Power conditioning system and apparatus

• US 4,544,877 A
• Filed: 07/05/1983
• Issued: 10/01/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Liebert Corporation (Vertiv Holdings Co.)
• Original Assignee: Liebert Corporation (Vertiv Holdings Co.)
• Inventors: Powell, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, JUDSON
• Application Number:
  US06/510,560
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 363/44, 363/45, 363/46, 363/47, 363/48, 363/64, 363/75, 363/90, 363/91, 363/164, 363/171, 363/172, 323/214, 323/215, 323/306, 323/307, 323/308, 323/361, 323/362, 323/232, 323/310, 333/177, 333/180, 307/7, 336/165, 336/178, 336/214, 336/215, 336/233, 336/234, 336/212, 336/213, 336/217
• US Class Current: 323/308
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/325 with specific core structure, e.g. gap, aperture, slot, permanent magnet

Abstract

Power conditioning apparatus particularly suited for computer facilities and including non-linear input chokes connectable with line power. These chokes are structured having a center leg configured to define a varying gap having a narrowest flux transfer region located centrally with respect to a surrounding shell structure. The gap configuration expands uniformly outwardly from this narrowest region. The outputs of the input chokes are serially, magnetically coupled through primary windings to pulse saturable reactors of a synthesizing network which includes a capacitor bank and operates to synthesize a sinewave output. The capacitance values of the capacitor bank are selectively distributed between the primary, isolation windings and the pulse saturable secondary or regulator components of the synthesizer network to achieve important improvements in system efficiency.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use with an a.c. source of variable voltage level and waveshape, and having a given frequency, for providing a regulated a.c. output to a load, comprising:

input choke means having a non-linear impedance characteristic connectable with said a.c. source for deriving an energy input substantially immune from said variable waveshape and voltage level;

primary winding means coupled with said input choke means for effecting energy transfer; and

regulator means including saturable reactor means having secondary winding means inductively coupled in energy transfer relationship with said primary winding means, first capacitor means of first predetermined capacitance value coupled with said secondary winding means, and second capacitor means of second predetermined capacitance value coupled with said primary winding means, said first and second capacitor means effecting the oscillatory saturation of said reactor means at said given frequency and said first and second capacitance values being selected in accordance with a ratio minimizing the energy appearing across said saturable reactor means in the course of the oscillatory saturation thereof.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said first and second capacitor values are selected having a said ratio of about 35/65.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 including:

series tuned trap means coupled with said regulator means for forcing energy representing odd and even harmonics generated by transient phenomena to fundamental as a form of energy reflection.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said regulator means secondary winding means comprises:

three transformer configured pulse saturating reactors interconnected in zig-zag coupling; and

three pulse saturating reactors in single secondary configuration coupled in series with said transformer configured reactors.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said first capacitor means comprises delta coupled capacitors connected in series with said three pulse saturating reactors.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 including a grounding transformer, the primary windings of which are coupled across said a.c. output and which are associated with secondary windings thereof in zig-zag configuration for deriving a neutral output connectable with said load.

7. An input inductor for selectively treating a line source of power, comprising:

outer flux permeable shell means formed as a plurality of substantially flat first flux directing components arranged in face-to-face parallel adjacency to define an outwardly disposed flux path surmounting a central window region;

an input coil connectable with said source and disposed within said window region; and

center leg means formed as a plurality of substantially flat second flux directing components extending within said coil to oppositely disposed edge regions defining varying gaps with corresponding opposite adjacent edges of said outer flux permeable shell means, said gaps having a narrowest extent substantially centrally positioned within said window and progressively increasing outwardly therefrom.

8. The input inductor of claim 7 wherein said center leg means edge regions are configured having a centrally disposed apex portion for deriving each said gap narrowest extent and are configured having substantially linear sloping edge portions extending therefrom.

9. The input inductor of claim 8 in which said central leg means edge region sloping edge portions extend symmetrically from said apex portion.

10. The input inductor of claim 8 in which said center leg means is structured having a generally octagonal profile.

11. The input inductor of claim 7 in which said center leg means second flux directing component flat surfaces are arranged in generally parallel relationship with said flux permeable shell means first flux directing flat surface.

12. The input inductor of claim 11 in which said flat second flux directing components of said center leg means are configured having substantially identical edge profiles.

13. The input inductor of claim 12 wherein said center leg means edge regions are configured having a centrally disposed apex portion for deriving each said gap narrowest extent and are configured having substantially linear, sloping edge portions extending therefrom.

29. The input inductor of claim 7 in which said flat first flux directing components of said shell means are each of elongate rectangular profile for assembly in end-to-end fashion to derive said central window region;

and

said center leg means is substantially symmetrically disposed within said central window region.

14. An input choke for use with power line conditioning apparatus including a regulator comprising:

a flux permeable outer shell structured as a laminar, stacked assemblage of first discrete, parallel flat flux density components having adjacent inwardly disposed edges defining walls of a cavity of predetermined periphery including oppositely disposed spaced first and second walls;

a center leg structured as a laminar stacked assemblage of second discrete, parallel, flat flux density components positioned within said cavity and having first and second oppositely disposed edge regions extending toward respective said shell cavity first and second walls and defining varying gaps therewith, each said gap having a narrowest flux transfer portion generally centrally located with respect to an adjacent said wall and progressively increasing in extent outwardly from said portion; and

an input coil connectable between said line and said regulator and disposed about said center leg.

