, wherein the plurality of self-powered gate drive circuits receive over-voltage triggering pulses from the optocoupler during the over-voltage condition and switch on the plurality of semiconductor devices to bypass the circuit.

Inventors:
; ;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1354787
Patent Number(s):
9640982
Application Number:
14/533,762
Assignee:
General Electric Company
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02H - EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS
H - ELECTRICITY H02 - GENERATION H02J - CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER
DOE Contract Number:  
AC26-07NT42677
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2014 Nov 05
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING

Citation Formats

Chi, Song, Dong, Dong, and Lai, Rixin. Over-voltage protection system and method. United States: N. p., 2017. Web.
Chi, Song, Dong, Dong, & Lai, Rixin. Over-voltage protection system and method. United States.
Chi, Song, Dong, Dong, and Lai, Rixin. Tue . "Over-voltage protection system and method". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1354787.
@article{osti_1354787,
title = {Over-voltage protection system and method},
author = {Chi, Song and Dong, Dong and Lai, Rixin},
abstractNote = {An over-voltage protection system includes an electronic valve connected across two terminals of a circuit and an over-voltage detection circuit connected across one of the plurality of semiconductor devices for detecting an over-voltage across the circuit. The electronic valve includes a plurality of semiconductor devices connected in series. The over-voltage detection circuit includes a voltage divider circuit connected to a break-over diode in a way to provide a representative low voltage to the break-over diode and an optocoupler configured to receive a current from the break-over diode when the representative low voltage exceeds a threshold voltage of the break-over diode indicating an over-voltage condition. The representative low voltage provided to the break-over diode represents a voltage across the one semiconductor device. A plurality of self-powered gate drive circuits are connected to the plurality of semiconductor devices, wherein the plurality of self-powered gate drive circuits receive over-voltage triggering pulses from the optocoupler during the over-voltage condition and switch on the plurality of semiconductor devices to bypass the circuit.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2017},
month = {5}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Thyristor apparatus employing light-triggered thyristors
patent, August 1985


Apparatus for protection of power-electronics in series compensating systems
patent, February 2000


Device for supervising a high voltage converter station
patent, March 2001


DC high power distribution assembly
patent-application, July 2008


Control Method for Low Voltage Ridge Through
patent-application, November 2012


System and Methods for Protection of Battery Modules
patent-application, November 2013


Remote Load Bypass System
patent-application, November 2013


Protecting An Operation Control Unit Connected To An Electric Machine Via A Long Cable
patent-application, December 2013


Safety Switching Device With Power Supply
patent-application, December 2014


Over-Voltage Protection System and Method
patent-application, May 2016


Overvoltage Notching of Electrical Swells
patent-application, September 2016


Protection of thyristors against overvoltage with breakover diodes
journal, January 1988