Patent ID: 8791744

Claim:
A power conversion device, comprising: at least one bridge circuit having a first semiconductor switch and a second semiconductor switch connected to the first semiconductor switch in series, wherein the first semiconductor switch has a first element which includes a first switching element having a first given breakdown voltage and a first anti-parallel diode, a second element, connected to the first element in series, which includes a second switching element having a breakdown voltage lower than the first given breakdown voltage and a second anti-parallel diode, and a first freewheel diode, having a breakdown voltage equivalent to the first given breakdown voltage, connected to the first and the second elements in parallel, the second semiconductor switch has a third element which includes a third switching element having a second given breakdown voltage and a third anti-parallel diode, a fourth element, connected to the third element in series, which includes a fourth switching element having a breakdown voltage lower than the second given breakdown voltage and a fourth anti-parallel diode, and a second freewheel diode, having a breakdown voltage equivalent to the second given breakdown voltage, connected to the third and the fourth elements in parallel; and a controller which controls the first and second semiconductor switches so that an electric current flows through the first and the second freewheel diodes during a time duration between switching off one of the first and the second semiconductor switches and switching on the other one of the first and the second semiconductor switches.