POWER LINE CURRENT FED POWER SUPPLIES PRODUCING STABLE LOAD CURRENTS AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20120236611A1
• Filed: 03/16/2011
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marmon Utility, LLC
• Original Assignee: Marmon Utility, LLC
• Inventors: Alexandrov, Felix I., Williams, Michael L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,437,157 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/126
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0087 adapted for receiving as input a current source
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/155 using semiconductor devices only

Abstract

Power line current fed power supplies producing stable load currents and related methods are described. The power supplies may include a current transformer coupled to an inductive network. In some embodiments, the current transformer operates in saturation mode. In some embodiments, a substantially constant DC current is generated having a magnitude that remains substantially constant despite variations of the magnitude of AC current in the power line.

Claims

1. A power supply circuit, comprising:

a current transformer comprising a winding wrapped at least partially around a core, the core adapted to be placed at least partially around a power line, and the winding configured to provide a current transformer output current when the core is placed at least partially around the power line; and

an inductive circuit coupled to the winding to receive the current transformer output current, the inductive circuit comprising an inductor configured in series with the current transformer, wherein the inductive circuit is configured to provide a substantially constant direct current (DC) current in response to an alternating current in the power line for at least one mode of operation of the power supply circuit.

2. The power supply circuit of claim 1, wherein the current transformer is configured to operate in magnetic saturation.

3. The power supply circuit of claim 1, wherein the alternating current in the power line is a variable alternating current, wherein the inductive circuit further comprises a rectification circuit and wherein the substantially constant DC current is a rectified current.

4. The power supply circuit of claim 3, wherein the rectification circuit is coupled between the inductor and the current transformer.

5. The power supply circuit of claim 3, wherein the inductor is coupled between the current transformer and the rectification circuit.

6. The power supply circuit of claim 3, wherein the rectification circuit comprises a half bridge rectification configuration.

7. The power supply circuit of claim 3, wherein the rectification circuit comprises a full bridge rectification configuration.

8. The power supply circuit of claim 3, further comprising at least one capacitor coupled to an output of the inductive circuit.

9. The power supply circuit of claim 8, further comprising a precision reference integrated circuit (IC) coupled across the at least one capacitor and configured to limit a maximum voltage across the at least one capacitor.

11. The power supply circuit of claim 1, wherein the inductive circuit includes only passive components.

12. The power supply circuit of claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit includes only passive components.

13. The power supply circuit of claim 1, wherein the current transformer is a non-gapped current transformer.

14. The power supply circuit of claim 1, wherein the substantially constant DC current has a magnitude that is substantially independent of a magnitude of the alternating current in the power line.

15. The power supply circuit of claim 14, wherein the magnitude of the substantially constant DC current is substantially independent of the magnitude of the alternating current in the power line over a range of the magnitude of the alternating current in the power line at least from approximately 100 Amps to approximately 1000 Amps.

16. An apparatus comprising a current sensor configured to monitor current through a power line in combination with the power supply circuit of claim 1, wherein the current sensor is configured to receive power from the power supply circuit.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the current sensor is configured to detect a fault condition of the power line.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the current sensor is configured to log data with respect to operation of the power line.

19. The power supply circuit of claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit is configured to operate in a charging mode in which an energy storage block is being charged, and operate in a steady state mode in which the energy storage block is not being charged, and wherein the at least one mode of operation comprises a first mode of operation corresponding to the charging mode or the steady state mode.

20. The power supply circuit of claim 19, wherein the substantially constant DC current has a first value when the power supply circuit operates in the charging mode and has a second value when the power supply circuit operates in the steady state mode.

21. The power supply of claim 9, wherein the at least one capacitor is a supercapacitor.

22. The power supply circuit of claim 1, further comprising an energy storage block, wherein the power supply circuit is configured to provide a substantially constant DC charging current to the energy storage block when charging the energy storage block, despite variations in voltage across the energy storage block.

