Hybrid charger and inverter system

A method performed by a controller of an electrical system having an AC grid connection, a DC battery connection, an AC convenience outlet connection, an isolated bidirectional converter, a non-isolated converter, and a controller, the method comprising:

• determining whether an AC power source is coupled to the AC grid connection;
• and
• if an AC power source is not coupled to the AC grid connection, operating the isolated bidirectional converter in a reverse direction to provide a DC voltage to the non-isolated converter from the battery and operating the non-isolated converter as an inverter to power the convenience outlet,
• wherein operating the isolated bidirectional converter in the reverse direction to provide power to the isolated converter from the battery and operating the isolated converter to power the convenience outlet comprises at least one of three discharging modes, wherein:
• in a first discharging mode operating the isolated bidirectional converter in the reverse direction comprises producing a DC output voltage having a magnitude tracking the battery voltage;
• in a second discharging mode operating the isolated bidirectional converter in the reverse direction comprises producing a DC output voltage having a magnitude suitable for the convenience outlet;
• and
• in a third discharging mode operating the isolated bidirectional converter in the reverse direction comprises producing a DC output voltage having a magnitude corresponding to a voltage of the AC grid.

A method performed by a controller of an electrical system having an AC grid connection, a DC battery connection, an AC convenience outlet connection, an isolated bidirectional converter, a non-isolated converter, and a controller, the method comprising:

• determining whether an AC power source is coupled to the AC grid connection;
• and
• if not, operating the isolated bidirectional converter in a reverse direction to provide power to the non-isolated converter from the battery and operating the non-isolated converter to power the convenience outlet;
• wherein if an AC power source is coupled to the AC grid connection, the method further comprises operating the isolated bidirectional converter in a forward direction to charge the battery from the AC grid and operating the non-isolated converter to power the convenience outlet from the AC grid;
• and
• wherein operating the isolated bidirectional converter in a forward direction to charge the battery from the grid and operating the non-isolated converter to power the convenience outlet from the AC grid further comprises at least one of a power factor correction mode and a harmonics compensation mode, and wherein:
• in the power factor correction mode, operating the isolated bidirectional converter comprises correcting the power factor of a load coupled to the convenience outlet such that the grid connection sees a unity power factor;
• and
• in the harmonics compensation mode, operating the isolated bidirectional converter comprises compensating for harmonics introduced by the load coupled to the convenience outlet.

A method performed by a controller of an electrical system having an AC grid connection, a DC battery connection, an AC convenience outlet connection, an isolated bidirectional converter, a non-isolated converter, and a controller, the method comprising:

• determining whether an AC power source is coupled to the AC grid connection;
• and
• if not operating the isolated bidirectional converter in a reverse direction to provide power to the non-isolated converter from the battery and operating the non-isolated converter to power the convenience outlet:
• wherein operating the isolated bidirectional converter in the reverse direction to provide power to the isolated converter from the battery and operating the isolated converter to power the convenience outlet comprises at least one of three discharging modes, wherein:
• in a first discharging mode operating the isolated bidirectional converter in the reverse direction comprises producing an AC output voltage having a magnitude tracking the battery voltage;
• in a second discharging mode operating the isolated bidirectional converter in the reverse direction comprises producing an AC output voltage having a magnitude suitable for the convenience outlet;
• and
• in a third discharging mode operating the isolated bidirectional converter in the reverse direction comprises producing an AC output voltage having a magnitude corresponding to a voltage of the AC grid.

An electrical system comprising:

• an isolated bidirectional converter having an input couplable to an AC grid connection and an output couplable to a battery;
• a non-isolated converter having an input coupled to the input of the isolated bidirectional converter and selectively couplable to the AC grid connection and an AC output coupled to a convenience outlet;
• and
• a controller configured to control operation of the isolated bidirectional converter and the non-isolated converter to operate in one or more of a plurality of modes including:
• a charging mode in which the isolated bidirectional converter operates in a forward direction to charge the battery and the non-isolated converter powers the convenience outlet from the grid connection;
• and
• a non-charging mode in which the isolated bidirectional converter operates in a reverse direction to power the non-isolated converter from the battery and the non-isolated converter powers the convenience outlet, wherein the non-charging mode includes at least one of:
• a first discharging mode in which the isolated bidirectional converter is operated in the reverse direction to produce a DC output voltage having a magnitude tracking the battery voltage;
• a second discharging mode in which the isolated bidirectional converter is operated in the reverse direction to produce a DC output voltage having a magnitude suitable for the convenience outlet;
• and
• a third discharging mode in which the isolated bidirectional converter is operated in the reverse direction to produce a DC output voltage having a magnitude corresponding to a voltage of the AC grid.