Plural Inverters Patents (Class 363/71)
  • Patent number: 7372712
    Abstract: Methods for controlling a multiple DC-to-AC inverter system, which is suitable for an electric or hybrid vehicle application, are disclosed. In one embodiment, if an inverter fails or suffers from degraded performance (faulty inverter), the faulty inverter is disabled and drive signals to a healthy inverter that is coupled to the faulty inverter are updated such that the healthy inverter can remain active without being driven into an over-current condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Constantin C. Stancu, Mark L Selogie
  • Patent number: 7362597
    Abstract: A motive power outputting apparatus includes motor generators, inverters, and a transformer. The motor generator includes a three-phase coil, and the motor generator includes a three-phase coil. The inverter allows an in-phase AC current to pass through an U-phase coil, a V-phase coil and a W-phase coil of the three-phase coil. The inverter allows an in-phase AC current, which has a phase being inverted relative to that of the in-phase AC current passing through the three-phase coil, to pass through an U-phase coil, a V-phase coil and a W-phase coil of the three-phase coil. The transformer converts an AC voltage generated in a primary coil and outputs a commercial-power-source AC voltage to terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuhiro Ishikawa, Satoshi Fujii
  • Patent number: 7359223
    Abstract: A power converter system for supplying an output voltage is provided. The power converter system is adapted to operate in a normal mode and a fault mode. The system comprises a plurality of bridges and a plurality of transformers. The system further comprises a plurality of dc link capacitors, each coupled across a corresponding bridge. The system also includes a controller adapted for, during the normal mode, switching each bridge with a respective normal phase shift. During the fault mode, the controller is adapted for switching each of the remaining ones of the bridges with a respective adjusted phase shift to generate the output voltage. During the fault mode, at least one of the plurality of bridges is bypassed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Rajib Datta, Kunlun Chen, Haiqing Weng, Ravisekhar Nadimpalli Raju
  • Patent number: 7351931
    Abstract: Provided is a switching power supply unit which uses a multilayer board or a stack of planar conductors as the windings of transformers so as to reduce the volume of the transformers and to have high efficiency, small size and small noise. The switching power supply unit is formed by connecting a plurality of capacitors (23), (24), (25) and (26) connected in series with each other to input terminals (22a) and (22b) of a plurality of switching power supplies having switching elements (27), (28), (29) and (30), transformers (31) and (32), and rectifiers (33), (34), (37) and (38). The switching power supply unit inputs the voltages of capacitors (23)-(26), and outputs the respective voltages developed by the plurality of switching power supplies together to common output terminals (40a) and (40b). The transformers (31) and (32) are each composed of windings made up of a stack of planar conductor coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Yoshida, Mitsuhiro Matsuo, Yoshihiro Takeshima
  • Publication number: 20080074578
    Abstract: A power supply apparatus capable of reducing power consumption and a liquid crystal display including the power supply apparatus includes a first DC-AC converting unit enabled by a driving signal to convert a DC voltage into a first AC voltage, increase the first AC voltage, and supply the increased first AC voltage as a first power supply voltage; a switching unit which selectively transmits the driving signal in response to a selection signal; and a second DC-AC converting unit enabled by the driving signal selectively transmitted by the switching unit to convert the DC voltage into a second AC voltage, increase the second AC voltage, and supply the increased second AC voltage as a second power supply voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dal-jung KWON, Moon-shik KANG, Young-sub KWON, Eui-dong HWANG
  • Patent number: 7339807
    Abstract: One of a plurality of voltages is adapted to be applied to power supply terminals (2a, 2b, 2c). A rectifying circuit (6) rectifies the applied voltage and develops a rectified voltage between the output terminals (6a, 6b) thereof. Inverters (16a, 16b) are connected into one of a plurality of inverter connections between the rectifier output terminals (6a, 6b) in response to one of a plurality of inverter connection indicative signals. The inverter connections are set to correspond to respective ones of the plurality of voltages, so that a predetermined voltage can be applied to each inverter whichever one of the plurality of voltages is applied to the power supply terminals. An inverter connection indicative signal generating circuit (34) is manually operated to generate a desired one of the inverter connection indicative signals. A thyristor (8) is disposed between the rectifier output terminals (6a, 6b) and the inverters (16a, 16b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Sansha Electric Manufacturing Company, Limited
    Inventors: Masao Katooka, Tetsuro Ikeda, Kenzo Danjo, Takeshi Morimoto, Hideo Ishii
  • Patent number: 7339803
