Electrical current source, in particular welding current source

• US 20080190906A1
• Filed: 01/29/2008
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lorch Schweisstechnik GmbH (Daihen Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lorch Schweisstechnik GmbH (Daihen Corporation)
• Inventors: Aigner, Hubert
• Application Number:
  US12/011,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20080190906A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/130.21
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0077 Plural converter units whose outputs are connected in series
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/335 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier

Abstract

According to the invention, parallel resonant converters which are or can be connected to a load circuit via a transformer in each case are provided with a common series circuit of the secondary sides of the transformers. Therefore, despite variation of the frequency-determining components, it is possible for all the resonant converters to supply an output-side load circuit with approximately identical powers when the bridge circuits of the resonant converters are clocked in a synchronous manner.

Claims

1. Electrical current source, in particular welding current source, with a resonant converter which has a clocked bridge circuit, which at the input end is connected or connectable to an electrical direct-current source, and a resonant circuit which is disposed at the output end of the bridge circuit and has a transformer, and is connected or connectable to an output-end load circuit, in particular a welding process, via the secondary side of the transformer, at least two resonant converters being provided which at the input end are connected or connectable in series or in parallel, the secondary sides of the respective transformers being electrically connected entirely or partially in series, and the resonant converters having a common parallel capacitance which is electrically connected in parallel with the secondary sides or secondary-side portions of the transformers which are connected in series.

2. Current source according to claim 1, wherein entire secondary sides of the transformers are connected in series in each case.

3. Current source according to claim 1, wherein the transformers have secondary-side center taps and in each case a secondary-side portion of each transformer is electrically connected directly in series with a secondary-side portion of the transformer of another resonant converter.

4. Current source according to claim 1, wherein a rectifier which is common to all the resonant converters is disposed at the input end of the load circuit.

5. Current source according to claim 1, wherein capacitors with a high capacitance are disposed between the inputs of the bridge circuits (1, 2, n).

6. Current source according to claim 1, wherein the bridge circuits are in the form of full bridges.

7. Current source according to claim 1, wherein the bridge circuits are in the form of half-bridges.

8. Current source according claim 1, wherein each resonant converter has its own series capacitance which is electrically connected in series to the primary side of the transformer of the respective resonant converter.