Method and apparatus for providing welding power
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorAndrew Joseph Henry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for providing welding type power is disclosed. A welding type power supply includes an input circuit, a controller and an output circuit. The input circuit receives an input power signal and provides an intermediate power signal. The output circuit receives the intermediate power signal and provides a welding type power output. The output circuit has an inverter with at least two inverter switches, and a clamp circuit that limits the voltage across the inverter. The clamp circuit captures and buffers the excess energy, and returns the excess energy to an input of the inverter over a plurality of switching cycles. The controller has control outputs connected to the input circuit and the output circuit, to control them.
Claims13
A welding type power supply comprising:
- an input circuit disposed to receive an input power signal and provide an intermediate power signal;
- an output circuit, disposed to receive the intermediate power signal and provide a welding type power output, wherein the output circuit included an inverter connected to receive power from the input circuit and having at least two inverter switches, wherein the inverter includes a clamp circuit connected to the inverter that limits the voltage across the inverter, and wherein the clamp circuit includes at least one switch and an inductor and a capacitor connected that capture and buffer the excess energy, and wherein the capacitor has sufficient capacitance to return the excess energy from a given cycle to an input of the inverter over a plurality of subsequent switching cycles;
- and
- a controller having control outputs connected to the input circuit and the output circuit.
A welding type system, comprising:
- means for receiving an input power signal and providing an intermediate power signal;
- means for inverting the intermediate power signal, connected to the means for receiving;
- means for clamping the voltage across the means for inverting capturing and buffering the excess energy over more than one cycle, and for returning the excess energy to a dc signal means over a plurality of switching cycles, wherein the means for clamping includes a capacitor, an inductor and a switch and is connected to the means for inverting, and wherein the capacitor has sufficient capacitance to return the excess energy from a given cycle to the dc signal means over the plurality of switching cycles.
A welding type power supply comprising:
- an input circuit disposed to receive an input power signal and provide an intermediate power signal;
- an intermediate inverter disposed to receive the intermediate power signal and to provide an intermediate ac signal;
- a transformer, disposed to receive the intermediate ac signal and to provide a transformed ac signal;
- a rectifier followed by an output inductor, wherein the rectifier is disposed to receive the intermediate ac signal and to provide a rectified dc signal to the inductor, wherein the rectifier includes at least two diodes, and wherein a clamp circuit, including an inductor and a capacitor, limits the voltage across the at least two diodes and uses the excess energy from a given cycle over a plurality of subsequent cycles to force the current to rise in the output inductor;
- and
- a controller having control outputs connected to the input circuit and the intermediate inverter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.