Patent ID: 8537581

Claim:
A power converter system comprising: a converter configured to be coupled to a power generation unit for receiving power from the power generation unit, said converter comprises a plurality of converter switches; a bus coupled to said converter, wherein a voltage is generated across said bus when electricity is conducted through said power converter system; an inverter coupled to said bus and configured to supply power to an electrical distribution network; and, a control system coupled to said converter and to said inverter, said control system configured to gradually adjust the voltage across said bus by adjusting a duty cycle of said plurality of converter switches during at least one of a shutdown sequence and a startup sequence of said power converter system, wherein said plurality of converter switches are switched at a first converter duty cycle, said control system is configured to at least one of gradually reduce the duty cycle of said plurality of converter switches to a second converter duty cycle of about zero at a substantially linear rate during the shutdown sequence and gradually increase the duty cycle of said plurality of converter switches to the second converter duty cycle at a substantially linear rate during the startup sequence.