10. The power supply circuit of 1, wherein the inductor is configured to operate in a linear mode.

23. A method of operating a power supply, comprising:

producing a transformer output current from a secondary winding of a current transformer in response to an alternating current being input to the current transformer;

receiving the transformer output current at an input of an inductive circuit coupled to the current transformer; and

providing a substantially constant direct current (DC) current from the inductive circuit in response to receiving the transformer output current at the input of the inductive circuit for at least one mode of operation of the power supply.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein providing a substantially constant DC current from the inductive circuit comprises operating an inductor of the inductive circuit in a linear mode.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising rectifying the transformer output current using the inductive circuit.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein rectifying the transformer output current using the inductive circuit comprises rectifying the transformer output current with a half bridge rectifier.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein rectifying the transformer output current using the inductive circuit comprises rectifying the transformer output current with a full bridge rectifier.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein providing a substantially constant DC current from the inductive circuit comprises providing a substantially constant DC current having a magnitude substantially independent of a magnitude of the alternating current input to the current transformer.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the magnitude of the substantially constant DC current is substantially independent of the magnitude of the alternating current input to the current transformer over a range of the magnitude of the alternating current at least from approximately 100 Amps to approximately 1000 Amps.

30. The method of claim 23, further comprising charging an energy storage block using the substantially constant DC current from the inductive circuit.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein charging the energy storage block using the substantially constant DC current from the inductive circuit comprises charging a capacitor.

32. The method of claim 23, further comprising powering a current sensor with the substantially constant DC current.

33. The method of claim 23, further comprising configuring the current transformer at least partially about a power line carrying the alternating current.

34. The method of claim 23, further comprising operating the power supply in a charging mode of operation during which an energy storage device is being charged using the substantially constant DC current from the inductive circuit, wherein the at least one mode of operation is the charging mode of operation.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising switching between the charging mode of operation and a steady state mode of operation during which the energy storage device of the power supply is not being charged by the substantially constant DC current from the inductive circuit.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the substantially constant DC current from the inductive circuit has a first current magnitude in the charging mode of operation, and wherein the method further comprises providing the substantially constant DC current with a second current magnitude in the steady state mode of operation.

37. The method of claim 23, further comprising operating the power supply in a steady state mode of operation during which an energy storage device of the power supply is not being charged by the substantially constant DC current from the inductive circuit, and wherein the at least one mode of operation is the steady state mode of operation.

38. A power circuit for converting an alternating current (AC) input current to a direct current (DC) current, the power circuit comprising:

a current transformer couplable to a power line, the current transformer comprising a toroidal magnetic core configured to be placed about the power line, the current transformer further comprising a secondary winding wound around at least a portion of the toroidal magnetic core;

an inductor coupled in series with the secondary winding and configured to operate in a linear mode;

a rectification circuit coupled to the inductor;

a first supercapacitor; and

a second supercapcitor in series with the first supercapacitor

wherein the inductor and the rectification circuit are configured in combination to receive a current from the secondary winding of the current transformer and to provide a substantially constant DC current from a first terminal corresponding to a first terminal of the first supercapacitor in response to an AC input current in the power line for at least one mode of operation of the power circuit.

39. The power circuit of claim 38, wherein the inductor has an inductance selected to cause the current transformer to operate in magnetic saturation for any magnitude of the AC input current in the power line from approximately 5 Amps to approximately 1000 Amps.

40. The power circuit of claim 38, wherein the toroidal magnetic core is a non-gapped core.

41. The power circuit of claim 38, wherein a magnitude of the substantially constant DC current is substantially independent of a magnitude of the AC input current in the power line over a range of the magnitude of the AC input current at least from approximately 100 Amps to approximately 1000 Amps.

42. The power circuit of claim 38, wherein the rectification circuit is coupled between the inductor and the current transformer.

43. The power circuit of claim 38, wherein the inductor is coupled between the current transformer and the rectification circuit.

44. The power circuit of claim 38, wherein the rectification circuit comprises a half bridge rectification configuration.

45. The power circuit of claim 38, wherein the rectification circuit comprises a full bridge rectification configuration.

46. The power circuit of claim 38, further comprising a precision reference integrated circuit coupled across the first supercapacitor and configured to limit a maximum voltage across the first supercapacitor.

47. The power circuit of claim 38, wherein the power circuit includes only passive components.

48. The power circuit of claim 38, wherein the power circuit is operable in a charging mode during which the first and second supercapacitors are being charged by the substantially constant DC current and a steady state mode during which the first and second supercapacitors are not being charged by the substantially constant DC current, and wherein the substantially constant DC current has a first magnitude in the charging mode and a second magnitude lower than the first magnitude in the steady state mode.

49. An apparatus comprising a current sensor configured to monitor current through a power line in combination with the power circuit of claim 38, wherein the current sensor is configured to receive at least part of the substantially constant DC current as a power signal.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the current sensor is configured to detect a fault condition of the power line.

51. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the current sensor is configured to log data with respect to operation of the power line.

52-72. -72. (canceled)