Parallel DC-to-AC power inverter system with current sharing technique and method thereof

• US 6,947,300 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2002
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Lin, Hung-Chieh, Pai, Fu-Sheng, Lai, Yuan-Fuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Jessica
• Application Number:
  US10/278,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20030117816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,063 Days
• Field of Search: 363/65, 363/67, 363/69, 363/70, 363/71, 363/72, 363/97
• US Class Current: 363/65
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/493 the static converters being arranged for operation in parallel

Abstract

A parallel DC-to-AC power inverter system is provided. The parallel DC-to-AC power inverter system has a first DC-to-AC power inverter electrically connected in parallel with a second DC-to-AC power inverter, and each of the DC-to-AC power inverters includes an input port, an output port, a switching circuit electrically connected between the input port and the output port responsive to inverter control signals to convert a DC voltage at the input port to a first AC output voltage, an inductor-capacitor filter electrically connected to the switching circuit for filtering the first AC output voltage to an AC output voltage at output port, and a controller module for detecting an inductor current at the inductor-capacitor filter to generate an AC inductor current signal, for detecting the AC output voltage at the output terminals and transforming the AC output voltage to generate a first AC reference current signal, for detecting a load current at output port to generate an AC load current signal, for generating a second AC reference current signal by adding the first AC reference current signal to the AC load current signal, for performing a numerical operation of the second AC reference current signal of the first DC-to-AC power inverter and the second AC reference current signal of the second DC-to-AC power inverter to generate an AC reference current signal, and for generating the inverter control signals responsive to the AC reference current signal and the AC inductor current signal by sensing the inductor current at the inductor-capacitor filter. The related methods are also discussed.

Claims

1. A parallel DC-to-AC power inverter system having a first DC-to-AC power inverter electrically connected in parallel with a second DC-to-AC power inverter, each of said DC-to-AC power inverters comprising:

an input port;

an output port;

a switching circuit electrically connected between said input port and said output port responsive to inverter control signals to convert a DC voltage at said input port to a first AC output voltage;

an inductor-capacitor filter electrically connected to said switching circuit for filtering said first AC output voltage to an AC output voltage at output port; and

a controller module for detecting an inductor current at said inductor-capacitor filter to generate an AC inductor current signal, for detecting said AC output voltage at said output terminals and transforming said AC output voltage to generate a first AC reference current signal, for detecting a load current at output port to generate an AC load current signal, for generating a second AC reference current signal by adding said first AC reference current signal to said AC load current signal, for performing a numerical operation of said second AC reference current signal of said first DC-to-AC power inverter and said second AC reference current signal of said second DC-to-AC power inverter to generate an AC reference current signal, and for generating said inverter control signals responsive to said AC reference current signal and said AC inductor current signal by sensing said inductor current at said inductor-capacitor filter.

2. The parallel DC-to-AC power inverter system according to claim 1, wherein said controller module comprises:

a current sensor electrically connected to said inductor-capacitor filter for detecting said inductor current at said inductor-capacitor filter to generate said AC inductor current signal;

a current control circuit electrically connected to said output port for detecting said AC output voltage at said output port and transforming said AC output voltage to generate said first AC reference current signal;

a load current sensor for detecting a load current at output port to generate said AC load current signal;

an adder electrically connected to said current control circuit and said load current sensor for generating said second AC reference current signal by adding said first AC reference current signal to said AC load current signal;

a current sharing circuit electrically connected to said adder of said first DC-to-AC power and said adder of said second DC-to-AC power for performing a numerical operation of said second AC reference current signal of said first DC-to-AC power inverter and said second AC reference current signal of said second DC-to-AC power inverter to generate said AC reference current signal; and

a current mode control circuit electrically connected to said current sensor and said current sharing circuit for generating said inverter control signals.

3. The parallel DC-to-AC power inverter system according to claim 1, wherein said current control circuit comprises:

a voltage sensor coupled to said output port for sensing said AC output voltage to generate an output voltage signal;

a subtractor received said output voltage signal and a reference voltage signal for generating an error voltage signal by subtracting said output voltage signal from said reference voltage signal; and

a voltage controller coupled to said subtractor for transforming said error voltage signal to said first AC reference current signal.

4. The parallel DC-to-AC power inverter system according to claim 1, wherein said numerical operation is an average operation.