    Abstract: A fault handling system for short circuit recovery in three-phase multiple-level inverter bridges, used to drive inductive loads, to assure a proper sequence for turning-off switches in the inverter bridge. Switches are selected for use in the inverter bridge so that outer switches toward the most positive and most negative bus voltage levels of the inverter bridge have lower transconductances than inner switches closest to an output phase of the inverter bridge. Additionally, driver cards driving outer switches utilize lower magnitude excitation control signals than driver cards driving inner switches. Driver cards driving outer switches, when detecting desaturation of an on-state switch, are set to automatically command the outer switch to an off-state, whereas driver cards driving inner switches wait for instructions from a controller before taking action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventor: Geraldo Nojima
  • Patent number: 7339806
    Abstract: A DC-AC inverter has an adjustment device for adjusting wave shape of output thereof includes a feedback circuit, and a zero-crossing detector; the feedback circuit will detect and measure output voltage of the inverter, and feedback-control the inverter to make the inverter output a demanded stable fixed voltage, thus preventing the output voltage of the inverter from changing owing to an input voltage and the loading effect caused by electric appliances connected thereto; the zero-crossing detector is used to detect and measure the frequency and wave shape of the output of the DC-AC inverter therefore the DC-AC inverter can be further connected in parallel to another DC-AC inverter or an utility grid when the feedback circuit is used to feedback-control the inverter for the inverter to provide a demanded stable fixed voltage output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2008
    Inventor: Yuan-Tai Hsieh
  • Publication number: 20080049476
    Abstract: The present invention provides a highly reliable electric power converter reduced in parasitic inductance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2007
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsunori AZUMA, Mutsuhiro Mori, Kinya Nakatsu
  • Publication number: 20080049468
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting X phase intermediate voltages on X intermediate lines to output voltage for driving a single three phase load, the apparatus comprising a positive DC bus, a negative DC bus and first and second three phase drives that each include a rectifier section and an inverter section, the rectifier sections each linked to a separate three of the X intermediate lines and to the positive and negative DC buses and the inverter linked to each of the positive and negative DC buses and to the single phase load such that each of the drives has a common positive DC bus and a common negative DC bus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2006
    Publication date: February 28, 2008
    Inventors: Lixiang Wei, Gary Leonard Skibinski, Richard A. Lukaszewski
  • Publication number: 20080043502
    Abstract: A spread-spectrum power converter uses an inter-cycle duty-cycle error compensation to achieve a combination of high-precision tracking of a target average duty cycle and a favorable noise signature. The pulse train consists of a series of cycles having cycle durations of a positive integer of clock cycles, pulse durations of a whole number of clock cycles, and duty cycles corresponding to a ratio of pulse durations over cycle durations. The pulse durations are selected at least in part as functions of a target average duty cycle, the respective cycle durations, and a ripple (or other) error from other cycles in the train. The cycle durations can also be in part a function of the target average duty cycle so that the duty cycle errors can be minimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2006
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Inventors: Richard R. Billig, David J. Schanin
  • Patent number: 7330363
    Abstract: A converter circuit having a first and a second converter element is specified, with each converter element having a DC voltage circuit and in each case one converter element phase (u1, v1, w1) of the first converter element being connected to a respective converter element phase (u2, v2, w2) of the second converter element. Furthermore, a transformer is provided, with the secondary windings of the transformer being connected to the connected converter element phases (u1, v1, w1, u2, v2, w2) of the first and second converter elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Srinivas Ponnaluri, Jürgen Steinke, Peter Steimer
  • Patent number: 7327588
    Abstract: A method for the synchronization of parallel-connected inverter units (INU1, INU2) or frequency converters and an inverter apparatus or a frequency converter apparatus wherein the inverter units are provided with inverter-specific modulators, in which method the circulating current between the inverter units is measured, and the modulators are synchronized to each other on the basis of the current measurement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: Vacon Oyj
    Inventor: Jaakko Ollila
  • Publication number: 20080025055
    Abstract: An inverter circuit is configured with a reduced number of components for driving a plurality of discharge tubes. Primary coils of a plurality of drive transformers are respectively connected in series to primary coils of corresponding balancer-transformers, and then connected between output terminals of a switching circuit in parallel. The secondary coils of the balancer-transformers are connected in series, and connected between the output terminals of the switching circuit to configure an inverter circuit for driving a plurality of discharge tubes. The inverter circuit includes a voltage detecting circuit for detecting a voltage at any of connecting-midpoint of the series-connected secondary coils of the balancer-transformers, and a voltage comparing circuit for comparing an output of the voltage detecting circuit with a reference voltage. A signal designates an abnormal operation at an output of the voltage comparing circuit when the voltage of the connecting-midpoint exceeds the reference voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Applicant: SUMIDA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Miyazaki, Takeshi Hatakeyama
