Patent ID: 6885569

Claim:
Device for reversibly converting electrical energy, which device can be connected between at least one input alternating voltage source ( 1 1 to 1 n ) and at least one load ( 4 1 to 4 n ) which forms an output alternating current source ( 4 1 to 4 n ), each input alternating voltage source ( 1 1 to 1 n ) having a supply terminal ( 2 1 to 2 n ) and a neutral terminal ( 3 1 to 3 n ), the device comprising at least one commutation block ( 6 1 to 6 n ) which is suitable for being associated with an output alternating current source ( 4 1 to 4 n ) and which comprises an input terminal ( 7 1 to 7 n ), to which the supply terminal ( 2 1 to 2 n ) of the input alternating voltage source ( 1 1 to 1 n ) can be connected, at least one reference terminal ( 9 1 to 9 n ) and an output terminal ( 10 1 to 10 n ), to which the load ( 4 1 to 4 n ) which forms the output alternating current source can be connected, the block ( 6 1 to 6 n ) also comprising a commutation matrix ( 12 1 to 12 n ) which is formed by capacitors ( 20 j,i,k ) and commutation cells ( 22 j,i,k ), which cells are controlled individually by means ( 28 j,i,k ) for controlling the operation thereof, characterised in that the or each commutation block ( 6 1 to 6 n ) comprises a single reference terminal ( 9 1 to 9 n ) which is at a reference potential different from the potential of the neutral terminal ( 3 1 to 3 n ) of the source ( 1 1 to 1 n ), and in that it comprises means ( 13 1 to 13 n , 50 ) for permanent maintenance, at a constant sign or zero, of the potential difference between the input terminal ( 7 1 to 7 n ) and the reference terminal ( 9 1 to 9 n ) of the or each commutation block ( 6 1 to 6 n ).