Patent ID: 8830705

Claim:
A power converter comprising: an input configured to receive power from a multi-phase AC source; a DC bus having a positive and a negative rail; a plurality of positive switching devices, each positive switching device selectively connecting one phase of the AC source to the positive rail of the DC bus; a plurality of negative switching devices, each negative switching device selectively connecting one phase of the AC source to the negative rail of the DC bus; a memory device storing a series of instructions; and a controller configured to execute the series of instructions to: determine a magnitude of power generated by the AC source, and execute a modulation module to generate a positive control signal for each positive switching device and a negative control signal for each negative switching device, wherein: the control signals are generated in a first operating mode when the AC source is generating a magnitude of power greater than a first threshold, the control signals are generated in a second operating mode when the AC source is generating a magnitude of power less than the first threshold, and during the second operating mode, each of the positive switching devices are controlled to connect each phase of the AC source to the positive rail in tandem and each of the negative switching devices are controlled to connect each phase of the AC source to the negative rail in tandem.