Abstract: An electrical system for supplying power to an electrical resistive heater that heats the catalyst of a catalytic converter. The electrical system includes an alternating current generator that has an output winding and a field winding that is carried by the rotor of the generator. The rotor is driven by an engine on a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle loads, including a storage battery are supplied with current by a first bridge rectifier that is connected to the output winding of the generator. The resistive catalyst heater is supplied with current by a circuit that includes a step-up transformer connected between the output winding of the generator and a second bridge rectifier that feeds the heater. The system can be operated in a high power mode for supplying a higher level of power to the heater.

Abstract: A voltage regulator for converting an unregulated input voltage into a regulated D.C. voltage. The voltage regulator includes a driver transformer which periodically receives energizing current from a voltage source through a transistor switch. A switching regulator controller regulates the conduction time of the transistor so as to control the amount of energizing current supplied to the driver transformer. The driver transformer secondary windings drive the base of output transistors which, when conducting, connect the primary windings of an output transformer to the voltage supply. A capacitor is connected in parallel with the primary winding of the driver transformer so as to short circuit the primary winding of the drive transformer when the driver transistor is turned off. The current flow in the secondary of the driver transistor causes removal of the stored base charge from the output transistors which decreases the turn off time of the output transistors.

Abstract: An apparatus that provides constant illumination in response to an AC input power source having variable magnitude. The input power passes through a full wave rectifier and is then switched by a solid state switching device having conductive and nonconductive states to a passive L-C filter. The output of the filter energizes one or more lamps to provide the illumination. A phase control circuit is responsive to a sync signal from the full wave rectifier and a feedback signal from the output of the filter and controls the phase angle conduction time of the solid state switching device at a repetition rate related to the frequency of the AC input power to provide constant illumination from the lamp.

Abstract: D.C. power supply having a reactive buck automatic D.C. voltage regulator which directly controls the rectified D.C. output of a loosely coupled transformer thereby providing load regulation from an unregulated alternating current source. The load current passes through the secondary winding of an auxiliary buck transformer and is stepped down to a much lower value in the primary winding of the auxiliary buck transformer. The primary winding of the auxiliary buck transformer is coupled to an isolated winding on the core of a ferroresonant C.V.T. transformer which receives the unregulated alternating current input signal, and the coupling between the isolated winding and the primary winding of the buck transformer effects a bilateral energy transfer between the two transformers which effects a real time reactive compensation which regulates the D.C.