Simultaneous power supply source

• US 6,104,103 A
• Filed: 04/29/1999
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Incorporated (Huntington Ingalls Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ingalls Shipbuilding, Inc. (Huntington Ingalls Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Allen, Clifford L., Siewert, James Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US09/301,745
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 307/64, 307/66, 307/85, 307/38, 307/39, 364/492, 395/750
• US Class Current: 307/64
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads

Abstract

A power transfer system for applying backup electrical power to electrical systems is described which applies backup power automatically without power interruption and which is straightforward to implement and inexpensive to manufacture. The power transfer system has a direct current (DC) power bus as a common supply point for protected electrical equipment, thereby making prior art systems which provide power transfer between alternating current (AC) power sources and typically provide an AC power bus in common with the protected equipment no longer necessary.

Claims

1. A power transfer system for providing backup electrical power to a single protected electrical load through an internal power bus receiving operating electrical power from a primary power source, comprising:

a secondary power source for supplying electrical power; and

a single isolation device for isolating the secondary power source from the protected electrical equipment and to permit the secondary power source to provide current to said power bus to said single protected electrical load when the voltage level applied to the power bus drops below a predetermined level.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a source converter element for converting a power source voltage provided by either the primary or secondary power source to a direct current voltage;

a power conditioner element for conditioning the voltage to be converted by the source converter element to a voltage level compatible with the internal power bus of the protected electrical load.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a connection element of the protected electrical equipment; and

an electrical path internal to the protected electrical equipment which connects the connection element of the protected electrical equipment to the direct current power bus of the protected electrical equipment, wherein when the voltage level generated by the primary power source falls below a predetermined voltage level, the power source voltage is provided to the connection element of the protected electrical equipment and the electrical path internal to the protected electrical equipment supplies the power source voltage to the direct current power bus of the protected electrical equipment.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the protected electrical equipment is part of a shipboard electrical system.

5. The power transfer system of claim 1, wherein said single isolation device is a silicon diode.

6. The power transfer system of claim 1, wherein said single isolation device is a silicon controlled rectifier.

7. The power transfer system of claim 1, wherein said single isolation device is a silicon diode biased in a reverse direction.

8. The power transfer system of claim 1, wherein said single isolation device is a series combination of a zener diode and a diode.

9. The power transfer system of claim 8, wherein said zener diode is biased in a forward direction and said diode is biased in a reverse direction.

10. The power transfer system of claim 8, wherein said zener diode is biased in a reverse direction and said diode is biased in a forward direction.

11. A power transfer system for providing backup electrical power to a single protected electrical load through an internal power bus receiving operating electrical power from a primary power source, comprising:

a secondary power source for supplying electrical power; and

a source converter element for converting a power source voltage provided by either said primary or secondary power source to a direct current voltage;

a power conditioner element for conditioning the voltage provided by the source converter element to a voltage level compatible with a direct current power bus of a protected electrical equipment; and

a single isolation device for isolating the secondary power source from the protected electrical equipment and to permit the secondary power source to provide current to said power bus to said single electrical load when the voltage level applied to the power bus drops below a predetermined level.

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising:

a connection element of the protected electrical equipment; and

an electrical path internal to the protected electrical equipment which connects the connection element of the protected electrical equipment to the direct current power bus of the protected electrical equipment, wherein when the voltage level generated by the primary power source falls below a predetermined voltage level, the power source voltage is provided to the connection element of the protected electrical equipment and the electrical path internal to the protected electrical equipment supplies the power source voltage to the direct current power bus of the protected electrical equipment.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the protected electrical equipment is part of a shipboard electrical system.

14. A power transfer system for providing backup electrical power to a single protected electrical load through an internal power bus receiving operating electrical power from a primary power source, comprising:

a secondary power source for supplying electrical current power; and

a plurality of isolation elements connected together to form a node for receiving the power source voltage provided by the secondary power source to the single protected electrical load.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a source converter element connected to the output terminal of the power source which converts the power source voltage to a direct current voltage;

a power conditioner element which conditions the direct current voltage generated by the source converter element to a voltage level compatible with the direct current power bus of the protected electrical equipment.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a connection element of the protected electrical equipment; and

an electrical path internal to the protected electrical equipment which connects the connection element of the protected electrical equipment to the direct current power bus of the protected electrical equipment, wherein when the voltage level generated by the primary power source falls below a predetermined voltage level the power source is provided to the connection element of the protected electrical equipment and the electrical path internal to the protected electrical equipment supplies the power source voltage to the direct current power bus of the protected electrical equipment.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the protected electrical equipment is part of a shipboard electrical system.

18. A power transfer system for providing backup electrical power to a single protected electrical load through an internal power bus receiving operating electrical power from a primary power source, comprising:

a secondary power source for supplying electrical power;

a source converter element for converting the power source voltage to a direct current voltage;

a power conditioner element for conditioning the voltage provided by the source converter element to a voltage level compatible with a direct current power bus of a protected electrical equipment;

a single isolation device for isolating the secondary power source from the protected electrical equipment and to permit the secondary power source to provide current to said power bus to said single protected electrical load when the voltage level applied to the power bus drops below a predetermined level; and

a voltage sensor which senses the voltage in the power bus.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising:

a connection element of the protected electrical equipment; and

an electrical path internal to the protected electrical equipment which connects the connection element of the protected electrical equipment to the direct current power bus of the protected electrical equipment, wherein when the voltage level generated by the primary power source falls below a predetermined voltage level, the power source voltage is provided to the connection element of the protected electrical equipment and the electrical path internal to the protected electrical equipment supplies the power source voltage to the direct current power bus of the protected electrical equipment.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the protected electrical equipment is part of a shipboard electrical system.

21. The power transfer system of claim 18, wherein said voltage sensor provides a feedback control signal to said power conditioner element to regulate the voltage level in the power bus.

22. A method of providing backup electrical power to a single protected electrical load through an internal power bus receiving electrical operating power from a primary power source, the method comprising:

isolating the protected electrical load from a secondary power source using a single isolation device;

sensing that the voltage level in the power bus has dropped below a predetermined level and permitting the secondary power source to provide electrical power to the power bus through the single isolation device.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising converting voltage from the secondary power source to DC voltage.

24. The method of claim 22, comprising conditioning voltage from the second power source to a predetermined voltage level.