Alternating-current power supply device recovering magnetic energy

• US 7,843,166 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2009
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Merstech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Merstech, Inc.
• Inventors: Sumitani, Hideo, Isobe, Takanori, Takaku, Taku, Shimada, Ryuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOATENG, ALEXIS ASIEDUA
• Application Number:
  US12/490,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20090251114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 320/128, 320/104, 320/123, 320/163, 320/164, 320/142, 320/145, 320/141, 320/140, 320/137, 307/65, 307/66, 307/67, 307/64
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4208 Arrangements for improving power factor of AC input
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1555 for the generation of a regulated current to a load whose impedance is substantially inductive
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/16 using ac to ac converters without intermediate conversion to dc H02P27/05 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier

Abstract

The present invention relates to an alternating-current power supply device which can improve a power factor of an alternating-current load, realizes low cost and miniaturization, and recovers magnetic energy. The alternating-current power supply device includes a bridge circuit composed of four reverse conducting semiconductor switches, a capacitor that is connected between direct-current terminals of the bridge circuit and absorbs the magnetic energy at the time of cutting off the current, an alternating-current voltage source that is connected to the induction load in series and is inserted between alternating-current terminals of the bridge circuit, and a control circuit that gives a control signal to gates of the respective reverse conducting semiconductor switches and controls on/off states of the respective reverse conducting semiconductor switches. The control circuit simultaneously controls the on/off operation of the paired reverse conducting semiconductor switches positioned on a diagonal line of the four reverse conducting semiconductor switches composing the bridge circuit, makes a control so that when one pair of the two pairs is ON, the other pair is OFF, and switches the control signal in synchronization with a voltage of the alternating-current voltage source.

Claims

1. An alternating-current power supply device which supplies an alternating current to an induction load and recovers magnetic energy at the time of cutting off an current so as to utilize the magnetic energy as an current to be supplied to the induction load, the alternating-current power supply device comprising:

a bridge circuit composed of four reverse conducting semiconductor switches;

a capacitor that is connected between direct-current terminals of the bridge circuit and stores the magnetic energy at the time of cutting off the current;

an alternating-current voltage source that is connected to the induction load in series and is inserted between alternating-current terminals of the bridge circuit; and

a control circuit that gives a control signal to gates of the respective reverse conducting semiconductor switches and controls on/off states of the respective reverse conducting semiconductor switches,

wherein the control circuit simultaneously controls the on/off operation of the paired reverse conducting semiconductor switches positioned on a diagonal line of the four reverse conducting semiconductor switches composing the bridge circuit, makes a control so that when one pair of the two pairs is ON, the other pair is OFF, and switches the control signal in synchronization with a voltage of the alternating-current voltage source.

2. An alternating-current power supply device for recovering the magnetic energy according to claim 1, wherein the respective reverse conducting semiconductor switches are any one of power MOS FET, a reverse conducting GTO thyristor, and a unit composed of parallel connection between a diode and a semiconductor switch such as IGBT.