Energy conversion system employing stabilized half-bridge inverter
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- a generator including a rotor and a stator, said stator including a first stator winding disposed such that movement of the rotor induces a current in the stator winding;
a motive source for effecting movement of the rotor;
a rectifier circuit, response to the current induced in the first stator winding, for generating a uni-polar rail voltage between a relatively positive rail and a relatively negative rail;
an inverter circuit comprising;
first and second switching devices, responsive to control signals applied thereto, connected in series between the relatively positive rail and the relatively negative rail, with a nominal first juncture therebetween;
first and second capacitors, connected in series between the relatively positive rail and the relatively negative rail, with a nominal second juncture therebetween; and
a filter coupled across the first and second junctures; and
a controller for generating the control signals to the inverter circuit switching devices such that the switching devices are rendered conductive and non-conductive to selectively connect one or the other of the relatively positive and relatively negative rails to the first juncture and generate a pulse width modulated signal at the first juncture relative to the second juncture such that the filter operates upon the pulse width modulated signal to provide an output signal having a desired waveform;
wherein the controller maintains, in steady state operation, a DC voltage at the second juncture at a substantially constant predetermined value relative to the relatively positive and relatively negative rails.
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Abstract
An improved three-phase bridge inverter DC link converter power circuit for a portable generator, preferably the generator system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,276 to Scott et al. Dual voltage and variable frequency inverter designs and improved converter designs are disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention avoid a capacitor induced center voltage drift problem found in certain prior art inverter designs.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a generator including a rotor and a stator, said stator including a first stator winding disposed such that movement of the rotor induces a current in the stator winding; a motive source for effecting movement of the rotor; a rectifier circuit, response to the current induced in the first stator winding, for generating a uni-polar rail voltage between a relatively positive rail and a relatively negative rail; an inverter circuit comprising; first and second switching devices, responsive to control signals applied thereto, connected in series between the relatively positive rail and the relatively negative rail, with a nominal first juncture therebetween; first and second capacitors, connected in series between the relatively positive rail and the relatively negative rail, with a nominal second juncture therebetween; and a filter coupled across the first and second junctures; and a controller for generating the control signals to the inverter circuit switching devices such that the switching devices are rendered conductive and non-conductive to selectively connect one or the other of the relatively positive and relatively negative rails to the first juncture and generate a pulse width modulated signal at the first juncture relative to the second juncture such that the filter operates upon the pulse width modulated signal to provide an output signal having a desired waveform;
wherein the controller maintains, in steady state operation, a DC voltage at the second juncture at a substantially constant predetermined value relative to the relatively positive and relatively negative rails. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification