Input line voltage compensating transformer power regulator

• US 4,041,431 A
• Filed: 11/22/1976
• Issued: 08/09/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ralph Ogden
• Original Assignee: Ralph Ogden
• Inventors: Enoksen, Gerald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kozma, Thomas J.
• Application Number:
  US05/743,768
• Time in Patent Office: 260 Days
• Field of Search: 323/44 R, 323/45, 323/56, 336/155, 336/184, 336/214, 336/215, 336/170, 29/602, 29/605
• US Class Current: 336/160
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2029/143 with control winding for generating magnetic bias
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 29/14 with variable magnetic bias amplitude modulation by means of variable impedance element H03C1/08 ; magnetic amplifiers H03F; circuits for automatic telephonic communication H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 174/17 in an electric power conversion, regulation, or protection system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 174/25 Transformer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor

Abstract

A transformer power regulator and method of utilizing same for efficiently and variably delivering A.C. power to a load by regulating only a portion of the input voltage equal to maximum expected voltage variation in the input voltage source while transmitting most of the power directly to the load through some of the transformer windings. The laminated core structure is continuous and uninterrupted including primary and secondary winding leg portions and back portions defining a main magnetic flux circuit. A pair of control winding leg portions, with bridging portions therebetween define a separate control magnetic flux circuit. Variable energization of a pair of control windings, one on each of the control winding leg portions, variably controls the magnetic reluctance of the control magnetic flux circuit. A primary winding on the primary winding leg portion is connectible to an A.C. voltage source. Most of the power to the load is transmitted through the series combination of a bucking winding on the primary winding leg portion and a secondary winding on the secondary winding leg portion resulting in high power transmission efficiency between the source and the load. The bucking winding inductively drops a portion of the input voltage thereacross to compensate for the maximum expected deviation of the voltage source from its nominal value. Selective energization of the control windings provide control of the reluctance of the control winding leg portions, thereby controlling the shunting of flux induced in the primary winding leg portion away from the secondary winding leg portion. The secondary winding adds a variable voltage to return the voltage at the load to the desired nominal value despite deviations in the voltage source.

Claims

1. A transformer power regulator for efficiently and variably supplying at least 50 watts of power to a load from an A.C. voltage source while simultaneously compensating for variations from a nominal potential supplied by the voltage source, said regulator comprising:

a laminated core structure defining a primary winding leg portion, a secondary winding leg portion, and a pair of control winding leg portions, all of said leg portions being in coplanar relationship;

said control winding leg portions being intermediate to said primary and said secondary winding leg portions for effectively shunting flux induced in said primary winding leg portion away from said secondary winding leg portion;

said core structure further including back portions between said primary and secondary winding leg portions thereby defining a main magnetic flux circuit that is of closed circuit configuration and is continuous and uninterrupted between said primary and secondary leg portions;

said core structure also including bridge portions between said control winding leg portions thereby defining a control magnetic flux circuit that is of closed circuit configuration and is continuous and uninterrupted between said control winding leg portions with said control magnetic flux circuit being separate from said main magnetic flux circuit;

a control winding on each of said control winding leg portions, said control windings being electrically connected in bucking relation for application thereto of equal ampere turns for energizing same between deenergized and fully energized conditions to correspondingly vary the reluctance of said control winding leg portions between minimum and maximum conditions such that said control winding leg portions variably shunt flux from said primary winding leg portion of the main magnetic flux circuit away from said secondary winding leg portion in inverse proportion to reluctance of said control winding leg portions;

a primary winding with a plurality of turns wound about said primary winding leg portion including first and second leads for connecting same to the A.C. voltage source;

a bucking winding with a plurality of turns, but with fewer turns than said primary winding, wound about said primary winding leg portion with a first lead of same connected to one of the leads of the primary winding such that said bucking winding is phased in bucking relationship to said primary winding; and

a secondary winding with a plurality of turns wound about said secondary winding leg portion with a first lead connectible to a load to which power is to be supplied, and a second lead of same connected to a second lead of the bucking winding such that said secondary winding is phased in aiding relationship with respect to said primary winding whereby most of power is transmitted from the A.C. voltage source directly through the bucking and secondary windings of the transformer regulator to the load with the bucking winding dropping a portion of the input voltage thereacross to compensate for the maximum expected over-voltage conditions of the A.C. voltage source and the secondary winding supplying an additional voltage variable by the degree of energization of said control windings to supply a regulated voltage to the load independent of deviations in the A.C. voltage source from the nominal value thereof.

2. The transformer regulator as in claim 1 wherein the turns ratio of the primary winding to the bucking winding is approximately 6:

1.

3. The transformer regulator as in claim 1 wherein the turns ratio of the primary winding to the secondary winding is approximately 5:

2.

4. The transformer regulator as in claim 1 wherein the primary winding consists of approximately 300 turns, the bucking winding consists of approximately 50 turns and the secondary winding consists of approximately 120 turns.