  • Patent number: 7324360
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for converting power from a power source are described. In one example embodiment, the method includes controlling multiple transformer and switchgear units coupled to a power source, and controlling multiple converter units connected in parallel. Each converter unit is coupled to a respective one of the transformer and switchgear units to form an individual thread. The transformer and switchgear unit and power converters are controlled so that the carrier waveforms for each individual thread are interleaved between each other over a carrier cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Allen Michel Ritter, Richard S. Zhang, Luis Jose Garces, Rajib Datta, Ravisekhar Nadimpalli Raju, Mark E. Shepard
  • Patent number: 7294984
    Abstract: A motor controller is provided which can be reduced in the number of the wirings and power semiconductor devices required while maintaining the function equivalent to or higher than that of the motor controller adopting the existing winding changeover scheme, thereby realizing cost and size reduction and life increase. The motor is made in a structure having motor windings opened at both ends. The one end terminals of phase windings are respectively connected to the output terminals of a first inverter circuit while the other end terminals are respectively connected to the output terminals of a second inverter circuit. During power generation, any one of the inverter circuits is driven on all the phases by means of a same control pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiro Urakabe, Tsunenobu Yamamoto, Yoshihito Asao
  • Patent number: 7277304
    Abstract: A multiple DC-to-AC inverter system, which is suitable for an electric or hybrid vehicle application, includes a plurality of inverters controlled by a single controller. One example embodiment includes four three-phase inverters driving one six-phase motor, where the output of the first inverter is coupled to the output of the fourth inverter and the output of the second inverter is coupled to the output of the third inverter. In response to the failure of an inverter, the drive signals to the inverter that is coupled to the faulty inverter are updated such that the partner inverter can remain active without being driven into an over-current condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Constantin C. Stancu, Mark L Selogie
  • Patent number: 7274578
    Abstract: The invention relates to a converter circuit having a series circuit of class E converter modules for optimizing the DC supply voltage of the individual converter module (for example C7, C11, Z1, S1, L1, L2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fur Elektrisch Gluhlampen mbH
    Inventors: Reinhard Lecheler, Wolfram Sowa
  • Patent number: 7269038
    Abstract: A synchronous full bridge rectifier is controlled to provide a power factor near unity. The full bridge rectifiers are transistors each with a controlling input. The AC input signal and currents within the circuit are sensed and sent to a controller. In response, the controller output control signals to turn on/off the rectifying MOSFETS on a timely basis to form a power factor of near one with respect to the AC input signal. The full wave rectifier is made of N-channel MOSFET's, some with fast body diodes. The MOSFET's are rectifiers and PFC control elements. The result is a one stage synchronous rectifier with PFC. A solid state precision analog differential amplifier senses the AC line waveform and high frequency current transformers sense the currents. The controller accepts the inputs of the amplifier and the sensed currents and outputs control signals that turn on and off the four MOSFET's.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Sampat Shekhawat, Ronald H. Randall, Dong-Young Huh
  • Patent number: 7269037
    Abstract: A power supply includes a direct converter provided in the form of a two-phase or three-phase bridge circuit. The bridge branche of the direct converter includes a serial connection of any number of identical two-terminal networks, each having the following characteristics: The two-terminal networks each have at least one switching state, in which their terminal voltage takes on positive values independent of the magnitude and polarity of the terminal current; the two-terminal networks each have at least one switching state, in which their terminal voltage takes on negative values independent of the magnitude and polarity of the terminal current; the two-terminal networks have at least one internal energy store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Rainer Marquardt
  • Patent number: 7259622
    Abstract: A radio frequency (RF) generator comprises a first half bridge including first and second power transistors; a second half bridge including first and second power transistors; an output node coupling the first and second half bridges and RF signals to a load; positive and negative rails coupled to an AC power source via rectifier; a first blocking capacitor provided between the positive rail and the load; and a second blocking capacitor provided between the negative rail and the load. The first and second blocking capacitors are configured to isolate the load from the AC power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: IXYS Corporation
    Inventor: Charles Coleman
  • Patent number: 7248490
