DC capacitor degradation alarm circuit

• US 8,698,507 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2010
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eneraiser Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Eneraiser Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Huang, Jui-Kun
• Primary Examiner(s): NATALINI, JEFF WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US12/974,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20120153965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 324/548
• US Class Current: 324/548
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/016 Testing of capacitors measuring capacitance G01R27/2605
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/1227 of components, parts or materials G01R31/1209, G01R31/1218, G01R31/18 take precedence; circuits therefor G01R31/14; testing vessels of electrodes G01R31/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/64 Testing of capacitors

Abstract

A DC capacitor degradation alarm circuit is a capacitor degradation detection device including two filter circuits and a degradation detection element. The two filter circuits, which receive a rectified voltage and perform filtering operation, are coupled in parallel and include a plurality of capacitor modules coupled in series. Each capacitor module can be a single capacitor or includes a plurality of capacitors coupled in series or parallel to allow users to arrange construction thereof to receive required capacitance. The degradation detection element electrically bridges the two filter circuits with connection nodes located between the capacitor modules to instantly detect a voltage difference value of the two filter circuits online and perform operation by incorporating with total output voltage to get voltage difference value percentage. In the event that the obtained percentage exceeds a preset range, the degradation detection element automatically generates a capacitor degradation alarm signal to alert users.

Claims

1. A DC (direct current) capacitor degradation alarm circuit, comprising:

a rectification circuit;

a load driven by a DC power rectified by the rectification circuit; and

at least one capacitor degradation detection device connected between the rectification circuit and the load, wherein the capacitor degradation detection device includes;

two filter circuits, which receive a rectified voltage from the rectification circuit to perform a filtering operation, coupled in parallel, wherein each of the two filter circuits includes a plurality of capacitor modules coupled in series, wherein any two of the plurality of capacitor modules are connected at a node; and

at least one degradation detection element, which has two ends connected to the nodes of the two filter circuits and detects two voltages at the nodes of the two filter circuits operating to get a voltage difference to determine whether the capacitor modules degrade.

2. The DC capacitor degradation alarm circuit of claim 1, wherein the capacitor modules coupled in series of the two filter circuits include the same quantity.

3. The DC capacitor degradation alarm circuit of claim 1, wherein each capacitor module is a single capacitor.

4. The DC capacitor degradation alarm circuit of claim 1, wherein each capacitor module includes a plurality of capacitors coupled in series.

5. The DC capacitor degradation alarm circuit of claim 1, wherein each capacitor module includes a plurality of capacitors coupled in parallel.