High voltage regulator for an electric meter power supply

• US 20060038548A1
• Filed: 08/17/2004
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Elster Electricity LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Shuey, Kenneth C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,355,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/303
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 5/00 Systems for regulating electric variables by detecting deviations in the electric input to the system and thereby controlling a device within the system to obtain a regulated output
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0045 Converters combining the concepts of switch-mode regulation and linear regulation, e.g. linear pre-regulator to switching converter, linear and switching converter in parallel, same converter or same transistor operating either in linear or switching mode
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/28 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode to produce the intermediate ac

Abstract

Disclosed is an invention relating to a power supply for use in an apparatus for measuring electrical energy, comprising, in one embodiment, a first switching device, a device for storing electrical charge in electrical connection with the first switching device, a second switching device in electrical connection with the device for storing electrical charge, a first device for controlling the flow of current in electrical connection with the second switching device, and a third switching device in electrical connection with the first device for controlling the flow of current, wherein the first device for controlling the flow of current enables an input voltage to be applied to the second switching device when the input voltage is below a predetermined amount, and enables the input voltage to be applied to the second and third switching devices when the input voltage is above the predetermined amount.

Claims

1. A power supply for use in an apparatus for measuring electrical energy, said electrical energy defining an input voltage, said power supply comprising:

a first switching device;

a device for storing electrical charge in electrical connection with the first switching device;

a second switching device in electrical connection with the device for storing electrical charge;

a first device for controlling the flow of current in electrical connection with the second switching device; and

a third switching device in electrical connection with the first device for controlling the flow of current, wherein the first device for controlling the flow of current enables the input voltage to be applied to the second switching device when the input voltage is below a predetermined amount of input voltage, and enables the input voltage to be applied to the second and third switching devices when the input voltage is above the predetermined amount of input voltage.

2. The power supply of claim 1, further comprising a fourth switching device in electrical connection with the second switching device, wherein the input voltage is applied to the fourth switching device.

3. The power supply of claim 2, wherein each of the second and fourth switching devices comprises a MOSFET.

4. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the voltage stored in the device for storing electrical charge is less than a predetermined maximum amount of stored voltage.

5. The power supply of claim 4, wherein the maximum amount of stored voltage is approximately 320 volts.

6. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the voltage applied to the first'"'"'switching device is less than a predetermined maximum amount of voltage.

7. The power supply of claim 6, wherein the maximum amount of voltage applied to the first switching device is substantially equal to the maximum amount of stored voltage.

8. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the predetermined amount of input voltage is 320 volts.

9. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the first device for controlling the flow of current comprises a zener diode.

10. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the third switching device comprises a MOSFET.

11. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the device for storing electrical charge comprises a capacitor.

12. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the input voltage is alternating current voltage of an amount between approximately 46 and 530 VAC.

13. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the first switching device comprises a Power Integrations, Inc., TOP 242 switch.

14. The power supply of claim 1, further comprising a second device for controlling the flow of current such that, when the input voltage is above said predetermined amount of input voltage and the voltage stored in the device for storing electrical charge is above a predetermined first amount of stored voltage, current ceases to flow through the second switching device.

15. The power supply of claim 14, wherein the first amount of stored voltage is approximately the minimum voltage necessary to support the first switching device.

16. The power supply of claim 14, wherein the first amount of stored voltage is approximately 120 volts.

17. The power supply of claim 1, further comprising:

an inductive device for generating electromotive force by inductance, wherein the inductive device is in electrical connection with the second switching device;

a third device for controlling the flow of electric current in electrical connection with the device for storing electrical charge;

a fifth switching device in electrical connection with the third device for controlling the flow of electric current; and

a resistor in electrical connection with the inductive device,

wherein the fifth switching device operates in linear mode when the voltage applied to the fifth switching device and to the inductive device is substantially equal to the voltage applied to the third device for controlling the flow of electric current, and

wherein when the fifth switching device is in linear mode, the voltage applied to the inductive device decreases if the voltage applied to the resistor increases, and the voltage applied to the inductive device increases if the voltage applied to the resistor decreases.

