Methods and apparatus to detect stray welding-type current
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsJoseph C. Schneider, Michael D. Madsen, Bernard J. Vogel, Andrew J. Henry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An example welding-type power supply includes: power conversion circuitry configured to convert input power to welding-type power, and to output the welding-type power via a welding-type circuit; a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of at least one component of the welding-type power supply; and stray current detection circuitry configured to detect stray welding-type current based on the measured temperature of the at least one component.
Claims15
A welding-type power supply, comprising:
- power conversion circuitry configured to convert input power to welding-type power, and to output the welding-type power via a welding-type circuit;
- a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of at least one component of the welding-type power supply;
- and
- stray current detection circuitry configured to detect stray welding-type current based on the measured temperature of the at least one component, wherein the stray current detection circuitry is configured to detect the stray welding-type current when the measured temperature satisfies a threshold temperature.
A welding-type power supply, comprising:
- power conversion circuitry configured to convert input power to welding-type power, and to output the welding-type power via a welding-type circuit;
- a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of at least one component of the welding-type power supply;
- a second temperature sensor configured to measure a reference temperature;
- and
- stray current detection circuitry configured to detect stray welding-type current based on the measured temperature of the at least one component, wherein the stray current detection circuitry is configured to detect the stray welding-type current when a difference between A) the measured temperature of the at least one component, and B) the reference temperature, satisfies a threshold difference.
A welding-type power supply, comprising:
- power conversion circuitry configured to convert input power to welding-type power, and to output the welding-type power via a welding-type circuit;
- a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of at least one component of the welding-type power supply;
- and
- stray current detection circuitry configured to detect stray welding-type current based on the measured temperature of the at least one component, wherein the stray current detection circuitry is configured to limit an output of the welding-type power in response to detecting the stray welding-type current and configured to continue disabling the output until a reset of the stray current detection circuitry.
A welding-type power supply, comprising:
- power conversion circuitry configured to convert input power to welding-type power, and to output the welding-type power via a welding-type circuit;
- a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of at least one component of the welding-type power supply;
- and
- stray current detection circuitry configured to detect stray welding-type current based on the measured temperature of the at least one component;
- and
- communication circuitry configured to transmit a stray current detection signal to a second welding-type power supply in response to the detection of the stray welding-type current to cause the second welding-type power supply to disable a welding-type output of the second welding-type power supply.
A welding-type power supply, comprising:
- power conversion circuitry configured to convert input power to welding-type power, and to output the welding-type power via a weld circuit;
- communication circuitry configured to wirelessly receive a stray current signal from a non-contact current detector, the stray current signal indicative of whether stray welding-type current is sensed by the non-contact current detector;
- and
- stray current detection circuitry configured to control the power conversion circuitry to disable output of the welding-type power based on the stray current signal, wherein the stray current signal indicates that stray welding-type current is not sensed, and the stray current detection circuitry is configured to disable the output of the welding-type power in response to an absence of the stray current signal for at least a threshold time.
A welding-type power supply, comprising:
- power conversion circuitry configured to convert input power to welding-type power, and to output the welding-type power via a weld circuit;
- and
- control circuitry configured to:
- control the power conversion circuitry to output the welding-type power;
- monitor an actual output of the welding-type power;
- compare the actual output to an expected output of the power conversion circuitry;
- and
- identify a stray welding-type current when a difference between the actual output and the expected output satisfies a threshold, wherein the control circuitry is configured to compare the actual output to the commanded output using a proportional-integral control loop.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.