Voltage regulator system and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10198013-B2
Application number	US-201715452288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2017
Priority date	Dec 20, 2016
Publication date	Feb 5, 2019
Grant date	Feb 5, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure pertain to a voltage regulator system having a voltage regulation controller and a transformer assembly. The transformer assembly includes a coil winding, a multi-contact tap arrangement connected to the coil winding, and a multifurcated tap changer system that includes a first tap changer having a contactor element which makes contact with a first contact of the multi-contact tap arrangement when the controller provides a positioning stimulus based on sensing a voltage deviation from a nominal output voltage of the voltage regulator system. The multifurcated tap changer system further includes a second tap changer that is mechanically ganged to the first tap changer and includes another contactor element arranged to automatically make contact with a second contact of the multi-contact tap arrangement when the contactor element of the first tap changer makes contact with the first contact of the multi-contact tap arrangement.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A voltage regulator system comprising:
a voltage regulation controller; and
a split-coil transformer assembly;
wherein the voltage regulation controller comprises a voltage sensing element;
wherein the split-coil transformer assembly, which is coupled to the voltage regulation controller, comprises:
a first coil winding;
a first tap changer;
a second coil winding; and
a second tap changer;

wherein the first coil winding comprises a first set of taps;
wherein the first tap changer comprises a first contactor element that makes contact with a first tap in the first set of taps when the voltage regulation controller provides to the split-coil transformer assembly, a first positioning stimulus that is based at least in part on the voltage sensing element sensing a first voltage deviation from a nominal output voltage of the voltage regulator system;
wherein the second coil winding is electrically coupled in parallel with the first coil winding to split a load current provided by the voltage regulator system to a load, the second coil winding comprising a second set of taps;
wherein the second tap changer is mechanically ganged to the first tap changer and comprises a second contactor element arranged to make contact with a first tap in the second set of taps when the voltage regulation controller provides to the split-coil transformer assembly, the first positioning stimulus.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first contactor element of the voltage regulator system makes contact with a second tap in the first set of taps when the voltage sensing element senses a second voltage deviation from the nominal output voltage, and the second contactor element is further arranged to make contact with a second tap in the second set of taps when the first contactor element makes contact with the second tap in the first set of taps.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the voltage sensing element of the voltage regulator system comprises a motor that is electrically coupled to one or more output terminals of the voltage regulator system, the motor comprising a rotor shaft that rotates to a first angular position when the motor senses the first voltage deviation from the nominal output voltage and rotates to a second angular position when the motor senses the second voltage deviation from the nominal output voltage.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein each of the first tap changer and the second tap changer of the voltage regulator system comprise a circular plate having a central opening, that is provided for insertion of the rotor shaft of the motor.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first voltage deviation from the nominal output voltage is a positive deviation from the nominal output voltage and the second voltage deviation from the nominal output voltage is a negative deviation from the nominal output voltage.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein each of the positive deviation and the negative deviation is defined on a percentage basis with respect to the nominal output voltage.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the split-coil transformer assembly further comprises a first reversing switch and a second reversing switch, wherein the first reversing switch is connected to the first coil winding and is operative to electrically couple one of a first end or a second end of the first coil winding to an output terminal of the voltage regulator system, and wherein the second reversing switch, which is mechanically ganged with the first reversing switch, is connected to the second coil winding, and operative to electrically couple one of a first end or a second end of the second coil winding to the output terminal of the voltage regulator system when the first reversing switch electrically couples the one of the first end or the second end of the first coil winding to the output terminal of the voltage regulator system.

8. A method for regulating voltage comprising:
providing a voltage regulator system having a split-coil transformer assembly, wherein the split-coil transformer assembly comprises:
a first coil winding;
a second coil winding;
a first tap changer; and
a second tap changer;

wherein the first coil winding comprises a first set of taps;
wherein the second coil winding is electrically coupled in parallel with the first coil winding to split a load current provided by the voltage regulator system to a load, the second coil winding comprising a second set of taps;
wherein the first tap changer comprises a first contactor element;
wherein the second tap changer comprises a second contactor element that is mechanically ganged to the first contactor element of the first tap changer; and
sensing a first voltage deviation from a nominal output voltage of the voltage regulator system, and in response to sensing the first voltage deviation concurrently activating the first contactor element to make contact with a first tap in the first set of taps and the second contactor element to make contact with a first tap in the second set of taps.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
sensing a second voltage deviation from the nominal output voltage of the voltage regulator system; and
in response to sensing the second voltage deviation, activating the first contactor element to make contact with a second tap in the first set of taps and the second contactor element to make contact with a second tap in the second set of taps.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
sensing each of the first voltage deviation and the second voltage deviation by using a motor electrically coupled to one or more output terminals of the voltage regulator system, the motor comprising a rotor shaft that rotates to a first angular position when the motor senses the first voltage deviation from the nominal output voltage and rotates to a second angular position when the motor senses the second voltage deviation from the nominal output voltage.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the first tap changer and the second tap changer comprise a circular plate having a central opening for mechanically coupling, directly or indirectly, each of the first tap changer and the second tap changer to the rotor shaft of the motor.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first voltage deviation from the nominal output voltage is a positive deviation from the nominal output voltage and the second voltage deviation from the nominal output voltage is a negative deviation from the nominal output voltage.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein each of the positive deviation and the negative deviation is defined on a percentage basis with respect to the nominal output voltage.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the split-coil transformer assembly comprises a first reversing switch and a second reversing switch;
wherein the first reversing switch is connected to the first coil winding and is operative to electrically couple one of a first end or a second end of the first coil winding to an output terminal of the voltage regulator system; and
wherein the second reversing switch, which is mechanically ganged with the first reversing switch, is connected to the second coil winding, is operative to electrically couple one of a first end or a second end of the second coil winding to the output terminal of the voltage regulator system when the first reversing switch electrically couples the one of a first end or the second end of the first coil winding to the output terminal of the voltage regulator system.

15. A voltage regulator system comprising:
a voltage regulation controller; and
a split-coil transfor

Assignees

• General Electric Technology Gmbh

Inventors

• Dauzat Thomas Ambrose

Classifications

• H02M5/12

  for conversion of voltage or current amplitude only · CPC title

• G05F1/24

  using bucking or boosting transformers as final control devices · CPC title

• G05F1/66

  Regulating electric power · CPC title

• H01H9/0011

  Voltage selector switches · CPC title

• H01F29/025

  Constructional details of transformers or reactors with tapping on coil or windings · CPC title