Duty cycle controller for high power factor battery charger

• US 7,560,902 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xantrex, LLC
• Original Assignee: Xantrex International (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Unger, Thomas Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah; Akm E
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US11/008,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20060125449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 320/106, 320/107, 320/108, 320/110, 320/125, 320/138, 320/150, 320/153, 320/163, 320/145, 323/282, 323/284, 323/285
• US Class Current: 320/141
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4233 using a bridge converter comprising active switches
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A duty cycle controller apparatus for producing a duty cycle signal for controlling switching of switches of a battery charger having an AC input for receiving power and an output for supplying power to charge a battery in response to switching of the switches, while maintaining a high power factor at the AC input. The duty cycle controller apparatus includes a current command signal generator having a plurality of signal inputs for receiving a plurality of signals representing a plurality of operating conditions of the charger, a plurality of current command outputs and a processor operably configured to generate a plurality of current command signals at the current command outputs in response to respective sets of operating conditions.

Claims

1. A battery charger apparatus comprising, an AC input, a voltage circuit including a plurality of switches through which power is supplied to a charger output for suppling power to charge a battery in response to switching of the plurality of switches, a duty cycle controller for producing duty cycle signals for controlling switching of said plurality of switches while maintaining a high power factor at the AC input, the duty cycle controller including:

a plurality of current command signal generators including a plurality of signal inputs that receive a plurality of signals representing a plurality of operating conditions of the charger and a battery being charged and a plurality of current command outputs;

a processor that generates a plurality of current command signals at said plurality of current command outputs in response to the plurality of signals representing the plurality of operating conditions;

a selector that compares the plurality of current command signals from said current command outputs and selects a current command signal having only a lowest value and produces a lowest current command signal output in response thereto; and

a duty cycle signal generator having a lowest current command signal input, a battery current signal input, a battery voltage signal input, an AC voltage waveform input, an AC current waveform input and a duty cycle signal output, said duty cycle signal generator producing the duty cycle signals at said duty cycle signal output in response to said lowest current command signal, a battery voltage signal (V_BATT), a battery current signal (I_BATT), an AC voltage waveform signal (V_AC) and an AC current waveform signal (I_AC).

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said current command signal generators include a first current command signal generator for generating a first current command signal (CCS1) relating to battery type and charger mode signals.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said first current command signal generator includes:

battery type and charger mode signal inputs for receiving a battery type signal and a charger mode signal respectively;

a battery voltage signal input for receiving said battery voltage signal (V_BATT);

a battery voltage command signal generator operably configured to produce a battery voltage command signal in response to said battery type signal and said charger mode signal;

a difference signal generator operably configured to produce said first current command signal in response to a difference between said battery voltage command signal and said battery voltage signal; and

a first current command signal output for providing said first current command signal to said selector.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said current command signal generator includes a user interface for producing said battery type signal in response to user input identifying battery type.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said current command signal generator includes a second current command signal generator operably configured to produce a second current command signal (CCS2) relating to temperature conditions of the charger and charge current to be applied to the battery.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said second current command signal generator includes:

a temperature signal input for receiving a temperature signal (T_H) representing a current temperature of the charger;

a maximum temperature signal input for receiving a maximum temperature signal (T_MAX) representing maximum operating temperature of the charger;

a derating range signal input for receiving a derating temperature range signal (T_DERATERANGE) specifying a range of temperature over which charging current must be reduced to avoid overheating the charger;

a maximum charger current signal input for receiving a maximum charger current signal (I_CHARGERMAX) representing maximum charger current to be applied to the battery;

a temperature ratio generator for generating a temperature ratio of a difference between said maximum temperature signal and said temperature signal to said temperature derate range signal;

a multiplier for multiplying said maximum charger current signal by said temperature ratio to produce said second current command signal; and

a second current command signal output for providing said second current command signal (CCS2) to said selector.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further including a clamp for clamping said temperature ratio to an upper bound.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 further including a low pass filter for filtering said temperature signal prior to supplying said temperature signal to said temperature ratio generator.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said current command signal generator includes a third current command signal generator for generating a third current command signal (CCS3) relating to current being drawn by the charger from an AC source and a current battery voltage signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said third current command signal generator includes:

