By Semiconductor Rectifier And Inverter Patents (Class 363/37)
  • Patent number: 10469284
    Abstract: In an arrangement of an electrically communicative voltage supply for controlled operation of at least one electrically operable IO-Link device using an electrical DC voltage provided by a voltage supply unit as well as an IO-Link communication interface which is provided for the controlled operation of the at least one IO-Link device and formed with at least one channel, the IO-Link communication interface which is formed with at least one channel and the voltage supply unit form a structural unit and the IO-Link communication interface includes an IO-link master providing a gateway function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Balluff GmbH
    Inventors: Albert Feinaeugle, Roland Schaefer
  • Patent number: 10454393
    Abstract: A current balancing system, and associated method and computer-readable medium are disclosed herein. The current balancing system comprises a plurality of power inverters, each power inverter included within a respective current loop and configured to generate a corresponding current amount. The current balancing system further comprises a plurality of inverter controllers, each inverter controller associated with a respective one of the plurality of power inverters and configured to receive a reference frame-transformed amount of the corresponding current amount. Each inverter controller is capable of independently controlling the corresponding current amount provided to a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Darren Lee Paschedag, Lijun Gao, Shengyi Liu
  • Patent number: 10436172
    Abstract: A subsea apparatus (1, 201) is disclosed. The subsea apparatus (1, 201) comprises a first part (2, 202) and a second part (3, 203) rotatably mounted on the first part (2, 202). The second part (3, 203) comprises electrically powered components (16). A motor (8, 208) is mounted on the first part (2, 202) and configured to drive rotation of the second part (3, 203) relative to the first part (2, 202). The apparatus also comprises a generator (12, 212) mounted on the second part (3, 203) such that rotation of the second part (3, 203) relative to the first part (2, 202) drives the generator (12, 212) to generate power for the electrically powered components (16). A method of providing power to a rotating part of a subsea apparatus (1, 201) is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company
    Inventor: Paul David Featonby
  • Patent number: 10432026
    Abstract: A method is provided for controlling the output voltage of a pickup in an inductive power transfer (IPT) system without any additional form of communications for feedback from the pickup to the power supply. The method comprising the steps of deriving an estimate of the output voltage of the pickup from the voltage across the primary conductive path, and adjusting the current in the primary conductive path so that the estimated pickup output voltage matches a required pickup output voltage. In particular, an estimate of the pickup output voltage is derived from the magnitude and phase angle of the voltage in the primary conductive path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Auckland UniServices Limited
    Inventors: Udaya Kumara Madawala, Duleepa Jayanath Thrimawithana
  • Patent number: 10432107
    Abstract: A rectifier circuit including a switch element, controls connection and disconnection of an AC input voltage using the switch element to generate an output voltage. The switch element includes an n-channel MOS transistor. The rectifier circuit further includes a booster circuit and a control signal generation unit, and establishes connection to the switch element at a peak portion of the input voltage. The booster circuit is configured to generate and apply a gate control signal including a voltage higher than a threshold voltage of the n-channel MOS transistor to a gate of the n-channel MOS transistor. The control signal generation unit is configured to generate and output a control signal for controlling connection and disconnection of the n-channel MOS transistor to the booster circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
    Inventor: Satoshi Yamada
  • Patent number: 10431980
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for power converter current control. In one embodiment, the method comprises controlling an instantaneous current generated by a power converter that is part of an AC battery such that (i) the power converter appears, from the perspective of an AC line coupled to the power converter, as a virtual AC voltage source in series with a virtual impedance, wherein real and reactive phasor currents for the power converter are indirectly controlled by modifying amplitude and phase of a virtual AC voltage waveform that defines the virtual AC voltage source, and (ii) active power flow is prioritized while the AC battery is operating in a charge mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Enphase Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Rowe, Donald Richard Zimmanck, Michael J. Harrison, Martin Fornage
  • Patent number: 10421351
    Abstract: An in-wheel motor system can drive an in-wheel motor stably, and also allows power feeding from the road surface, even when transmission and reception coils are misaligned. An in-wheel motor system (1) includes a power transmitter (100) that utilizes a resonance phenomenon using a magnetic field. The power transmitter (100) transmits power (P) wirelessly from the vehicle body to an in-wheel motor (10) mounted in a wheel. The in-wheel motor system (1) may also include a communication interface (110) that communicates between the vehicle body and the wheel, and the communication interface (110) may transmit a control signal (CTL) for driving the in-wheel motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignees: THE UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO, NSK Ltd., TOKYO ELECTRIC MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Fujimoto, Takehiro Imura, Gaku Yamamoto, Daisuke Gunji, Motoki Sato
  • Patent number: 10419013
    Abstract: An ADC that may include a sampler that generates a series of current pulses; a group of charge memory units; a de-multiplexor for providing charge packets that reflect the series of current pulses to the group; at least one controller that causes different charge memory units of the group to receive charge packets from different current pulses during reception periods that start and end at points of tome outside the current pulses, a group of PWM modulators that are configured to generate PWM pulses that represent the charge packets stored by the group of charge memory units; delay units and a processor that is configured to generate an output digital signal that represents the input analog signal based on selected edges of the PWM pulses and delayed PWM pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: ANALOG VALUE LTD.
