Power supply regulation

• US 6,178,101 B1
• Filed: 08/15/1997
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unitron NV
• Original Assignee: Unitron NV
• Inventors: Shires, Jerry O.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAN, YOUNGHUIE JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US08/912,294
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 363/86, 363/89, 363/127, 363/16, 363/17, 363/34, 363/36, 363/37, 363/39-48, 363/97, 363/98, 363/131, 363/132, 323/222, 323/225, 323/237, 323/244, 323/299, 323/300
• US Class Current: 363/39
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4208 Arrangements for improving power factor of AC input
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/44 Circuits or arrangements for compensating for electromagnetic interference in converters or inverters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A power supply provides a regulated power factor load to a primary power source, and thus low input current distortion, by monitoring: (A) The input voltage; (B) The power source current, not at the input to the power supply, but rather at a point downstream of an EMI filter and a shunt capacitance in the power supply; and (C) The output DC voltage. The power supply uses these inputs to control the power switching transistors to regulate the phase and amplitude of the monitored current. The phase of the monitored current is controlled primarily by the phase of the input voltage. A differentiating circuit in the feedback loop of the power supply control circuitry causes the monitored current to lag the input voltage by an amount equal to the lead induced in the phase of the input current by the EMI filter and shunt capacitor so that the actual input current to the power supply is in phase with the input voltage.

Claims

1. A method for regulating input current distortion in a power supply comprising the steps of:

a) monitoring both the voltage applied to the power supply input and a portion of the current transferred between the power source and the power supply; and

b) regulating the current transferred based, at least in part, on the monitored voltage and monitored current so that the monitored current is out of phase by a regulated amount with the monitored input voltage and the whole of the current transferred between the power source and the power supply is substantially in phase with the monitored voltage.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 further including the step of monitoring a DC voltage produced by the power supply and providing a reference voltage, and regulating the power supply DC voltage based on the monitored voltage, the monitored current, the DC voltage and the reference voltage.

3. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein said monitored current is the portion of the current transferred between the primary power source and the power supply measured with at least a shunt capacitor in the power supply between the current monitor and the primary power source such that part of the current transferred between the primary power source and the power supply passes through the shunt capacitor and is not monitored by the current monitor.

4. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein power is transferred mainly from the primary power source to the power supply.

5. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein power is transferred mainly from the power supply to the primary power source.

6. A power supply which can transfer power both to and from a primary power source while regulating the distortion of the current transferred between said power supply and said primary power source comprising:

(a) an inductor having a first end and a second end, said first end coupled to an input terminal connectable to said primary power source, said second end coupled to an emitter of a first transistor and a collector of a second transistor;

(b) a current monitor positioned to monitor the current through said inductor;

(c) a capacitance circuit coupled between a collector of said first transistor and an emitter of said second transistor;

(d) a control circuit which has outputs which control the conduction of said first and second transistors so that said monitored current is in a regulated phase relationship with the phase of the voltage at said input terminal, said phase relationship being one of not being in phase.

7. The power supply set forth in claim 6 wherein the power supply does not have transformer coupling of the primary power through the power supply.

8. A frequency converter which can transfer power both to and from a primary power source to a load wherein said primary power source and said load have voltages associated therewith which are of different frequencies comprising:

(a) an input section comprising;

(i) a first inductor having a first end and a second end, said first end coupled to an input terminal connectable to said primary power source, said second end coupled to an emitter of a first transistor and a collector of a second transistor;

(ii) a first current monitor positioned to monitor the current through said first inductor;

(iii) a capacitance circuit coupled between a collector of said first transistor and an emitter of said second transistor;

(b) an output section comprising;

(i) a second inductor having a first end and a second end, said first end coupled to an output terminal connectable to said load, said second end coupled to an emitter of a third transistor and a collector of a fourth transistor, the collector of said first transistor coupled to and the collector of said third transistor and the emitter of said second transistor coupled to the emitter of said fourth transistor;

(ii) a second current monitor positioned to monitor the current through said second inductor;

(c) a sinusoidal voltage reference circuit having an output sinusoidal signal whose frequency is associated with said load; and

(d) a control circuit coupled to said sinusoidal voltage reference circuit has outputs which control the conduction of said first, second, third, and fourth transistors so that said first monitored current is in a regulated phase relationship with the phase of the voltage at said input terminal and said second monitored current is in a regulated phase relationship with said output sinusoidal signal.

9. A power grid interface circuit which can transfer power to a primary power source from a secondary power source comprising:

(a) an power grid section comprising;

(i) a first inductor having a first end and a second end, said first end coupled to a first terminal connectable to said primary power source, said second end coupled to an emitter of a first transistor and a collector of a second transistor;

(ii) a first current monitor positioned to monitor the current through said first inductor;

(iii) a capacitance circuit coupled between a collector of said first transistor and an emitter of said second transistor;

(b) a secondary source section comprising;

(i) a second inductor having a first end and a second end, said first end coupled to a second terminal connectable to said second power source, said second end coupled to an emitter of a third transistor and a collector of a fourth transistor, the collector of said first transistor coupled to and the collector of said third transistor and the emitter of said second transistor coupled to the emitter of said fourth transistor;

(ii) a second current monitor positioned to monitor the current through said second inductor; and

(c) a control circuit which has output signals which control the conduction of said first, second, third, and fourth transistors so that said first monitored current is in a regulated phase relationship with the phase of the voltage at said first terminal and said second monitored current is in a regulated phase relationship with the voltage of said second terminal.