Patent ID: 6958924

Claim:
Device for reversible conversion of electrical energy, comprising: a DC voltage source ( 2 ) connection to a DC voltage source with a voltage; a current source connection connecting to a current source ( 4 ); at least two parallel-connected stages ( 8 i ) connecting the DC voltage source connection with the current source connection, the at least two stages comprising a first stage and a last stage, each stage comprising at least two switching cells ( 10 i,k ) and a capacitor ( 20 i,k ) connected in parallel between adjacent ones of the switching cells of each stage, each switching cell comprising two switches ( 12 i,k , 14 i,k ), each capacitor sized to maintain between homologous terminals of the two switches of each switching cell a load voltage equal to a fraction of the voltage of the DC voltage source ( 2 ), control devices ( 16 i,k ), each control device connected to a corresponding one of the switching cells ( 10 i,k ) and to control switching of the two switches ( 12 i,k , 14 i,k ) of the corresponding one switching cell whilst ensuring opposite states for said two switches, operating means ( 22 , 24 , 30 , 32 ) for operating the control devices to supply a reference signal for a desired voltage conversion, wherein said at least two stages define two end groups of switches and at least one intermediate group of switches, the intermediate group of switches comprising switches common to two successive adjacent stages, each of the two end groups of switches comprising respectively the switches of each switching cell belonging respectively to the first and last stages, the intermediate group comprising series connected pairs of switches ( 12 i,k , 14 i−1,k ) of switching cells belonging to two adjacent stages, and the capacitors ( 20 1, k , . . . , 20 n,k ) of the adjacent stages ( 18 k ) being connected transversely in series between the two end groups.