Auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter

• US 9,620,993 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2014
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SolPad, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SolPad, Inc.
• Inventors: Estes, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deberadinis, Robert
• Application Number:
  US14/264,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20140265591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 307 87, 307 58
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/34 Arrangements for transfer of electric power between networks of substantially different frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/062 for AC powered loads

Abstract

An auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is disclosed that can be daisy-chained with other power converters and/or an alternating current (AC) power source. The power converter automatically generates output AC power that is in parallel with external input AC power coming into the power converter when the power converter senses the external input AC power so that the power converter operates as a slave in this state. The power converter automatically generates output AC power when the power converter fails to detect the external input AC power coming into the power converter where the power converter operates as a master in this state. The power converter generates the output AC power without any reliance on the external input AC power generated by a utility grid and/or other AC power sources external to the power converter.

Claims

1. An auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter, comprising:

a direct current (DC) source configured to supply DC power;

an alternating current (AC) inlet receptacle configured to receive external input AC power generated from an AC power source external to the auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter;

an AC outlet receptacle configured to provide output AC power to systems external to the auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter;

a DC to AC converter configuration configured to;

generate paralleled output AC power to the AC outlet receptacle when the auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is operating in a slave mode, wherein the paralleled output AC power is the output AC power generated from the external input AC power and the DC power supplied by the DC source that is converted to additional AC power that is synchronized and in parallel with the external input AC power, and

generate the output AC power to the AC outlet receptacle when the auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is operating in a master mode, wherein the output AC power is generated from the additional AC power converted from the DC power supplied by the DC source and is not in parallel with the external input AC power.

2. The auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter of claim 1, wherein the DC to AC converter configuration comprises:

a DC to AC converter configured to convert the DC power generated by the DC source to the additional AC power when the DC source provides the DC power to the DC to AC converter;

a first relay coupled to the AC inlet receptacle and the AC outlet receptacle and configured to transition into an open state when the auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is operating in the master mode to prevent the external input AC power from passing through to the AC output receptacle so that the AC inlet receptacle is isolated from the AC outlet receptacle; and

a second relay coupled to the DC to AC converter and the AC outlet receptacle and configured to transition to a closed state when the auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is operating in the master mode so that the additional AC power provided by the DC to AC converter passes through the second relay to the AC output receptacle.

3. The auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter of claim 2, wherein:

the second relay is configured to transition to the open state when the auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is transitioning from the master mode to the slave mode so that the additional AC power provided by the DC to AC converter is prevented from passing through to the AC output receptacle during the transition from the master mode to the slave mode; and

the first relay is configured to transition to the closed state when the auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is transitioning from the master mode to the slave mode so that the external input AC power passes through the first relay to the AC output receptacle.

4. The auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter of claim 3, further comprising:

a controller configured to synchronize the additional AC power generated by the DC to AC converter with the external input AC power coupled to the AC inlet receptacle before the additional AC power generated by the DC to AC converter passes through to the AC outlet receptacle during the transition from the master mode to the slave mode.

5. The auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter of claim 4, wherein the second relay is further configured to transition to the closed state after the controller has synchronized the additional AC power to the external input AC power to allow AC power generated by the DC to AC converter to pass through to the AC outlet receptacle and generate the paralleled output AC power to the AC outlet receptacle so that the auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is operating in the slave mode.

6. The auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter of claim 5, wherein the second relay is further configured to remain in the open state when the controller fails to synchronize the external input AC power to the additional AC power preventing the additional AC power from passing through to the AC outlet receptacle to combine with the external input AC power.

7. The auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter of claim 6, wherein:

the first relay is configured to transition into the closed state when the auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is operating in a bypass mode so that the external input AC power passes through the first relay to the AC outlet receptacle; and

the second relay is configured to transition into the open state when the auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is in the bypass mode to prevent any remaining converted additional AC power from passing through to the AC outlet receptacle.

8. A auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter configuration, comprising:

a first auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter included in a plurality of auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converters configured to;

automatically generate first output alternating current (AC) power for the first auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter when the first auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter fails to detect first external input AC power coupled to the first auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter, wherein the first output AC power is output AC power generated from DC power of the first auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter and is not in parallel with the first external input AC power, and

act as a master auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter when the first auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter fails to detect the first external input AC power coupled to the first auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter, wherein the master auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter automatically provides the first output AC power to a slave auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter included in the plurality of auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converters; and

a second auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter included in the plurality of auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converters configured to;

automatically transition into generating second paralleled output AC power, wherein the second paralleled output AC power is second output AC power generated by the second auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter that is in parallel with the first output AC power generated by the first auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter, and

act as the slave auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter when the second auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter detects the first output AC power provided by the first auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter.

9. The auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter configuration of claim 8, wherein the first output AC power is synchronized with the second output AC power.

10. The auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter configuration of claim 9, wherein a plurality of power characteristics associated with the first output AC power is substantially equivalent to a plurality of power characteristics associated with the second output AC power.

11. The auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter configuration of claim 10, wherein the first output AC power includes a sinusoidal wave that is within a threshold of the sinusoidal wave included in the second output AC power.

12. The auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter configuration of claim 11, wherein the first auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is further configured to:

automatically transition to generating first paralleled output AC power, when the first auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter detects the first external input AC power coupled to the first auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter and the first output AC power is synchronized with the first external input AC power, wherein the first auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is acting as the slave auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter.

13. The auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter configuration of claim 12, wherein the second auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is further configured to:

automatically generate the second output AC power for the second auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter when the second auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter fails to detect the first output AC power coupled to the second auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter, wherein the second auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is acting as the master auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter.

14. The auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter configuration of claim 8, wherein the master auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is further configured to provide a constant voltage to an AC bus to maintain the second paralleled output AC power at a power level, wherein the AC bus couples the master auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter to the slave auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter.

15. The auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter configuration of claim 14, wherein the slave auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is further configured to provide an increase in slave current to the AC bus when a voltage associated with the AC bus decreases below a reference voltage to increase the voltage to be substantially equivalent with the reference voltage, wherein the reference voltage is a voltage level associated with the second paralleled output AC power to maintain the second paralleled output AC power at the power level.

16. The auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter configuration of claim 15, wherein the slave auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is further configured to provide the increase in the slave current to the AC bus until the slave auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is not capable of generating the slave current at a current level sufficient to maintain the voltage of the AC bus to be substantially equivalent to the reference voltage.

17. The auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter configuration of claim 16, wherein the master auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is further configured to provide an increase in master current to the AC bus when the slave auto-synchronous isolated inlet power converter is not capable of generating the slave current at the current level sufficient to maintain the voltage of the AC bus to be substantially equivalent to the reference voltage.