Universal power supply system

• US 20050013148A1
• Filed: 09/18/2002
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Cameron International Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Biester, Klaus, Kunow, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,106,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/65
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1584 with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel

Abstract

A universal power supply system is used for at least one electric consumer. The supply system comprises at least one AC source and a cable connection connecting said AC source to said electric consumer. The AC source has associated therewith an AC/DC converter for converting the AC voltage into DC voltage. The DC voltage generated in this way is adapted to be transmitted to the electric consumer via the cable connection. To improve such a universal power supply in such a way that it is possible to provide a high and stable voltage, even in the case of high power requirements in a reliable manner and at a reasonable price, without any additional components for e.g, heat dissipation being necessary, the AC/DC converter comprises as plurality of AC/DC converter components which, on the input side thereof, are connected in parallel with the AC source and which, on the output side thereof are connected serially to the electric consumer.

Claims

1. A universal power supply systems for at least one electric consumer, comprising:

at least one AC source;

a cable connections connecting said AC sources to said electric consumers; and

an AC/DC converter for converting an AC voltage from the AC source into a DC voltage, said DC voltage being adapted to be transmitted to the electric consumer via the cable connection

wherein the AC/DC converters comprises a plurality of AC/DC converter components which, on the input side thereof, are connected in parallel with the AC sources and which, on the output side thereof, are connected serially to the electric consumer.

2. A universal power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the AC sources is a 380 V three-phase power source.

3. A universal power supply system according to claim 1 wherein each AC/DC converter components is implemented as a switched mode power supply.

4. A universal power supply system according to claim 3 wherein the switched mode power supply is clocked on a primary side of the switched mode power supply.

5. A universal power supply system according to claim 4 wherein the switched mode power supply is implemented as a flyback converters.

6. A universal power supply system according to claim 5 wherein the flyback converter comprises at least one switching transistor.

7. A universal power supply system according to claim 6 wherein the at least one switching transistor is controlled by a pulse width modulator.

8. A universal power supply system according to claim 7 wherein the output voltage of the switched mode power supply can be adjusted to any value up to a limit value below a breakdown voltage of the switching transistor of the switched mode power supply.

9. A universal power supply system according to claim 5 wherein each flyback converter is adapted to supply an output voltage that is galvanically separated from an input voltage.

10. A universal power supply system according to claim 3 wherein a clock frequency of the switch mode power supply greater than one kilohertz and less than one megahertz.

11. A universal power supply system according to claim 1 wherein the AC/DC converter components are arranged in spaced relationships with one another such that the AC/DC converter does not need cooling components.

12. A universal power supply system according to claim 1 wherein a filter is arranged between the AC/DC converters and the electric consumers.

13. A universal power supply system according to claim 12 further comprising a data coupler/decoupler located between the filter and the electric consumer, wherein the data coupler/decoupler is operable to couple data signals to the cable connection and decouple data signals from the cable connection.

14. A universal power supply system according to claim 13 further comprising a controller associated with at least one of a group of power supply system components consisting of:

the AC source

the AC/DC converter; and

the data coupler/decouple.

15. A universal power supply system according claim 14 wherein the controller is operable to establish communication between two or more components selected from the group consisting of the AC source the AC/DC converter, the AC/DC converter components, a pulse width modulator associated with each AC/DC converter, and the filter.

16. A universal power supply system according to claim 1 wherein the cable connection comprises at least one coaxial cable.

17. A universal power supply system according to claim 1 wherein each individual AC/DC converter components is adapted to be regulated separately with respect to its output voltage.

18. A universal power supply system according to claim 1 wherein each AC/DC converter component is operable to control a power factor.

19. A universal power supply system according to claim 1 wherein each AC/DC converter components comprises at least one unit selected from the group consisting of an undervoltage detector and an overvoltage monitoring.

20. A system for supplying power to an electrical device, the system comprising:

an AC source;

a plurality of AC/DC converters, wherein an input side of each AC/DC converter is connected to the AC source and wherein an output side of each AC/DC converter is connected to an electrical conductor that couples to the electrical device,

wherein the plurality of AC/DC converters are operable to supply a high DC voltage to the electrical device via the electrical conductor without a cooling mechanism that would otherwise be needed when less than the plurality of AC/DC converters are implemented to supply the high DC voltage to the electrical device.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising a data coupling device coupled to the electrical conductor, wherein the data coupling device is operable to send data to the electrical device and receive data from the electrical device via the electrical conductor while power is supplied to the electrical device via the electrical conductor.

22. The system of claim 20 further comprising a controller coupled to each of the AC/DC converters, wherein the controller is operable to regulate one or more functions of each AC/DC converter.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the controller is operable to detect failure of an AC/DC converter and cause functioning AC/DC converters to compensate for the failed AC/DC converter.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the controller independently controls an output power of each AC/DC converter.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the AC/DC converters are in a spaced relationship with each other such that heat from the AC/DC converters is dissipated without the need of the cooling mechanism.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein each AC/DC converter comprises a switching mechanism that permits each AC/DC converter to be clocked independently of a frequency of the AC source.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein each AC/DC converter comprises a pulse width modulator coupled to the switching mechanism and wherein the controller controls the pulse width modulator such that the switching mechanism is clocked according to a pulse width modulated signal.

28. The system of claim 21 wherein the data sent to the electrical device via the electrical conductor controls the electrical device.

29. The system of claim 21 wherein the data received from the electrical devices is used to monitor the electrical device.

30. The system of claim 21 further comprising a filter coupled between the data coupling device and the electrical device.

31. The system of claim 20 wherein the electrical device is an actuator.

32. The system of claim 20 wherein the electrical conductor is a coaxial cable.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the electrical conductor is under water.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the electrical conductor is more than one kilometer in length.

35. A system for supplying power from a sea surface to a subsea location, the system comprising:

an AC source for disposal at the sea surface;

a subsea electrical device; and

a plurality of AC/DC converters for disposal at the sea surface, each having an input side connected to the AC source and an output side connected to an electrical conductor extending subsea to the subsea electrical device.

36. The system of claim 35 further comprising a data coupling device coupled to the electrical conductor to send and receive data from the subsea electrical device via the electrical conductor while power is being supplied to the subsea electrical device via the electrical conductor.

37. The system of claim 35 wherein the AC/DC converters are in a spaced relationship with each other such that heat from the AC/DC converters is dissipated without the need of a cooling component.

38. A system for supplying power to a remote electrical device, the system comprising:

an AC source;

a plurality of AC/DC converters wherein the inputs of the AC/DC converters are connected in parallel to the AC source and wherein outputs of the AC/DC converters are connected serially to the remote electrical device via a conductor,

wherein the length of the conductor is at least one kilometer.