METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REGULATING VOLTAGE

• US 20070296390A1
• Filed: 06/20/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electro-Chance LLC
• Original Assignee: Electro-Chance LLC
• Inventors: Levinzon, Suleyman, Klavsuts, Dmitriy, Kosoy, Petr, Feigin, Lev
• Granted Patent: US 7,816,894 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/290
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/12 for conversion of voltage or current amplitude only
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/22 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode

Abstract

An AC voltage regulator able to provide a desired voltage to any type of a given load within a predetermined range without any output power interruptions during any transition time, without distortion of the AC sine wave and without high current circulating through the circuit components during the voltage switching. The voltage regulator uses a single regulator transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding. The secondary winding of the regulator transformer is connected in series between a power source and the load, while the primary winding of the regulator transformer is connected with the power source so that the primary and secondary windings have opposite polarities. The position of a plurality of switches can be variably set by the control circuit to control current flow through the primary winding and to provide a normal mode, a step-down mode, or a step-up mode.

Claims

1. An AC voltage regulator providing any type of a given electrical load with a specific desired voltage output, comprising:

(a) an power source input suitable to being electrically connected to an AC power source;

(b) a load output suitable to being electrically connected to a load; and

(c) one or more power circuits connected in series being coupled between the AC power source and the load for producing regulated AC voltage at the load output within a predetermined range regardless of variations in the AC power source voltage, said power circuits being configured to perform voltage regulation without any output power interruptions during any transition time, without distortion of the AC sine wave, and without high current circulating through the circuit components during transient.

2. The voltage regulator of claim 1 further comprising:

one or more control circuits in electrical communication with the power source input and the one or more power switching circuits for monitoring an input voltage entering the AC voltage regulator from the AC power source and initiating appropriate voltage switching in the power circuits resulting in the desired voltage output within the predetermined range.

3. The voltage regulator of claim 2 wherein the control circuit comprises a voltage sensor, a first and second relay coil, and a microcontroller coupled to the AC power source having an input and an output,

wherein an input of the voltage sensor is connected via a protection circuit to the AC power source and to the input of the secondary winding of the regulator transformer;

an output of the voltage sensor is connected to the microcontroller input;

the microcontroller output is coupled to the first and second relay; and

the first and second relay are further coupled to the common return.

4. The voltage regulator of claim 3, wherein the said voltage sensor comprises a step-down transformer, a diode bridge and an unbalanced resistive bridge.

5. The voltage regulator of claim 1 wherein said power circuit comprises:

(a) a regulator transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein said secondary winding is connected in series with the power source input and the load output, and said primary winding is connected with the power source input such that the primary winding and the secondary winding have opposite polarities;

(b) a first power switch positioned between the input of the secondary winding and the output of the primary winding;

(c) a second power switch positioned between the input of the primary winding and the output of the secondary winding;

(d) a third power switch positioned between the output of the primary winding and a common return; and

(e) a fourth power switch positioned between the input of the primary winding and the common return,

wherein when the first and second power switches are closed and the third and fourth power switches are open, the primary and secondary windings are in parallel, electrically coupled to each other, and the voltage across the load output to be approximately equal to the power source voltage,

wherein when the second and third power switches are closed and the first and fourth power switches are open, the voltage across the load output is approximately equal to the difference between the voltage from the power source input and the voltage induced by the primary winding in the secondary winding, and

wherein when the first and fourth power switches are closed and the second and third power switches are open, the voltage across the load output is approximately equal to the sum between the voltage from the power source input and the voltage induced by the primary winding in the secondary winding.

6. The voltage regulator of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of RC circuits connected in parallel with said power switches, wherein each RC circuit comprises a capacitor and a resistor connected in series with each other.

7. The voltage regulator of claim 6 further comprising an RC circuit connected in parallel with the first power switch and located between the power source input and a point of connection between the first power switch and the output of the primary winding;

an RC circuit connected in parallel with the second power switch and located between the load output and a point of connection between the second power switch and the input of the primary winding;

an RC circuit connected in parallel with the third power switch and located between the common return and the point of connection between the third power switch and the output of the primary winding; and

an RC circuit connected in parallel with the fourth power switch and located between the common return and the point of connection between the fourth power switch and the input of the primary winding.

