Electrical converter with variable capacitor
AssigneeCommissariat A L' Energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives
InventorGhislain Despesse
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for converting energy at a first voltage to a second voltage, including at least one source of voltage, a discharge switch, a variable capacitor, and a collection mechanism, connected in parallel, a charge switch between the discharge switch and the source, a transfer switch between the variable capacitor and the collection mechanism, and a controller to execute a control such that: a) during a first operation, the charge switch is closed to charge the variable capacitor, while the discharge switch and the transfer switch remain open; b) during a subsequent operation, the discharge switch is closed for a short instant while the charge switch remains open, allowing at least partial discharge of the variable capacitor.
Claims19
A method for converting a first electrical energy at a first voltage into a second electrical energy at a second voltage by a conversion system including at least one voltage source at the first voltage connected to a variable capacitor through a charge switch, a discharge switch being placed in parallel with the variable capacitor, an energy collector at the second voltage, and a device of transferring energy between the variable capacitor and the energy collector, the variable capacitor including a fixed plate and a mobile plate capable of moving away from and towards the fixed plate and an elastic means to return the mobile plate to its initial position, the method comprising, for one complete conversion cycle:
- a) closing the charge switch, while the discharge switch remains open, to charge the variable capacitor at the first voltage, and inducing a displacement of the mobile plate increasing capacitance of the variable capacitor;
- b) subsequent to step a, opening the charge switch while keeping the discharge switch open to allow operation of the variable capacitor at constant charge, the capacitance of the variable capacitor continuing to increase;
- c) subsequent to step b, closing the discharge switch to allow at least partial discharge of the variable capacitor and to invert movement of the mobile plate,
- wherein the device of transferring energy provides energy transfer from the variable capacitor to the energy collector during movement of the mobile plate.
A conversion system from a first electrical energy at a first voltage to a second electrical energy at a second voltage comprising:
- at least one voltage source at the first voltage connected to a variable capacitor through a charge switch, a discharge switch being placed in parallel with the variable capacitor;
- an energy collector at the second voltage;
- a device transferring energy between the variable capacitor and the energy collector;
- the variable capacitor comprising a fixed plate, a mobile plate capable of moving away from and towards the fixed plate, and elastic means to return the mobile plate to its initial position;
- a controller of charge and discharge switches such that for a conversion cycle:
- a) during a first operation, the discharge switch is opened and the charge switch is closed to charge the variable capacitor at the first voltage, and the mobile plate is displaced increasing capacitance of the variable capacitor;
- b) during a second operation subsequent to the first operation, the charge switch is open and the discharge switch is kept open to allow operation of the capacitor at constant charge, the capacitance of the variable capacitor continuing to increase;
- c) during a third operation subsequent to the second operation, the discharge switch is closed allowing at least partial discharge of the variable capacitor leading to an inversion of the movement of the mobile plate
- wherein the device of transferring energy transferring energy from the capacitor to the energy collector during movement of the mobile plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.