18. The power supply of claim 17, wherein the fifth switching device is the same as the second switching device.

19. The power supply of claim 17, wherein the third device for controlling electric current is a zener diode.

20. A power supply for use in an apparatus for distributing electrical energy, said electrical energy defining an input voltage, said power supply comprising:

a transformer comprising first and second windings, wherein said input voltage is provided to said first winding so that current flows through said first winding, wherein said second winding defines the output of the power supply;

a first switching device in electrical connection with the first winding, for controlling the flow of current through the first winding;

a device for storing electrical charge in electrical connection with the first switching device;

a regulating device in electrical connection with the device for storing electrical charge, wherein the input voltage is applied to the regulating device, and the regulating device limits the input voltage applied to at least one of the device for storing electrical charge and the first switching device when the input voltage exceeds a predetermined amount.

21. The power supply of claim 20, wherein the regulating member comprises:

a second and a third switching device in electrical connection with the device for storing electrical charge;

a device for controlling the flow of electric current in electrical connection with the third switching device;

a fourth switching device in electrical connection with the device for controlling the flow of electric current,

wherein the device for controlling the flow of electric current enables the input voltage to be applied to the second and third switching devices when the input voltage is below the predetermined amount of input voltage, and enables the input voltage to be applied to the second, third, and fourth switching devices when the input voltage is above the predetermined amount of input voltage.

22. An electrical power meter having electronic components, wherein the electrical power meter receives alternating current (AC) voltage from an electrical power line, said AC voltage defining an input voltage, the meter comprising:

a power supply comprising;

a first switching device,

a device for storing electrical charge in electrical connection with the first switching device,

a second switching device in electrical connection with the device for storing electrical charge,

a first device for controlling the flow of current in electrical connection with the second switching device, and

a third switching device in electrical connection with the first device for controlling the flow of current, wherein the first device for controlling the flow of current enables the input voltage to be applied to the second switching device when the input voltage is below a predetermined amount of input voltage, and enables the input voltage to be applied to the second and third switching devices when the input voltage is above the predetermined amount of input voltage.

23. The electrical power meter of claim 22, wherein the power supply further comprises:

an inductive device for generating electromotive force by inductance, wherein the inductive device is in electrical connection with the second switching device;

a second device for controlling the flow of electric current in electrical connection with the second switching device;

a resistor in electrical connection with the inductive device,

wherein the second switching device operates in linear mode when the voltage applied to the second switching device and to the inductive device is substantially equal to the voltage applied to the second device for controlling the flow of electric current, and

wherein when the second switching device is in linear mode, the voltage applied to the inductive device decreases if the voltage applied to the resistor increases, and the voltage applied to the inductive device increases if the voltage applied to the resistor decreases.

24. A method for limiting a wide range of input voltages applied to a device prior to applying the input voltage to one or more internal components of the device, the method comprising:

applying the input voltage to a first switching device when the input voltage is less than a predetermined amount such that the input voltage is applied to the internal components; and

applying the input voltage to the first switching device and to a second switching device when the input voltage is more than the predetermined amount, such that the amount of voltage applied to the second switching device and the internal components is less than the predetermined amount, and the voltage that is applied to the first switching device is an amount substantially equal to the difference between the input voltage and the predetermined amount.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more internal components comprises at least one of a device that stores electrical charge and a third switching device.

26. A system for limiting a rate of change of current in a device, comprising:

an inductive device for generating electromotive force by inductance;

a switching device in electrical connection with the inductive device;

a device for controlling the flow of electric current in electrical connection with the switching device; and

a resistor in electrical connection with the switching device, wherein the switching device operates in linear mode when the voltage applied to the switching device and to the inductive device is substantially equal to the voltage applied to the device for controlling the flow of electric current, and

wherein when the switching device is in linear mode, the voltage applied to the inductive device decreases if the voltage applied to the resistor increases, and the voltage applied to the inductive device increases if the voltage applied to the resistor decreases.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the operating characteristics of the inductive device, the resistor, the switching device, and the device for controlling the flow of electric current are such that electromagnetic interference caused by the increase or decrease of current in the system is reduced.