    Inventors: Vladimir Koifman, Tiberiu Galambos, Anatoli Mordakhay
  • Patent number: 10411002
    Abstract: An electric power conversion circuit includes: first and second input terminals; first and second output terminals; first and third switches connected to the first output terminal; second and fourth switches connected to the second output terminal; first through fourth diodes that are bridge-connected between the first and second switches; fifth through eighth diodes that are bridge-connected between the third and fourth switches; a first bootstrap circuit that is connected to control terminals of the second and fourth switches; and a second bootstrap circuit that is connected to control terminals of the first and third switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Taiki Nishimoto, Atsushi Yamamoto, Shoichi Hara
  • Patent number: 10396682
    Abstract: A method for operating an electrical network comprising a first subnetwork and a second subnetwork that are connected to one another via a transformer and are DC isolated from one another by said transformer, wherein a primary side of the transformer having a first number of turns is assigned to the first subnetwork and a secondary side of the transformer having a second number of turns is assigned to the second subnetwork, wherein the first subnetwork has a multilevel converter having a plurality of single modules, wherein each single module has an electrical energy store, wherein the multilevel converter provides at least one first incoming AC voltage that is modulated with at least one second incoming AC voltage, wherein a voltage resulting therefrom is provided to the transformer and is transformed by the transformer to an outgoing voltage that is provided to the second subnetwork.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Stefan Götz, Malte Jaensch, Dirk Lappe
  • Patent number: 10396664
    Abstract: A redundant power supply control circuit including a power isolating circuit and a soft start circuit is provided. The power isolating circuit is configured to isolate a first power provided by a first power device from a second power provided by a second power device. When the first power is provided to the redundant power supply control circuit, the power isolating circuit outputs the first power as a main power, and otherwise, the power isolating circuit outputs the second power to a load. The soft start circuit is coupled to the power isolating circuit to receive the main power. The soft start circuit is enabled after the soft start circuit receives the main power, such that the soft start circuit outputs the main power to the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: PEGATRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ming-Chia Cheng, Hao-Ming Chen
  • Patent number: 10367425
    Abstract: A matrix converter includes a plurality of first bidirectional switches electrically connected to each of input phases of an AC power supply and each of output phases of a load, respectively, and a plurality of second bidirectional switches electrically connected to each of the input phases and each of the output phases, respectively. The first bidirectional switch and the second bidirectional switch are electrically connected in parallel to one of the input phases and one of the output phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Takayuki Morihara, Takahiro Uchino, Masahiro Tsuruta, Shigekatsu Nagatomo, Yuto Kubo
  • Patent number: 10361626
    Abstract: AC to DC converters, more specifically Power Factor Correction (PFC) circuits, using a multi-level waveform and hybrid devices are presented. From an AC voltage input a multi-level waveform is generated, which is used to generate high and low DC output voltage levels. The multi-level waveform is connected to the DC outputs through a corresponding intermediate node by an initial switch, and from the intermediate node to the corresponding output by a hybrid device. The hybrid device includes a first current path, such as a series connected switch-diode pair, in parallel with second current path of a relatively faster and lower current device, such as a diode. The resultant arrangement can use devices having lower voltage ratings relative to typical PFC circuit designs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dianbo Fu, Xiaolin Mao, Heping Dai
  • Patent number: 10345361
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments relate to a monitoring system for detecting an error of a harmonic filter in a high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system is disclosed. In some embodiments, the monitoring system comprises a harmonic filter including one or more capacitor units, a monitoring sensor unit sensing a voltage of at least one of the one or more capacitor units, and, a control unit monitoring a voltage error of the at least one capacitor unit using the sensing result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yong Kil Choi
  • Patent number: 10333340
