Universal power conversion devices for alternating current electric apparatus

• US 9,385,627 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2014
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Jezierski, Chester Stanley Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane, Adolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE III, HENRY E
• Application Number:
  US14/492,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20160087548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/14 using tap transformers or tap changing inductors as final control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 29/04 having provision for tap-changing without interrupting the load current
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/009 having two or more independently controlled outputs for DC-DC converter with intermediate AC H02M3/33561
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/10 Arrangements incorporating converting means for enabling loads to be operated at will from different kinds of power supplies, e.g. from ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/10 using transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/44 by static converters

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to universal power conversion devices for alternating current electric apparatus. One example power conversion device includes a plurality of transformers and a plurality of terminal blocks. The plurality of terminal blocks comprise at least an AC input terminal block for receiving an input alternating current signal and a primary coil terminal block. The primary coil terminal block has a plurality of output terminals respectively connected to a plurality of taps of a plurality of primary coils of the plurality of transformers. A plurality of jumpers respectively providing electrical connection between respective output terminals of the AC input terminal block and input terminals of the primary coil terminal block are selectively reconfigurable for reconfiguring a power conversion applied to the input alternating current signal by the power conversion device.

Claims

1. A power conversion device comprising:

a plurality of transformers; and

a plurality of terminal blocks;

wherein the plurality of terminal blocks comprise at least an AC input terminal block for receiving an input alternating current signal and a primary coil terminal block, the primary coil terminal block having a plurality of output terminals respectively connected to a plurality of taps of a plurality of primary coils of the plurality of transformers; and

wherein a plurality of jumpers respectively providing electrical connection between respective output terminals of the AC input terminal block and input terminals of the primary coil terminal block are selectively reconfigurable for reconfiguring a power conversion applied to the input alternating current signal by the power conversion device;

wherein the plurality of terminal blocks further comprise;

a secondary coil terminal block having a plurality of input terminals respectively connected to a plurality of taps of a plurality of secondary coils of the plurality of transformers; and

an AC output terminal block for outputting one or more output alternating current signals.

2. The power conversion device of claim 1, wherein the AC input terminal block receives the input alternating current signal from an energy storage system.

3. The power conversion device of claim 2, wherein:

the energy storage system comprises a plurality of batteries and an inverter;

the plurality of batteries configured to provide a direct current signal to the inverter; and

the inverter configured to convert the direct current signal into the input alternating current signal to provide to the AC input terminal block.

4. The power conversion device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transformers comprise a plurality of multi-tap transformers.

5. The power conversion device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transformers comprise a first transformer, a second transformer, and a third transformer, and wherein each of the first, second, and third transformers comprises:

a first and second primary coil, each of the first and second primary coils having a first, second, third, fourth, and fifth tap; and

a first and second secondary coil, each of the first and second secondary coils having a first and second tap.

6. The power conversion device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of jumpers are selectively reconfigurable to provide a series output connection.

7. The power conversion device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of jumpers are selectively reconfigurable to provide a parallel output connection.

8. The power conversion device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of jumpers are selectively reconfigurable to provide a wye output connection for a three phase load.

9. The power conversion device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of jumpers are selectively reconfigurable to provide a delta output connection for a three phase load.

10. A method for operating a power conversion device, the power conversion device comprising a plurality of transformers, an AC input terminal configured to receive an input alternating current signal and a primary coil terminal block that has a plurality of output terminals respectively connected to a plurality of taps of a plurality of primary coils of the plurality of transformers, the method comprising:

accessing the power conversion device;

reconfiguring a plurality of jumpers respectively providing electrical connection between respective output terminals of the AC input terminal block and input terminals of the primary coil terminal block to reconfigure a power conversion applied to the input alternating current signal by the power conversion device;

prior to reconfiguring the plurality of jumpers respectively providing electrical connection between respective output terminals of the AC input terminal block and input terminals of the primary coil terminal block to reconfigure the power conversion applied to the input alternating current signal;

determining a first voltage and a first phase characteristic associated with the input alternating current signal; and

determining a desired load voltage associated with an output alternating current signal;

wherein the plurality of jumpers are reconfigured based at least in part on the first voltage, the first phase characteristic, and the desired load voltage.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving the input alternating current signal from an energy storage system, wherein the energy storage system comprises a plurality of batteries and an inverter.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the input alternating current signal from the energy storage system comprises receiving the input alternating current signal from the inverter, wherein the inverter converts a direct current signal from the plurality of batteries into the input alternating current signal.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein reconfiguring the plurality of jumpers to reconfigure the power conversion applied to the input alternating current signal comprises reconfiguring the plurality of jumpers such that the power conversion device performs one or more of load leveling, peak shaving, frequency regulation, peak shifting, firming, and arbitrage.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining a desired load phase characteristic;

wherein the plurality of jumpers are reconfigured based at least in part on the first voltage, the first phase characteristic, the desired load voltage, and the desired load phase characteristic.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of jumpers are reconfigured to provide a series output connection.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of jumpers are reconfigured to provide a parallel output connection.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of jumpers are reconfigured to provide a wye output connection for a three-phase load.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of jumpers are reconfigured to provide a delta output connection for a three-phase load.