A shoot-through protection circuit includes a current sensor providing a sensor signal connected to a comparator input via at least a burden resistor. A switch protection circuit including a protection input connected to an output of the comparator and a plurality of outputs. Each of the outputs is connected to a corresponding switch in a plurality of stacked switches. Wherein the switch protection circuit is configured to drive each switch of the plurality of stacked switches open in response to a positive output signal from the comparator.

The electrical system (100) includes: —a capacitor (C); —an electrical power supply device (102); —an electrical power receiving device (104); —a current-consuming electrical circuit (108) designed to consume a current (i) entering via a first interface terminal (B.sub.A) and exiting via a second interface terminal (B.sub.B). The electrical system (100) being designed such that the current-consuming electrical circuit (108) consumes the discharge current (i) when the electrical power supply device (102) is connected to the terminals of the capacitor (C). The current-consuming electrical circuit (108) includes a transistor (Q1) arranged such that the consumed current (i) enters via a current input terminal (C1) of the transistor (Q1) and exits via a current output terminal (E1) of the transistor (Q1), and in that the current output terminal (E1) is connected to a control terminal (B1) of the transistor (Q1) in order to stabilize the transistor (Q1).

The invention relates to a system 1 for controlling a voltage converter comprising a plurality of high-side switches forming a high group and a plurality of low-side switches forming a low group, the control system 1 comprising: a module 10 for measuring a voltage V of the DC voltage source B, a module 11 for comparing the measured voltage V with a first safety threshold OV1, a control module 12 for controlling a first group of switches so as to close chosen from the high group or the low group, if the comparison module 11 indicates that the measured voltage V is higher than the first safety threshold OV1.

A microcontroller unit for controlling a three-level inverter including delayed fault protection is provided. The microcontroller unit includes an input port configured to receive a trip signal from a fault detection module, and a plurality of EPWM modules, each configured to control a power switch within the three-level inverter. The microcontroller unit includes an auxiliary EPWM module configured to receive the trip signal and produce a delayed trip signal, and processing circuitry coupled with the input port, the plurality of EPWM modules, and the auxiliary EPWM module. The processing circuitry is configured to, in response to activation of the trip signal, direct one of the plurality of EPWM modules to shut off its corresponding power switch upon activation of the trip signal, and to direct a different one of the plurality of EPWM modules to shut off its corresponding power switch upon activation of the delayed trip signal.

A microcontroller unit for controlling a three-level inverter including delayed fault protection is provided. The microcontroller unit includes an input port configured to receive a trip signal from a fault detection module, and a plurality of EPWM modules, each configured to control a power switch within the three-level inverter. The microcontroller unit includes an auxiliary EPWM module configured to receive the trip signal and produce a delayed trip signal, and processing circuitry coupled with the input port, the plurality of EPWM modules, and the auxiliary EPWM module. The processing circuitry is configured to, in response to activation of the trip signal, direct one of the plurality of EPWM modules to shut off its corresponding power switch upon activation of the trip signal, and to direct a different one of the plurality of EPWM modules to shut off its corresponding power switch upon activation of the delayed trip signal.

A rotating machine power conversion device is obtained which achieves operational continuation in a rotational speed range in which the operational continuation is enabled, even when a single phase of an electrical power conversion device made of switching devices causes a disconnection or turn-off failure. The rotating machine power conversion device comprises: a normality-case/abnormality-case current control device selection device for transferring between a normality-case current control device and an abnormality-case current control device in accordance with a determination result of an abnormality determination device; and an abnormality-case current control device/power conversion halt device selection device, using a rotational speed calculation device, for transferring between the abnormality-case current control device used when a rotational speed is lower than that being prespecified, and the power conversion halt device used when a rotational speed is higher than that being prespecified.

A power converter circuit includes a switch including a field effect transistor, the field effect transistor being a wide bandgap field effect transistor and being configured to maintain an on operational state responsive to a maintenance signal received through a gate terminal, a current sensing circuit that is configured to estimate a drain terminal current of the field effect transistor responsive to a voltage between the gate terminal of the field effect transistor and a source terminal of the field effect transistor, and a gate driving circuit that is configured to generate the maintenance signal responsive to the estimate of the drain terminal current.

A power converter circuit includes a switch including a field effect transistor, the field effect transistor being a wide bandgap field effect transistor and being configured to maintain an on operational state responsive to a maintenance signal received through a gate terminal, a current sensing circuit that is configured to estimate a drain terminal current of the field effect transistor responsive to a voltage between the gate terminal of the field effect transistor and a source terminal of the field effect transistor, and a gate driving circuit that is configured to generate the maintenance signal responsive to the estimate of the drain terminal current.

A short circuit protection apparatus for a power conversion apparatus supplying power to a load via a plurality of switches connected to each other in parallel includes Ma current detectors each configured to detect a sum of currents flowing through two or more switches among the plurality of switches so as to output a detection signal indicative of the sum that is detected, wherein Ma is 1 less than M, which is the number of the plurality of switches, and a short circuit determiner configured to determine, based on detection signals obtained from the respective Ma current detectors, occurrence of short circuit failure in the plurality of switches to output a cutoff instruction signal for stopping on-off drive of the plurality of switches.

Various implementations described herein are directed to a methods and apparatuses for disconnecting, by a device, elements at certain parts of an electrical system. The method may include measuring operational parameters at certain locations within the system and/or receiving messages from control devices indicating a potentially unsafe condition, disconnecting and/or short-circuiting system elements in response, and reconnection the system elements when it is safe to do so. Certain embodiments relate to methods and apparatuses for providing operational power to safety switches during different modes of system operation.