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a power supply device and a power supply system including the same. The power supply device includes a first connector to receive an input alternating current (AC) voltage, a second connector to output a first output AC voltage to a grid, a third connector connectable with a plug of an external electronic device, a voltage conversion unit to convert a first direct current (DC) voltage stored in a battery into an AC voltage, and a controller configured to control the first output AC voltage based on the input AC voltage not to be supplied to the grid when grid power outage occurs while the first AC voltage is output to the grid, and control the input AC voltage to be output to the third connector as a second output AC voltage, or control the input AC voltage to be converted into the first DC voltage and the first DC voltage to be supplied to the battery. Thereby, the input AC voltage generated by the solar module may be utilized when grid power outage occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Juwan Kang, Jaesung You
  • Patent number: 10333419
    Abstract: A power converter for heat tracing applications is disclosed. The power converter includes a controller configured to control an input switching stage. The power converter also includes an output filter, the output filter electrically coupled to the input switching stage. Further, the power converter includes a passive cooling element, the passive cooling element coupled to the power converter. The controller is configured to select a peak voltage and set a power converter output voltage based on at least one of the peak voltage and a power converter input voltage. The passive cooling element is configured to decrease a temperature of the power converter and to obviate the need for cooling with moving parts, making the system viable for hazardous areas in addition to non-hazardous areas. The input switching stage includes a plurality of transistors. The power converter output voltage and the power converter input voltage are both alternating current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: nVent Services GmbH
    Inventors: Juergen J. Zach, Arsham Shirkhani, Dan Caouette, James F. Beres
  • Patent number: 10320183
    Abstract: A motor drive circuit comprising two or more inverters to provide current to a permanent magnet motor. Each inverter includes a respective switch arm comprising one or more switches for each phase of the motor to be driven. The motor drive circuit includes means for detecting a switch short circuit for any switch within one of the inverters and means for determining the speed of the motor. The motor drive circuit further includes a controller configured to short circuit each switch arm of the inverter containing the switch short circuit if the motor speed exceeds a predetermined threshold, but not if the motor speed does not exceed the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: GOODRICH ACTUATION SYSTEMS LIMITED
    Inventors: Maamar Benarous, Jiang Li
  • Patent number: 10312825
    Abstract: A single phase five-level inverter topology comprising a half-bridge inverter circuit with a floating capacitor which outputs five mutually different voltage levels including zero, wherein both the system cost and the size is reduced, the leakage current is eliminated substantially and high efficiency is achieved by using five-level half-bridge structure with only one AC filtering inductor. A three-phase five-level inverter topology wherein the voltage utilization is twice that of the present three-phase five-level half-bridge inverter under the same operating conditions; the AC filtering inductance is smaller than that of the three-level half-bridge inverter; the DC link mid-point voltage can be balanced without additional circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Inventors: Hongliang Wang, Yan-Fei Liu
  • Patent number: 10312714
    Abstract: A method controls a battery charger that includes a direct-current-to-direct-current series resonant converter. The converter includes a full bridge. The method includes controlling the opening of an upper transistor of the bridge, controlling the closing of the lower transistor of the same arm following an idle time after the opening of the upper transistor, after analysis of the change in the voltage across the terminals of the lower transistor during the idle time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventor: Walter Mazzola
  • Patent number: 10291143
    Abstract: A long-life intelligent step-down conversion device includes a high-frequency modulation unit including a first switching tube and a second switching tube, an inductance filtering unit including a filtering inductor, and an inverting paraphase unit. The drain of the first switching tube is connected to a DC voltage, its source connects to the drain of the second switching tube, and the source of the second switching tube is carthed. The grids of the first and second switch tubes are respectively connected to two-path anti-phased PWM pulse signals. The front end of the filtering inductor is connected to the source of the first switching tube. The inverting paraphase unit, with its input terminal connected to the back end of the filtering inductor, is configured for invertedly converting a half-wave pulse voltage output from the back end of the filtering inductor to a sine AC voltage. Which of easy to carry, without electrolytic capacitors, improving the service life, avoiding interference to the power grid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: GUANGDONG BESTEK E-COMMERCE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhigang Liao, Tao Hou
  • Patent number: 10291159
