Line powered, primary side connected apparatus injecting voltage compensation into an electric power line using one transformer

• US 5,949,221 A
• Filed: 05/21/1998
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: S&C Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
• Inventors: Edwards, Charles Wood
• Primary Examiner(s): Nappi, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Bao Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/082,572
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 323/207, 323/208, 323/209, 323/205
• US Class Current: 323/209
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/1814 wherein al least one reactive element is actively controlled by a bridge converter, e.g. unified power flow controllers [UPFC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/10 Flexible AC transmission systems [FACTS]

Abstract

DVRs and APLCs utilize a single transformer for injection of compensating voltages into an ac power line and for drawing power from or exchanging power with the ac power line. The poles of an inverter are connected in series with the wye connected transformer primary winding which is also connected to the source end of the power line. A first secondary winding is connected to the load end of the power line. A rectifier circuit or a power interface inverter in the DVR and APLC, respectively, is connected to a second secondary winding on the transformer. For high pulse numbers, the rectifier circuit or interface inverter can have additional rectifier bridges or inverter poles connected to additional transformer secondary windings phase shifted with respect to each other. The single transformer can be a load transformer already provided in the power line, thereby further reducing the cost of the arrangement.

Claims

1. Apparatus for providing compensation in an ac power line between a source end and a load end;

said apparatus comprising;

transformer means having a primary winding connected to the source end of said ac power line, and at least two secondary windings, a first of which is connected to the load end of said ac power line;

inverter means connected to said primary winding to add compensating voltage to voltage generated by said primary winding; and

dc interface means connected to a second of said secondary windings and to said inverter means to supply dc voltage to said inverter means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 adapted for use with a three-phase ac power line wherein said transformer means comprises a three-phase transformer, said primary winding is a three-phase primary winding, said secondary windings are each three-phase secondary windings, and said inverter means is connected to provide a compensating voltage in series with each phase of said three-phase primary winding.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said inverter means comprises a three-phase inverter connected to said three-phase primary winding, and wherein said dc interface means comprises a common dc interface supplying a common dc voltage to all phases of said three-phase inverter.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said three-phase inverter provides a conduction path for the primary winding in a wye connection.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said common dc interface includes a rectifier bridge generating said common dc voltage.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said rectifier bridge is a six pulse rectifier bridge.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said three-phase inverter provides a conduction path for the primary winding in a wye connection.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said transformer means comprises additional three-phase secondary winding each phase displaced from said second secondary winding and from each other, and wherein said common dc interface comprises additional rectifier bridges each connected to a different one of said additional secondary winding on said three-phase transformer.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said three-phase inverter provides a conduction path for the primary winding in a wye connection.

10. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said common dc interface comprises interface inverter means connected to said second three-phase secondary winding providing said common dc voltage to said three-phase inverter connected to said three-phase primary winding.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said three-phase transformer comprises additional three-phase secondary windings each phase displaced from said second secondary winding and from each other, and wherein said dc interface means comprises rectifier bridges each connected to a different one of said second three-phase secondary winding and said additional three-phase secondary windings.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said dc interface means includes interface inverter means for exchanging power with said ac power line through said second secondary winding.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 adapted for use with a three-phase ac power line wherein said transformer means comprises a three-phase transformer, said primary winding is a three-phase primary winding, said secondary windings are each three-phase secondary windings, said inverter means is connected to provide a compensating voltage in series with each phase of said three-phase primary winding, and said interface inverter means is three-phase interface inverter means for exchanging power with said three-phase ac power line through said second three-phase secondary winding.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said transformer means includes additional secondary windings each phase displaced from each other, and wherein said dc power interface includes additional interface inverter means each connected to a different one of said additional secondary windings.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 adapted for use with a three-phase ac power line wherein said primary winding and said secondary windings of said transformer means are all three-phase windings and wherein said inverter means and said interface inverter means are three-phase inverter means.