Patent ID: 6998735

Claim:
A controlled rectifier bridge for converting a plurality of alternating current voltages from a plurality of alternating current phases to a voltage, each of said alternating current phases having a positive polarity and a negative polarity, said controlled rectifier bridge comprising: a plurality of segments, each of said segments having an element responsive to a control signal; an output having said voltage, a first current and a second current; at least one sensor providing at least one sensed current value from the first current or the second current of said output; means for determining if the at least one sensed current value is greater than a predetermined value; means for outputting the control signals to said segments in order to control current conduction within said segments; and for each of said alternating current phases: an input electrically interconnected with a corresponding one of said alternating current phases, a circuit interrupter electrically connected in series with said input, a first one of said segments for the positive polarity of the corresponding one of said alternating current phases, a second one of said segments for the negative polarity of the corresponding one of said alternating current phases, said second one of said segments for the negative polarity of the corresponding one of said alternating current phases in series with said first one of said segments for the positive polarity of the corresponding one of said alternating current phases, means for determining if the circuit interrupter is open or if current is not flowing between the input and the corresponding one of said alternating current phases, and means for disabling the control signals to said first one and said second one of said segments when the at least one sensed current value is greater than the predetermined value, and when the circuit interrupter is open or when current is not flowing between the input and the corresponding one of said alternating current phases.