Health monitoring for power converter components

• US 20090072984A1
• Filed: 09/14/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Astec International Limited (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Astec International Limited (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Wang, Lin Guo, Jiang, Haui Gang, Wang, Zhe, Cheng, Wing Ling
• Granted Patent: US 7,804,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/653
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/343 in operation
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/40 Testing power supplies testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection

Abstract

A power converter including a processor and at least one component whose health in the power converter will degrade over time is disclosed. The processor is configured for monitoring the health of the component over time, and for generating a warning signal when the monitored health of the component reaches a threshold level. A method for monitoring the health of at least one component in a power converter is also disclosed. The method includes monitoring at least one performance characteristic of the power converter. The performance characteristic represents the health of the component. The method further includes comparing the monitored performance characteristic with stored data to determine whether the health of the component has reached a predetermined level, and generating a warning signal after determining the health of the component has reached the predetermined level.

Claims

1. A power converter comprising a processor and at least one component whose health in the power converter will degrade over time, the processor configured for monitoring the health of said component over time, and for generating a warning signal when the monitored health of said component reaches a threshold level.

2. The power converter of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured for monitoring the health of said component by monitoring at least one performance characteristic of the power converter that represents the health of said component.

3. The power converter of claim 2 further comprising an alarm configured to activate in response to the warning signal.

4. The power converter of claim 2 wherein the power converter includes a plurality of components whose health in the power converter will degrade over time, the processor configured for monitoring the health of each of said components over time, and for generating a warning signal when the monitored health of one of said components reaches a threshold level.

5. The power converter of claim 4 wherein the plurality of components include at least a first capacitor and a fan, wherein the processor is configured for generating a first warning signal when the monitored health of the first capacitor reaches a first threshold level and for generating a second warning signal when the monitored health of the fan reaches a second threshold level.

6. The power converter of claim 5 further comprising a first alarm and a second alarm, the first alarm configured to activate in response to the first warning signal, the second alarm configured to activate in response to the second warning signal.

7. The power converter of claim 5 wherein the plurality of components include a second capacitor, and wherein the processor is configured for generating a third warning signal when the monitored health of the second capacitor reaches a third threshold level.

8. The power converter of claim 7 further comprising a first alarm, a second alarm, and a third alarm configured to activate in response to the first warning signal, the second warning signal, and the third warning signal, respectively.

9. The power converter of claim 8 wherein the first capacitor is a bulk capacitor and the second capacitor is an output capacitor.

10. The power converter of claim 9 wherein the first alarm, the second alarm and the third alarm each include at least one LED.

11. The power converter of claim 10 wherein each LED has a different color.

12. The power converter of claim 7 further comprising a temperature sensing circuit, an output current sampling circuit and a plurality of ripple voltage sampling circuits.

13. A method for monitoring the health of at least one component in a power converter, the method comprising monitoring at least one performance characteristic of the power converter, the performance characteristic representing the health of said component, comparing the monitored performance characteristic with stored data to determine whether the health of said component has reached a predetermined level, and generating a warning signal after determining the health of said component has reached said predetermined level.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said component is selected from the group consisting of a bulk capacitor, an output capacitor, and a fan.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the component is a bulk capacitor and the monitored performance characteristic includes a ripple voltage across the bulk capacitor.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the monitored performance characteristic further includes an output current level for the power converter.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the component is an output capacitor and the monitored performance characteristic is a ripple voltage across the output capacitor.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the component is a fan and the monitored performance characteristic includes a temperature and a speed of the fan.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising activating an alarm in response to the warning signal.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the alarm is a visual alarm.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the visual alarm includes at least one LED.

22. The method of claim 13 further comprising sending the generated warning signal to a system hosting the power converter.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein the warning signal is generated by a first processor, the method further comprising sending the generated warning signal to a second processor.