DIELECTRIC BIASING CIRCUIT FOR TRANSFORMERS AND INDUCTORS

• US 20150048916A1
• Filed: 09/06/2013
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Quest Group
• Original Assignee: The Quest Group
• Inventors: POWELL, Garth Judson
• Granted Patent: US 9,373,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 336/199
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 19/08 Transformers having magnetic bias, e.g. for handling pulses
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2019/085 Transformer for galvanic isolation
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2885 with shields or electrodes shields or electrodes for pancake coils H01F27/2871; construction of electric or magnetic shields or screens H01F27/36

Abstract

A transformer is configured to receive an input electrical signal at input nodes and supply an output electrical signal at output nodes. The transformer includes windings wound on the core between the input and output nodes. The windings define a signal path to transform the input electrical signal into the output electrical signal along the signal path. The transformer includes a first insulated conductive layer arranged between first and second windings configured to receive a first bias voltage. The transformer includes a second insulated conductive layer arranged spatially proximate to the first and second windings configured to receive a second bias voltage. The first and second insulated conductive layers form an electrostatic field that is based on a potential difference between the first and second bias voltages independent of the signal path. The windings are arranged to be within the formed electrostatic field.

Claims

1. An alternating current (AC) transformer comprising:

a plurality of input nodes;

a plurality of output nodes, wherein the transformer is configured to receive an input electrical signal at the plurality of input nodes and supply an output electrical signal at the plurality of output nodes;

a core;

a plurality of windings wound on the core and arranged between the plurality of input nodes and plurality of output nodes, the plurality of windings defining a signal path to transform the input electrical signal into the output electrical signal along the signal path;

a first insulated conductive layer arranged between first and second windings of the plurality of windings configured to receive a first bias voltage; and

a second insulated conductive layer arranged spatially proximate to the first and second windings configured to receive a second bias voltage,

wherein the first and second insulated conductive layers form an electrostatic field based on a potential difference between the first and second bias voltages independent of the signal path,

wherein the plurality of windings are arranged to be within the formed electrostatic field.

2. The AC transformer of claim 1, further comprising a third insulated conductive layer arranged between the first and second windings and configured to receive a third bias voltage.

3. The AC transformer of claim 2, wherein the third insulated conductive layer is configured to provide a second electrostatic field based on a potential difference between the third bias voltage and either the first bias voltage or second bias voltage independent of the signal path.

4. The AC transformer of claim 2, further comprising a fourth insulated conductive layer arranged between the first and second windings and configured to receive a fourth bias voltage, wherein the fourth insulated conductive layer is configured to provide a second electrostatic field based on a potential difference between the third and fourth bias voltages.

5. The AC transformer of claim 4, wherein the first insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the first winding that is arranged adjacent to the core, wherein the third insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the first insulated conductive layer, wherein the second insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the third insulated conductive layer, and wherein the fourth insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the second insulated conductive layer.

6. The AC transformer of claim 5, wherein the first bias voltage is a ground return path of a direct current voltage supply, wherein the third bias voltage is a chassis earth ground potential, wherein the second and fourth bias voltages are each in a range of 1 volt (V) to 1000 V, and wherein the second and fourth bias voltages are direct current voltages.

7. The AC transformer of claim 4, wherein the first insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the first winding, wherein the third insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the first insulated conductive layer, wherein the second insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the third insulated conductive layer, wherein the fourth insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the core, and wherein the first winding is arranged over and adjacent to the fourth insulated conductive layer.

8. The AC transformer of claim 7, wherein the first bias voltage is a chassis earth ground potential, wherein the third bias voltage is a ground return path of a direct current voltage supply, wherein the second and fourth bias voltages are each in a range of 1 volt (V) to 1000 V, and wherein the second and fourth bias voltages are direct current voltages.

9. The AC transformer of claim 4, wherein the first insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the first winding, wherein the third insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the first insulated conductive layer, wherein the second insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the second winding, wherein the fourth insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the core, and wherein the first winding is arranged over and adjacent to the fourth insulated conductive layer.

10. The AC transformer of claim 9, wherein the first bias voltage is a chassis earth ground potential, wherein the third bias voltage is a ground return path of a direct current voltage supply, wherein the second and fourth bias voltages are each in a range of 1 volt (V) to 1000 V, and wherein the second and fourth bias voltages are direct current voltages.

11. The AC transformer of claim 4, wherein the first insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the first winding, wherein the third insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the first insulated conductive layer, wherein the second insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the second winding, and wherein the first winding is arranged adjacent to the core.

12. The AC transformer of claim 11, wherein the first bias voltage is a chassis earth ground potential, wherein the third bias voltage is a ground return path of a direct current voltage supply, wherein the second bias voltage is in a range of 1 volt (V) to 1000 V, wherein the second bias voltage is a direct current voltage.

13. The AC transformer of claim 1, further comprising a tap node at a location on the second winding between the plurality of output nodes having zero potential, wherein the first insulated conductive layer is coupled to the tap node.