an efficiency signal input for receiving an efficiency signal (E) representing efficiency of the charger;

an AC rms voltage signal input for receiving an AC rms signal (V_ACRMS) representing input AC rms voltage;

a breaker derating signal input for receiving a breaker derating signal (B) representing a derating factor for derating a rated current of a breaker through which AC current is supplied to said charger;

a breaker rating current signal input for receiving a breaker rating current signal (I_{BREAKERRATING}) representing a rated current of the breaker through which current is supplied to the charger;

a load current signal input for receiving a load current signal (I_LOAD) representing load current supplied to a load connected to the same breaker through which current is supplied to the charger;

a battery voltage signal input for receiving said battery voltage signal (V_BATT);

a computation device in communication with said efficiency signal input, said ACrms voltage signal input, said breaker derating signal input, said breaker rating current signal input, said load current signal input and said battery voltage signal input, for producing said third current command signal (CCS3) according to the relation;

$\mathrm{CCS}<br><br><br><br>3=\frac{\left(E\right)<br><br>\left(V_{\mathrm{ACRMS}}\right)<br><br>\left(\left(B\right)<br><br>\left(I_{\mathrm{BREAKER}}\right)-\left(I_{\mathrm{LOAD}}\right)\right)}{V_{\mathrm{BATT}}}$

and a third current command output for providing said third current command signal to said selector.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said third current command signal generator includes a user interface for producing said breaker rating current signal in response to user input.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said current command signal generator includes a user interface for producing said breaker derating signal in response to user input.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said current command signal generator includes a fourth current command signal generator for generating a fourth current command signal (CCS4) relating to phase operating characteristics of the charger.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said fourth current command generator includes:

a phase control mode signal input for receiving a phase control mode signal indicating whether or not said charger is operating in a phase control mode;

a battery voltage signal input for receiving said battery voltage signal (V_BATT);

a high side turns signal input for receiving a signal (N_H) representing the number of high side turns of wire on a high voltage side of a transformer of the charger;

a low side turns signal input for receiving a signal (N_H) representing the number of low side turns of wire on a low voltage side of the transformer;

an AC rms voltage signal input for receiving an AC rms signal (V_ACRMS) representing input AC rms voltage to the charger;

a maximum charger current signal input for receiving a maximum charger current signal (I_CHARGERMAX) representing maximum charger current;

a computation unit operable to compute said fourth current command signal (CCS4) according to the relation below when said phase mode signal indicates said charger is operating in a phase control mode;

$\mathrm{CCS}<br><br><br><br>4=\frac{\left(V_{\mathrm{BATT}}\right)<br><br>\left(N_H\right)*\left(I_{\mathrm{CHARGERMAX}}\right)}{\left(N_L\right)<br><br>\left(V_{\mathrm{ACRMS}}\right)*2<br><br>\surd <br><br>2}$

and wherein said computation unit is operable to cause said fourth current command signal to be equal to said maximum battery current signal when said charger is not operating in said phase control mode; and

a fourth current command signal output for providing said fourth current command signal to said selector.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said current command signal generator includes a fifth current command signal generator for generating a fifth current command signal (CCS5) relating to low AC voltage.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said fifth current command signal generator includes:

a low AC voltage derating signal input for receiving a low AC voltage derating signal (V_LOWACDERATE);

an AC rms voltage signal input for receiving an AC rms voltage signal (V_ACRMS) representing input AC rms voltage;

a maximum charger current signal input for receiving a maximum charger current signal (I_BATTMAX) representing maximum charger current;

a low AC voltage derating range signal input for receiving a low AC voltage derating range signal (V_{LOWACDERATERANGE});

a computation device connected to said low AC voltage derating signal input, said AC rms voltage signal input, said maximum charger current signal input and said low AC voltage derating range signal input, for producing said fifth current command signal (CCS5) according to the relation;

