Chopper output stage for arc welder power source
First Claim
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1. A three stage power source for an electric arc welding or cutting process having a topology with each stage of the topology defined by an input and an output signal, said power source comprising:
- a first stage receiving an AC input signal and providing as an output a first fixed DC signal;
an unregulated second stage coupled with said first stage to receive said first fixed DC signal, said second stage converting said first fixed DC signal into a second fixed DC signal as an output signal of the second stage;
a third stage coupled with said second stage to receive said second fixed DC signal, said third stage comprising an interleaved multiphase switching converter comprising a plurality of parallel converter power circuits to convert, separate and distinct of said first and second stages, said second fixed DC signal to a regulated signal suitable for welding, with each of said power circuits having a switching device with a control input; and
a controller for creating a control input signal at a different phase angle for each said parallel converter power circuit.
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Abstract
Power sources are disclosed for electric arc welding or cutting processes, in which an interleaved multiphase switching converter is provided with a plurality of converter power circuits to convert a DC signal to a regulated signal suitable for welding.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A three stage power source for an electric arc welding or cutting process having a topology with each stage of the topology defined by an input and an output signal, said power source comprising:
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a first stage receiving an AC input signal and providing as an output a first fixed DC signal; an unregulated second stage coupled with said first stage to receive said first fixed DC signal, said second stage converting said first fixed DC signal into a second fixed DC signal as an output signal of the second stage; a third stage coupled with said second stage to receive said second fixed DC signal, said third stage comprising an interleaved multiphase switching converter comprising a plurality of parallel converter power circuits to convert, separate and distinct of said first and second stages, said second fixed DC signal to a regulated signal suitable for welding, with each of said power circuits having a switching device with a control input; and
a controller for creating a control input signal at a different phase angle for each said parallel converter power circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A power source for an electric arc welding or cutting process having a topology with each stage of the topology defines by an input and an output signal, said power source comprising:
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A first stage providing a first fixed DC output signal; an unregulated second stage providing a second fixed DC output signal that is fixed and different with respect to said first fixed DC signal; a third stage having an interleaved multiphase switching converter comprising a plurality of parallel converter power circuits to convert a separate and distinct of said first and second stages, said second fixed DC output signal to a regulated signal suitable for welding, with each of said power circuits having a switching device with a control input; and a controller for creating a control input signal at a different phase angle for each said parallel converter power circuit, wherein said power circuits are operated in phase shifted fashion relative to one another with temporal operational overlap of at least two of said power circuits, said multiphase switching converter comprises N converter power circuits, N being an integer greater than 1, wherein said phase angle is 360°
/N. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A three stage power source for an electric arc welding or cutting process having a topology with each stage of the topology defined by an input and an output signal, said power source comprising:
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a first stage receiving an AC input signal and providing as an output first fixed DC signal; an unregulated second stage coupled with said first stage to convert said first fixed DC signal into another output, a second fixed DC signal less than said first fixed DC signal; a third stage comprising an interleaved multiphase switching converter coupled with said second stage to convert, separate and distinct of said first and second stages, said second fixed DC signal to a regulated signal suitable for welding, said interleaved multiphase switching converter comprising a plurality of converter power circuits, said converter power circuits individually comprising an inductor and a switching device with a control input, wherein at least two of said inductors are wound on a common core; and a controller for creating a control input signal at a different phase angle for each said converter power circuit. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A power source for an electric arc welding or cutting process having a topology with each stage of the topology defined by an input and an output signal, said power source comprising:
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a first stage; an unregulated second stage having a first fixed DC input signal and a second fixed DC output signal converted from said first fixed DC signal, said second fixed DC signal being less than said first fixed DC signal; a third stage having an interleaved multiphase switching converter comprising a plurality of parallel converter power circuits to convert, separate and distinct of said first and second stages, said second fixed DC signal to a regulated signal suitable for welding, each said power circuit having a switching device with a control input; and a controller for creating a control input signal for each said parallel converter power circuit, wherein said power circuits are operated with temporal overlap of at least two of said power circuits, said controller includes; a control circuit and a PWM circuit having a duty cycle, the control circuit including an error amplifier having a first input for a desired process signal and a second input for a sensed process signal from the welding or cutting process, the error amplifier having an output directed to the PWM circuit such that the PWM circuit generates the control input signal to each of said power circuits to define an on time corresponding to the duty cycle of the PWM circuit. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A power source for an electric arc welding or cutting process, said power source comprising:
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a first stage DC to DC converter providing a first fixed DC output signal; an unregulated second stage DC to DC converter for converting said first fixed DC signal to a second fixed DC signal that is less than said first fixed DC signal; a third stage interleaved multiphase switching converter comprising a plurality of N parallel converter power circuits, N being an integer greater than 1, said interleaved multiphase switching converter being adapted to convert, separate and distinct of said first and second stages, said second fixed DC signal to a regulated signal suitable for welding, said regulated signal having a voltage substantially independent of the number of converter power circuits N, each said power circuit having a switching device with a control input; and a controller for creating a control input signal at a different phase angle for each said parallel converter power circuit. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification