Bi-directional field control for proportional control based generator/alternator voltage regulator
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A voltage regulator comprising:
- a logic block;
a controller having a field driver control output operably connected to a first input of said logic block;
an H-bridge;
a drive block operably connected between said H-bridge and said logic block; and
a control module operably connected between said controller and said drive block,wherein said voltage regulator is capable of regulating an output voltage of an alternator, and said logic block comprises;
a counter having an output, whereby a number of clock cycles that occur when a field driver control signal is high is counted; and
a comparator, whereby said output from said counter is compared to a threshold a predetermined consecutive number of times, whereby field duty cycle noise is filtered.
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Abstract
An H-bridge switching topology for bi-directional field excitation to null the effects of a rotor'"'"'s permanent magnets uses both a low-side and a high-side field excitation driver to control the rotor'"'"'s average field current. A standard proportional control signal for generators using uni-directional field excitation is used to control an H-bridge for bi-directional field excitation. The H-bridge consists of two pair of power switches. In a preferred embodiment, the switches are n-channel MOSFETs. A drive circuit interfaces a logic block with the H-bridge in order to properly bias the power switches.
102 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A voltage regulator comprising:
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a logic block; a controller having a field driver control output operably connected to a first input of said logic block; an H-bridge; a drive block operably connected between said H-bridge and said logic block; and a control module operably connected between said controller and said drive block, wherein said voltage regulator is capable of regulating an output voltage of an alternator, and said logic block comprises; a counter having an output, whereby a number of clock cycles that occur when a field driver control signal is high is counted; and a comparator, whereby said output from said counter is compared to a threshold a predetermined consecutive number of times, whereby field duty cycle noise is filtered. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A voltage regulator comprising:
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a logic block; a controller having a field driver control output operably connected to a first input of said logic block; an H-bridge; a drive block operably connected between said H-bridge and said logic block; and a control module operably connected between said controller and said drive block, wherein said voltage regulator is capable of regulating an output voltage of an alternator, said H-bridge comprises; a first pair of switches, comprising a first and a second switch connected in series; a second pair of switches, comprising a third and a fourth switch connected in series, wherein said first and second pair of switches are operably connected in parallel across a power source; and a rotor operably connected between said series connections of said first and second pair of switches, and said driver block comprises; an AND gate having a mode signal input and an inverted field driver signal input and a fourth output operably connected to a control input of said fourth switch, whereby said fourth output signal'"'"'s duty cycle equal said field driver signal'"'"'s duty cycle when said mode signal is low; a third output signal operably connected to a control input of said third switch, whereby said third switch is on when said mode signal is low; a first output signal operably connected to a control input of said first switch, whereby said first switch is on when said mode signal is high; and a pulse width modulation circuit having a mode signal input and a second output operably connected to a control input of said second switch, whereby said second switch is pulse modulated on and off when said mode signal is high. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A voltage regulator comprising:
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a logic block; a controller having a field driver control output operably connected to a first input of said logic block; an H-bridge; a drive block operably connected between said H-bridge and said logic block; and a control module operably connected between said controller and said drive block, wherein said voltage regulator is capable of regulating an output voltage of an alternator, said H-bridge comprises; a first pair of switches, comprising a first and a second switch connected in series; a second pair of switches, comprising a third and a fourth switch connected in series, wherein said first and second pair of switches are operably connected in parallel across a power source; and a rotor operably connected between said series connections of said first and second pair of switches, and said driver block comprises; a mode signal input and a pulse width modulation input operably connected to corresponding outputs of said logic block; a first output signal operably connected to a control input of said first switch, whereby said first switch is on when said mode signal is high; a second output operably connected to a control input of said second switch, whereby said second switch is pulse modulated on and off when said made signal is high; a third output signal operably connected to a control input of said third switch, whereby said third switch is on when said mode signal is low; and a fourth output operably connected to a control input of said fourth switch, whereby said fourth output signal'"'"'s duty cycle equal said field driver control signal'"'"'s duty cycle when said mode signal is low. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification