Circuit for transferring power between a direct current line and an alternating-current line
OwnerD Kevin Cameroninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system, method, and apparatus is disclosed for interfacing and transferring power unidirectionally or bidirectionally between a direct current (DC) line and a single or multiphase alternating-current (AC) line for only half of any given phase and only a single phase at a time when polarity is matched between the DC and the AC system. A circuit with simplified, robust, and reduced-cost components perform the power conditioning and the synchronization as a system that simulates a half-wave rectifier/inverter.
Claims73
A circuit for transferring power between a direct current (DC) line and an alternating current (AC) line having one or more AC phases, the circuit comprising:
- a polarity-matching circuit comprising:
- one or more switches coupled to the DC line, wherein each of the one or more switches is individually coupled to one respective phase of the one or more AC phases on the AC line;
- and
- a phase-selector coupled to each of the one or more of switches;
- and wherein:
- the phase-selector is configured to control the one or more switches such that no more than one switch is closed when power is being transferred between the AC line and the DC line;
- and wherein:
- a current communicated between the DC line and the AC line is unidirectional.
A method of transferring power between a direct current (DC) line having a plurality of switches and an alternating current (AC) line having a plurality of phases, the method comprising:
- sensing a polarity of the DC line as a fixed polarity;
- sensing a polarity, via a polarity-matching circuit, of the plurality of phases of the AC line;
- selectively closing one of the plurality of switches mated to a single phase of the plurality of phases of the AC line when the polarity of the DC line is the same as the polarity of the single phase to which the switch is mated;
- and
- selectively opening the one of the plurality of switches that is coupling the DC line to the AC line before the polarity of the single phase to which the switch is mated changes to a polarity that is the opposite of the polarity of the DC line;
- and wherein:
- a current communicated between the DC line and the AC line is unidirectional.
A system for transferring power between a direct current (DC) line and an alternating current (AC) line, the system comprising:
- an isolation circuit;
- a DC/AC interface coupled to the isolation circuit, the DC/AC interface comprising:
- a power-conditioning circuit coupled to the DC line;
- a polarity-matching circuit coupled to the power-conditioning circuit and to the AC line;
- and wherein:
- a current communicated between the DC line and the AC line is unidirectional;
- the polarity-matching circuit comprises:
- one or more switches coupled to the DC line, wherein each of the one or more switches is individually coupled to one respective phase of one or more AC phases on the AC line;
- and
- a phase-selector coupled to each of the one or more of switches;
- and wherein:
- the phase-selector is configured to control the one or more switches such that no more than one switch is closed when power is transferred between the AC line and the DC line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.