Hybrid switching-mode control firmware for modular multilevel
This technology is a smarter control method for modular multilevel converters (MMCs), which are large power electronics systems used to convert electricity between AC and DC at high voltages. The innovation lets the upper and lower sections of each phase leg operate under different control modes simultaneously — one running 'average current mode' while the other runs 'peak current mode' — and switches between them dynamically based on real-time current measurements. This hybrid approach improves switching efficiency and current regulation compared to locking the entire converter into a single fixed control strategy. The result is better stability and performance across a wider range of operating conditions without adding significant hardware.
What you could build
A firmware or control module embedded in high-power MMC systems used in HVDC transmission, large-scale renewable energy interconnects, or industrial motor drives; the primary buyers would be power electronics OEMs and grid infrastructure companies licensing or integrating advanced converter control IP.
Who in Virginia should care
Virginia's growing data center corridor and offshore wind energy build-out create demand for high-efficiency power conversion; companies like Dominion Energy and grid-tied power electronics integrators in the region would be plausible partners or licensees.
Readiness: Lab validated
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Jun Wang, Rolando Burgos, Dushan Boroyevich
- Granted
- June 21, 2022
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 11368103
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.