PORTABLE ALTERNATING CURRENT INVERTER HAVING REDUCED IMPEDANCE LOSSES

• US 20110090726A1
• Filed: 11/01/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ekstrom, Erik, Wang, Ren, Abolhassani, Mehdi T., Seman, Andrew E. JR., Eshleman, Scott, Bailey, Rouse Roby JR., Brotto, Daniele C., Cruise, Nathan J., Spencer, William D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,994,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/131
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/04 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/44 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/49 Combination of the output voltage waveforms of a plurality of converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/537 using semiconductor devices only, e.g. single switched pulse inverters

Abstract

A portable power supply apparatus is provided having reduced impedance losses. The portable power supply apparatus is comprised of: a portable housing; a battery system residing in the housing; and an inverter circuit residing in the housing. The battery system generates a direct current (DC) voltage having a magnitude greater than or equal to a peak value of a desired alternating current (AC) voltage. The inverter circuit receives the DC voltage directly from the battery system, converts the DC voltage to an AC output voltage and outputs the AC output voltage to one or more outlets exposed on an exterior surface of the portable housing.

Claims

1. A portable power supply apparatus comprising:

a portable housing;

a battery system comprised of a plurality of batteries residing in the housing, the battery system generates a direct current (DC) voltage having a magnitude greater than or equal to a peak value of a desired alternating current (AC) voltage; and

an inverter circuit residing in the housing and configured to receive the DC voltage directly from the battery system, the inverter circuit converts the DC voltage generated by the battery system to an AC output voltage and outputs the AC output voltage to one or more outlets exposed on an exterior surface of the portable housing.

2. The portable power supply apparatus of claim 1 wherein the battery system generates a DC voltage having a magnitude greater than 150 volts (V).

3. The portable power supply apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inverter circuit modifies a waveform of the AC output voltage when the battery system generates a DC voltage having a magnitude less than the peak value of the desired AC voltage.

4. The portable power supply apparatus of claim 3 wherein the inverter circuit increases a duty cycle of pulse-width modulated (PWM) signals that control switching in the inverter circuit to maintain a root-mean-square (RMS) of the AC output voltage greater than or equal to an RMS of the desired AC voltage.

5. The portable power supply apparatus of claim 1 further comprises a power supply module residing in the housing and configured to receive an AC input signal from a power source external to the housing, the power supply module provides a charging current to the battery system.

6. The portable power supply apparatus of claim 5 wherein the power source is further defined as an internal combustion engine (ICE) generator.

7. The portable power supply apparatus of claim 5 further comprises a control module configured to monitor charge level of the plurality of batteries and selectively control the power supply module to charge the battery system.

8. The portable power supply apparatus of claim 5 wherein the power supply module includes a battery charge circuit electrically coupled to an AC power plug.

9. The portable power supply apparatus of claim 1 wherein the battery system includes one or more replaceable battery units, the replaceable battery units each having a storage capacity less than or equal to the storage capacity of the battery system.

10. A portable power supply apparatus comprising:

a portable housing;

a plurality of batteries connected in series and residing in the housing, the plurality of batteries generate a direct current (DC) voltage; and

an inverter circuit that converts the DC voltage to generate a desired alternating current (AC) output voltage and outputs the desired AC voltage to one or more outlets exposed on an exterior surface of the portable housing, wherein the portable power supply apparatus has a weight and outputs electrical power at a power-to-weight ratio greater than 50 watts (W) per pound.

11. The portable supply apparatus of claim 10 wherein the portable power supply apparatus weighs between 20 and 50 pounds.

12. The portable power supply apparatus of claim 10 wherein the portable power supply apparatus weighs approximately 35 pounds.

13. The portable power supply apparatus of claim 10 wherein the inverter circuit generates greater than or equal to 1500 W of continuous power.

14. The portable power supply apparatus of claim 10 wherein the inverter circuit generates greater than or equal to 3000 W of peak power.

15. The portable power supply apparatus of claim 10 wherein the inverter circuit receives the DC voltage directly from the plurality of batteries, the DC voltage having a magnitude greater than or equal to a peak value of a desired AC voltage output by the apparatus.

16. The portable power supply apparatus of claim 10 further comprises a power supply module residing in the housing, the power supply module configured to receive an AC input signal from a power source external to the housing and provide a charging current to the plurality of batteries.

