Patent ID: 7808195

Claim:
A control apparatus for an electric train, configured including an AC electric motor which drives the electric train, and a variable-voltage variable-frequency inverter which controls the AC electric motor, wherein the variable-voltage variable-frequency inverter has DC side terminals which are connected to a DC power feed circuit of the electric train, and AC side terminals which are connected to the AC electric motor, and wherein, in a power running state of the electric train, the variable-voltage variable-frequency inverter converts DC electric power fed from the DC power feed circuit to the DC side terminals, into AC electric power, so as to feed the AC electric power from the AC side terminals to the AC electric motor, while in a regenerative braking state of the electric train, it converts AC electric power fed from the AC electric motor to the AC side terminals, into DC electric power, so as to feed the DC electric power from the DC side terminals to the DC power feed circuit; said control apparatus further including: an auxiliary power source device connected to said DC power feed circuit; and load control means for controlling a load connected to said auxiliary power source device; wherein said load control means receives an inverter state signal representative of an operation state of said variable-voltage variable-frequency inverter from it, and said load control means controls the load in accordance with the inverter state signal.