15. The input choke of claim 14 wherein said center leg edge regions are configured having a centrally disposed, flat apex portion for deriving said gap narrowest flux transfer portion and are configured having substantially linearly sloping edge portions extending therefrom.

16. The input choke of claim 15 in which said center leg is structured having a generally octagonal profile.

17. The input choke of claim 14 in which said first discrete, parallel flat flux density components of said outer shell are generally parallel with said center leg second discrete, parallel flat flux directing components.

18. The input choke of claim 14 in which the said second discrete, parallel, flat flux directing components of said center leg are configured having substantially identical edge profiles.

19. The input choke of claim 18 in which said center leg is structured having a generally octagonal periphery.

20. The input choke of claim 19 wherein said center leg edge regions are configured having a centrally disposed, flat apex portion for deriving said gap narrowest flux transfer portion are configured having substantially linearly sloping edge portions extending therefrom.

30. The input choke of claim 14 in which each said first discrete flat flux density component is of elongate rectangular profile dimensioned for mutual association in edge-to-edge fashion to define said central window region.

21. A system for conditioning an a.c. source of power having a given frequency, for providing a regulated a.c. output to a load, comprising:

an input inductor including;

flux permeable shell means structured as a plurality of substantially flat first flux directing components arranged in stacked relationship to form a flux permeable path surmounting a window defining cavity having oppositely disposed spaced first and second walls;

center leg means structured as a plurality of substantially flat second flux directing components positioned within said cavity and having a first edge region extending toward said first wall and defining a varying gap therewith, said gap having a narrowest flux transfer portion substantially centrally located with respect to said first wall and progressively increasing in extent outwardly from said portion;

coil means connectable with said a.c. source, disposed about said center leg for deriving with said shell means and center leg means a treated energy input;

primary winding means coupled with said coil means to receive said treated energy input for effecting energy transfer; and

regulator means including saturable reactor means having secondary winding means inductively coupled in energy transfer relationship with said primary winding means, first capacitor means of first predetermined capacitance value coupled with said secondary winding means, and second capacitor means of second predetermined capacitance value coupled with said primary winding means, said first and second capacitor means effecting the oscillatory saturation of said reactor means at said given frequency and said first and second capacitance values being selected in accordance with a ratio minimizing the energy appearing across said saturable reactor means in the course of the oscillatory saturation thereof.

22. The system of claim 21 in which said first and second capacitor values are selected having a said ratio of about 35/65.

23. Apparatus for use with an a.c. source of variable voltage level and waveshape, and having a given frequency, for providing a regulated a.c. output to a load, comprising:

input choke means having a non-linear impedance characteristic connectable with said a.c. source for deriving an energy input substantially immune from said variable waveshape and voltage level;

regulator means for receiving said energy input immune from said variable waveshape and voltage level, including polyphase saturable reactor means and first and second capacitor means having respective first and second predetermined capacitance values for effecting an oscillatory saturation thereof at said given frequency;

isolation means having an isolation winding inductively isolated from said regulator means for isolating said source from said load;

said second capacitor means being coupled with said isolating winding and said first and second capacitance values being selected in accordance with a ratio minimizing the energy appearing across said saturable reactor means in the course of the oscillatory saturation thereof; and

filter means coupled with said regulator means for suppressing the generation of odd and even harmonics.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 in which said first and second capacitor values are selected having a said ratio of about 35/65.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 in which said input choke means comprises:

a flux permeable outer shell structured as a laminar, stacked assemblage of first discrete, parallel flat flux density components having adjacent inwardly disposed edges defining walls of a cavity of predetermined periphery including oppositely disposed spaced first and second walls;

a center leg structured as a laminar stacked assemblage of second, discrete, parallel, flat flux density components positioned within said cavity and having first and second oppositely disposed edge regions extending toward respective said shell cavity first and second walls and defining varying gaps therewith, each said gap having a narrowest flux transfer portion generally centrally located with respect to an adjacent said wall and progressively increasing in extent outwardly from said portion; and

an input coil coupled between said source and said regulator means and disposed about said center leg.

26. The input choke of claim 25 wherein said center leg edge regions are configured having a centrally disposed, flat apex portion for deriving said gap narrowest flux transfer portion and are configured having substantially linearly sloping edge portions extending therefrom.

27. The input choke of claim 25 in which said center leg is structured having a generally octagonal profile.

28. The input choke of claim 25 in which:

said first discrete, parallel flat flux density components of said outer shell are generally parallel with said center leg second discrete, parallel flat flux directing components;

said second discrete, parallel, flat flux directing components of said center leg are configured having substantially identical edge profiles;

said center leg is structured having a generally octagonal periphery; and

said center leg edge regions are configured having a centrally disposed, flat apex portion for deriving said gap narrowest flux transfer portion and are configured having substantially linearly sloping edge portions extending thereform.

31. The input choke of claim 25 in which each said first discrete flat flux density component is of elongate rectangular profile dimensioned for mutual association in edge-to-edge fashion to define said central window region.

32. An input inductor for selectively treating a line source of power, comprising:

flux permeable shell means structured as a plurality of substantially flat first flux directing components arranged in stacked relationship to form a flux permeable path surrounding a window defining cavity having oppositely disposed spaced first and second walls;

center leg means structured as a plurality of substantially flat second flux directing components positioned within said cavity and having a first edge region extending toward said first wall and defining a varying gap therewith, said gap having a narrowest flux transfer portion substantially centrally located with respect to said first wall and progressively increasing in extent outwardly from said portion; and

coil means connectible with said source and disposed about said center leg.