    Abstract: In the current invention, in order to increase efficiency of battery powered AC electricity supply, multiple inverter/battery modules are used in parallel but can be individually shut down. The number of inverters activated depends on the power usage. When only a little power is needed only one or a few inverters are activated. When more power is needed the battery inefficiency increases and more inverters will be activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Gaia Power Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ib Ingemann Olsen, Nicholas Blaise Pasquale
  • Patent number: 7239044
    Abstract: A power transmission system including a direct current power source electrically connected to a conversion device for converting direct current into alternating current, a conversion device connected to a power distribution system through a junction, an energy storage device capable of producing direct current connected to a converter, where the converter, such as an insulated gate bipolar transistor, converts direct current from an energy storage device into alternating current and supplies the current to the junction and subsequently to the power distribution system. A microprocessor controller, connected to a sampling and feedback module and the converter, determines when the current load is higher than a set threshold value, requiring triggering of the converter to supply supplemental current to the power transmission system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Stanley Atcitty, Nancy H. Clark, John D. Boyes, Satishkumar J. Ranade
  • Patent number: 7239534
    Abstract: A cellular inverter generates an alternating output voltage by a succession of serial combinations of DC voltage electrical sources that are available to it within switchable cells and, within a serial combination currently in use, by a voltage regulation using high-frequency chopping. This voltage regulation exhibits a certain lag and allows through an undesirable voltage step during the repositioning of its operating range caused by a change of the serial combination currently in use. The cellular inverter proposed comprises, in its high-frequency switch-mode voltage regulation circuit illustrated in the figure, a pre-compensation circuit that allows the lag to be compensated for and this undesirable voltage step to be considerably attenuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2007
    Assignee: Thales
    Inventors: Flavien Blanc, Christophe Taurand
  • Publication number: 20070147098
    Abstract: A power converting apparatus used as an active filter includes single-phase multiplex inverter unit for converting DC power into AC power and a control unit for controlling the single-phase multiplex inverter unit. The single-phase multiplex inverter unit includes a first single-phase inverter and a second single-phase inverter. The first single-phase inverter to which a maximum DC voltage is supplied outputs voltage pulses at a rate of one pulse per half the period of an AC voltage fed from an AC source. The control unit includes a pair of hysteresis comparator circuits for driving the second single-phase inverter such that an AC source current follows a sinusoidal target current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATIOIN
    Inventors: Osamu MORI, Masaki YAMADA, Akihiko IWATA
  • Patent number: 7230837
    Abstract: A method of balancing the voltage of DC links in a cascaded multi-level converter (CMC) semiconductor circuit, including the steps of providing a plurality of H-bridge converters per phase in the CMC circuit and utilizing a three phase duty cycle value from the main controller to determine a normalized duty cycle value, a ceiling duty cycle value and a floor duty cycle value. The normalized duty cycle value and an output current of the CMC is used to determine the direction and polarity of a capacitor current, and utilizing the capacitor current to determine a plurality of output capacitor voltages. A voltage summation result and direction is obtained from a ceiling index pointer and a floor index pointer and the voltage summation result, direction from the ceiling index pointer and a floor index pointer are used to create a combined switching table for the H-bridge converters. A pulse width modulator is utilized to balance the voltage of the DC links and thereby eliminate DC-capacitor voltage imbalance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignees: North Carolina State University, Tennessee Valley Authority, Electrical Power Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Qin Huang, Abdel-Aty Edris, Michael R. Ingram, Siriroj Sirisukprasert
  • Patent number: 7224152
    Abstract: A control circuit for a DC-DC converter that prevents erroneous operations during high ON-duty operation. In response to an H-level pulse signal, a random delay circuit generates a delayed pulse signal that rises to an H level within one cycle of the pulse signal. The random delay circuit randomly changes the delay time of the delayed pulse signal. Even if noise causes the timing at which a current comparison signal rises to an H level to be delayed to later than the timing at which an H-level pulse signal is provided to the set terminal of an FF circuit, the FF circuit receives at its reset terminal an H-level delayed pulse signal that is provided prior to the H-level pulse signal. The FF circuit then inactivates the output transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Morihito Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 7206209
