# US 2013/0155744 A1 · Method and Device for Determining the Value of a Characteristic Quantity of a System for Powering a Load

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- Number: US 2013/0155744 A1
- Document ID: US20130155744A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/636,533
- Filed: 2011-03-23
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2010-03-23
- Assignees: GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Limited
- Inventors: Bernard Gollentz; Régis Peron; Daniel Girod
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130155744A1

## CPC

- G01R 31/40: Testing power supplies (testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10)
- G06F 17/00: Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions (information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00)
- H02J 7/34: Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other DC sources, e.g. providing buffering (H02J7/14 takes precedence)
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY

## Abstract

This method determines the value of a characteristic quantity (U1dc, U2dc) of a system for powering a load which comprises M DC-DC converters, connected in series to the terminals of the load and at the output of a DC current power supply, and at least one storage capacitor. This determination method comprises the measurement of a plurality of values of a first characteristic quantity (Ic) with a first high resolution, the measurement with a low resolution of a value of a second characteristic quantity (U1dc, U2dc), and a determination with a second high resolution of a value of the second characteristic quantity (U1dc, U2dc) from the plurality of values measured with the first high resolution of the first characteristic quantity (Ic) and from the value with the low resolution of the second characteristic quantity (U1dc, U2dc). The first and second high resolutions are at least 10 times greater than the low resolution.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for determining the value of a characteristic quantity (U1dc, U2dc) of a system (10) for powering a load (12) comprising M converter(s) (20) of a DC current into another DC current, connected in series to the terminals of the load (12) on one hand and to the output of a DC power supply (19) on the other hand, M being greater than or equal to 1, and at least one storage capacitor (22) mounted in parallel of the converter(s) (20) on the side opposite to the load (12),
characterized in that it comprises the following steps:
measuring a plurality of values of a first characteristic quantity (Ic), with a first high resolution,
measuring a value of a second characteristic quantity (U1dc, U2dc), with a low resolution, and
determining with a second high resolution a value of the second characteristic quantity (U1dc, U2dc) from the plurality of values measured with the first high resolution of the first characteristic quantity (Ic) and from the value of the second characteristic quantity (U1dc, U2dc) with the low resolution, the first and second high resolutions being at least 10 times greater than the low resolution.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination with the second high resolution of the value of the second characteristic quantity includes a plurality of iterations, a next value (U1dc(n), U2dc(n)) of the second characteristic quantity being calculated at each iteration from a previous value (U1dc(n−1), U2dc(n−1)) of the second characteristic quantity and from a corrective term depending on the value, at each iteration, measured with the first resolution of the first characteristic quantity (Ic), the initial value (U1dc(0), U2dc(0)) of the second characteristic quantity being equal to the value with low resolution of the second characteristic quantity (U1dc, U2dc).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the first characteristic quantity is the intensity (Ic) of the current delivered to the load (12) and in which the second characteristic, quantity is the voltage (U1dc, U2dc) on the terminals of the converter (20) on the side of the storage capacitor (12).

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein each of the M converter(s) is connected at the output of the DC current power supply and in which the next value (U1dc(n)) of the voltage on the terminals of the converter on the side of the storage capacitor is determined from the previous value U1dc(n−1)) according to the following equation:
U


1

dc

(
n
)
=
U


1

dc

(
n
-
1
)
+
h

(
Ic
)
U


1

dc

(
n
-
1
)
,
wherein h(Ic) represents a term depending on the intensity of the current delivered to the load (12).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein M is strictly greater than 1 and wherein the plurality of M converters consists of N1 first converters (30A) at the output of the DC current power supply (19), N1 being greater than or equal to 1, and N2 second converter(s) (30B) which are not connected at the output of said power supply (19), N2 being greater than or equal to 1, the sum of N1 and N2 being equal to M.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2 wherein the second characteristic quantity is the voltage (U1dc) on the terminals of each first converter (30A) on the side of the associated storage capacitor (22), and wherein the next value (U1dc(n)) of said voltage on the terminals of the first converter (30A) is calculated from the previous value (U1dc(n−1)) of the voltage on the terminals of the first converter (30A) according to the following equation:
U


1

dc

(
n
)
=
U


1

dc

(
n
-
1
)
+
f

(
Ic
)
U


1

dc

(
n
-
1
)
wherein f(Ic) represents a term depending on the intensity of the current delivered to the load (12).

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the second characteristic quantity is the voltage (U2dc) on the terminals of each second converter (30B) on the side of the storage capacitor (22), and in which the next value (U2dc(n)) of said voltage on the terminals of the second converter (30B) is calculated from the previous value (U2dc(n−1)) of said voltage on the terminals of the second converter (30B) according to the following equation:
U


2

dc

(
n
)
=
U


2

dc

(
n
-
1
)
+
g

(
Ic
)
U


2

dc

(
n
-
1
)
wherein g(Ic) represents a term depending on the intensity of the current delivered to the load (12).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the first and second high resolutions each include between 17 and 32 bits.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the low resolution includes between 5 and 15 bits, preferably 11 bits.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the period (Te) between two iterations is equal to 1 ms.

### Claim 11

A device (23) for determining a characteristic quantity (U1dc, U2dc) of a system (10) for powering a load (12) comprising M converter(s) (20) of a DC current into another DC current, connected in series to the terminals of the load (12), M being greater than or equal to 1, and at least one storage capacitor mounted in parallel of the converter(s) (20) on the side opposite to the load (12),
characterized in that it comprises:
means (42) for measuring a plurality of values of a first characteristic quantity (Ic), with a first high resolution,
means (43) for measuring a value of a second characteristic quantity (U1dc, U2dc) with a low resolution, and
means (44) for determining with a second high resolution a value of the second characteristic quantity (U1dc, U2dc) from the plurality of values measured with the first high resolution of the first characteristic quantity (Ic) and from the value with the low resolution of the second characteristic quantity (U1dc, U2dc), the first and second high resolutions being at least 10 times greater than the low resolution.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A power supply system for powering a load, comprising:
a DC current power supply (19) connected to an electric network (16),
M converter(s) (20) of a DC current into another DC current, connected in series to the terminals of the load (12), M being greater than or equal to 1,
at least one storage capacitor (22) mounted in parallel of the converter(s) (20) on the opposite side to the load (12), and
a device (23) for determining the value of a characteristic quantity of the power supply system (10),
characterized in that the determination device (23) is according to claim 11.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system (10) according to claim 12, wherein the DC current power supply (19) comprises at least one AC voltage transformer (14) connected to the electric network (16) and at least one voltage rectifier (18) connected at the output of the voltage transformer (14).

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The system (10) according to claim 12, wherein each of the M converters is connected at the output of the DC current power supply (19).

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The system (10) according to claim 12, wherein M is strictly greater than 1, and wherein the plurality of M converters consists of N1 first converters (30A) connected at the output of the DC current power supply (19), N1 being greater than or equal to 1, and N2 second converters (30B) which are not connected at the output of said power supply (19), N2 being greater than or equal to 1, the sum of N1 and N2 being equal to M.