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a control system includes a chopper, a short-circuit unit, a voltage detector circuit, and a controller. The chopper reduces a direct current voltage between a converter connected to a stator in a wound induction machine and an inverter connected to a rotor in the wound induction machine. The short-circuit unit shorts a wire used for connection between the rotor and the inverter and the voltage detector circuit is to detect the direct current voltage. The controller causes driving the chopper and, at the same time, outputting from the inverter an alternating current over which a direct current component is superimposed when a voltage value exceeds a first predetermined value, and causes driving the short-circuit unit and, at the same time, halting the inverter when the voltage value exceeds a second predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Ryuta Hasegawa, Takahisa Kageyama, Kiyoshi Kusunoki, Teruyuki Ishizuki, Yuichi Shiozaki, Takashi Fujita, Hironari Kaneda
  • Patent number: 10277067
    Abstract: According to one aspect, embodiments of the invention provide a power supply system comprising an input configured to receive input power from an input power source, an output configured to provide output power to a load, a power factor correction circuit coupled to the input, an inverter coupled to the output, a bus coupled to the power factor correction circuit and the inverter, and a switching circuit coupled to the inverter, the switching circuit configured to direct power from the power factor correction circuit to the inverter when in a first mode of operation and from the bus to the inverter when in a second mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC IT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jonas Sonsby Mouridsen
  • Patent number: 10270327
    Abstract: A controller may include a memory having computer-readable instructions stored therein; and a processor configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to generate Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) signals to control power switches of an Active Front End (AFE) inverter based on at least a synthesized grid voltage vector angle at a terminal of an alternating current (AC) grid without using physical voltage sensors at the terminal of the AC grid, and control the AFE inverter to supply power to a load based on the PWM signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Tianjun Fu, Long Wu, Kent Wanner, Jason Dickherber, Chris J. Tremel
  • Patent number: 10270355
    Abstract: An AC-AC conversion circuit with AC-AC conversion control and AC voltage conversion including a voltage feedback circuit, a voltage detection circuit, a first drive circuit, a current detection circuit, a second drive circuit and a main control circuit. By using the main control circuit as the main control center, which has strong reliability and good circuit stability, the defects of complicated circuit structure and low reliability, and poor stability of the supply circuit in the existing AC-AC conversion circuit may be overcome. Also disclosed is an AC-AC conversion device which has good stability due to the highly reliable AC-AC conversion circuit thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Shenzhen Segre Electronic Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wanglong Xiong
  • Patent number: 10263535
    Abstract: A method and a device for voltage balancing of DC bus capacitors of an NPC four-level inverter are disclosed. The method includes: determining an optimal zero-sequence voltage, determining an actual reference voltage of each phase based on the optimal zero-sequence voltage; comparing respectively three preset carrier signals with the actual reference voltage of each phase to obtain three first control signals; determining three duty-cycle adjustment values based on a voltage of the intermediate bus capacitor; adjusting correspondingly the three first control signals based the three duty-cycle adjustment values to obtain three second control signals; inputting correspondingly the three second control signals to three first switches of an upper bridge corresponding to each phase; and inputting correspondingly complementary signals of the three second control signals to three second switches of a lower bridge corresponding to each phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Kui Wang, Zedong Zheng, Yongdong Li
  • Patent number: 10248148
    Abstract: A converter for symmetrical reactive power compensation has phase legs whose associated phases of a three-phase AC voltage network can be connected and are interconnected in an insulated star connection. The first phase leg is devoid of sub modules. The second and third phase legs each has a phase module with series-connected bipolar sub modules. A control device controls phase module currents and determines voltages to be set at each phase module. A decoupling unit calculates correction voltages for each phase module as a function of a first connection voltage between the first and second phase legs, a second connection voltage between the second and third phase legs and a first and/or a second control voltage each derived from target currents and the phase module currents of the second or third phase legs. The voltages to be set are derived from the control voltages and correction voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Mike Dommaschk, Martin Pieschel
  • Patent number: 10250037
