Controllable universal supply with reactive power management

• US 8,638,074 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2010
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FlyBack Energy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: FlyBack Energy, Inc.
• Inventors: Babcock, Paul M., Babcock, David J., Smith, Phillip N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Behm, Harry
• Application Number:
  US12/980,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20110157942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 363125-128, 363/89, 323/225, 323/271, 323/207
• US Class Current: 323/225
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/425 using a single converter stage both for correction of AC input power factor and generation of a high frequency AC output voltage
• 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

Apparatus and associated methods involve a controllable supply adapted for controlling switch phasing and pulse width to substantially equalize power in adjacent quadrants of a sinusoidal source voltage waveform to regulate reactive power drawn from the source. In an illustrative example, the supply may, in some embodiments, deliver power to a load at a level responsive to a commanded input signal. In some examples, the power supplied to the load may be adjusted according to the command input signal to a selected value within an operating range. In some examples, the operating range may include a portion or all of 0 to 100% of rated load. Various embodiments may be adapted to supply unipolar or bipolar load excitation. In some embodiments, high power factor may be maintained over a substantial range of commanded power to the load. Certain embodiments may enhance supply efficiency by capturing and recycling inductive load energy.

Claims

1. A method of managing reactive power, the method comprising:

rectifying a substantially sinusoidal source voltage waveform from a source to a rectified voltage node;

providing a switch arranged to selectively couple the rectified voltage node to a load;

determining a pulse width value for turning on the switch to deliver a desired average power to the load;

receiving information about relative power drawn from the source during adjacent quadrants of the source voltage waveform;

calculating a switch turn on delay time to substantially equalize power between adjacent quadrants of the same polarity;

controlling the switch during at least two successive half cycles of the source voltage waveform according to the determined switch turn on delay time;

controlling a reverse electromotive force associated with rapid turn off of the switch, and capturing inductive energy stored in the load when the switch disconnects the load from the rectified voltage node.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising returning the captured energy to the load on a subsequent half cycle of the source voltage waveform.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a capacitor at the rectified voltage node to provide a leading phase shift to the current drawn from the source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a switch turn on delay time to substantially equalize power between adjacent quadrants of the same polarity comprises determining a delay time with respect to a periodic reference point on the source voltage waveform.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the periodic reference point comprises a zero cross point.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the periodic reference point further comprises a point at which the source voltage waveform is increasing.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the periodic reference point further comprises a point at which the source voltage waveform is decreasing.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a power command input signal, wherein the step of determining the pulse width value for turning on the switch to deliver the desired average power to the load further comprises determining a pulse width value in accordance with the received power command input signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the switch during at least two successive half cycles of the source voltage waveform according to the determined switch turn on delay time further comprises controlling the switch according to the determined pulse width value.