Portable generator having thyristor-based rectifier circuit and inverter circuit

• US 6,661,110 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2002
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Keihin Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Keihin Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Jun, Suzuki, Kouji, Shinohara, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Nestor
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cuevas, Pedro J.
• Application Number:
  US10/179,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20020158470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 290/1.A, 290/40.B, 290/40.C, 290/40.F
• US Class Current: 290/40.00C
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0085 Partially controlled bridges
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/4585 having a rectifier with controlled elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/107 for limiting effects of overloads
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/305 controlling voltage H02P9/302 takes precedence

Abstract

A small portable generator for generating a single-phase AC voltage under PWM control is subject to output voltage fluctuations under a heavy load. With a view to reducing such output voltage fluctuations, it is intended to provide a portable generator (100) which rectifies an AC voltage generated by an AC generator (50) with a DC-voltage-generating circuit (110) using thyristors to charge a DC-power-source unit (120), and converts the DC output voltage of the DC-power-source unit (120) with an inverter circuit (130) into a single-phase AC voltage to be supplied, the portable generator (100) being provided with a constant-voltage-control unit (500) which effects control to keep the DC voltage of the DC-power-source unit (120) substantially constant by detecting the voltage of the DC-power-source unit (110) and controlling the continuity angle of the thyristors (111) in the DC-power-source unit (120), and at the same time effects control to advance the start of continuity of the thyristors (111) when the amperage flowing to the inverter circuit (130) becomes great.

Claims

1. A portable generator generating an AC voltage with an AC generator turned by an engine, rectifying this AC voltage by a thyristor-based rectifier circuit which serves as a DC-voltage-generating circuit to charge a DC-power-source unit which stores electric charge, converting the DC voltage, which is generated by charging the DC-power-source unit, into a single-phase AC voltage of a prescribed frequency and of a constant voltage by an inverter circuit;

and

a constant-voltage-control unit that controls to keep the DC voltage of the DC-power-source unit substantially constant by detecting the voltage at the DC-power-source unit and subsequently by controlling the continuity angle of thyristors in the DC-voltage-generating circuit, and that controls, to prevent the DC-power-source unit from dropping, by detecting the amperage flowing in the inverter circuit and subsequently by advancing the start of continuity establishment of the thyristors when the amperage flowing in the inverter circuit increases.