No-break power transfer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10050548-B2
Application number	US-201414500376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2014
Priority date	Sep 29, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A method and apparatus for transferring power to a load. An AC-to-DC converter output for an AC-to-DC converter is connected to a filter circuit input in a DC-to-DC converter via a connector such that a no-break power transfer occurs when transferring between providing power for the load by the AC-to-DC converter and providing power for the load by the DC-to-DC converter. The topology of the AC-to-DC converter needs only 21 windings for achieving a 24-pulse transformer rectifier unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a DC-to-DC converter connected to an input of an inductor-capacitor (LC) filter circuit, the LC filter circuit including an output connected to a load;
an AC-to-DC converter connected to the input of the LC filter circuit via a switch enabling the inductor to include a charge therein by a current going there-through when the load is powered by the DC-to-DC converter or by the AC-to-DC converter such that there is a low voltage drop when power to the load is switched between the DC-to-DC converter and the AC-to-DC converter, the AC-to-DC converter comprising a transformer and a rectifier, wherein a first number of windings in the transformer is less than a second number of output pulses per cycle of the transformer; and
a controller configured to determine when to turn the switch on and off to provide power to the load from the AC-to-DC converter or from the DC-to-DC converter.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a no-break power transfer occurs when power to the load is switched from the AC-to-DC converter to the DC-to-DC converter and from the DC-to-DC converter to the AC-to-DC converter.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transformer rectifier unit comprises a transformer connected to a rectifier.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the transformer comprises:
a number of transformer inputs;
a number of sets of windings, wherein each set of windings includes a primary winding and a secondary winding, the primary winding being connected between two of the number of transformer inputs and wherein the secondary winding includes six sub-windings; and
a number of transformer outputs connected to the rectifier, wherein each set of windings in the number of sets of windings includes four outputs in the number of transformer outputs connected each to a sub-winding of the secondary winding, wherein the transformer produces a low ripple voltage, the low ripple voltage disabling the apparatus from switching back and forth between the DC-to-DC converter and the AC-to-DC converter when providing power to the load.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the inductor is connected in series between the filter circuit input and the filter circuit output; and
the capacitor is connected between the filter circuit output and ground.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the DC-to-DC converter is configured to provide DC power within a first voltage range in a DC voltage range; and
the AC-to-DC converter is configured to provide DC power within a second voltage range in the DC voltage range, wherein there is a gap between the first voltage range and the second voltage range, the gap delimiting power from the AC-to-DC converter and from the DC-to-DC converter and disabling the apparatus from switching back and forth between the DC-to-DC converter and the AC-to-DC converter when providing power to the load.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when the controller determines that power is to be provided from the AC-to-DC converter, the controller closes the switch and when the controller determines that power is to be provided from the DC-to-DC converter, the controller opens the switch.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the AC-to-DC converter is an integral part of an aircraft power system.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the number of windings in the transformer is 21 and the number of output pulses per cycle of the transformer is 24.

10. A method of transferring power to a load connected to a DC-to-DC converter, comprising:
connecting an AC-to-DC converter output of an AC-to-DC converter to an inductor-capacitor (LC) filter circuit input in the DC-to-DC converter via a switch, wherein the inductor is charged by having a current there-through when the load is powered by the DC-to-DC converter or by the AC-to-DC converter allowing for a low voltage drop to occur when power to the load is switched from the AC-to-DC converter to the DC-to-DC converter, the AC-to-DC converter comprising a transformer and a rectifier, wherein a first number of windings in the transformer is less than a second number of output pulses per cycle of the transformer;
determining when to provide power to the load from the AC-to-DC converter or from the DC-to-DC converter;
operating the switch to provide power to the load from the AC-to-DC converter in response to determining that power is to be provided to the load from the AC-to-DC converter and power is being provided to the load from the DC-to-DC converter; and
operating the switch to provide power to the load from the DC-to-DC converter in response to determining that power is to be provided to the load from the DC-to-DC converter and power is being provided to the load from the AC-to-DC converter.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the DC-to-DC converter comprises the LC filter circuit and a DC-to-DC converter output;
the LC filter circuit comprises an LC filter circuit output comprising the DC-to-DC converter output, the inductor being connected in series between the LC filter circuit input and the LC filter circuit output, and the capacitor being connected between the LC filter circuit output and ground; and
the load comprises a DC bus connected to the DC-to-DC converter output.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the AC-to-DC converter comprises a transformer rectifier unit comprising a transformer connected to a rectifier of the AC-to-DC converter, wherein the transformer comprises:
a number of transformer inputs;
a number of sets of windings, wherein each set of windings includes a primary winding and a secondary, the primary winding being connected between two of the number of transformer inputs and the secondary winding including six sub-windings; and
a number of transformer outputs connected to the rectifier of the AC-to-DC converter, wherein each set of windings in the number of sets of windings includes four outputs in the number of transformer outputs connected each to a sub-winding of the secondary winding wherein the transformer rectifier unit produces a low ripple voltage, the low ripple voltage enabling both the DC-to-DC converter and the AC-to-DC converter to be connected to the input of the LC filter circuit by disabling power to the load from switching back and forth between the DC-to-DC converter and the AC-to-DC converter when the switch is enabled to provide power to the load from the AC-to-DC converter.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
providing power for the load by the DC-to-DC converter within a first voltage range in a DC voltage range; and
providing power for the load by the AC-to-DC converter within a second voltage range in the DC voltage range, wherein there is a gap between the first voltage range and the second voltage range, the gap delimiting power from the AC-to-DC converter and from the DC-to-DC converter and disabling power from switching back and forth between the DC-to-DC converter and the AC-to-DC converter when providing power to the load using the AC-to-DC converter.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the AC-to-DC converter is an integral part of an aircraft power system.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the number of windings in the transformer is 21 and the number of output pulses per cycle of the transformer is 24.

16. An apparatus, comprising:
a number of transformer inputs;
a number of sets of windings, wherein each set of windings includes a primary winding and a secondary winding, the primary winding being connected between two of the number of transformer inputs and wherein the secondary winding includes six sub-windings; a

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Huang Jian
• Currier Thomas F
• Bernier Alan Thomas
• Kanning Ernest H

Classifications

• H02M3/33546

  with automatic control of the output voltage or current (H02M3/33561 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02M5/14

  for conversion between circuits of different phase number · CPC title

• H01F27/29

  Terminals; Tapping arrangements {for signal inductances} · CPC title

• B64D2221/00

  Electric power distribution systems onboard aircraft · CPC title

• H02M7/06 Primary

  using discharge tubes without control electrode or semiconductor devices without control electrode · CPC title