SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DISCHARGING ENERGY STORAGE DEVICES

A power converter system is provided. The power converter system includes an energy storage device electrically coupled to a direct current (DC) power source and configured to store electrical energy received from the DC power source, an inverter electrically coupled to the energy storage device, and a pulse width modulation (PWM) filter electrically coupled to the inverter and including a resistor inductor capacitor (RLC) circuit. The power converter system further includes a controller coupled in communication with the inverter and configured to, in an active mode, cause the inverter to convert a DC power signal received from the energy storage device to an alternating current (AC) power signal at an output node of the PWM filter, and in a fast discharge mode, pulse the inverter to cause the DC power signal to be dissipated by the RLC circuit of the PWM filter, substantially discharging the energy storage device.