5. The transformer regulator as in claim 4 wherein each control winding consists of at least 300 turns.

6. A transformer power regulator for efficiently and variably supplying at least 50 watts of power to a load from an A.C. voltage source while simultaneously compensating for variations from a nominal potential supplied by the voltage source, said regulator comprising:

a laminated core structure defining a primary winding leg portion, a secondary winding leg portion, and a pair of control winding leg portions, all of said leg portions being in coplanar relationship;

said control winding leg portions being intermediate to said primary and said secondary winding leg portions for effectively shunting flux induced in said primary winding leg portion away from said secondary winding leg portion;

said core structure further including back portions between said primary and secondary winding leg portions thereby defining a main magnetic flux circuit that is of closed circuit configuration and is continuous and uninterrupted between said primary and secondary winding leg portions;

said core structure also including bridge portions between said control winding leg portions thereby defining a control magnetic flux circuit that is of closed circuit configuration and is continuous uninterrupted between said control winding leg portions with said control magnetic flux circuit being separate from said main magnetic flux circuit;

a control winding on each of said control winding leg portions, said control windings being electrically connected in bucking relation for application thereto of equal ampere turns for energizing same between deenergized and fully energized conditions to correspondingly vary the reluctance of said control winding leg portions between minimum and maximum conditions such that said control winding leg portions variably shunt flux from said primary winding leg portion of the main magnetic flux circuit away from said secondary winding leg portion in inverse proportion to reluctance of said control winding leg portions;

a primary winding with a plurality of turns wound about said primary winding leg portion including first and second leads for connecting same to the A.C. voltage source;

a portion of said primary winding tapped to provide a bucking winding with a plurality of turns, but with fewer turns than said primary winding, with a first lead of same connected to said A.C. voltage source, said bucking winding phased in bucking relationship to said primary winding; and

a secondary winding with a plurality of turns wound about said secondary winding leg portion with a first lead connectible to a load to which power is to be supplied, and a second lead of same connected to a second lead of the bucking winding such that said secondary winding is phased in aiding relationship with respect to said primary winding whereby most of the power is transmitted from the A.C. voltage source directly through the bucking and secondary winding of the transformer regulator to the load with the bucking winding dropping a portion of the input voltage thereacross to compensate for the maximum expected over-voltage conditions of the A.C. voltage source and the secondary winding supplying an additional voltage variable by the degree of energization of said control winding to supply a regulated voltage to the load independent of deviations in the A.C. voltage source from the nominal value thereof.

7. A method for efficiently and variably supplying at least 50 watts of power to a load from an A.C. voltage source while simultaneously compensating for variation from the nominal potential supplied by the voltage source, said method comprising:

utilizing a laminated core structure defining a primary winding leg portion, a secondary winding leg portion and a pair of control winding leg portions, all of said leg portions being in coplanar relationship, said control winding leg portions being intermediate to said primary and secondary winding leg portions for effectively shunting flux induced in said primary winding leg portion away from said secondary winding leg portion, said core structure including back portions between said primary and secondary winding leg portions thereby defining a main magnetic flux circuit that is of closed circuit configuration and is continuous and uninterrupted between said primary and secondary winding leg portions, said structure also including bridging portions between said control leg portions defining a control magnetic flux circuit that is of closed circuit configuration and is continuous and uninterrupted between said control winding leg portions and is separate from said main magnetic flux circuit;

providing a control winding on each of said control winding leg portions, said control windings being electrically connected in bucking relation for application thereto of equal ampere turns for energizing same between deenergized and fully energized conditions to correspondingly vary magnetic reluctance of said control winding leg portions between minimum and maximum conditions such that said control winding leg portions variably shunt flux from said primary winding leg portion of main magnetic flux circuit away from said secondary winding leg portion in inverse proportion to the reluctance of said control winding leg portions;

providing a primary winding with a plurality of turns wound about said primary winding leg portion including first and second leads for connecting same to the A.C. voltage source;

providing a bucking winding with a plurality of turns, but with fewer turns than said primary winding, wound about said primary winding leg portion with a first lead of same referenced to said A.C. voltage source, said bucking winding phased in bucking relationship to said primary winding; and

providing a secondary winding with a plurality of turns wound about said secondary winding leg portion with a first lead connectible to a load to which power is to be supplied, and a second lead with same connected to a second lead of the bucking winding such that said secondary winding is phased in aiding relationship with respect to said primary winding such that most of the power is transmitted from the A.C. voltage source directly through the bucking and secondary winding of the transformer regulator to the load with the bucking winding dropping a portion of the input voltage there-across to compensate for the maximum expected over-voltage condition of the A.C. voltage source and that the secondary winding supplying an additional voltage variable by the degree of energization of said control windings to supply a regulated voltage to the load independent of deviations in the A.C. voltage source from the nominal value thereof.