Power-factor-corrected AC/DC converter
First Claim
1. The combination comprising:
- first means operable to connect with a relatively low frequency voltage, such as the voltage on an ordinary electric utility power line and, when so connected, conditionally operative to provide a relatively high frequency AC voltage at an AC output, the first means having control means operative, during any period when receiving a control action, to prevent the first means from providing the relatively high frequency AC voltage;
second means connected in circuit between the AC output and a DC output, the second means being operative to provide a unidirectional current to an energy-storing capacitor means connected with the DC output, a DC voltage being thereby provided at this DC output; and
third means connected between the DC output and the control means and operative to provide said control action whenever the magnitude of the DC voltage exceeds a predetermined level.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An AC/DC converter comprises a half-bridge electronic self-oscillating inverter powered from the non-filtered full-wave-rectified 120 Volt/60 Hz power line voltage, and its resulting amplitude-modulted 30 kHz output voltage is applied to a series-resonant L-C circuit. The 30 kHz voltage developing across the tank capacitor of this L-C circuit is rectified and applied as DC to an energy-storing capacitor, from which the AC/DC converter'"'"'s output is supplied. Trigger pulses are provided to trigger the inverter into self-oscillation at the beginning of each pulse of DC voltage provided by the unfiltered rectified power line voltage. As soon as the magnitude of the DC voltage across the energy-storing capacitor exceeds a first level, the trigger pulses cease to be provided. As soon as the magnitude of the DC voltage on the energy-storing capacitor falls below a second level, the trigger pulses are again provided. As long as the inverter is in operation, the current pulled from the power line is essentially of constant magnitude and therefore providing for a power factor of about 90%.
21 Citations
23 Claims
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1. The combination comprising:
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first means operable to connect with a relatively low frequency voltage, such as the voltage on an ordinary electric utility power line and, when so connected, conditionally operative to provide a relatively high frequency AC voltage at an AC output, the first means having control means operative, during any period when receiving a control action, to prevent the first means from providing the relatively high frequency AC voltage; second means connected in circuit between the AC output and a DC output, the second means being operative to provide a unidirectional current to an energy-storing capacitor means connected with the DC output, a DC voltage being thereby provided at this DC output; and third means connected between the DC output and the control means and operative to provide said control action whenever the magnitude of the DC voltage exceeds a predetermined level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12)
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6. A combination comprising:
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a first means operable to connect with a relatively low frequency voltage, such as the voltage on an ordinary electric utility power line, and to provide a relatively high frequency AC voltage at a pair of AC output terminals, the relatively high frequency AC voltage being interrupted with periods of essentially zero magnitude, the instantaneous absolute magnitude of the relatively high frequency AC voltage being substantially proportional to that of the relatively low frequency voltage except during the periods of essentially zero magnitude; and a second means connected with the AC output terminals and operative to provide a DC voltage at a pair of DC terminals, the magnitude of the DC voltage being substantially constant over at least the duration of a complete period of the relative low frequency voltage. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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13. An arrangement comprising:
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rectifier means connected with the power line voltage from an ordinary electric utility power line and operative to provide at a first DC output a first DC voltage having an instantaneous absolute magnitude approximately equal to that of the power line voltage; inverter means connected with the first DC output and operative to provide an AC voltage at an AC output, the frequency of the AC voltage being substantially higher than that of the power line voltage, the instantaneous absolute magnitude of the AC voltage being substantially proportional to that of the power line voltage; and conversion means connected with the AC output and operative to provide a second DC voltage at a second DC output, the magnitude of the second DC voltage being substantially constant, the magnitude of the current drawn by the conversion means from the AC output being substantially independent of the magnitude of the AC voltage; whereby the magnitude of the current drawn by the rectifier means from the power line is substantially constant for as long as current is being provided to the conversion means from the AC output.
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14. An arrangement comprising:
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first means conditionally operative to provide a periodically intermittent AC voltage at an AC output, the first means having prevent means operative in response to a control action to prevent the provision of the periodically intermittent AC voltage; second means connected with the AC output and operative to provide a DC voltage at a DC output, an energy-storing means being connected in circuit with the DC output; and third means connected in circuit between the DC output and the control means, the third means being responsive to the magnitude of the DC voltage and operative, whenever the magnitude of the DC voltage exceeds a first predetermined level, to provide said control action. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. An arrangement comprising:
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first means operable to connect with the power line voltage on an ordinary electric utility power line and operative, when so connected, to provide a first DC voltage at a first DC output, the output impedance of the first DC output being relatively low, the instantaneous absolute magnitude of the first DC voltage being about the same as that of the power line voltage; second means connected with the DC output and operative to provide an AC voltage at an AC output, the output impedance of the AC output being relatively low, the AC voltage being;
i) of instantaneous absolute magnitude substantially proportional to that of the first DC voltage, and ii) of frequency substantially higher than that of the power line voltage;third means connected with the AC output and operative to provide a unidirectional current at a second DC output, the output impedance of the second DC output being relatively high; and energy-storing capacitor means connected with the second DC output and operative to receive the unidirectional current provided therefrom, thereby to develop a second DC voltage of a DC terminal means, the magnitude of the second DC voltage being substantially constant for the duration of a complete cycle of the power line voltage, the DC terminal means being operative to connect with a DC load means. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. The arrangement comprising:
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a source of DC voltage; inverter means connected with the source of DC voltage and conditionally operative to provide a squarewave voltage at an inverter output, the inverter means having control input means operative in response to a control input to remove the squarewave voltage from the inverter output, the squarewave voltage having a fundamental frequency; a series-combination of an inductor and a capacitor connected across the inverter output, the series-combination being resonant at or near the funamental frequency; rectification means connected in parallel circuit with the capacitor and operative to supply a unidirectional current at a pair of DC current terminals; and filter means connected with the DC current terminals and operative to provide a filtered DC voltage at a pair of DC voltage terminals. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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Specification