Power supply circuit for an ion engine sequentially operated power inverters
First Claim
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1. A power supply circuit comprising:
- a voltage bus having a input line and a return line;
a pulse width modulation circuit having a plurality of independently controllable outputs for generating respective dependent entry controllable duty cycles;
a plurality of power supply modules coupled to said bus and said pulse width modulation circuit, each module coupled to a respective one of said plurality of independently controllable outputs, each module having a primary winding and a secondary winding, each secondary winding coupled to a rectifier circuit, each rectifier circuit coupled in series, each primary winding having a voltage controlled by said pulse width modulation circuit,whereby said pulse width modulation circuit sequentially increasing a first duty cycle of a first one of said plurality of independently controllable outputs until a predetermined duty cycle is reached, thereafter increasing a second duty cycle of a second one of said plurality of independently controllable outputs until a predetermined voltage is obtained.
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Abstract
A power supply circuit for an ion engine suitable for a spacecraft has a voltage bus having input line and a return line. The power supply circuit includes a pulse width modulation circuit. A plurality of bridge inverter circuits is coupled to the bus and the pulse width modulation circuit. The pulse width modulation circuit generates operating signals having a variable duty cycle. Each bridge inverter has a primary winding and a secondary winding. Each secondary winding is coupled to a rectifier bridge. Each secondary winding is coupled in series with another of the plurality of rectifier bridges.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A power supply circuit comprising:
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a voltage bus having a input line and a return line; a pulse width modulation circuit having a plurality of independently controllable outputs for generating respective dependent entry controllable duty cycles; a plurality of power supply modules coupled to said bus and said pulse width modulation circuit, each module coupled to a respective one of said plurality of independently controllable outputs, each module having a primary winding and a secondary winding, each secondary winding coupled to a rectifier circuit, each rectifier circuit coupled in series, each primary winding having a voltage controlled by said pulse width modulation circuit, whereby said pulse width modulation circuit sequentially increasing a first duty cycle of a first one of said plurality of independently controllable outputs until a predetermined duty cycle is reached, thereafter increasing a second duty cycle of a second one of said plurality of independently controllable outputs until a predetermined voltage is obtained. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A spacecraft comprising:
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a spacecraft housing; a voltage bus having an input line and a return line; a power supply circuit comprising, a pulse width modulation circuit having a plurality of independently controllable outputs; a plurality of power supply modules coupled to said bus and said pulse width modulation circuit, each module coupled to a respective one of said plurality of independently controllable outputs, each module having a primary winding and a secondary winding, each secondary winding coupled to a rectifier circuit, each rectifier circuit coupled in series, each primary winding having a voltage controlled by said pulse width modulation circuit, said pulse width modulation circuit sequentially increasing a first duty cycle of a first one of said plurality of independently controllable outputs until a first duty cycle is reached, thereafter increasing a second duty cycle of a second one of said plurality of independently controllable outputs until a predetermined voltage is obtained. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for controlling a power supply circuits having at least a first inverter circuit and a second inverter circuit, said method comprising the steps of:
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controlling a first inverter circuit using a first output signal of a pulse width modulating circuit, said first output signal having a first duty cycle; increasing the first duty cycle; after the first circuit is operating at a substantially 100 percent duty cycle, controlling a second inverter circuit using a second output signal of a pulse width modulating circuit, said second output signal having a second duty cycle; increasing the second duty cycle to attain a predetermined voltage. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification