Active power conditioner

• US 9,407,133 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2014
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CE+T Group SA
• Original Assignee: Ideal Power, Inc.
• Inventors: Alexander, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US14/183,415
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/18 Arrangements for adjusting, eliminating or compensating reactive power in networks for adjustment of voltage H02J3/16
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/241 The oscillation concerning frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/242 using phasor measuring units [PMU]
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/12 Arrangements for reducing harmonics from ac input or output
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/458 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/4585 having a rectifier with controlled elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/797 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/30 Reactive power compensation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/22 Flexible AC transmission systems [FACTS] or power factor or reactive power compensating or correcting units

Abstract

Methods and systems for active power conditioner topologies including semiconductor input and output switches, an inductor, a capacitor in parallel with the inductor, and input and output filter capacitors. The present power conditioners can convert power from an input to an output, can supply or absorb reactive power, and can regulate voltage and current waveforms for improving power factor. Additionally, the present power conditioners can act as a variable frequency drive for regulating voltages and frequencies in power converters. The present power conditioners can also correct harmonic oscillations that can damage power conversion equipment.

Claims

1. A power converter device, comprising:

a sensing circuit that detects the presence of both reactive power and harmonic frequencies on a power line; and

a power converter which is connected to a load and which operates to vary the instantaneous admittance seen on the power line, to thereby cancel harmonic and out-of-phase currents on the power line;

wherein said power converter comprises

a first set of parallel pairs of bidirectional switches, each connecting each end of a parallel combination of a link inductor and a capacitor to each phase of the power line, and

a second set of parallel pairs of bidirectional switches, each connecting each end of the parallel combination to each phase of the load.

2. The power converter device of claim 1, further comprising:

an associated field programmable gate array which controls the sets a set of bidirectional switches in said power converter device to select suitable switches to enable, suitable timing, and suitable amounts of current to allocate in each phase according to power needs and thereby vary instantaneous admittance seen on the power line.

3. The power converter device of claim 1, wherein the sets of bidirectional switches control power passing through the power converter and are controlled to thereby vary the instantaneous admittance seen on the power line.

4. The power converter device of claim 1, further comprising:

an associated field programmable gate array that performs different iterations and calculations with embedded algorithms such that voltage waveform and current waveform are in phase, resulting in a power factor of 1 or close to 1.

5. The power converter device of claim 1, further comprising:

a control circuit receiving data from the sensing circuit from least one of the power line, the parallel combination, and the load.

6. The power converter device of claim 1, wherein the power conditioner comprises an associated field programmable gate array controlling the bidirectional switches.

7. The power converter device of claim 6, wherein the associated field programmable gate array controls the bidirectional switches to select suitable switches to enable, suitable timing, and suitable amounts of current to allocate in each phase according to power needs.

8. The power converter device of claim 6, wherein the associated field programmable gate array performs different iterations and calculations with embedded algorithms such that voltage waveform and current waveform are in phase, resulting in a power factor of 1 or close to 1.

9. The power converter device of claim 1, further comprising:

a control circuit controlling the power conditioner to operate as an active filter to cancel out a reactive power signal.

10. The power converter device of claim 1, further comprising:

a control circuit controlling the power conditioner to operate as a harmonics filter to correct harmonic levels.

11. A method of operating a power conditioner, comprising the actions of:

providing a power conditioner unit having a first set of parallel pairs of bidirectional switches, each connecting each end of a parallel combination of an inductor and a capacitor to each phase of a power input portal, and a second set of parallel pairs of bidirectional switches, each connecting each end of the parallel combination to each phase of an output portal;

monitoring the power input with at least one sensor in a circuit to detect the presence of at least one of reactive power and harmonic frequencies on a power line; and

operating the power conditioner to vary the instantaneous admittance seen on the power line, to thereby regulate power delivered to the output portal.

12. The method of operating a power conditioner of claim 11, further comprising controlling the enabling and disabling of the bidirectional switches to vary the instantaneous admittance seen on the power line.

13. The method of operating a power conditioner of claim 11, further comprising monitoring the power input from at least one of the input portal, the parallel combination, and the output portal.

14. The method of operating a power conditioner of claim 11, further comprising using at least one sensor sensitive to at least one of current and voltage.

15. The method of operating a power conditioner of claim 11, wherein the power conditioner comprises an associated field programmable gate array controlling the bidirectional switches.

16. The method of operating a power conditioner of claim 15, wherein the associated field programmable gate array controlling the bidirectional switches analyzes data from at least one sensor using at least one of embedded calculations, embedded waveform lookup tables, and embedded control algorithms.

17. The method of operating a power conditioner of claim 15, wherein the associated field programmable gate array controls the bidirectional switches to select suitable switches to enable, suitable timing, and suitable amounts of current to allocate in each phase according to power needs.

18. The method of operating a power conditioner of claim 15, further comprising varying admittance using bidirectional switches by selecting suitable switches to enable, suitable timing, and suitable amounts of current to allocate in each phase according to power needs.

19. The method of operating a power conditioner of claim 11, further comprising performing different iterations and calculations with embedded algorithms such that voltage waveform and current waveform are in phase, resulting in a power factor of 1 or close to 1.

20. A method of operating a power device delivering a processed electrical power signal, comprising the actions of:

monitoring a power input into a power conditioner with at least one sensor in a circuit sensitive to reactive power and harmonic frequencies on a power line, wherein the power conditioner comprises

a first and a second set of parallel pairs of bidirectional switches, each connecting each end of a parallel combination of an inductor and a capacitor to each phase of the power line and of an output, respectively; and

operating the device by controlling the enabling and disabling of the sets of bidirectional switches to vary the instantaneous admittance seen on the power line and regulate power delivered to the output.