Static voltage regulator and controller

• US 6,351,106 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Power Corporation
• Original Assignee: Silicon Power Corporation
• Inventors: Daneshpooy, Alireza, Kramer, William O.
• Primary Examiner(s): BERHANE, ADOLF D
• Application Number:
  US09/676,450
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 323/258, 323/340, 323/259, 323/255, 323/344, 323/263
• US Class Current: 323/258
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 29/02 with tappings on coil or winding; with provision for rearrangement or interconnection of windings
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 13/06 by tap-changing; by rearranging interconnections of windings

Abstract

A voltage regulator apparatus comprises a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, a plurality of further windings selectively connected to one of the primary winding and secondary winding, and a plurality of solid state selectors respectively coupled to each of the plurality of further windings to one of i) connect the further winding in series with the primary winding or the secondary winding and ii) bypass the further winding.

Claims

1. A voltage regulator for use with a power source, the regulator comprising:

a transformer having;

a primary winding and a secondary winding,

a plurality of further windings selectively connected to one of the primary winding and the secondary winding, and

a plurality of solid state selectors, each of the plurality of solid state selectors respectively coupled to each of the plurality of further windings and selectively connecting and bypassing the respective further windings in series with one of the primary winding and the secondary winding.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of selectors are solid state switches.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the solid state switches are at least one of thyristors and gate turn-off thyristors.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a further transformer coupled between an output of the transformer and a reference.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the reference is a ground potential.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a voltage limiter coupled to at least one of the primary winding and the secondary winding.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the voltage limiter is a surge suppressor.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the primary winding and the secondary winding are a respective plurality of windings.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of primary windings have one of a delta configuration and a wye configuration.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of secondary windings have one of i) a delta configuration, ii) a wye configuration and iii) a zig-zag configuration.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of further windings are five windings having a turns ratio of 40%, 20%, 10%, 5, and 2.5%, respectively.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of further windings are coupled to the primary winding, the primary winding having a turns ratio of 45% and the secondary winding having a turns ratio of 100%.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of further windings are coupled to the secondary winding, the secondary winding having a turns ratio of 45%, and the primary winding having a turns ratio of 100%.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a current transformer coupled to an input of the transformer for determining an input current;

a first potential transformer coupled to the input of the transformer for determining an input voltage;

a second potential transformer coupled to an output of the transformer for determining an output voltage;

a processor coupled to respective outputs of the current transformer, first potential transformer, and second potential transformer, the processor generating a gain signal based on the input current, input voltage and output voltage;

a controller coupled to the processor and the plurality of selectors, the controller generating a plurality of control signals to control the plurality of selectors based on the gain signal.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of control signals selectively connects or bypasses each of the plurality of further windings.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the controller selectively generates a further plurality of control signal based on a conduction state of the plurality of selectors.

17. The voltage regulator of claim 1, wherein said voltage regulator adjusts an output voltage in response to a change in an input voltage received from the power source.

18. A voltage regulator for use with a power source, the regulator comprising:

a transformer having

a plurality of primary windings and a respective plurality of secondary windings;

a plurality of further windings, the plurality of further windings selectively connected to each of the plurality of primary windings, and

a plurality of first selectors and a plurality of second selectors, an output of the first selector coupled to an input of a respective one of the plurality of further windings and an output of the second selector coupled to an output of the respective one of the secondary windings, said first and second selectors selectively connecting and bypassing the respective further winding in series with the primary winding such that when one of the plurality of first selectors is enabled, the respective one of the plurality of further windings is connected in series with a respective one of the primary windings, and when one of the plurality of second selectors is enabled, the respective one of the plurality of further windings is bypassed.

19. The voltage regulator of claim 18, wherein said voltage regulator adjusts an output voltage in response to a change in an input voltage received from the power source.

20. The voltage regulator of claim 18, wherein said transformer adjusts an output voltage in response to a change in an input voltage received from the power source.

21. A voltage regulator for use with a power source, the regulator comprising:

a transformer having;

a primary winding, a secondary winding, and a tertiary winding,

a plurality of further windings selectively connected to the primary winding, and

a plurality of solid state selectors respectively coupled to each of the plurality of further windings and selectively connecting and bypassing the further winding in series with one of the primary winding and the secondary winding.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the primary winding and secondary winding have a wye configuration, and the tertiary winding has a delta configuration.