STABLE REGENERATIVE BI-DIRECTIONAL CELL FOR BRIDGE POWER INVERTERS

• US 20150117073A1
• Filed: 10/25/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rhombus Energy Solutions, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rhombus Energy Solutions, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Flett, Frederick
• Granted Patent: US 9,461,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/37
• 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 5/4585 having a rectifier with controlled elements

Abstract

A high efficiency, multi-mode, regenerative AC-DC-AC inverter power system contains an inverter bridge, a bi-phase matrix (BP-Mtx) containing reverse current oriented, series-connected sets of controllable switches, wherein inputs to a first and second set of controllable switches are coupled to the inputs of the first inverter bridge, and outputs of the first and second set of controllable switches are coupled to inputs to a third set of controllable switches. A chargeable DC power supply is coupled to an output of the third set of controllable switches. The load-side DC-bus is coupled to outputs of the first inverter bridge and a second inverter bridge. The switches of the first inverter bridge, second inverter bridge, and BP-Mtx are modulated to charge the DC power supply from either excess voltage from line inputs or the DC-bus, and to provide compensating energy from the DC power supply for load or line input perturbations.

Claims

1. A multi-mode, regenerative AC-DC-AC inverter power system, comprising:

a first inverter bridge with controllable switches configurable for coupling to line inputs from a 3-phase AC power source;

a bi-phase matrix (BP-Mtx) containing reverse current oriented, series-connected sets of controllable BP-Mtx switches, wherein inputs to a first and second set of controllable BP-Mtx switches are coupled to the inputs of the first inverter bridge, and outputs of the first and second set of controllable BP-Mtx switches are coupled to inputs to a third set of controllable BP switches;

a chargeable DC power supply coupled to an output of the third set of controllable BP-Mtx switches;

a DC-bus coupled to outputs of the first inverter bridge; and

a second inverter bridge with controllable switches, inputs thereof coupled to an opposite end of the DC-bus from the first inverter bridge, and outputs thereof configurable for coupling to a load,

wherein switches of at least the first inverter bridge, second inverter bridge, and BP-Mtx are controllable to charge the DC power supply from at least one of excess voltage from the line inputs and DC-bus, and to provide compensating energy from the DC power supply for load or line input perturbations.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the DC bus is shunted by at least a DC voltage stabilizing capacitor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the DC power supply comprises at least one of a battery, an ultracapacitor, and disconnect switch.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a switch controller, controlling switches of at least the first inverter bridge, second inverter bridge, and BP-Mtx.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the switch controller utilizes a State Vector Method (SVM) for switch modulation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein switches of at least the first inverter bridge, second inverter bridge, and BP-Mtx are at least one of diode bridged, field-effect transistors (FETs), power metal-oxide-semiconductor-effect transistors (MOSFETs), and insulated-gate-bipolar Transistors (IGBT).

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first inverter bridge and second inverter bridge are of a similar arrangement of six diode-bridged transistors in forward current oriented pairs connected in parallel, and the BP-Mtx switches are six diode-bridged transistors in an arrangement of non-parallel-connected upper switch pair, lower switch pair, and middle switch pair, wherein a first input of the middle switch pair is coupled to an output of the upper switch pair and a second input of the middle switch pair is coupled to an output of the lower switch pair.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

line inputs from a 3-phase AC power source coupled to the first inverter bridge; and

a load coupled to the second inverter bridge.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a DC boost circuit coupled to the DC power supply.

10. A multi-mode, regenerative AC-DC-AC inverter power system, comprising:

a rectifying bridge configurable for coupling to line inputs from a first 3-phase AC power source;

a bi-phase matrix (BP-Mtx) comprising, reverse current oriented, series-connected sets of controllable BP-Mtx switches, wherein inputs to a first and second set of controllable BP-Mtx switches are coupled to inputs of the rectifying bridge, and outputs of the first and second set of controllable BP-Mtx switches are coupled to inputs to a third set of controllable BP-Mtx switches;

a chargeable DC power supply coupled to an output of the third set of controllable BP-Mtx switches;

a bridge connection coupled to outputs of the rectifying bridge and to a DC-bus configurable for coupling to a load; and

an inverter bridge with controllable switches, configurable for coupling to line inputs from a second 3-phase AC power source, wherein an output of the inverter bridge is coupled to at least one of the bridge connection and the DC-bus,

wherein switches of at least the BP-Mtx and inverter bridge are controllable to charge the DC power supply from at least one of excess voltage from the line inputs and DC-bus, and to provide compensating energy from the DC power supply for load or line input perturbations.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the DC-bus is shunted by at least a DC voltage stabilizing capacitor.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the DC power supply comprises at least one of a battery, an ultracapacitor, and disconnect switch.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a switch controller, controlling switches of at least the BP-Mtx and inverter bridge.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the switch controller utilizes a State Vector Method (SVM) for switch modulation.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising a DC boost circuit coupled to the DC power supply.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein switches of at least the BP-Mtx and inverter bridge are at least one of diode bridged, field-effect transistors (FETs), power metal-oxide-semiconductor-effect transistors (MOSFETs), and insulated-gate-bipolar Transistors (IGBT).

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the BP-Mtx switches are six diode-bridged transistors in an arrangement of non-parallel-connected upper switch pair, lower switch pair, and middle switch pair, wherein a first input of the middle switch pair is coupled to an output of the upper switch pair and a second input of the middle switch pair is coupled to an output of the lower switch pair.

18. A method of operating a multi-mode, regenerative AC-DC-AC inverter power system, comprising:

a computerized system controller detecting a bus instability event in a multi-mode, regenerative AC-DC-AC inverter power system, and upon detection; and

automatically determining if a de power source coupled to the system is available for power regeneration and if so, automatically activating a regeneration mode and applying voltage from the dc power source to the system;

wherein if the dc power source is not available for power regeneration, automatically determining if the dc power source has a low voltage and if so, automatically charging the dc power source from available power,

wherein if the dc power source does not have low voltage, automatically determining if the dc power source is charging and if so, automatically charging the dc power source from available power,

wherein if the dc power source is not charging to automatically activate the regeneration mode and apply voltage from the dc power source to the system.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, after completion of at least one of the steps of applying voltage from the dc power source to the system and charging the dc power source from available power, automatically returning to detecting a bus instability event.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising, upon activating a regeneration mode, determining, by the controller, if a voltage of a dc bus of the system has a voltage greater than a voltage of an AC grid input and if so, proceeding to the step of automatically determining if the dc power source is charging,

wherein if the voltage of the dc bus is less than the voltage of the AC grid input, returning to a regeneration mode monitoring mode.