    Abstract: A harmonic current compensator is connected in parallel with a harmonic generating load to a system power supply and supplies a compensation current Ia to limit a harmonic component contained in a load current IL to be input from the system power supply to the harmonic generating load. The harmonic current compensator includes: a load current detector that detects the load current IL; a compensation current detector that detects the supplied compensation current Ia; a control amount computing portion that computes a control amount of the compensation current Ia based on the harmonic component contained in the load current IL detected by the load current detector and the compensation current Ia detected by the compensation current detector; and a limiter that limits an upper limit of the compensation current Ia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akinori Hashimoto, Shinsaku Kusube
  • Patent number: 10243415
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for providing wireless power. The method includes determining a route in an area for a charger vehicle, where the charger vehicle includes a primary wireless power transceiver. The method further includes determining a schedule according to which the charger vehicle travels along the route. The method also includes determining a number of repeater vehicles to deploy in the area to extend a range of the primary transceiver of the charger vehicle. Further, the method includes deploying the determined number of repeater vehicles into the area. Furthermore, the method includes coupling each of the repeater vehicles to the charger vehicle via a respective first wireless resonant coupling link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventors: Michael Grundmann, Brian Adolf, Eric Liu, Mathias Fleck, Maaike Evers, Matt Swinton, Michael Simonian
  • Patent number: 10243035
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a switching element is provided. The method including: preparing a semiconductor substrate which includes an n-type drain region, a p-type body region, and a trench penetrating the body region and reaching the drain region; and forming a lateral surface p-type region extending along a lateral surface of the trench below the body region by heating the semiconductor substrate so as to make a part of the body region flow into the trench. The switching element includes: a gate insulating layer covering an inner surface of the trench; a bottom p-type region in contact with the gate insulating layer at a bottom surface of the trench and connected to the lateral surface p-type region; an n-type source region; and a gate electrode provided in the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuki Murakami, Yasushi Urakami, Yusuke Yamashita
  • Patent number: 10224862
    Abstract: A motor driving apparatus includes an AC-DC conversion unit that converts AC power into DC power, a power storage unit provided in a DC link between the AC-DC conversion unit and a DC-AC conversion unit, an initial charging unit that is provided in the DC link, includes a switch unit and a charging resistor connected to the switch unit in parallel, and initially charges the power storage unit, an electromagnetic contactor that opens and closes an electrical path between the AC power source and the AC-DC conversion unit, and a control unit, and after completion of driving of a motor, the control unit performs an opening operation on the electromagnetic contactor and the switch unit and performs a turn-on operation on each of the switching devices provided on the upper and lower arms in the same phase to discharge charge stored in the power storage unit by the charging resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Wataru Kuroki
  • Patent number: 10211747
    Abstract: A direct current (DC) to DC power converter includes a first bus converter for converting a first DC bus voltage into a first high frequency AC voltage and a second bus converter for converting a second high frequency alternating current (AC) voltage into a second DC bus voltage. The DC to DC converter also includes a resonant circuit for coupling the first bus converter and the second bus converter and a controller for providing switching signals to the first bus converter and the second bus converter to operate the power converter in a soft switching mode. The controller includes a switching frequency controller for determining a switching frequency signal for the power converter based on a reference output current and a phase shift controller for determining a phase shift signal for the power converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Mohammed Agamy, Dong Dong, Yan Pan, Luis Jose Garces
  • Patent number: 10205399
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a power converter are provided. A DC to AC converter can include an inner converter and an outer converter. The inner converter can include an isolation transformer a first plurality of switching devices. The outer converter can include a second plurality of switching devices. A control method can include determining an output voltage of the outer converter. The control method can further include controlling operation of the inner converter based at least in part on the output voltage of the outer converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Dong Dong, Robert Gregory Wagoner, Govardhan Ganireddy, Ravisekhar Nadimpalli Raju
  • Patent number: 10186957
