Patent ID: 8487566
Filing Date: 2013-07-16
Classification: H02P,H03K

Abstract:
1. An electronic commutator circuit for use with a stator winding of a brushless dc electrical machine, the stator winding having a number of coils linked by the same number of points of common coupling, the electronic commutator circuit comprising the same number of switching stages, each switching stage being connected between a respective one of the points of common coupling and first and second dc terminals and including: a first reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a first anode, a first cathode, and a first holding current level associated therewith, the first anode being connected to the first dc terminal, the first reverse blocking semiconductor power device being capable of: (i) being turned on entirely by gate control, and (ii) being turned off entirely by gate control when a current substantially greater than the first holding current level is flowing from the first anode to the first cathode; and a second reverse blocking semiconductor power device having a second anode, a second cathode, and a second holding current level associated therewith, the second cathode being connected to the second dc terminal, the second reverse blocking semiconductor power device being capable of: (i) being turned on entirely by gate control, and (ii) being turned off entirely by gate control when a current substantially greater than the second holding current level is flowing from the second anode to the second cathode; wherein the electronic commutator circuit is structured to cause dc current to flow through the first and second dc terminals and thence through the stator winding responsive to each first reverse blocking semiconductor power device and each second reverse blocking semiconductor power device being turned on entirely by gate control.