US 12,113,362 B2Granted

Fault-responsive power system and method using active line current balancing

AssigneeEquinox Power Innovations Inc.

InventorGlenn Lumanog

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Abstract

A fault-responsive power system and method using active line current balancing. First and second supply-side currents flowing from at least one power supply and into first and second conductor pairs, respectively, are measured. First and second remote-side currents flowing from the first and second conductor pairs and into first and second power converters, respectively, are measured. The outputs of the first and second power converters are electrically coupled together in parallel and deliver power to a load. The first and second remote-side currents are balanced in response to measurements of the first and second remote-side currents while power is being delivered. When a difference between the first and second supply-side currents at least meets a magnitude threshold, the first and second supply-side currents are reduced until the difference is less than the magnitude threshold.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

(a) first and second power converters, wherein power outputs of the first and second power converters are electrically coupled together in parallel;
(b) first and second supply-side current sensors for measuring first and second supply-side currents flowing into first and second conductor pairs, respectively, from the at least one power supply;
(c) first and second remote-side current sensors for measuring first and second remote-side currents flowing into the first and second power converters from the first and second conductor pairs, respectively;
(d) a current balancing controller for communicating with the first and second power converters and the first and second remote-side current sensors, and configured to balance the first and second remote-side currents flowing into the first and second power converters in response to measurements from the first and second remote-side current sensors;
(e) at least one switch electrically coupled to the at least one power supply and operable to adjust magnitudes of the first and second supply-side currents;
and
(f) a fault management controller for communicating with the at least one switch and the first and second supply-side current sensors, wherein the fault management controller is configured to:
(i) determine that a difference between the first and second supply-side currents at least meets a magnitude threshold;
and
(ii) reduce the first and second supply-side currents in response to the difference at least meeting the magnitude threshold until the difference is less than the magnitude threshold by using the at least one switch.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/698,710Filed 18 Mar 2022
Published: US 2023/0299583 A121 Sep 2023
Granted: 8 Oct 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H02J 1/102
Parallel operation of DC sources: being switching converters
H02J 3/17
Circuit arrangements for AC mains or AC distribution networks: demand-responsive operation of AC power transmission or distribution networks
H02J 1/106
Parallel operation of DC sources: for load balancing, symmetrisation, or sharing
H02J 3/003
Circuit arrangements for AC mains or AC distribution networks: load forecast, e.g. methods or systems for forecasting future load demand

Family

US 2023/0299583 A1Pre-grant publication · published 21 Sep 2023
US 12,113,362 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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