    Abstract: A soft-switching control circuit of a boost-type PFC converter is provided. The boost-type PFC converter is a three-phase six-switch boost-type PFC converter, which includes six primary switching transistors and an auxiliary switching transistor. The control circuit includes a primary switch control circuit configured to output driving signals for the primary switching transistors by a one-cycle control algorithm to drive two of the primary switching transistors, and an auxiliary switch control circuit configured to provide a reset signal to the primary switch control circuit for governing a command from the primary switch control circuit to the primary switching transistors. The auxiliary switch control circuit outputs a driving signal for the auxiliary switching transistor to control the auxiliary switching transistor. The primary switch control circuit includes a section selecting circuit, an integrating circuit, a merging circuit and a comparing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS, CAS
    Inventors: Qihui Zhen, Qingyun Di
  • Patent number: 10186995
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a power converter with a plurality of inverter blocks with silicon carbide MOSFETs are provided. A DC to AC converter can include a plurality of inverter blocks. Each inverter block can include a plurality of switching devices. A control method can include identifying one of a plurality of switching patterns for operation of the inverter block for each inverter block. Each switching pattern can include a plurality of switching commands. The control method can further include controlling each inverter block based on the identified switching pattern for the inverter block. The control method can further include rotating the switching patterns among the plurality of inverter blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Dong Dong, Robert Gregory Wagoner, Govardhan Ganireddy, Ravisekhar Nadimpalli Raju, Rui Zhou
  • Patent number: 10177682
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to converter modules. The teachings thereof may be embodied in converter modules for a multi-level energy converter. For example, a method for operating a converter module of a multi-level energy converter by means of a control unit and via a control connection may include: controlling the switching states of one of two converter module connections of the converter module and a switching unit incorporating the control connection. Two series-connected converter module capacitors connected to the switching unit respectively deliver a converter module capacitor voltage. The switching unit switches the converter module capacitor voltage of one of the converter module capacitors or a summed voltage of the series-connected converter module capacitors to the converter module connections, according to the respective switching state of the switching unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Gopal Mondal, Matthias Neumeister, Sebastian Nielebock
  • Patent number: 10177702
    Abstract: A conduction noise filtering circuit configured to inhibit conduction noise is provided. The conduction noise filtering circuit includes a first coil part configured to be supplied with alternating current (AC) power, a second coil part configured to be connected to the first coil part in series, a detector configured to detect common mode noise from at least one selected from the first coil part and the second coil part, and a capacitor configured to supply a current offsetting common mode noise between power lines connecting the first coil part and the second coil part in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuhisa Shimura, Seisaku Oosako, Yasuyuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 10177761
    Abstract: A digital output circuit to be driven by an insulated power-supply circuit includes a transistor to turn on/off an external power supply in accordance with a signal output by a light receiving element in an insulating circuit in response to a signal processed by a controller. The external supply is connected to an output device. The output circuit includes a switching unit having first and second mechanisms to switch each of wires between a connected state and a non-connected state at two places between the light receiving element and the source or emitter of the transistor, and a logic adjusting unit to adjust inversion of a logic output of the light receiving element in correspondence to the type of the transistor, such that the output circuit is switched between a sink-current type and a source-current type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Shionoya, Satoru Ishizaka, Hisashi Hirokawa, Seigo Inobe
  • Patent number: 10177683
    Abstract: A multi-level inverter includes a direct current input, a first bidirectional switch, a second bidirectional switch, a third capacitor, and an inverter. The direct current input includes a first capacitor and a second capacitor connected in series between positive and negative terminals of the direct current input power supply. The inverter includes a first switching tube, a second switching tube, a third switching tube, and a fourth switching tube that are connected in series co-directionally between the positive and negative terminals of the direct current input power supply. One terminal of the first bidirectional switch is connected to a connection point between the third switching tube and the fourth switching tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lei Shi, Dianbo Fu, Zhen Cao
  • Patent number: 10168368
