Patent ID: 6084785
Filing Date: 2000-07-04
Classification: H02M

Abstract:
An electric power converter having an AC input for connection to an AC input power source and an AC output for connection to a load, and including a DC unit connected to said AC input and said AC output and constituted by three wires, including a positive phase wire, a neutral phase wire and a negative phase wire, having a positive-side capacitor connected between the positive phase wire and the neutral phase wire among the three wires of the DC unit and a negative-side capacitor connected between the neutral phase wire and the negative phase wire among the three wires of the DC unit, and including at least one half-bridge circuit in which an end of a power rectifier is connected to the positive phase wire of the three wires of the DC unit and the other end thereof is connected to the negative phase wire of the three wires of the DC unit and at least one half-bridge circuit in which an end of a power inverter is connected to the positive phase wire of the three wires of the DC unit and the other end thereof is connected to the negative phase wire of the three wires of the DC unit, wherein provision is made of means for detecting the grounding configuration of the AC input power source by detecting a current or a voltage between the AC input power source and ground.