US 9,948,140 B2 · High efficiency control system for the conversion of electrical energy to thermal energy

Abstract

An improved control arrangement is used in a high power rectifier and comprises two or more power controllers ganged together in parallel. Each power controller rectifies an AC voltage signal using zero voltage crossing switching to produce a binary switched signal and each power controller is connected to an independent connectable load. Each power controller includes a fast acting binary power switch that selectively connects the respective independent connectable load to the rectified AC voltage signal. The control arrangement selectively activates the power controllers to define a desired connected load. This high power rectifier and control arrangement is advantageously used to provide fast up down power regulation to a grid by selective storage of thermal energy and deriving power from the thermal energy storage system to add fill in power to the grid.

Claims16

Dependent claims

In a high power rectifier, a control arrangement comprising a series of power controllers ganged together in parallel wherein each power controller includes a controlled 3 phase rectifying circuit that receives an AC voltage signal and the controlled 3 phase rectifying circuit is triggered at zero voltage crossing points to produce a full wave rectified signal powering an independent resistive heating load without reactive loading;

and each power controller includes 3 fast acting binary power switches selectively connecting the respective independent resistive heating load to the full wave rectified signal;
and wherein said control arrangement includes logic controlling said fast acting binary switches and selectively activating said power controllers to collectively define a desired aggregate connected resistive load determined by the activated power controllers.

A power storage and generation system connected to a grid supply network, said power storage and generation system comprising

a thermal energy storage system connected to said grid supply network for receiving electrical power to the thermally stored within a thermal storage body, said thermal energy storage system including thermal conversion outputting components for converting thermal energy of said thermal energy storage system into electrical energy provided to said grid supply network;
said thermal energy storage system being divided into a series of thermal storage units with each unit including electrical power input components for receiving electrical power from said grid supply network and converting the received electrical power to thermal energy stored in said thermal energy storage system;
and wherein the electrical power input components for each thermal storage unit comprise a power controller that selectively rectifies a three phase AC voltage signal using zero voltage crossing switching to produce a binary switched signal;
and wherein each power controller is connected to an independent connectible load that when powered produces thermal energy and each said independent connectible load is associated with one of said. thermal storage units and transfers thermal energy thereto;
and wherein each power controller includes a fast acting binary power switch selectively connecting the respective independent connectible load to the binary switched signal;
and wherein said electrical power input components selectively activate said power controllers to define a desired connected load.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

High efficiency control system for the conversion of electrical energy to thermal energy

Life of this patent

High efficiency control system for the conversion of electrical energy to thermal energy

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16