    Abstract: A switching power source device can enhance the power factor by increasing the conduction angle of an input current in a wide input voltage range, while obviating the increase of size and the increase of cost thereof, and lower the switching loss by removing higher harmonic waves from the input current. The device includes at least first, second, and third series circuits constituted of a rectifying circuit, at least first and second primary windings, a plurality of diodes, a smoothing capacitor, and first and second switching elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Device Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kesanobu Kuwabara
  • Patent number: 7200017
    Abstract: A controller for controlling at least two power circuits comprises a phase-shift selector for generating a reference signal according to variable input signals, the reference signal is programmed to indicate an amount of phase-delay according to a number of CCFL power circuits connected; and a pulse generator for receiving the reference signal and generating a pulse signal CLK in response to the received reference signal, the pulse signal is coupled to the CCFL power circuits connected for initiating the operation of the CCFL power circuits. The controller is used to control energy supplying to an electrical circuit comprising multiple CCFL power circuits and is more particularly to provide phase delay to the electrical circuit. Usually, the electrical circuit is applied to display devices, such as liquid crystal display monitors, liquid crystal display computers and liquid crystal display televisions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: O2Micro International Limited
    Inventor: Yung-Lin Lin
  • Patent number: 7199535
    Abstract: A double-ended inverter system for a vehicle having a load, a first energy source, and a first inverter system coupled to the first energy source and adapted to drive the load. The double-ended inverter system further having a secondary energy source, a second capacitor coupled in parallel to the secondary energy source, and a second inverter system coupled to the secondary energy source and adapted to drive the load. A controller includes an output coupled to the first inverter system and the second inverter system for providing at least one pulse width modulated signal to the first inverter system and the second inverter system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Welchko, James M. Nagashima
  • Patent number: 7196488
    Abstract: A motor driving apparatus capable of drivingly controlling a plurality of inverter units with a single motor driving command from a motor control unit, and thereby control a large-capacity motor or the like. The motor control unit sends out a single motor driving command (torque command) S. An intermediary unit obtains motor driving commands S×A1 to S×A4 for the inverter units by multiplying the motor driving command S by each of coefficients A1 to A4 set in advance. The inverter units are fed with the motor driving commands S×A1 to S×A4 individually and drive a single motor. Since the motor is driven by the total current supplied by the inverter units, the motor can generate a large torque. The motor control unit only needs to generate a single motor driving command S, and hence only needs to operate a single processing part. Hence, the motor control unit can generate and send out motor driving commands for other motors to drive them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Shunsuke Matsubara, Shinichi Horikoshi, Hiroyasu Sato
  • Patent number: 7170767
    Abstract: A power conversion system for driving a load is provided. The power conversion system comprises a power transformer having at least one primary winding circuit and at least one secondary winding circuit, the primary winding circuit being electrically connectable to an AC power source. The system further comprises at least one power cell, each of the at least one power cell having a power cell input connected to a respective one of the at least one secondary winding circuit. Each power cell also has a single phase output connectable to the load. A power switching arrangement including at least one power switch is connected to the power cell input and a DC bus, and a switch controller is connected to the power switching arrangement and the power cell input. The power cell also has a PWM output stage having a plurality of PWM switches connected to the DC bus and the single phase output. A local modulation controller is connected to the PWM output stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Inventor: Paul S. Bixel
  • Patent number: 7170765
    Abstract: A current distribution circuit for parallel power supplies is provided. The parallel power supplies include at least a first power supply and a second power supply, and the current distribution circuit includes a voltage amplifier, a power converting unit, a detecting unit, an equivalent diode, an adjustable amplifier, an adder and an active droop unit. The operating voltage reference of the active droop unit is linearly adjusted for reducing an error resulting from the first power supply and the second power supply while the load is less than a pre-determined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Chih-Hsiung Huang
  • Patent number: 7157891
    Abstract: An integrated DC—DC converter circuit in which multiple switched circuits operate in parallel to drive the output electrode with multiple pulsed charging voltages such that the corresponding respective output ripple voltage components combine with destructive interference, thereby reducing the net output ripple voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Rob Drury, Peter J. Hopper, Kyuwoon Hwang, Peter Johnson
  • Patent number: 7154237
