Energy conversion system employing stabilized half-bridge inverter

An apparatus comprising:

• a generator including a rotor and a stator, said stator including a first stator winding disposed such that movement of the rotor induces a current in the stator winding;
• a motive source for effecting movement of the rotor;
• a rectifier circuit, response to the current induced in the first stator winding, for generating a uni-polar rail voltage between a relatively positive rail and a relatively negative rail;
• an inverter circuit comprising:
• first and second switching devices, responsive to control signals applied thereto, connected in series between the relatively positive rail and the relatively negative rail, with a nominal first juncture therebetween;
• first and second capacitors, connected in series between the relatively positive rail and the relatively negative rail, with a nominal second juncture therebetween;
• and
• a filter coupled across the first and second junctures;
• and
• a controller for generating the control signals to the inverter circuit switching devices such that the switching devices are rendered conductive and non-conductive to selectively connect one or the other of the relatively positive and relatively negative rails to the first juncture and generate a pulse width modulated signal at the first juncture relative to the second juncture such that the filter operates upon the pulse width modulated signal to provide an output signal having a desired waveform;
• wherein the controller maintains, in steady state operation, a DC voltage at the second juncture at a substantially constant predetermined value relative to the relatively positive and relatively negative rails.