Methods and apparatus for auxiliary trickle power supply
First Claim
1. A trickle power supply for generating trickle voltages and currents, said trickle power supply comprising:
- charge storage means coupled to an unregulated direct current (DC) source for receiving and storing electric charge;
bidirectionally conducting semiconductor diode means coupled to the charge storage means for enabling said charge storage means to alternately charge and discharge, thereby generating a periodic oscillating waveform having a plurality of alternating charging and discharging profiles;
voltage reducing means coupled to said charge storage means and said bidirectionally conducting semiconductor diode means for converting said periodic oscillating waveform into a reduced voltage periodic oscillating waveform, andvoltage regulation means coupled to said voltage reducing means for accumulating and converting said reduced periodic oscillating waveform into regulated voltage and current outputs comprising said trickle voltages and currents.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Circuit arrangements and methods are disclosed for providing trickle voltages and currents when a main power supply is unavailable or, alternatively, for providing auxiliary power. In one embodiment, a trickle power supply consists of a bilaterally conducting semiconductor diode device such as a SIDAC receiving an unregulated DC input voltage through a resistor. The SIDAC is contemplated to have a specified breakover voltage Vbo and current carrying capability chosen according to designer preference. A first capacitor is coupled between the SIDAC and a primary side of a step-down pulse transformer providing a specified reduction in voltage from a secondary side relative to the voltage applied to the primary side. The resistor, the first capacitor, and the SIDAC together form a modified RC resonant circuit oscillation characteristic. When the unregulated DC input voltage is applied, the first capacitor will charge up to the breakover voltage Vbo of the SIDAC, whereafter the SIDAC becomes strongly conducting and charge is rapidly discharged to ground from the first capacitor through the SIDAC. When the stored charge has been depleted, the SIDAC becomes nonconducting, and charge is thereafter again accumulated in the first capacitor. The alternate charging and discharging of the first capacitor according to the Vbo of the SIDAC produces an oscillating pulse waveform. The pulse waveform is subsequently reduced in magnitude by the pulse transformer, and thereafter routed through voltage regulating means to adjust the reduced voltage and current of the oscillating pulse waveform to an output trickle voltage and current of specified magnitude.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A trickle power supply for generating trickle voltages and currents, said trickle power supply comprising:
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charge storage means coupled to an unregulated direct current (DC) source for receiving and storing electric charge; bidirectionally conducting semiconductor diode means coupled to the charge storage means for enabling said charge storage means to alternately charge and discharge, thereby generating a periodic oscillating waveform having a plurality of alternating charging and discharging profiles; voltage reducing means coupled to said charge storage means and said bidirectionally conducting semiconductor diode means for converting said periodic oscillating waveform into a reduced voltage periodic oscillating waveform, and voltage regulation means coupled to said voltage reducing means for accumulating and converting said reduced periodic oscillating waveform into regulated voltage and current outputs comprising said trickle voltages and currents. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A trickle power supply for generating trickle voltages and currents from an unregulated direct current (DC) source, said trickle power supply comprising:
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a resistor coupled to said unregulated DC power source; a first capacitor coupled to said resistor for storing charge delivered by said unregulated DC power source; a SIDAC semiconductor device coupled to the resistor and the capacitor for enabling said capacitor to alternately charge and discharge, thereby generating a periodic oscillating waveform having a plurality of alternating charging and discharging profiles; said SIDAC having a breakover voltage Vbo, said SIDAC comprising a high impedance high voltage nonconducting first state when said unregulated DC source is below Vbo, said SIDAC further comprising a low impedance low voltage conducting second state when said unregulated DC source is above Vbo ; voltage reducing means coupled to said first capacitor and said SIDAC semiconductor device for converting said periodic oscillating waveform into a reduced voltage periodic oscillating waveform, and voltage regulation means coupled to said voltage reducing means for accumulating and converting said modified periodic oscillating waveform into a regulated voltage and current outputs, said voltage regulation means thereby producing said trickle voltages and currents. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. In a trickle power supply, a method for generating trickle voltages and currents comprising the steps of:
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receiving and storing charge from an unregulated direct current (DC) source in a charge storage means; generating a periodic oscillating waveform having a plurality of alternating charging and discharging profiles using a bidirectionally conducting semiconductor diode means coupled to said charge storage means, said bidirectionally conducting semiconductor diode means enabling said charge storage means to alternately charge and discharge; converting said periodic oscillating waveform into a reduced voltage periodic oscillating waveform using a voltage reducing means coupled to said charge storage means and said bidirectionally conducting semiconductor diode means, and accumulating and converting said reduced voltage periodic oscillating waveform into regulated voltage and current outputs using a voltage regulation means coupled to said voltage reducing means, said regulated voltage and current outputs comprising said trickle voltages and currents. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification