Patent ID: 8446747

Claim:
A power converter, comprising: a power supply bus provided with a positive line and a negative line, and to which is applied a DC voltage; a bus capacitor connected between the positive line and the negative line of the power supply bus; a plurality of switching legs connected between the positive line and the negative line of the power supply bus, each switching leg comprising two series-connected transistors and a connection mid-point situated between the two transistors to which an electrical load is connected, each of the transistors of the switching legs being of a field-effect type, and each of the transistors of the plurality of switching legs being controlled by a distinct gate control device in order to power the electrical load, each distinct gate control device being powered by an auxiliary power supply; a first switch connected to the positive line or negative line of the power supply bus, upstream of the bus capacitor; a second switch connected in series with the first switch on the positive line or negative line of the power supply bus, downstream of the bus capacitor; and control means for controlling the first switch and the second switch.