Portable power supply
First Claim
1. A power supply comprising an internal combustion engine, a generator driven by the engine to generate a first AC power, a rectifier that rectifies the first AC power to a first DC power, an inverter that receives the first DC power as a first input and that generates a second AC power, an electrical storage device that stores electrical energy to supply a second DC power, a DC/DC converter that converts the second DC power to a third DC power, the third DC power provided as a second input to the inverter, the inverter also converting the third DC power to the second AC power, and a controller that controls at least the rectifier and the DC/DC converter, the controller selectively enabling one of the rectifier and the DC/DC converter to provide one of the first DC power and the third DC power, respectively, to the inverter, or selectively enabling the rectifier and the DC/DC converter to provide the first and third DC powers to the inverter at the same time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable power supply includes an engine-driven generator that generates a first AC power. A rectifier rectifies the first AC power to a first DC power. A DC/DC converter converts a second DC power from a storage unit to a third DC power. A controller selectively enables one or both of the rectifier and the DC/DC converter to provide one or both of the first DC power and the third DC power to the input of an inverter. The inverter converts the DC power at its input to a second AC power. Alternatively, the power supply advantageously includes a second generator and a second rectifier. The outputs of the two rectifiers are summed and the sum of the two outputs is provided as an input the inverter to extend the range over which a constant second AC power can be provided.
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Citations
24 Claims
- 1. A power supply comprising an internal combustion engine, a generator driven by the engine to generate a first AC power, a rectifier that rectifies the first AC power to a first DC power, an inverter that receives the first DC power as a first input and that generates a second AC power, an electrical storage device that stores electrical energy to supply a second DC power, a DC/DC converter that converts the second DC power to a third DC power, the third DC power provided as a second input to the inverter, the inverter also converting the third DC power to the second AC power, and a controller that controls at least the rectifier and the DC/DC converter, the controller selectively enabling one of the rectifier and the DC/DC converter to provide one of the first DC power and the third DC power, respectively, to the inverter, or selectively enabling the rectifier and the DC/DC converter to provide the first and third DC powers to the inverter at the same time.
- 16. A control method for a power supply, comprising monitoring an AC power from an inverter, determining whether the AC power is greater than a preset magnitude, and selectively enabling a rectifier and a DC/DC converter to provide respective DC powers to the inverter when the AC power is greater than the preset magnitude.
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20. An engine-driven power supply, the power supply comprising:
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an engine that operates at a variable engine speed, the engine having a power output;
a first generator coupled to the power output of the engine, the first generator generating a first AC voltage having a first magnitude characteristic in response to variations in the engine speed;
a second generator coupled to the power output of the engine, the second generator generating a second AC voltage having a second magnitude characteristic in response to variations in the engine speed;
a first rectifier having an input that receives the first AC voltage and having an output that provides a first DC voltage;
a second rectifier having an input that receives the second AC voltage and having an output that provides a second DC voltage, the output of the second rectifier connected in series with the output of the first rectifier to superimpose the first DC voltage and the second DC voltage to provide a composite DC voltage having a composite magnitude characteristic in response to engine speed; and
a DC-to-AC conversion unit having an input that receives the composite DC voltage and having an output that generates an AC output voltage responsive to the magnitude of the composite DC voltage. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification