General Electric Company
Selective crowbar response for a power converter to mitigate device failure

Abstract:

A method for operating a multi-level bridge power converter of an electrical power system includes connecting a plurality of phases of the power converter to a common terminal at a DC side of the power converter so as to effectively equate the plurality of phases at a common electrical potential. The method may also include monitoring, via a controller, a plurality of devices of the power converter for faults. Upon detection of a fault in one or more of the plurality of devices, the method includes activating, via the controller, one or more protection devices of a crowbar of the power converter to prevent additional faults from occurring in remaining devices of the plurality of devices by diverting energy away from the remaining devices of the plurality of devices.