    Abstract: A method of providing a unified power control of a motor including providing a first inverter system, a second inverter system, and a motor coupled therebetween; coupling the first inverter system coupled to a first energy source; coupling the second inverter system coupled to a secondary energy source; generating a first pulse width modulated signal; and generating a second pulse width modulated signal. The first inverter system and the second inverter system are driven with the first pulse width modulated signal and the second pulse width modulated signal respectively in order to control a fundamental component of an output voltage of the first inverter system and the second inverter system to control the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Welchko, James M. Nagashima
  • Patent number: 7109681
    Abstract: An improved motor controller for driving polyphase alternating current dynamoelectric machines from a direct current power source that employs two inverter bridges controlled with a state vector modulation symmetrical state sequence that has a desired “chop” frequency so that each of their outputs produce a fundamental component that is exactly in phase but chop frequency components that are exactly 180 degrees out of phase with each other, with their outputs combined through respective interphase transformers to average the potentials of the chop frequency components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Donal E. Baker, Byron R. Mehl
  • Patent number: 7110273
    Abstract: An inverter controlling method is provided for a power system that includes a DC power source and a plurality of inverters connected in parallel to the power source. The method includes the steps of: measuring output power of the power source at a plurality of periodic points; calculating a moving average at each periodic point based on the measured output power; calculating a regression curve by utilizing moving averages at a current periodic point and past periodic points; estimating output power at a next periodic point based on the regression curve; and determining, based on the estimated output power, how many inverters to be actuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Daihen Corporation
    Inventors: Seiya Abe, Koichi Kishida
  • Patent number: 7092267
    Abstract: A power supply generates alternating current and direct current from a constant-voltage source. A multi-phase pulse width modulation voltage source inverter is connected across the source to output multi-phase alternating current. At least one waveform generator is bridged in parallel with the inverter, with each waveform generator outputting zero-sequence waveform current compensated to maintain the multi-phase current within a predetermined tolerance from a desired set point. A rectifier receives the waveform current and generates direct current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Douglas S. Carlson, John S. Hsu, James M. Nagashima, Constantin C. Stancu, Donald J. Adams, Gui-Jia Su, Gregory S. Smith
  • Patent number: 7088061
    Abstract: A drive system powering a group of machines each fitted with a rectifying unit, wherein the inputs of the control devices of the machines' drive motors are interconnected by an electrical bus which implements a power exchange. The system enables swapping current from a power supply between motors of different machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2006
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventor: Walter Bilcke
  • Patent number: 7072194
    Abstract: A power conversion system includes a first converter having a DC side and an AC side and a second converter having a DC side and an AC side. The DC sides of the converters are connected in series with a battery connected in parallel across the DC side of the first converter. The AC sides of the converters are connected in parallel across an AC voltage grid. A DC generating power source is coupled across the DC sides of both converters. The first converter is bi-directional with the second converter being either an inverter providing DC to AC conversion or alternately a bi-directional inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Curtin University of Technology
    Inventors: Chemmangot V. Nayar, Michel Malengret, Lawrence J. Borle, Hooman Dehbonei
  • Patent number: 7068525
    Abstract: Multiple parallel-connected pulse-controlled inverters (1,2) are operated by regulating individual current(s) of the pulse-controlled inverters (1, 2) or a number reduced by 1 (n?1) of the pulse-controlled inverters (1,2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: Loher GmbH
    Inventors: Ludwig Kraus, Tobias Mehl
  • Patent number: 7054176
    Abstract: A multi-stage, push-pull driven, resonant DC-AC converter ties the center-taps of primary windings of respective push-pull stages together, and drives each center-tap with a current source. Tying the center-taps of the primary windings of the respective DC-AC converters' transformers together forces the voltages at these locations to be the same, so as to achieve mutual resonant synchronization between the two stages. Connecting the center-taps to a current source provides the necessary power for each stage and allows for a variation in current between stages, as the center-tap voltages track one another. The tied-together center-tap voltage is monitored to obtain the zero voltage switching required for efficient operation of switching devices of each DC-AC converter stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventors: Zaki Moussaoui, Thomas Victorin
  • Patent number: 7046527
    Abstract: The invention is an electrical power converter using multiple, high frequency switching elements where the individual switching elements are operated in a synchronous, time-skewed arrangement to provide optimum ripple current cancellation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Distributed Power, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard T. West