5. A parallel DC-to-AC power inverter system having a first DC-to-AC power inverter electrically connected in parallel with a second DC-to-AC power inverter, each of said DC-to-AC power inverters comprising:

an input port;

an output port;

a switching circuit electrically connected between said input port and said output port responsive to inverter control signals to convert a DC voltage at said input port to a first AC output voltage;

an inductor-capacitor filter electrically connected to said switching circuit for filtering said first AC output voltage to an AC output voltage at output port; and

a controller module for detecting an inductor current at said inductor-capacitor filter to generate an AC inductor current signal, for detecting said AC output voltage at said output port and transforming said AC output voltage to generate a first AC reference current signal, for performing a numerical operation of said first AC reference current signal of said first DC-to-AC power inverter and said first AC reference current signal of said second DC-to-AC power inverter to generate an AC reference current signal, and for generating said inverter control signals responsive to said AC reference current signal and said AC inductor current signal by sensing said inductor current at said inductor-capacitor filter.

6. The parallel DC-to-AC power inverter system according to claim 5, wherein said controller module comprises:

a current sensor electrically connected to said inductor-capacitor filter for detecting said inductor current at said inductor-capacitor filter to generate said AC inductor current signal;

a current control circuit electrically connected to said output port for detecting said AC output voltage at said output port and transforming said AC output voltage to generate said first AC reference current signal;

a current sharing circuit electrically connected to said current control circuit of said first DC-to-AC power inverter and said current control circuit of said second DC-to-AC power inverter for performing a numerical operation of said first AC reference current signal of said first DC-to-AC power inverter and said first AC reference current signal of said second DC-to-AC power inverter to generate said AC reference current signal; and

a current mode control circuit electrically connected to said current sensor and said current sharing circuit for generating said inverter control signals.

7. The parallel DC-to-AC power inverter system according to claim 5, wherein said numerical operation is an average operation.

8. The parallel DC-to-AC power inverter system according to claim 5, wherein said current control circuit comprises:

a voltage sensor coupled to said output port for sensing said AC output voltage to generate an output voltage signal;

a subtractor received said output voltage signal and a reference voltage signal for generating an error voltage signal by subtracting said output voltage signal from said reference voltage signal; and

a voltage controller coupled to said subtractor for transforming said error voltage signal to said first AC reference current signal.

9. A control method for the parallel DC-to-AC power inverter system having a first DC-to-AC power inverter electrically connected in parallel with a second DC-to-AC power inverter, wherein each of said DC-to-AC power inverter comprises an input port, an output port, a switching circuit electrically connected between said input port and said output port responsive to inverter control signals to convert a DC voltage at said input port to a first AC output voltage, an inductor-capacitor filter electrically connected to said switching circuit for filtering said first AC output voltage to a AC output voltage at output port, comprising the steps of:

detecting an inductor current at said inductor-capacitor filter to generate an AC inductor current signal;

detecting said AC output voltage at said output terminals and transforming said AC output voltage to generate a first AC reference current signal;

detecting a load current at output port to generate an AC load current signal;

generating a second AC reference current signal by adding said first AC reference current signal to said AC load current signal;

performing a numerical operation of said second AC reference current signal of said first DC-to-AC power inverter and said second AC reference current signal of said second DC-to-AC power inverter to generate an AC reference current signal; and

generating said inverter control signals responsive to said AC reference current signal and said AC inductor current signal by sensing said inductor current at said inductor-capacitor filter.

10. The control method according to claim 9, wherein the step of (b) comprises the steps of:

sensing said AC output voltage to generate an output voltage signal;

generating an error voltage signal by subtracting said output voltage signal from said reference voltage signal; and

transforming said error voltage signal to said first AC reference current signal.

12. The control method according to claim 10, wherein the step of (b) comprises the steps of:

sensing said AC output voltage to generate an output voltage signal;

generating an error voltage signal by subtracting said output voltage signal from said reference voltage signal; and

transforming said error voltage signal to said first AC reference current signal.

11. A control method for the parallel DC-to-AC power inverter system having a first DC-to-AC power inverter electrically connected in parallel with a second DC-to-AC power inverter, wherein each of said DC-to-AC power inverter comprises an input port, an output port, a switching circuit electrically connected between said input port and said output port responsive to inverter control signals to convert a DC voltage at said input port to a first AC output voltage, an inductor-capacitor filter electrically connected to said switching circuit for filtering said first AC output voltage to a AC output voltage at output port, comprising the steps of:

detecting an inductor current at said inductor-capacitor filter to generate an AC inductor current signal;

detecting said AC output voltage at said output port and transforming said AC output voltage to generate a first AC reference current signal;

performing a numerical operation of said first AC reference current signal of said first DC-to-AC power inverter and said first AC reference current signal of said second DC-to-AC power inverter to generate an AC reference current signal; and

generating said inverter control signals responsive to said AC reference current signal and said AC inductor current signal by sensing said inductor current at said inductor-capacitor filter.