8. The voltage regulator of claim 1 wherein said power circuit further comprises a tapped relay having one or more tap points coupled to the primary winding, wherein said tapped relay is able to change the transformation ratio of the regulator transformer.

9. The voltage regulator of claim 1 further comprising a capacitor connected in parallel with the primary winding.

10. The voltage regulator of claim 1 further comprising a capacitor connected in parallel with the load and electrically connected to the load output and the common return.

11. The voltage regulator of claim 1 further comprising a tapped relay having one or more tap points coupled to the primary winding and two or more RC circuits, wherein said tapped relay is able to change the transformation ratio of the regulator transformer manually or via the control circuit.

12. The voltage regulator of claim 1 wherein a ratio of turns between the primary winding and secondary winding of the regulator transformer defines the predetermined range.

13. The voltage regulator of claim 1 wherein an optimal predetermined range is a service voltage supplied by utilities within established operating tolerances.

14. The voltage regulator of claim 1 wherein the voltage regulator operates as an energy saving device when the output voltage is maintained at the lower limit of the predetermined range.

15. A method of regulating voltage from an AC power source to a load without any output power interruptions during any transition time, without distortion of the AC sine wave, and without high current circulating through the circuit components during transient, said method comprising:

(a) measuring an input voltage from an AC power source to a power circuit;

(a) outputting a control signal to the power circuit; and

(b) producing a desired voltage at the load within a predetermined range,

wherein said power circuit is electrically connected to the AC power source and comprises a plurality of power switches, one or more capacitors, a plurality of RC circuits, a tapped relay, and a regulator transformer, said regulator transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein said secondary winding is connected in series with the AC power source and the load, and said primary winding is electrically connected to the AC power source via one or more of said power switches such that the primary winding and the secondary winding have opposite polarities, wherein said regulator transformer is operating in a normal mode while said measured input voltage is within a predetermined range and the primary winding is electrically connected in parallel with the secondary winding causing the voltage across the load output to be approximately equal to the power source voltage.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the steps of measuring an input voltage from an AC power source comprises:

(a) reducing an AC power source input voltage using a step-down transformer;

(b) rectifying the reduced input voltage using a diode bridge electrically connected to said step-down transformer;

(c) producing a constant voltage of regulated magnitude at the diagonal of an unbalanced resistive bridge electrically connected to said diode bridge; and

(d) analyzing the transformed input voltage from said resistive bridge.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of outputting a control signal to the power circuit comprises:

(a) selectively activating one or more of the power switches in the power circuit;

(b) redirecting current through the power circuit so that the primary winding induces a voltage in the secondary winding thereby causing the power circuit to operate in a step-up mode when said measured input voltage is below said predetermined range causing the voltage across the load output to be approximately equal to a sum between the voltage from the power source input and the voltage induced by the primary winding in the secondary winding; and

(c) maintaining an electrical connection between the primary winding and the AC power source during the transition from the normal mode of operation to the step-up mode of operation and during the transition from the step-up mode of operation to the normal mode of operation via the plurality of RC circuits and the capacitor.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of outputting a control signal to the power circuit comprises:

(a) selectively activating one or more of the power switches in the power circuit;

(b) redirecting current through the power circuit so that the primary winding induces a voltage in the secondary winding thereby causing the power circuit to operate in a step-down mode when said measured input voltage is above said predetermined range causing the voltage across the load output to be approximately equal to a difference between the voltage from the power source input and the voltage induced by the primary winding in the secondary winding; and

maintaining an electrical connection between the primary winding and the AC power source during the transition from the normal mode of operation to the step-down mode of operation and during the transition from the step-down mode of operation to the normal mode of operation via the plurality of RC circuits and the capacitor.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the predetermined range is defined as a ratio of a number of turns in the primary winding to a number of turns in the secondary winding of said regulator transformer defining a voltage variation above or below a nominal AC voltage.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein an optimal predetermined range is defined as a service voltage supplied by utilities within established operating tolerances, whereby a transformation ratio of said regulator transformer defines said predetermined range.