# US 10,312,794 B2 · Chopper assembly and controlling method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,312,794 B2 - Document ID: US10312794B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/992,991 - Filed: 2018-05-30 - Published: 2018-09-27 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-03 - Assignees: ABB Beijing Drive Systems Co., Ltd. - Applicants: ABB Beijing Drive Systems Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Simo Poyhonen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312794B2 ## CPC - H02M 1/14: Arrangements for reducing ripples from DC input or output - H02M 1/32: Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection - H02M 1/0043: {Converters switched with a phase shift, i.e. interleaved (non-isolated DC/DC converters H02M3/1586)} - H02M 1/008: {Plural converter units for generating at two or more independent and non-parallel outputs, e.g. systems with plural point of load switching regulators} - H02M 3/1586: {switched with a phase shift, i.e. interleaved} - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) ## Abstract A chopper assembly including at least two chopper units, and a controlling unit configured to generate a control signal for controlling an activation of the corresponding chopper unit in cycle. The activations of the at least two chopper units are controlled by the controlling unit to be either initially offset by a phase shift or adjusted to have a phase shift after a predefined time duration, the phase shift indicating a time difference between rising edges or between falling edges of respective pulses of different signals. The chopper assembly according to the present disclosure effectively mitigates the negative impact to various components within the circuit. Moreover, by controlling the duty cycles of the control signals, loads of each of the resistors will be equal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A chopper assembly, comprising: at least two chopper units each including a controlling unit configured to generate a control signal for controlling an activation of the corresponding chopper unit in cycle and including: a reference unit configured to generate a reference signal, and a phase controlling unit configured to control a phase shift of the control signal based on the reference signal for the corresponding chopper unit and the control signal for a different chopper unit, wherein the activations of the at least two chopper units are controlled by the controlling units to be either initially offset by the phase shifts or adjusted to have the phase shifts after a predefined time duration, the phase shifts indicating a time difference between rising edges or between falling edges of respective pulses of different signals. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The chopper assembly according to claim 1, wherein the controlling units of the at least two chopper units are connected in an open-loop form, and wherein the phase controlling unit is configured to control the phase shift of the control signal for the corresponding chopper unit based on the reference signal for the corresponding chopper unit and the control signal for an adjacent chopper unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The chopper assembly according to claim 2, wherein the controlling unit further comprises: a duty cycle controlling unit configured to control a duty cycle of the control signal for the corresponding chopper unit based on the reference signal for the corresponding chopper unit and the control signal for an adjacent chopper unit, and wherein the duty cycle is indicative of a ratio of a duration of time for one pulse of a signal to a time difference between two adjacent pulses of the signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The chopper assembly according to claim 2, further comprising: a counting unit configured to count the number of the chopper units; and a phase shift preset unit configured to preset the phase shift among the respective reference signals for different chopper units based on the counted number of the chopper units. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The chopper assembly according to claim 1, wherein the controlling units of the at least two chopper units are connected in a closed-loop form, and wherein the phase controlling unit is configured to control the phase shift of the control signal for the corresponding chopper unit based on the reference signal for the corresponding chopper unit and the control signal for an adjacent chopper unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The chopper assembly according to claim 5, wherein the at least two chopper units are arranged such that the chopper units are connected in an open-loop form in response to one of the chopper units being out of function. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The chopper assembly according to claim 6, wherein the controlling unit further comprises: a duty cycle controlling unit configured to control a duty cycle of the control signal for the corresponding chopper unit based on the reference signal for the corresponding chopper unit and the control signal for an adjacent chopper unit, and wherein the duty cycle is indicative of a ratio of a duration of time for one pulse of a signal to a time difference between two adjacent pulses of the signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The chopper assembly according to claim 6, further comprising: a counting unit configured to count the number of the chopper units; and a phase shift preset unit configured to preset the phase shift among the respective reference signals for different chopper units based on the counted number of the chopper units. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The chopper assembly according to claim 5, wherein the controlling unit further comprises: a duty cycle controlling unit configured to control a duty cycle of the control signal for the corresponding chopper unit based on the reference signal for the corresponding chopper unit and the control signal for an adjacent chopper unit, and wherein the duty cycle is indicative of a ratio of a duration of time for one pulse of a signal to a time difference between two adjacent pulses of the signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The chopper assembly according to claim 5, further comprising: a counting unit configured to count the number of the chopper units; and a phase shift preset unit configured to preset the phase shift among the respective reference signals for different chopper units based on the counted number of the chopper units. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The chopper assembly according to claim 1, further comprising: a counting unit configured to count the number of the chopper units; and a phase shift preset unit configured to preset the phase shift among the respective reference signals for different chopper units based on the counted number of the chopper units. ### Claim 12 A method of controlling a chopper assembly including at least two chopper units, the method comprising: generating a control signal for each of the at least two chopper units in order to control an activation of the corresponding chopper unit in cycle; controlling the activations of the at least two chopper units to be either initially offset by a phase shift or adjusted to have a phase shift after a predefined time duration, the phase shift indicating a time difference between rising edges or between falling edges of respective pulses of different signals; generating a reference signal for each of the at least two chopper units; and controlling the phase shift of the control signal for the corresponding chopper unit based on the reference signal for the corresponding chopper unit and the control signal for a different chopper unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein controlling the phase shift further comprises: controlling the phase shift of the control signal for the corresponding chopper unit based on the reference signal for the corresponding chopper unit and the control signal for an adjacent chopper unit, the at least two chopper units being connected in an open-loop form. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the method further comprises: controlling a duty cycle of the control signal for the corresponding chopper unit based on the reference signal for the corresponding chopper unit and the control signal for an adjacent chopper unit, and wherein the duty cycle is indicative of a ratio of a duration of time for one pulse of a signal to a time difference between two adjacent pulses of the signal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein controlling the phase shift further comprises: controlling the phase shift of the control signal for the corresponding chopper unit based on the reference signal for the corresponding chopper unit and the control signal for an adjacent chopper unit, the at least two chopper units being connected in a closed-loop form. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least two chopper units are arranged such that the chopper units are connected in an open-loop form in response to one of the chopper units being out of function. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the method further comprises: controlling a duty cycle of the control signal for the corresponding chopper unit based on the reference signal for the corresponding chopper unit and the control signal for an adjacent chopper unit, and wherein the duty cycle is indicative of a ratio of a duration of time for one pulse of a signal to a time difference between two adjacent pulses of the signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, further comprising: counting the number of the chopper units; and presetting the phase shift among the respective reference signals for different chopper units based on the counted number of the chopper units.