    Abstract: A method for estimating capacitance applied to a three phase converting device is disclosed. The three phase converting device includes a three phase converter and a processor. The processor executes following steps: (a) outputting a non-baseband signal to the three phase converter, such that a bus voltage of the three phase converter generates a non-baseband flutter; (b) obtaining the bus voltage of the three phase converter; (c) obtaining a bus voltage estimating value based on the bus voltage, a bus capacitance estimating value, an input power, and an output power of the three phase converter; (d) respectively outputting a first AC component and a second AC component corresponding to the non-baseband flutter through filtering the bus voltage and the bus voltage estimating value by a filter segment; (e) estimating a bus capacitance based on the first AC component, the second AC component and a bus capacitance initial value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Ming-Xuan Dong, Yan Ma, Chang-Yong Wang, Ai-Bin Qiu
  • Patent number: 10164453
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for managing the energy supplied to a low-voltage system of a motor vehicle that comprises an energy-recovery stage. The low-voltage system, operating at a first voltage, comprises a battery, a system for charging the battery, and motor-vehicle loads supplied by the battery and/or by the alternator. A high-voltage system operates at a second voltage higher than the first voltage. The high-voltage system includes the vehicle energy-recovery stage, which supplies the second voltage. The second voltage is supplied through an intermediate energy-storage system and a DC-DC converter, which converts the second voltage into the first voltage on the low-voltage bus. A module regulates the alternator, that activates at least one first operating mode in which the alternator regulates a voltage of the battery at a nominal operating value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignees: Magneti Mirelli S.p.A., Sistemi Sospensioni S.p.A.
    Inventors: Andrea Nepote, Giordano Greco, Piero Antonio Conti
  • Patent number: 10153712
    Abstract: In one example, a power converter includes a modular multilevel converter (MMC) electrically coupled between a first power system and a second power system. The MMC includes an arrangement of switching submodules, and the switching submodules include an arrangement of switching power transistors and capacitors. The MMC also includes a controller configured to inject a common mode frequency signal into a circulating current control loop. The circulating current control loop is relied upon to reduce at least one low frequency component in power used for charging the capacitors in the switching submodules. By injecting the common mode frequency signal into the circulating current control loop, the switching submodules can be switched at higher frequencies, the capacitances of the capacitors in the MMC can be reduced, and the power density of the MMC can be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: VIRGINIA TECH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES, INC.
    Inventors: Jun Wang, Rolando Burgos, Dushan Boroyevich
  • Patent number: 10153706
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a precharge device and a frequency converter. The precharge device is applied in a flying capacitor type multi-level converter circuit, and the multi-level converter circuit includes: a flying capacitor, a bus capacitor, a first and second semiconductor components, wherein the first semiconductor component is electrically connected between a first end of the flying capacitor and a first end of the bus capacitor, and the second semiconductor component is electrically connected between a second end of the flying capacitor and a second end of the bus capacitor; and the precharge device includes: an AC source; and an auxiliary circuit electrically connected with the AC source, wherein the auxiliary circuit reuses the first and second semiconductor components, and the AC source charges the flying capacitor and the bus capacitor through the auxiliary circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jianping Ying, Teng Liu, Yi Zhang, Yong Zeng
  • Patent number: 10148205
    Abstract: Systems and methods for operating a power converter with a plurality of inverter blocks with silicon carbide MOSFETs are provided. A converter can include a plurality of inverter blocks. Each inverter block can include a plurality of switching devices. The plurality of switching devices can include one or more silicon carbide MOSFETs. A control method can include providing, by a control system, one or more gating commands to a first inverter block in the plurality of inverter blocks. The control method can further include implementing, by the control system, a gating command delay to generate a first delayed gating command based at least in part on the one or more gating commands. The control method can further include providing, by the control system, the first delayed gating command to a second inverter block in the plurality of inverter blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Gregory Wagoner, Dong Dong, Govardhan Ganireddy, David Smith
  • Patent number: 10137790
    Abstract: An electric machine is configured with at least two sets of phase windings. A plurality of power switches is configured to selectively couple voltage terminals to each of the phase windings. A controller is programmed to operate the power switches according to a switching pattern, for each of the sets, updated at intervals defined by a switching frequency such that the switching patterns are different during each one of the intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jiyao Wang, Wei Xu