14. The AC transformer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of input nodes comprises a line input node that is configured to receive the input electrical signal at a voltage in a range of 100 V to 480 V and a neutral input node that is configured to receive the input electrical signal at a voltage with zero potential.

15. The AC transformer of claim 10, wherein the plurality of output nodes comprises a line output node and a neutral output node that are each configured to supply the output electrical signal at a voltage in a range of 1 V to 400 V.

16. An alternating current (AC) transformer comprising:

a plurality of input nodes;

a plurality of output nodes, wherein the transformer is configured to receive an input electrical signal at the plurality of input nodes and supply an output electrical signal at the plurality of output nodes via a conduction path formed between the input and output nodes;

a core;

a plurality of windings wound on the core and coupled to the plurality of input nodes and plurality of output nodes, the plurality of windings configured to transform the input electrical signal into the output electrical signal along the conduction path;

a first insulated conductive layer arranged between first and second windings of the plurality of windings configured to receive a first bias voltage; and

a second insulated conductive layer arranged over and around the plurality of windings configured to receive a second bias voltage,

wherein the first and second insulated conductive layers form an electrostatic field that is based on a potential difference between the first and second bias voltages independent of the conduction path,

wherein the plurality of windings are arranged to be within the formed electrostatic field.

17. The AC transformer of claim 16, further comprising a third insulated conductive layer arranged between the first and second windings and configured to receive a third bias voltage.

18. The AC transformer of claim 17, wherein the third insulated conductive layer is configured to provide a second electrostatic field based on a potential difference between the third bias voltage and either the first bias voltage or second bias voltage independent of the conduction path.

19. The AC transformer of claim 17, wherein the first insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the first winding that is arranged adjacent to the core, wherein the second insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the second winding, and wherein the third insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the first insulated conductive layer.

20. The AC transformer of claim 19, wherein the first bias voltage is a chassis earth ground potential, wherein the second and third bias voltages are each in a range of 1 volt (V) to 1000 V, and wherein the second and third bias voltages are direct current voltages.

21. The AC transformer of claim 19, wherein the first and third bias voltages are each a ground return path of a direct current voltage supply, wherein the second bias voltage is in a range of 1 volt (V) to 1000 V, and wherein the second bias voltage is a direct current voltage.

22. The AC transformer of claim 16, wherein the first insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the first winding that is arranged adjacent to the core, and wherein the second insulated conductive layer is arranged over and adjacent to the second winding.

23. The AC transformer of claim 22, wherein the first bias voltage is in a range of 1 volt (V) to 1000 V, wherein the second bias voltage is a chassis earth ground potential, and wherein the first bias voltage is a direct current voltage.

24. The AC transformer of claim 21, further comprising:

a plurality of electrical inputs coupled to the first winding, each of the plurality of electrical inputs configured to receive a respective voltage signal and supply the respective voltage signal to the first winding.

25. The AC transformer of claim 23, further comprising:

a plurality of electrical inputs coupled to the first winding, each of the plurality of electrical inputs configured to receive a respective voltage signal and supply the respective voltage signal to the first winding.

26. The AC transformer of claim 16, wherein the plurality of input nodes comprises a line input node that is configured to receive the input electrical signal at a voltage in a range of 100 volts (V) to 480 V and a neutral input node that is configured to receive the input electrical signal at a voltage with zero potential.

27. The AC transformer of claim 26, wherein the plurality of output nodes comprise a line output node configured to supply the output electrical signal at a voltage in a range of 2 volts (V) to 600 V and a neutral output nodes configured to supply the output electrical signal at a voltage with zero potential.

28. An alternating current (AC) inductive device comprising

an input node;

an output node, wherein the inductive device is configured to receive an input electrical signal at the input node and supply an output electrical signal at the output node;

a core;

a winding wound on the core defining a signal path to communicate the output electrical signal based on the input electrical signal along the signal path; and

a first insulated conductive layer arranged between the core and the winding configured to receive a first direct current (DC) voltage to form an electrostatic field based on a potential difference between the first DC voltage and a second DC voltage independent of the signal path,

wherein the winding is arranged to be within the formed electrostatic field.

29. The AC inductive device of claim 28, wherein the first DC voltage is in a range of 1 volt (V) to 1000 V.

30. The AC inductive device of claim 28, further comprising:

a conductive enclosure disposed over and around the winding to enclose the inductive device.

31. The AC inductive device of claim 30, wherein the second insulated conductive layer is configured to receive the second DC voltage in a range of 1 volt (V) to 1000 V.

32. The AC inductive device of claim 31, wherein the first DC voltage is at zero potential.

33. The AC inductive device of claim 28, wherein the input electrical signal has a voltage that is in a range of 5 volts (V) to 480 V.

34. The AC inductive device of claim 28, wherein the core comprises an insulation layer that encloses the core, wherein the insulated conductive layer is coupled to the insulation layer of the core and is configured to provide a lead connection from the insulation layer of the core.