  • Patent number: 7046533
    Abstract: In a DC/DC converter having a plurality of DC/DC converters, to prevent faults in the circuit and the circuit elements constituting it even when the balance of current limiting operation among the individual DC/DC converters is disturbed due to individual and temperature-related variations in the characteristics of the circuit elements, the output currents of the individual DC/DC converters are detected and added together, and are limited individually so that their sum does not exceed a predetermined level of current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ko Takemura, Kiyotaka Umemoto
  • Patent number: 7035125
    Abstract: In a switching power supply and a control method for the same in accordance with the present invention, a first error amplifier generates a first error signal by comparing the output signals of a plurality of converters with a reference voltage, an arithmetic unit generates a single output signal by adding the currents output from the rectifying means of the plurality of converters, a second error amplifier generates a second error signal by comparing the single output signal with the output of the first error amplifier, and PWM signal generators generate PWM signals on the basis of the output signal of the second error amplifier to PWM control each of a plurality of switching devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7019987
    Abstract: DC/DC converters arranged side by side have first output terminals conducting to one pole of capacitors for rectification, second output terminals conducting to the other pole of the capacitors, and connection terminals disposed next to the second output terminals. The first output terminals are connected together by an I-shaped bus bar of copper or the like fastened thereto with screws. The second output terminals are connected together by one linear portion of a U-shaped bus bar fastened thereto with screws. The connection terminals are connected together by the other linear portion of the U-shaped bus bar fastened thereto with screws. In this way, the resistances of the bus bars connected to both ends of the capacitors are made substantially equal, and thereby the voltages applied to the capacitors are made equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Makoto Onoe
  • Patent number: 7002324
    Abstract: This invention provides a switching power supply control circuit based on the parallel operation scheme that suppresses ripples in the output voltage. The control circuit comprises switching circuit blocks 10 and 20 connected in parallel, output reactors 31 and 32 connected in parallel corresponding to the switching circuit blocks 10 and 20, and a control circuit 40 that controls the operation of the switching circuit blocks 10 and 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: TDK Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Uematsu, Takakazu Imai, Hiroshi Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 6999328
    Abstract: A controller for controlling at least two power circuits comprises a pulse generator and a selector. The pulse generator generates a first pulse signal which is coupled to a first power circuit of the at least two power circuits for initiating the operation of the first power circuit. The first power circuit then outputs a second pulse signal to a second power circuit of the at least two power circuits to initiate the operation of the second power circuit. The selector generates a reference signal which is coupled to each of the at least two power circuits for indicating a number of power circuits controlled. The controller is used to control energy supplying to an electrical circuit comprising multiple inverters and is more particularly to provide phase shifts to the electrical circuit. Usually, the electrical circuit is applied to display devices, such as liquid crystal display monitors, liquid crystal display computers and liquid crystal display televisions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: O2Micro International Limited
    Inventor: Yung-Lin Lin
  • Patent number: 6999329
    Abstract: A method for operating parallel-connected inverter modules, wherein two or more inverter modules (A, B, C) are connected in parallel to feed the same load. Each inverter module has two or more output phases (u, v, w) for supplying electric power into a two or more phase load by determining the temperature (TAu, TAv, TAw, TBu, TBv, TBw, TCu, TCv, TCw) of each output phase (Au, Av, Aw, Bu, Bv, Bw, Cu, Cv, Cw) in each inverter module, comparing the temperatures of the output phases in each inverter module with the temperatures of the same output phase in other parallel-connected modules, and generating an alarm signal if the temperature of the output phase in an inverter module differs from the temperatures of the same output phase of the other inverter modules more than allowed by a predetermined limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: ABB Oy
    Inventors: Simo Pöyhönen, Osmo Pasuri
  • Patent number: 6967854
    Abstract: The invention provides a power supply system and a method for providing a power supply for a machine having a plurality of components. The system comprises a power source and a set of two or more voltage converters connected in parallel and coupled to the power source via a common bus. An electrical supply line is coupled to an output of the set of voltage converters for supplying a required voltage to the components of the machine connected to the electrical supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: ASM Assembly Automation Ltd.
    Inventors: Kam Kwong Lai, Ka Kin Wong, Chi Wah Kadett Yuen, Chi Wai Jeff Tang