High power laminated bus assembly for an electrical switching converter

Claim 2

A low impedance laminated bus assembly for a high power switched converter that has a plurality of switch pairs including a -DC switch and a +DC switch for high speed switching to convert between AC power on an AC power line that has a plurality of phases and DC energy storage device that has a +DC side and -DC side, said laminated bus assembly comprising: a first conductor plane having a plurality of AC bar conductors positioned thereon, including an AC bar conductor for each phase of AC power; a second conductor plane including a -DC bar conductor positioned thereon; a third conductor plane including a +DC bar conductor positioned thereon; a plurality of dielectric layers, each layer laminated between two of the first, second, and third planes; a -DC coupling means for coupling the -DC bar conductor to the -DC side of the DC power; a +DC coupling means for coupling the +DC bar conductor to the +DC side of the DC power; a +AC switch coupler for coupling each +AC bar conductor to a respective +DC switch in each of the plurality of switch pairs; a -AC switch coupler for coupling each -AC bar conductor to a respective -DC switch in each of the plurality of switch pairs; a first switch coupler for coupling the -DC bar conductors to the -DC switch in each of the plurality of switch pairs; and a second switch coupler for coupling the +DC bar conductor to the +DC switch in each of the plurality of switch pairs.

Claim 3

The laminated bus assembly of claim 1 further comprising a midpoint bar conductor, wherein the DC energy storage device includes a plurality of capacitors each having a first polarity connection and a second polarity connection, said capacitors including a first group of capacitors having their first connections coupled to the +DC bar conductor and their second connections coupled to the midpoint bar conductor, and a second group of capacitors having their first connections coupled to the -DC bar conductor and their second connections coupled to the midpoint bar conductor

Claim 4

A high power converter for converting electrical energy between a three-phase AC line and constant voltage Dc, said high power converter comprising: a DC energy storage means for storing electrical energy at a constant voltage, said DC energy storage means having a +DC side and a -DC side; a plurality of switch pairs for switching high power electrical energy, each switch pair including a +DC switch and a -DC switch coupled between the multi-phase AC and DC energy storage means, said switch pairs including a first switch pair for a first AC phase, a second switch pair for a second AC phase, and a third switch pair for a third AC phase; a switch control means coupled to the switch pairs for controlling the switch pairs to provide a predetermined electrical power flow in direction and amount; and a laminated bus assembly having a first conductor plane comprising a plurality of AC bus bars including a first AC bus bar coupled to the first AC phase, a second AC bus bar coupled to the second AC phase, and a third AC bus bar coupled to the third AC phase, a second conductor plane including a -DC bus bar, a first dielectric layer positioned between said plurality of AC bus bars and said -DC bus bar, a third conductor plane including a +DC bus bar, a second dielectric layer positioned between said plurality of AC bus bars and said +DC bus bar, a first AC coupler for coupling the first AC bus tot he first switch pair; a second AC coupler for coupling the second AC bus to the second switch pair; a third AC coupler for coupling the third AC bus to the third switch pair; a first -DC coupler for coupling the -DC bus to the -DC side of the DC energy storage means, a first switch coupler for coupling the -DC bus to the -DC switch in each of the plurality of switch pairs, a second -DC coupler for coupling the +DC bus to the +DC side of the DC energy storage means, a second switch coupler for coupling the +DC bus to the +DC switch in each of the plurality of switch pairs, and a plurality of dielectric layers including a first dielectric layer laminated between the +DC and -DC buses and a second dielectric layer laminated between the -DC bus and the plurality of AC buses.

Claim 5

A high power converter for converting electrical energy between a three-phase AC line and constant voltage Dc, said high power converter comprising: a DC energy storage means for storing electrical energy at a constant voltage, said DC energy storage means having a +DC side and a -DC side; a plurality of switch pairs for switching high power electrical energy, each switch pair including a +DC switch and a -DC switch coupled between the multi-phase AC and DC energy storage means, said switch pairs including a first switch pair for a first AC phase, a second switch pair for a second AC phase, and a third switch pair for a third AC phase; a switch control means coupled to the switch pairs for controlling the switch pairs to provide a predetermined electrical power flow in direction and amount; and a laminated bus assembly having a first conductor plane comprising a plurality of AC bus bars including a first AC bus bar coupled to the first AC phase, a second AC bus bar coupled to the second AC phase, and a third AC bus bar coupled to the third AC phase, a second conductor plane including a -DC bus bar, a first dielectric layer positioned between said plurality of AC bus bars and said -DC bus bar, a third conductor plane including a +DC bus bar, a second dielectric layer positioned between said plurality of AC bus bars and said +DC bus bar, a first AC coupler for coupling the first AC bus tot he first switch pair; a second AC coupler for coupling the second AC bus to the second switch pair; a third AC coupler for coupling the third AC bus to the third switch pair; a first -DC coupler for coupling the -DC bus to the -DC side of the DC energy storage means, a first switch coupler for coupling the -DC bus to the -DC switch in each of the plurality of switch pairs, a second -DC coupler for coupling the +DC bus to the +DC side of the DC energy storage means, a second switch coupler for coupling the +DC bus to the +DC switch in each of the plurality of switch pairs, and a plurality of dielectric layers including a first dielectric layer laminated between the +DC and -DC buses and a second dielectric layer laminated between the -DC bus and the plurality of AC buses.

Claim 6

The laminated bus assembly of claim 3 further comprising a midpoint bar conductor, wherein the DC energy storage device includes a plurality of capacitors each having a first polarity connection and a second polarity connection, said capacitors including a first group of capacitors having their first polarity connections coupled to the +DC bar conductor and their second polarity connections coupled to the midpoint bar conductor, and a second group of capacitors having their first polarity connections coupled to the -DC bar conductor and their second polarity connections coupled to the midpoint bar conductors.