  • Patent number: 10135401
    Abstract: A switching amplifier includes a plurality of cascade elements, each bridge circuit includes an inductive load coupled between a first leg terminal of one of the at least two leg circuits and a second leg terminal of another one of the at least two leg circuits. A first leg voltage of the first leg terminal have a phase shift relative to a second leg voltage of the second leg terminal, the phase shift is used for causing the inductive load to store electric energy and generating a minimum circulating current?I min or I min sufficient to effect conducting of a corresponding diode; each of the switches is configured to be turned on if the corresponding diode conducts current to effect zero voltage switching of the corresponding switch. The minimum circulating current?I min or I min is equal to a constant value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Ying Mei, Pengcheng Zhu, Juan Antonio Sabate, Song Chi, Ruxi Wang, Jianguo Xiao
  • Patent number: 10128776
    Abstract: An inverter device includes a converter circuit unit, an inverter circuit unit, and a current detector. The inverter device includes a calculator that calculates a frequency command value based on output current detected by the current detector, and a pulse signal output unit that outputs a pulse signal based on the frequency command value calculated by the calculator. The calculator includes a calculator and a calculator. The calculator estimates a target frequency from a load torque and motor characteristics, and calculates a first frequency command value with the estimated target frequency as a target. The calculator calculates a second frequency command value to cause torque current detected based on the output current detected by the current detector to follow a torque current limit value calculated based on the output current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kamiko
  • Patent number: 10128769
    Abstract: A power adjusting circuit includes a sensor configured to measure a voltage and a current of the first AC output by an inverter, an AC/DC/AC converter configured to receive the first AC output from the inverter, and a controller configured to convert the first AC output to a second AC output having a desired power factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Julian De Hoog, Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, Ramachandra Kolluri
  • Patent number: 10122261
    Abstract: An MMC includes arms each configured with one unit converter or a plurality of cells connected in series. A control circuit of the cell transmits a voltage detected value of a DC capacitor to a control device and controls on/off of a switching element in accordance with a control signal received from the control device. When the voltage detected value of at least one cell exceeds a first threshold voltage, the control device transmits a gate block signal to the control circuit of each cell. The control circuit of each cell autonomously fixes the switching element of its own main circuit to an off state and short-circuits the output terminals of the main circuit, irrespective of the control signal, when its own voltage detected value exceeds a second threshold voltage higher than the first threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM CORPORATION
    Inventor: Taichiro Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 10116226
    Abstract: A multi-phase electric drive includes a multi-phase power transformer, including a primary winding and a first number of secondary windings, said primary winding being electrically connectable to a source of multi-phase AC power; a first number of power units, each of said first number of power units having input connected with a corresponding one of said first number of secondary windings, and a multiple of said first number of power units being serially connected with respective others of said power units in each phase output line connectable to a multi-phase AC load; at least one measurement device, being electrically connected with said input to at least one of said first number of power units and being adapted for measuring an electrical quantity at the input thereto; and a control system, being adapted for detecting a fault based on a value for the measured electrical quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Quyen Tran, Andreas Voegeli
  • Patent number: 10112054
    Abstract: Several defibrillators, defibrillator architectures, defibrillator components and methods of operating defibrillators are described. In one aspect, a defibrillator (as for example an automated external defibrillator) that can be powered by a mobile communication device such as a smart cellular phone or a tablet computer is described. Utilizing a phone (or other mobile communication device) as the power supply for an external defibrillator allows the external defibrillator to be smaller and, in some circumstance, removes the need for a battery that stores sufficient energy for shock delivery—which would need to be checked and/or replaced on a regular basis. Additionally, when desired, certain control functionality, computation, data processing, and user instructions can be handled/presented by the mobile communications device thereby further simplifying the defibrillator design and improving the user experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Revive Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Rory M. Beyer, Charles Stonewall Montgomery, Gordon Moseley P. Andrews