Soft-switching voltage-edge-rate-limiting power inverter

Abstract

An auxiliary resonant soft-edge pole inverter circuit is provided. The power inverter circuitry may include a first pair of capacitors in parallel with a corresponding pair of main power switching modules, each power switching module comprising a switch and a diode in parallel and sharing a common central node with the first pair of capacitors. The power inverter circuit may further include a first pair of auxiliary switches connected in series with a first pair of inductors, respectively, to generate resonant current from a DC power source, the first pair of inductors also sharing the common central node. The power inverter circuitry may further include a second pair of auxiliary switches connected in series with a second pair of capacitors, respectively, the second pair of auxiliary switches also sharing the common central node, the circuit producing an alternating current output at the common central node.

1 . An auxiliary resonant soft-edge pole inverter circuit, comprising:
 a first pair of capacitors in parallel with a corresponding pair of main power switching modules, each power switching module comprising a switch and a diode in parallel and sharing a common central node with the first pair of capacitors;   a first pair of auxiliary switches connected in series with a first pair of inductors, respectively, to generate resonant current from a DC power source, the first pair of inductors also sharing the common central node; and   a second pair of auxiliary switches connected in series with a second pair of capacitors, respectively, the second pair of auxiliary switches also sharing the common central node, the circuit producing an alternating current output at the common central node.   
     
     
         2 . The circuit of  claim 1 , further comprising a second pair of diodes respectively connected in series with the first pair of auxiliary switches. 
     
     
         3 . The circuit of  claim 1 , further comprising a second pair of diodes connected between the second pair of auxiliary switches and the inductors, respectively. 
     
     
         4 . The circuit of  claim 3 , further comprising a third pair of diodes connected in parallel with the second set of auxiliary switches and sharing the common central node. 
     
     
         5 . The circuit of  claim 4 , further comprising a fourth pair of diodes connected between the second pair of auxiliary switches and the DC power source. 
     
     
         6 . The circuit of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the switches comprises insulated-gate bipolar transistor. 
     
     
         7 . The circuit of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the switches comprise a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). 
     
     
         8 . A power inverter circuit, comprising:
 a plurality of capacitors comprising a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a third capacitor, and a fourth capacitor;   a plurality of switches comprising a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, a fourth switch, a fifth switch, and a sixth switch;   a plurality of inductors comprising a first inductor and a second inductor; and   a plurality of diodes comprising a first diode, a second diode,   wherein the first switch is connected in parallel with the first capacitor and the first diode, and the second switch is connected in parallel with a second capacitor and a second diode,   wherein the third switch is connected in series with the first inductor and the fourth switch is connected in series with the second inductor,   wherein the fifth switch is connected in series with the third capacitor and the sixth switch is connected in series with the fourth capacitor, and   wherein the first and second switch, the first and second diode, the first and second capacitor, the first and second inductor, and the fifth and sixth switch share a common node.   
     
     
         9 . The power inverter of  claim 8 , wherein the third and fourth switches comprise metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect switches (MOSFET), and the diodes further comprise third and fourth diode, the third diode connected in series with the third switch, and the fourth diode connected in series with the fourth switch. 
     
     
         10 . The power inverter of  claim 8 , wherein the diodes further comprise third and fourth diode, the third diode is between the third switch and the first inductor, and the fourth diode is connected between the second inductor and the fourth switch. 
     
     
         11 . The power inverter of  claim 10 , wherein the diodes further comprise a fifth and sixth diode, wherein the fifth diode is connected in parallel with the fifth switch and the sixth diode connected in parallel with the sixth switch, the fifth and sixth diode both connected to the common node. 
     
     
         12 . The power inverter of  claim 11 , further comprising a seventh and eighth diode, wherein the seventh diode is connected between the fourth switch and a DC power source, and the eighth diode is connected between the third switch and the DC power source. 
     
     
         13 . The power inverter of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the switches comprises insulated-gate bipolar switches. 
     
     
         14 . The power inverter of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the switches comprise a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).