METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RESONANT POWER CONVERSION

• US 20120170341A1
• Filed: 01/03/2012
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Enphase Energy Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Enphase Energy Incorporated
• Inventors: Fornage, Martin, Zimmanck, Donald Richard
• Granted Patent: US 9,479,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/132
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4241 using a resonant converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/297 for conversion of frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/5387 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

A method and apparatus for providing multi-phase power. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a cycloconverter controller for determining a charge ratio based on a reference waveform; and a cycloconverter, coupled to the cycloconverter controller and to a multi-phase AC line, for selectively coupling an alternating current to each line of the multi-phase AC line based on the charge ratio.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing multi-phase power, comprising:

a cycloconverter controller for determining a charge ratio based on a reference waveform; and

a cycloconverter, coupled to the cycloconverter controller and to a multi-phase AC line, for selectively coupling an alternating current to each line of the multi-phase AC line based on the charge ratio.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the charge ratio indicates relative values of each phase of the reference waveform during a time window.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cycloconverter controller dynamically determines the charge ratio for each time window of a plurality of consecutive time windows.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein selectively coupling the first alternating current comprises partitioning a cycle of the alternating current based on the charge ratio and coupling each partitioned portion of the alternating current to a different phase of the multi-phase AC line.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reference waveform is synchronous with an AC voltage on the multi-phase AC line.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a resonant circuit for generating the alternating current, wherein the resonant circuit is formed from a series combination of a transformer and a capacitor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein selectively coupling the alternating current comprises deactivating a single switch on each output line of at least one output line.

8. A method for providing multi-phase power, comprising:

determining a charge ratio based on a reference waveform; and

selectively coupling an alternating current to each line of a multi-phase AC line based on the charge ratio.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the charge ratio indicates relative values of each phase of the reference waveform during a time window.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the charge ratio is dynamically determined for each time window of a plurality of consecutive time windows.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein selectively coupling the first alternating current comprises partitioning a cycle of the alternating current based on the charge ratio and coupling each partitioned portion of the alternating current to a different phase of the multi-phase AC line.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating the reference waveform synchronous with an AC voltage on the multi-phase AC line.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating the alternating current by a resonant circuit formed from a series combination of a transformer and a capacitor.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein selectively coupling the alternating current comprises deactivating a single switch on each output line of at least one output line.

15. A system for providing multi-phase power, comprising:

a photovoltaic (PV) module; and

a resonant converter, coupled to the PV module and to a multi-phase AC line, comprising;

a cycloconverter controller for determining a charge ratio based on a reference waveform; and

a cycloconverter, coupled to the cycloconverter controller and to the multi-phase AC line, for selectively coupling an alternating current to each line of the multi-phase AC line based on the charge ratio, wherein the alternating current is generated from a direct current from the PV module.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the charge ratio indicates relative values of each phase of the reference waveform during a time window.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein selectively coupling the first alternating current comprises partitioning a cycle of the alternating current based on the charge ratio and coupling each partitioned portion of the alternating current to a different phase of the multi-phase AC line.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the reference waveform is synchronous with an AC voltage on the multi-phase AC line.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the resonant converter further comprises a resonant circuit for generating the alternating current, wherein the resonant circuit is formed from a series combination of a transformer and a capacitor.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein selectively coupling the alternating current comprises deactivating a single switch on at least one output line.