POWER SWITCHING DEVICE, THREE PHASE BRIDGE INVERTER, AND METHOD OF OPERATING A POWER SWITCHING DEVICE

摘要

A power switching device connected or connectable between a power supply and a load is described. The device may have at least two different operating states, each operating state having a different level of said output voltage associated with it. The power switching device may comprise: a power terminal connected or connectable to said power supply; a load terminal connected or connectable to said load, for providing said output voltage; a power switch connected between said power terminal and said load terminal and arranged to be conductive in a first one of said operating states; a power conductor connected between said power terminal and said load terminal in at least one of said states, wherein an electrical current through said power conductor changes in response to said power switch being turned off, thereby causing self-induction in said power conductor; and a control unit arranged to control said power switch in real-time on the basis of a real-time level of said voltage across said power conductor so as to turn off said power switch in a continuous or stepwise or pulsed manner to prevent a voltage across said power conductor from exceeding a maximum allowed level. A three-phase bridge inverter and a method of operating a power switching device are also described.

主权项

1. A power switching device connected or connectable between a power supply and a load, for providing an output voltage to said load, said power switching device having at least two different operating states, each of said operating states having a different level of said output voltage associated with it, said power switching device comprising:
a power terminal connected or connectable to said power supply; a load terminal connected or connectable to said load, for providing said output voltage; a power switch connected between said power terminal and said load terminal and arranged to be conductive in a first one of said operating states; a power conductor connected between said power terminal and said load terminal in at least one of said states, wherein an electrical current through said power conductor changes in response to said power switch being turned off, thereby causing self-induction in said power conductor; and a control unit arranged to control said power switch in real-time on the basis of a real-time level of a voltage across said power conductor so as to turn off said power switch in a continuous or stepwise or pulsed manner to prevent said voltage across said power conductor from exceeding a maximum allowed level.