General Motors has been granted a patent for a current source inverter that includes multiple phase legs and a zero-state phase leg. The zero-state phase leg is designed to transition from an open state to prevent current flow to a closed state, allowing current flow between a positive and negative terminal during a dead-band time. The first phase leg includes bidirectional and unidirectional switching devices, with a node connection to a load between them. GlobalData’s report on General Motors gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
According to GlobalData’s company profile on General Motors, reformer integrated fuel cells was a key innovation area identified from patents. General Motors's grant share as of June 2023 was 1%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Current source inverter with zero-state phase leg
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11689093B2) describes a current source inverter with various configurations of switching devices. The inverter includes a first phase leg, a second phase leg, a third phase leg, and a zero-state phase leg. The zero-state phase leg is designed to transition from an open state to a closed state during a dead-band time, allowing current flow between a positive and negative terminal.
The first phase leg consists of a bidirectional switching device and a unidirectional switching device, with a node connection to a load positioned between them. The bidirectional switching device is composed of a first switch and a second switch connected in series. These switches can be either voltage-controlled switches, such as silicon insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) or silicon carbide metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), or current-controlled switches.
The second phase leg includes at least a first unidirectional switch and a second unidirectional switch connected in series, while the third phase leg comprises at least a first bidirectional switch and a second bidirectional switch connected in series.
The zero-state phase leg can be configured with either a unidirectional switching device or a bidirectional switching device. This phase leg transitions from an open state to a closed state during the dead-band time, allowing current flow between the positive and negative terminals.
Overall, this patent presents different configurations of switching devices in a current source inverter, providing flexibility and control over current flow. The use of bidirectional and unidirectional switching devices in the various phase legs allows for efficient and precise operation of the inverter. The inclusion of voltage-controlled or current-controlled switches further enhances the performance and adaptability of the inverter.
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