Power conversion with added pseudo-phase

• US 8,406,025 B1
• Filed: 07/05/2012
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CE+T Group SA
• Original Assignee: Ideal Power Converters, Inc.
• Inventors: Alexander, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MATTHEW VAN
• Application Number:
  US13/542,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20130063988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 264 Days
• Field of Search: 363/16, 363/17, 363/34, 363/36, 363/37, 363/97, 363/98, 363/131, 363/132
• US Class Current: 363/132
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/225 comprising two stages of AC-AC conversion, e.g. having a high frequency intermediate link
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/4807 having a high frequency intermediate AC stage
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/4815 Resonant converters H02M7/4811 and H02M7/4826 take precedence
• 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

Methods and systems for power conversion. An energy storage capacitor is contained within an H-bridge subcircuit which allows the capacitor to be connected to the link inductor of a Universal Power Converter with reversible polarity. This provides a “pseudo-phase” drive capability which expands the capabilities of the converter to compensate for zero-crossings in a single-phase power supply.

Claims

1. A method for operating a Buck-Boost Converter, comprising the actions of:

(a) operating a first bridge switch array, comprising bidirectional switching devices, to operatively connect at least one terminal of a reactance to a power input, with polarity which reverses at different times;

(b) operating a second bridge switch array, comprising bidirectional switching devices, to operatively connect at least one terminal of said reactance to a power output, with polarity which reverses at different times;

(c) operating an H-bridge switch subarray to operatively connect an energy storage capacitor to said reactance at various times, with polarity which reverses at various times, to provide net energy transfer into and out of said energy storage capacitor; and

wherein said actions (a) and (b) are not performed simultaneously.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said bridge arrays are symmetrically connected to said energy-transfer reactance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said energy-transfer reactance comprises a transformer.

4. A method for operating a Buck-Boost Converter, comprising the actions of:

(d) operating a first bridge switch array, comprising bidirectional switching devices, to operatively connect at least one terminal of a reactance to a power input, with polarity which reverses at different times;

(e) operating a second bridge switch array, comprising bidirectional switching devices, to operatively connect at least one terminal of said reactance to a power output, with polarity which reverses at different times;

(f) operating an H-bridge switch subarray to operatively connect an energy storage capacitor to said reactance at various times, with polarity which reverses at various times, to provide net energy transfer into and out of said energy storage capacitor; and

wherein said actions (a) and (b) are not performed simultaneously, wherein said energy-transfer reactance comprises a parallel combination of an inductor with a capacitor.

5. A method for operating a Buck-Boost Converter, comprising the actions of:

(g) operating a first bridge switch array, comprising bidirectional switching devices, to operatively connect at least one terminal of a reactance to a power input, with polarity which reverses at different times;

(h) operating a second bridge switch array, comprising bidirectional switching devices, to operatively connect at least one terminal of said reactance to a power output, with polarity which reverses at different times;

(i) operating an H-bridge switch subarray to operatively connect an energy storage capacitor to said reactance at various times, with polarity which reverses at various times, to provide net energy transfer into and out of said energy storage capacitor; and

wherein said actions (a) and (b) are not performed simultaneously, wherein said reactance is driven at a base frequency which is less than half its resonant frequency.