Digital power supply
AssigneeWeber-Stephen Products LLC
InventorsEric Knappenberger, Julio C. Zuleta, Matthew Lerch, Jeffery C. Emmerich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided is an apparatus and method for a digital power supply that can provide independent power control, and control variable power, for two or more electrical loads. Disclosed embodiments may reduce the magnitude of harmonic currents and/or flicker introduced into a power system. Embodiments include a microprocessor that delivers power to electric loads using phase-controlled AC current. The microprocessor may calculate a power array corresponding to a requested power for each electric load. Logic is provided for populating the power array in a pattern that reduces the magnitude of harmonic currents and flicker.
Claims10
A method of delivering power, comprising the steps of:
- using one or more user input devices to select a first and second power setting for a first and second heating element, respectively;
- electronically communicating the power settings to a microprocessor and using the microprocessor to calculate a total amount of power requested;
- using the microprocessor to populate, and store in a memory, a first and second power array corresponding to the first and second heating element, respectively;
- using the microprocessor to calculate a first and second phase angle array corresponding to the first and second power array;
- causing the microprocessor to receive a zero crossing signal from a zero crossing detection unit;
- and
- for a first time period, activating a first triac to deliver a phase-controlled AC wave pattern comprising phase-controlled AC wave cycles corresponding to the first phase angle array to the first heating element and delivering a phase-controlled AC wave pattern comprising phase-controlled AC wave cycles corresponding to the second phase angle array to the second heating element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.