Scheme for operation of step wave power converter
AssigneeSustainable Energy Technologies, Inc.
InventorsRishi Sachdeva, Russell Jack Morash, Dubravko Bosnjak, Brent Earle Harris
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Abstract
A step wave power converter includes a plurality of transformers each configured to receive a Direct Current (DC) voltage from one or more independently generated power sources. Each transformer comprising a primary winding and a secondary winding. A plurality of bridge circuits control different DC voltage inputs from one of the multiple independently generated power sources into the primary windings. One or more processors are configured to use a Phase-Shifted Carrier Pulse Width Modulation (PSCPWM) scheme to operate the bridge circuits in order to produce steps for a step wave Alternating Current (AC) output from the secondary windings.
Claims20
A step wave power converter comprising:
- a plurality of transformers each configured to receive a Direct Current (DC) voltage from one or more independently generated power sources, each transformer comprising a primary winding and a secondary winding;
- a plurality of bridge circuits controlling different DC voltage inputs from one of the multiple independently generated power sources into the primary windings;
- and
- one or more processors configured to use a Phase-Shifted Carrier Pulse Width Modulation (PSCPWM) scheme to operate the bridge circuits in order to modulate multiple variable width pulses onto multiple individual voltage steps output from the bridge circuits for a step wave Alternating Current (AC) output from the secondary windings, wherein each of the bridge circuits are assigned different associated carrier waves that have frequencies that are multiple times greater than a frequency of a reference waveform and have predetermined carrier wave values that are independent of the voltage steps output by the bridge circuits, and wherein the one or more processors compare each of the individual carrier waves with different points in the reference waveform to determine when to selectively have the bridge circuits associated with the different individual carrier waves connect the DC voltages to the transformers and modulate the variable width pulses onto the voltage steps output by the bridge circuits.
A method for controlling a step wave power converter, comprising:
- supplying a Direct Current (DC) voltage input to the step wave power converter;
- transforming the DC voltage input into a plurality of steps of a step wave Alternating Current (AC) waveform;
- providing multiple different phase shifted carrier waves each associated with a different one of the steps in the AC waveform and each having a frequency that is multiple times greater than a frequency associated with the AC waveform;
- and
- using phase shift carrier pulse width modulation when transforming the DC voltage input into the AC waveform by comparing one or more of the carrier waves associated with the different steps of the AC waveform with one or more reference waves and modulating variable width pulses on the steps of the step wave AC waveform according to the comparison between the carrier waves and the reference waves.
A step wave power converter comprising:
- a plurality of transformers each configured to receive a Direct Current (DC) voltage from one or more independently generated power sources, each transformer comprising a primary winding and a secondary winding;
- a plurality of bridge circuits controlling different DC voltage inputs from one of the one or more independently generated power sources into the primary windings;
- and
- a modulation circuit configured to generated steps for a step wave Alternating Current (AC) output from the secondary windings by comparing reference waveform values with carrier waveform values and then selectively having the bridge circuits connect and disconnect the DC voltages to the transformers according to the comparisons between reference waveform values with carrier waveform values, wherein the modulation circuit causes the individual bridge circuits to each generate variable width pulses on either side of a constant DC voltage step wave.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.