Modular transformer arrangement for use with multi-level power converter

• US 6,340,851 B1
• Filed: 12/28/1999
• Issued: 01/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electric Boat Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Electric Boat Corporation (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Inventors: Thaxton, Edgar S., Castles, Gene, Rinaldi, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Riley, Shawn
• Application Number:
  US09/473,492
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 363/71, 363/41, 363/132, 388/811, 307/17, 307/83, 307/82
• US Class Current: 307/82
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/16 Cascade transformers, e.g. for use with extra high tension
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/49 Combination of the output voltage waveforms of a plurality of converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/493 the static converters being arranged for operation in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/16 using ac to ac converters without intermediate conversion to dc H02P27/05 takes precedence

Abstract

A modular transformer arrangement providing power to a multi-level power converter includes a plurality of three phase transformers having delta or extended delta connected primary windings and delta or extended delta or wye or zig zag wye connected secondary windings and the multi-level power converter has full bridge power modules inputs connected to isolated secondaries of the transformer modules and outputs connected in series and/or in parallel to provide increased voltage and/or current or multiple phases which can be phase shifted with respect to the input to the transformer.

Claims

1. A modular transformer arrangement comprising a plurality of transformer modules, each transformer module having a plurality of primary windings and a plurality of isolated secondary windings, and a power conversion arrangement having a plurality of power converters modules with separate inputs connected to receive power from the isolated secondary windings of the plurality of transformers respectively.

2. A modular transformer arrangement in accordance with claim 1 in which the power converter modules each includes a plurality of full bridges each having an input connected to one of the transformer module secondary windings and having outputs connected in series to produce a high voltage power supply.

3. A modular transformer arrangement according to claim 2 including a second plurality of transformer modules supplying separate inputs of a second plurality of power converters in the power conversion arrangement connected in parallel with the plurality of power converters.

4. A modular transformer arrangement according to claim 1 wherein each transformer module has a plurality of delta connected primary windings and a plurality of delta connected secondary windings.

5. A transformer arrangement according to claim 1 wherein each transformer module has a plurality of extended delta connected primary windings, each providing a phase shift, and a plurality of delta connected secondary windings.

6. A modular transformer arrangement according to claim 5 wherein the extended delta connected primary windings of each transformer module provide a different phase shift from the extended delta connected primary windings of another transformer module of the plurality.

7. A modular transformer arrangement according to claim 1 wherein each transformer module has a plurality of secondary windings producing output power of different phases and the power conversion arrangement provides a corresponding plurality of output phases.

8. A modular transformer arrangement according to claim 1 wherein each transformer module has a plurality of extended delta connected primary windings and a plurality of extended delta connected secondary windings.

9. A modular transformer arrangement according to claim 1 wherein each transformer module has a plurality of extended delta connected primary windings and a plurality of wye connected secondary windings.

10. A modular transformer arranged according to claim 1 wherein each transformer module has a plurality of extended delta connected primary windings and a plurality of zig zag wye connected secondary windings.

11. A modular transformer arrangement according to claim 1 including a housing for housing the plurality of transformer modules and power converter modules in which each transformer is mounted in a separate enclosure in the housing and each power converter module is mounted in a separate enclosure in the housing.

12. A modular transformer arrangement according to claim 1 including a housing for the transformer and power converter modules in which all of the transformer modules and power modules are mounted in the same enclosure.

13. A modular transformer arrangement according to claim 1 including a housing for the transformer modules and power converter modules in which all of the transformer modules are mounted in one enclosure and all of the power converter modules are mounted in another enclosure.