BI-POLAR BI-DIRECTIONAL ENERGY BALANCING POWER-CONVERSION ENGINE
First Claim
1. A switched-mode power converter for bidirectional, bipolar energy movement comprising:
- a power input port;
a power output port;
an inductive reactor for temporary energy storage;
a plurality of switching devices for connecting the power input port, the power output port and the inductive reactor;
a sensor generating a feedback signal responsive to the voltage or current at the output port;
a reference signal; and
a control circuit for turning the switches on and off in response to the reference signal and feedback signal such that;
the voltage polarity of the input and output ports can be switched between inverting and non-inverting; and
for any polarity the energy may be switched between flowing from the input port to the output port and flowing from the output port to the input port.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a power converter and method for controlling same, comprising a plurality of switch elements, an inductive reactor, and at least two ports for the movement of electrical energy. Any energy-moving port may be made unipolar, bidirectional, bipolar, or bidirectionally bipolar. Ports may be equipped with sensing circuitry to allow the converter output to be controlled responsively to an input signal. The invention may be configured to be used in many ways, for example, as a power-supply, as an amplifier, or as a frequency converter. The invention may comprise energy predictive calculating means to obtain excellent transient response to line and load variations. The invention may also include a switch to create a low impedance path around the inductor to allow current to recirculate through the inductor when it is not needed at any of the ports.
87 Citations
40 Claims
-
1. A switched-mode power converter for bidirectional, bipolar energy movement comprising:
-
a power input port; a power output port; an inductive reactor for temporary energy storage; a plurality of switching devices for connecting the power input port, the power output port and the inductive reactor; a sensor generating a feedback signal responsive to the voltage or current at the output port; a reference signal; and a control circuit for turning the switches on and off in response to the reference signal and feedback signal such that; the voltage polarity of the input and output ports can be switched between inverting and non-inverting; and for any polarity the energy may be switched between flowing from the input port to the output port and flowing from the output port to the input port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. An integrated bidirectional direct-coupled switched-mode power converter comprising:
-
a unipolar power-moving port; a bipolar power-moving port; a reference signal; an inductor for temporary energy storage; a plurality of switches for direct coupling the unipolar port, the bipolar port, and the inductive reactor; a sensor generating a feedback signal responsive to the voltage or current at the output port; and a control circuit for turning the switches on and off in response to the feedback signal to maintain a desired relationship between the voltage or current at one of the power moving ports and the reference signal; and wherein the voltage polarity of the input and output ports can be switched between inverting and non-inverting. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
-
-
15. A switched-mode power-converter comprising;
-
a power input port; a power output port; a reference signal; an inductive reactor for energy storage; a first switch for energizing the inductive reactor with power from the power input port; a sensor for generating a feedback signal responsive to the voltage or current at the power output port; control circuitry responsive to the feedback signal for activating the first switch such that the voltage or current at the power output port is maintained in a desired relationship with the reference signal; a second switch for providing a low-impedance path across the terminals of the inductive reactor for recirculating current through the inductive reactor; circuitry for estimating energy in the inductor; and control circuitry responsive to the inductive energy to maintain a pedestal of inductive current that adapts responsively to the power requirement of the power output port.
-
-
16. A switched-mode power-converter comprising;
-
a power input port; a power output port; a reference signal; an inductive reactor for energy storage; a first switch for energizing the inductive reactor with power from the power input port; a first sensor for generating a feedback signal responsive to the voltage or current at the power output port; control circuitry responsive to the feedback signal for activating the first switch such that the voltage or current at the power output port is maintained in a desired relationship with the reference or input signal; and a second switch for providing a low-impedance path across the terminals of the inductive reactor for recirculating current through the inductive reactor; wherein the power-converter operates in flyback;
bipolar, bidirectional or inverting modes.
-
-
17. A method of controlling a switched mode power converter having chopping cycles, said converter comprising:
-
an inductive reactor; at least two power-moving ports; a reference signal; and a plurality of switches for connecting the power moving ports to the inductive reactor; said method comprising setting the switches in response to the sign and magnitude of the inductive reactor current to maintain the voltage or current at a power-moving port in a desired mathematical relationship with the reference signal. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A method of operating a switched mode power converter having chopping cycles, said method comprising switching between:
-
an inductive reactor energizing mode; and energy transfer mode to power-moving ports; wherein there is more than one occurrence of any given mode during a single chopping cycle. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
-
-
26. A switched mode flyback converter comprising:
-
at least two power-moving ports; an inductive reactor; a plurality of switches for connecting the ports to the inductive reactor; a reference signal; a feedback signal responsive to the voltage or current of a port; an inductive energy signal responsive to inductive energy; computation circuitry responsive to the feedback signal and the inductive energy signal for generating a predicted pedestal signal; and control circuitry for commutating the switches, said control circuitry responsive to the feedback signal and to the predicted pedestal signal; wherein the voltage or current at a port is maintained in a desired mathematical relationship with the reference signal. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. A method of controlling pedestal current in a switched-mode power converter having chopping cycles, said converter comprising:
-
an inductive reactor; first and second switches; and an auxiliary energy source; the method comprising; predicting within a chopping cycle the inductive pedestal current at the end of the present cycle; and controlling the first switch such that per-cycle pedestal current change is limited; and controlling the second switch in response to the pedestal current predictions to move energy between the inductive reactor and the auxiliary energy source. - View Dependent Claims (34)
-
-
35. A method of controlling a switched-mode power converter comprised of a power input port, switches, an inductor and a power output port, said method comprising;
-
transferring energy from the power input port to energize an inductor; transferring energy from the inductor to the power output port; and controllably connecting the inductor to the output port or to an alternate path in order to control the power at the power output port; wherein said converter operates in bipolar, bidirectional, inverting or flyback modes. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
-
Specification