17. The portable power supply apparatus of claim 16 further comprises a control module configured to monitor charge level of the plurality of batteries and selectively control the power supply module to charge the plurality of batteries.

18. The portable power supply apparatus of claim 10 wherein the inverter circuit modifies a waveform of the AC output voltage when the plurality of batteries generate a DC voltage having a magnitude less than a peak value of the desired AC voltage.

19. The portable power supply apparatus of claim 18 wherein the inverter circuit increases a duty cycle of pulse-width modulated (PWM) signals that control switching in the inverter circuit to maintain a root-mean-square (RMS) of the AC output voltage greater than or equal to an RMS of the desired AC voltage.

20. A portable power supply system comprising:

(i) a portable inverter residing in a first portable housing, the inverter including;

a battery subsystem comprised of a plurality of batteries residing in the first housing, the battery subsystem generates a direct current (DC) voltage having a magnitude greater than or equal to a peak value of a desired alternating current (AC) voltage;

an inverter circuit residing in the first housing and configured to receive the DC voltage directly from the battery subsystem, the inverter circuit converts the DC voltage generated by the battery subsystem to an AC output voltage and outputs the AC output voltage to one or more outlets exposed on an exterior surface of the first housing;

a power supply module residing in the first housing and configured to receive an AC input signal from a power source external to the housing, the power supply module provides a charging current to the battery subsystem;

an inverter control module residing in the first housing and selectively controls the power supply module to charge the battery subsystem; and

an inverter communication module configured to receive commands from the inverter control module and to communicate the commands over a wireless communication link; and

(ii) a portable engine powered generator residing in a second portable housing, the generator including;

an internal combustion engine;

an electrical generator drivably coupled to the internal combustion engine and operable to output an AC output signal;

a generator control module configured to receive an activate command and initiate operation of the internal combustion engine; and

a generator communication module configured to receive commands from the generator control module and communicate the commands over the wireless communication link.

21. The portable power supply system of claim 20 wherein the inverter control module monitors charge level of the plurality of batteries and issues an activate command to the generator when the charge level drops below a threshold and the inverter communication module receives the activate command from the inverter control module and transmits the activate command over the wireless communication link to the generator.

22. The portable power supply system of claim 21 further comprises a handheld computing device configured to receive an indicator of the charge level of the plurality of batteries from the portable inverter and displays the indicator of the charge level, wherein the inverter communication module transmits the indicator of the charge level over the wireless communication link to the handheld computing device.

23. The portable power supply system of claim 22 wherein the handheld computing device issues an activate command to the generator in response to an operator input and transmits the activate command over the wireless communication link to the generator.

24. A portable power supply system, comprising:

a portable housing;

a battery subsystem comprised of a plurality of batteries residing in the housing, the battery subsystem generates a direct current (DC) voltage having a magnitude greater than or equal to a peak value of a desired alternating current (AC) voltage;

an inverter circuit residing in the housing and configured to receive the DC voltage directly from the battery subsystem, the inverter circuit converts the DC voltage generated by the battery subsystem to an AC output voltage and outputs the AC output voltage to one or more outlets exposed on an exterior surface of the housing;

a power supply module residing in the housing and configured to receive an AC input signal from a power source external to the housing, the power supply module provides a charging current to the battery subsystem and operable to decrease the charging current to the battery subsystem when the AC input signal falls below a predetermined threshold; and

an inverter communication module configured to receive commands from the battery system, send commands to the power supply module, and to communicate the commands over a wireless communication link.

25. The portable power supply system of claim 24 further comprises a handheld computing device configured to receive an indicator of a charge level of the plurality of batteries and displays the indicator of the charge level, wherein the inverter communication module transmits the indicator of the charge level over the wireless communication link to the handheld computing device.

26. The portable power supply system of claim 25 wherein the handheld computing device issues an activate command to the power supply module in response to an operator input, the activate command enables charging via the external power source, and wherein the handheld computing device transmits the activate command over the wireless communication link to the inverter communication module.

27. The portable power supply system of claim 26 wherein the external power source is an internal combustion engine (ICE) generator, the ICE generator configured to generate the AC input signal, and the activate command starts the ICE generator.