Power transfer devices, methods, and systems with crowbar switch shunting energy-transfer reactance

• US 8,432,711 B1
• Filed: 07/05/2012
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CE+T Group SA
• Original Assignee: Ideal Power Converters, Inc.
• Inventors: Alexander, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane, Adolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): Finch, III, Fred E
• Application Number:
  US13/541,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20130114311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• Field of Search: 323/222, 323/239, 363/1, 363/13, 363/15, 363/17, 363/34, 363/50, 363/53, 363/55, 363/56.02, 363/123, 363/142, 361/54, 361/55
• US Class Current: 363/50
• 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 5/275 using devices of a triode or transistor type requiring continuous application of a control signal
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/458 using semiconductor devices only
• 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: H02M 7/797 using semiconductor devices only
• 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

The present application discloses methods, circuits and systems for power conversion, using a universal multiport architecture. When a transient appears on the power input (which can be, for example, polyphase AC), the input and output switches are opened, and a crowbar switch shunts the inductance which is used for energy transfer. This prevents this inductance from creating an overvoltage when it is disconnected from outside lines.

Claims

1. A power converter, comprising:

an energy-transfer reactance comprising at least one inductor, and operating at a primary AC magnetic field frequency which is less than half of the reactance'"'"'s resonant frequency;

a link switch, connected across said reactance in a crowbar configuration which includes a resistance element which is connected to dissipate energy stored in said reactance when said link switch is on;

an input switch array configured to drive AC current through said reactance; and

an output network switch array connected to extract energy from said reactance;

wherein said input switch array performs at least two drive operations, in the same direction but from different sources, during a single half-cycle of said reactance;

wherein said energy-transfer reactance comprises an inductor paralleled with a capacitor;

and wherein, when said link switch is on, said switch arrays are connected to totally disconnect said reactance from a power input and a power output of the converter.

2. The converter of claim 1, wherein said switch arrays are full-bridge arrays.

3. The converter of claim 1, wherein said reactance comprises a transformer.

4. A power converter, comprising:

an energy-transfer reactance comprising at least one inductor, and operating at a primary AC magnetic field frequency which is less than half of the reactance'"'"'s resonant frequency;

a link switch, connected across said reactance in a crowbar configuration which includes a resistance element which is connected to dissipate energy stored in said reactance when said link switch is on;

an input switch array configured to drive current through said reactance; and

an output switch array to extract energy from said reactance;

wherein said input switch array performs at least two different drive operations at different times during a single cycle of said reactance,

wherein said output switch array performs at least two different drive operations at different times during a single cycle of said reactance;

wherein said energy-transfer reactance comprises an inductor paralleled with a capacitor; and

wherein, when said link switch is on, said switch arrays are connected to totally disconnect said energy-transfer reactance from a power input and a power output of the converter.

5. The converter of claim 4, wherein said switch arrays are full-bridge arrays.

6. The converter of claim 4, wherein said input switch array connects said reactance to said power input which is shunted by a capacitor which provides a low-impedance voltage source thereat.

7. The converter of claim 4, wherein said reactance comprises a transformer.

8. A method for operating a power converter, comprising the actions of:

driving an energy-transfer reactance with a full AC waveform, at a base frequency which is less than half the resonant frequency of said reactance;

coupling power into said reactance, on each cycle thereof, with two different drive phases, respectively supplied from two different legs of a polyphase power input; and

coupling power out of said reactance, on each cycle thereof, with two different connection phases, respectively driving two different legs of a polyphase power output; and

under at least some overvoltage conditions, disconnecting said reactance from said power input or said power output or both, while also dumping energy from said reactance through a link switch which shunts said reactance;

wherein said energy-transfer reactance comprises an inductor paralleled with a capacitor; and

wherein, when said link switch is on, an input switch array and an output switch array are connected to totally disconnect said reactance from said power input and said power output.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said switch arrays are symmetrically connected to said energy-transfer reactance.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said energy-transfer reactance comprises a transformer.