SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMBINING THE OUTPUTS OF MULTIPLE, DISPARATE TYPES OF POWER SOURCES

• US 20110006600A1
• Filed: 07/07/2010
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Power Electronics Inc. (ABB Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lineage Power Corporation (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Smith, Paul, Fontana, Edward C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,686,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/25
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/001 Hot plugging or unplugging of load or power modules to or from power distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources

Abstract

A system for, and method of, combining the outputs of multiple, disparate types of power sources and an isolated converter module employed in the same. In one embodiment, the system includes: (1) a plurality of isolated converter modules having power inputs couplable to corresponding disparate types of power sources and a DC-output converter configured to convert power received from at least one of the power sources to DC power and (2) a DC bus coupled to power outputs of the plurality of isolated converter modules and configured to receive and aggregate the DC power. With such system, a universal converter module can be employed to identify and convert power from a variety of conventional and renewable power sources.

Claims

1. A system for combining the outputs of multiple, disparate types of power sources, comprising:

a plurality of isolated converter modules having power inputs couplable to corresponding disparate types of power sources and a DC-output converter configured to convert power received from at least one of said power sources to DC power; and

a DC bus coupled to power outputs of said plurality of isolated converter modules and configured to receive and aggregate said DC power.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of isolated converter modules is configured to recognize a type of power source based on a characteristic of power received therefrom, select operating parameters according to which said power is to be converted and then convert said power to DC in accordance with said operating parameters.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 wherein at least one of said plurality of isolated converter modules is further configured to determine a priority that said type of power source is to have and select at least one of said operating parameters based on said priority.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein at least some of said plurality of isolated converter modules are identical.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a system oversight controller coupled to said plurality of isolated converter modules and configured to monitor and supervise said plurality of isolated converter modules.

6. The system as recited in claim 5 wherein said system oversight controller is further configured to detect when one of said plurality of isolated converter modules is malfunctioning and automatically substitute a standby converter module therefor.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a rack having shelves configured to support said plurality of isolated converter modules.

8. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of isolated converter modules has a diode coupled between said DC-output converter and a power output of said each of said plurality of isolated converter modules.

9. An isolated converter module, comprising:

a power input;

a source recognition circuit coupled to said power input and configured to receive a signal based on at least one characteristic of power received via said power input and recognize a power source type based on said at least one characteristic;

a parameter selection circuit coupled to said priority determination circuit and configured to select operating parameters based on said power source type;

a converter controller coupled to said parameter selection circuit and configured to provide drive signals in accordance with said operating parameters;

a DC-output converter coupled to said converter controller and configured to receive said drive signals and convert said power to DC form; and

a power output configured to receive said power converted to said DC form from said DC-output converter.

10. The isolated converter module as recited in claim 9 further comprising a priority determination circuit coupled to said source recognition circuit and said parameter selection circuit and configured to determine a priority that a power source corresponding to said power received via said power input should have, said parameter selection circuit further configured to select at least one of said operating parameters based on said priority.

11. The isolated converter module as recited in claim 9 wherein said at least one of said operating parameters includes an output voltage of said DC-output converter.

12. The isolated converter module as recited in claim 9 wherein said at least one characteristic is selected from the group consisting of:

a voltage,

a current,

a frequency,

a phase,

a DC offset,

an impedance,

a power factor, and

a harmonic content.

13. The isolated converter module as recited in claim 9 wherein a transformer in said DC-output converter is configured to provide galvanic isolation therein.

14. The isolated converter module as recited in claim 9 further comprising a forward-biased diode coupled between said DC-output converter and said power output.

15. The isolated converter module as recited in claim 9 wherein said converter controller has an interface configured to be coupled to an oversight bus.

16. A method of combining the outputs of multiple, disparate types of power sources, comprising:

recognizing said types of each of said multiple power sources;

selecting respective operating parameters based on said types;

converting power to DC form according to said converter controller parameters; and

combining said power in said DC form in a common DC bus.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising determining priorities that said each of said power sources should have, said selecting comprising selecting at least some of said operating parameters based on said priorities.

18. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein said converting comprises employing transformer-isolated DC-output converters.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein at least some of said plurality of transformer-isolated DC-output converters are identical.

20. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising at least one of:

providing said converted power in DC form directly to a DC load,

providing said converted power in DC form through a DC-DC converter to said DC load, and

providing said converted power in DC form through an inverter to an AC load.

21. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein said combining comprises employing forward-biased diodes.

22. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising automatically:

detecting a malfunctioning converter; and

substituting a standby converter therefor.

23. A telecommunications rectifier, comprising:

a power input;

a converter controller configured to provide drive signals for converting power received from either the commercial electric power grid or a renewable power source;

a DC-output converter coupled to said power input and said converter controller and configured to receive said drive signals and convert said power to DC form; and

a power output configured to receive said power converted to said DC form from said DC-output converter.

24. The telecommunications rectifier as recited in claim 23 further comprising a source recognition circuit coupled to said power input and said converter controller and configured to recognize whether said power is received from said commercial electric power grid or a renewable power source based on at least one characteristic of said power.

25. The telecommunications rectifier as recited in claim 23 wherein said rectifier is contained in a module that is mountable in a standard equipment rack of a battery plant.

26. The telecommunications rectifier as recited in claim 23 further comprising a priority determination circuit coupled to said converter controller and configured to determine a priority that a power source corresponding to said power received via said power input should have.

27. The telecommunications rectifier as recited in claim 26 wherein said priority determines an output voltage of said DC-output converter.

28. The telecommunications rectifier as recited in claim 23 wherein said DC-output converter includes:

an isolated DC-DC resonant stage configured to employ zero-voltage switching; and

a boost stage configured to adjust a power factor of said power and accommodate a voltage difference between an operating voltage of said renewable power source and an optimum input voltage of said isolated DC-DC resonant stage.

29. The telecommunications rectifier as recited in claim 23 wherein said converter controller is configured to receive a signal from a system oversight controller and shut down said DC-output converter when multiple rectifiers are coupled to a single renewable power source and said system oversight controller determines that fewer rectifiers can convert power produced by said renewable power source more efficiently.