Insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) rectifier for charging ultra-capacitors
AssigneeVelocity Magnetics, Inc.
InventorsDomenic P. Marzano, Alex R. Rugh, Joseph L. Hake
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided is a system for an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) rectifier for charging ultra-capacitors. The system may include a power converter, which may receive power from a power source. A direct current (DC) bus may be connected to the power converter and may receive power from the power converter. At least one IGBT may be connected to the DC bus and may receive power from the DC bus. An array of ultra-capacitors may be connected to the at least one IGBT. At least one controller may control the at least one IGBT to charge the array of ultra-capacitors. A method and computer program product are also disclosed.
Claims16
A system, comprising:
- a power converter configured to receive power from a power source;
- a direct current (DC) bus connected to the power converter and configured to receive power from the power converter;
- at least one insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) connected to the DC bus and configured to receive power from the DC bus;
- a reactor connected to the at least one IGBT;
- an array of ultra-capacitors connected to the at least one IGBT via the reactor;
- a discharge circuit connected to a discharge resistor;
- a current sensor connected to the reactor and the array of ultra-capacitors, the current sensor configured to sense current flowing to the array of ultra-capacitors;
- a second current sensor connected to the discharge resistor, the second current sensor configured to sense current flowing through the discharge resistor;
- and
- at least one controller connected to the current sensor and the second current sensor and configured to control the at least one IGBT to charge the array of ultra-capacitors based on current sensed by the current sensor and to control the discharge circuit based on current sensed by the second current sensor.
A method, comprising:
- receiving power at a power converter from a power source;
- supplying power from the power converter to a direct current (DC) bus;
- supplying power from the DC bus to at least one insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), the at least one IGBT connected to an array of ultra-capacitors via a reactor;
- sensing current flowing to the array of ultra-capacitors with a current sensor connected to the reactor and the array of ultra-capacitors;
- sensing current flowing through a discharge resistor with a second current sensor connected to the discharge resistor;
- controlling the at least one IGBT to charge the array of ultra-capacitors based on current sensed by the current sensor;
- and
- controlling a discharge circuit connected to the discharge resistor based on the second current sensed by the second current sensor.
A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
- control at least one insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) to receive power from a power source via a power converter and a direct current (DC) bus and to charge an array of ultra-capacitors connected to the at least one IGBT via a reactor based on current sensed by a current sensor connected to the reactor and the array of ultracapacitors;
- and
- control a discharge circuit connected to a discharge resistor based on current sensed by a second current sensor connected to the discharge resistor,
- wherein the current sensor is configured to sense current flowing to the array of ultra-capacitors, wherein the second current sensor is configured to sense current flowing through the discharge resistor, and wherein the current sensor and the second current sensor are connected to the at least one processor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.