$\mathrm{CCS}<br><br><br><br>5=\frac{\left(\left(V_{\mathrm{LOWACDERATE}}\right)-\left(V_{\mathrm{ACRMS}}\right)\right)<br><br>\left(I_{\mathrm{CHARGERMAX}}\right)}{V_{\mathrm{LOWACDERATERANGE}}}$

and a fifth current command signal output for providing said fifth current command signal (CCS5) to said selector.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said selector includes a store for storing at least one of said plurality of current command signals.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said selector further, includes a comparator for performing a plurality of comparisons for successively comparing the contents of said store with a compared signal, said compared signal being said current command signals other than said at least one of said plurality of current command signals, and after each comparison, where said compared signal is less than the contents of said store, replacing the contents of said store with a value representing the compared signal and where said compared signal is not less than the contents of said store, leaving the contents of the store as they were before the comparison.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein said selector also includes a signal generator for producing said lowest current command signal in response to the contents of said store after performing. said plurality of comparisons.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said duty cycle signal generator includes a power command generator for generating a power command in response to said lowest current command signal and said battery current signal received at said battery current signal input.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said duty cycle signal generator further includes an AC current command signal generator for producing an AC current command signal in response to said power command signal and said AC voltage waveform signal received at said AC voltage waveform input.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said duty cycle signal generator includes a duty cycle error signal generator for generating a duty cycle error signal in response to said AC current command signal and said AC current waveform signal received at said AC current waveform input.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said duty cycle signal generator includes a reference duty cycle generator for producing a reference duty cycle signal, said reference duty cycle generator having:

an AC voltage signal input for receiving an AC input voltage signal representing AC input voltage (V_AC) to the charger;

a battery voltage signal input for receiving said battery voltage signal representing battery voltage (V_BATT);

a turns ratio input for receiving a signal representing a turns ratio (N) of a transformer of said charger;

a computing function for producing said reference duty cycle signal according to the relation;

$\mathrm{Ref}<br><br><br><br>\mathrm{Duty}<br><br><br><br><br><br>\mathrm{Cycle}=\frac{V_{\mathrm{AC}}}{{\mathrm{NV}}_{\mathrm{BATT}}}.$

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said duty cycle signal generator includes an adder for adding said reference duty cycle signal and said duty cycle error signal to produce said duty cycle signal.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said duty cycle signal generator includes a clamp for bounding said duty cycle signal.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said signal inputs include:

a plurality of inputs for receiving signals representing measured quantities measured variables;

a plurality of inputs for receiving user-supplied variables; and

a plurality of inputs for receiving a plurality of fixed values.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said plurality of inputs for receiving measured variables includes inputs for receiving signals representing:

input AC voltage, input AC current, temperature of charger, charger mode, phase control mode and load current.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said plurality of inputs for receiving user supplied variables includes a plurality of inputs for receiving signals representing:

battery type, battery size and breaker rating of a breaker through which AC current is supplied to the battery charger.

29. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said plurality of inputs for receiving fixed values includes inputs for receiving signals representing:

maximum allowable temperature of the charger;

a derating range over which current output of the charger is derated due to temperature, a temperature ratio clamping value specifying a temperature ratio that cannot be exceeded, a breaker derating value representing a factor for derating a breaker through which AC current for the charger is supplied, an efficiency value representing the efficiency of the charger, a number representing the number of turns on a high voltage side of a transformer of the charger, a number representing the number of turns on a low voltage side of the transformer of the charger, a voltage value representing a low AC voltage value below which output current of the charger is to be derated, a voltage range value representing a range of AC input voltages for which the output current of the charger should be derated and a maximum charger current.

30. A battery charger comprising the duty cycle controller of claim 1 and further including:

a gate drive controller operable to receive said duty cycle signal and operable to produce at least one gate drive signal in response to said duty cycle signal; and

a switching circuit for switching current to a battery being charged by the battery charger, said switching circuit being controlled by said at least one gate drive signal.