Systems and methods for limiting current inrush in electric drive systems

• US 9,407,134 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2014
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Moghadas, Amin A., Leuthen, John M., Pichilingue, Renato L., Cochran, Patrick B.
• Primary Examiner(s): GLASS, ERICK DAVID
• Application Number:
  US14/247,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20150162864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 318/504
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/36 Means for starting or stopping converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4291 by using a Buck converter to switch the input current
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/4505 having a rectifier with controlled elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/4585 having a rectifier with controlled elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/1626 with automatic control of the output voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/219 in a bridge configuration
• 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

Systems and methods for controlling potentially damaging inrushes of current to the capacitor bank of an electric drive system when the voltage on the capacitor bank is low. In one embodiment, a variable speed drive has a converter that converts AC power to DC power, a capacitor bank that receives the DC power, and an inverter that converts the DC power stored by the capacitor bank to AC output power. The converter has three sections that rectify the phases of three-phase input power. Each section has at least one controlled rectifier component, and the rectifier components have switches connected to them in parallel. When the voltage on the capacitor bank is low, the controlled rectifiers and switches are controlled to prevent dangerously high inrushes of current to the capacitor bank.

Claims

1. A variable speed drive comprising:

a converter which converts received AC power to DC power;

one or more capacitor banks coupled to the converter, wherein the DC power produced by the converter charges the one or more capacitor banks; and

an inverter connected to the one or more capacitor banks, wherein the inverter inverts DC power from the one or more capacitor banks, thereby producing an AC output waveform;

wherein the converter includes an upper junction which is electrically connected to a first input of the one or more capacitor banks and a lower junction which is electrically connected to a second input of the one or more capacitor banks; and

wherein the converter includes first, second and third converter sections, wherein each of the first, second and third converter sections includes

first and second rectifier components that are electrically connected in series between the upper junction and the lower junction, wherein at least one of the first and second rectifier components is a controlled rectifier,

first and second switches, wherein the first switch is electrically connected in parallel with the first rectifier component, and wherein the second switch is electrically connected in parallel with the second rectifier component, and

an inductor having a first end electrically connected to an intermediate junction between the first and second rectifier components and a second end electrically connected to a corresponding one of three phases of a three-phase power source.

2. The variable speed drive of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled to the controlled rectifiers and the switches, wherein the controller provides control signals to the controlled rectifiers and the switches and thereby selectively limits a recharge current provided by the converter to the capacitor banks.

3. The variable speed drive of claim 2, wherein the controller monitors a voltage on at least one of the capacitor banks, and wherein the controller controls one or more of the controlled rectifiers and the switches to limit the recharge current in response to determining that the voltage on the at least one of the capacitor banks is less than a threshold voltage.

4. The variable speed drive of claim 3, wherein the controller determines when the variable speed drive is powered on and controls one or more of the controlled rectifiers and the switches to limit the recharge current in response to determining that the variable speed drive is being powered on.

5. The variable speed drive of claim 1, wherein the switches comprise insulated gate bipolar transistors.

6. The variable speed drive of claim 1, wherein each of the first rectifier components comprises the controlled rectifier.

7. The variable speed drive of claim 1, wherein each of the second rectifier components comprises the controlled rectifier.

8. The variable speed drive of claim 1, wherein both the first and second rectifier components comprise controlled rectifiers.

9. An artificial lift system comprising:

an electric submersible pump system; and

a variable speed drive coupled to provide power to the electric submersible pump system, wherein the variable speed drive includes a converter which converts received AC power to DC power, one or more capacitor banks coupled to the converter, wherein the DC power produced by the converter charges the one or more capacitor banks, and an inverter coupled to the second capacitor bank, wherein the inverter inverts DC power from the one or more capacitor banks, thereby producing an AC output waveform;

wherein the converter includes an upper junction which is electrically coupled to a first input of the one or more capacitor banks and a lower junction which is electrically coupled to a second input of the one or more capacitor banks; and

wherein the converter includes first, second and third converter sections, wherein each of the first, second and third converter sections includes

first and second rectifier components that are electrically coupled in series between the upper junction and the lower junction, wherein at least one of the first and second rectifier components is a controlled rectifier,

first and second switches, wherein the first switch is electrically coupled in parallel with the first rectifier component, and wherein the second switch is electrically coupled in parallel with the second rectifier component, and

an inductor having a first end electrically coupled to an intermediate junction between the first and second rectifier components and a second end electrically coupled to a corresponding one of three phases of a three-phase power source.

10. The artificial lift system of claim 9, further comprising a controller coupled to the controlled rectifiers and the switches, wherein the controller provides control signals to the controlled rectifiers and the switches and thereby selectively limits a recharge current provided by the converter to the capacitor banks.

11. The artificial lift system of claim 10, wherein the controller monitors a voltage on at least one of the capacitor banks, and wherein the controller controls one or more of the controlled rectifiers and the switches to limit the recharge current in response to determining that the voltage on the at least one of the capacitor banks is less than a threshold voltage.

12. The artificial lift system of claim 11, wherein the controller determines when the variable speed drive is powered on and controls one or more of the controlled rectifiers and the switches to limit the recharge current in response to determining that the variable speed drive is being powered on.

13. The artificial lift system of claim 9, wherein the switches comprise insulated gate bipolar transistors.

14. The artificial lift system of claim 9, wherein each of the first rectifier components comprises the controlled rectifier.

15. The artificial lift system of claim 9, wherein each of the second rectifier components comprises the controlled rectifier.

16. The artificial lift system of claim 9, wherein both the first and second rectifier components comprise controlled rectifiers.

17. A method for producing an output waveform suitable for driving equipment such as an electric submersible pump motor, the method comprising:

providing a variable speed drive having

a converter which converts received AC power to DC power,

one or more capacitor banks coupled to the converter, wherein the DC power produced by the converter charges the one or more capacitor banks, and

an inverter coupled to the second capacitor bank, wherein the inverter inverts DC power from the one or more capacitor banks, thereby producing an AC output waveform,

wherein the converter includes one or more converter sections, each of which has first and second rectifier components that are electrically connected in series between terminals of the one or more capacitor banks, and an inductor connected between an intermediate junction between the first and second rectifier components and an input for one of three phases of a three-phase power source,

wherein at least one of the first and second rectifier components is a controlled rectifier, and wherein each of the rectifier components has a switch connected in parallel with the rectifier component;

determining when a voltage on at least one of the capacitor banks is less than a threshold voltage; and

when the voltage on the at least one of the capacitor banks is less than the threshold voltage, providing control signals to the controlled rectifiers and the switches and thereby selectively limiting a recharge current provided by the converter to the capacitor banks.