Intrinsically safe power conditioning circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10289182-B2
Application number	US-201615088598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2016
Priority date	Apr 1, 2016
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

A power conditioning circuit includes at least one power storage device having electrodes coupled for receiving power from a DC power source. At least one active current limit (ACL) circuit coupled to the electrodes of the power storage device is for limiting a maximum power output from the power storage device under fault conditions. A DC-to-DC converter has its inputs coupled to the ACL circuit. At least one crowbar circuit has a first terminal and a second terminal and a shorting device coupled to an output of the DC-to-DC converter for providing output terminals for the power conditioning circuit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power conditioning circuit, comprising:
at least one power storage device having electrodes coupled for receiving power from a DC power source;
at least one active current limit (ACL) circuit coupled to said electrodes of said power storage device for limiting a maximum power output from said power storage device under fault conditions wherein said active current limiter comprises of:
a differential amplifier configured to amplify a current across a sense resistor,
a comparator configured to compare the output voltage of the differential amplifier with an accurate shunt voltage reference and trip a series pass transistor through a driver;
a delay circuit, configured to filter noise to prevent tripping of the active current limit circuit for short duration peak currents;

a DC-to-DC converter having inputs coupled to said ACL circuit, and
at least one crowbar circuit having a first terminal and a second terminal including a shorting device coupled to an output of said DC-to-DC converter for providing output terminals for said power conditioning circuit.

2. The power conditioning circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a controller section including a processor and a DC-to-DC converter resistively coupled with at least one infallible resistor for receiving power from said power storage device.

3. The power conditioning circuit of claim 1 , wherein said power storage device comprises at least one supercapacitor.

4. The power conditioning circuit of claim 1 , wherein said ACL circuit comprises a plurality of said ACL circuits in series with one another.

5. The power conditioning circuit of claim 1 , wherein said ACL circuit provides a series resistance value <0.5 ohms while said ACL circuit is not triggered.

6. The power conditioning circuit of claim 1 , wherein said crowbar circuit comprises a plurality of said crowbar circuits in parallel to one another.

7. The power conditioning circuit of claim 1 , wherein said power storage device comprises a rechargeable battery, hybrid layer capacitor, or a lithium ion capacitor.

8. The power conditioning circuit of claim 1 , wherein said DC-to-DC converter comprises a boost converter or a buck converter.

9. The power conditioning circuit of claim 1 , wherein said crowbar circuit comprises at least one triode thyristor (TRIAC).

10. The power conditioning circuit of claim 1 , wherein said crowbar circuit comprises at least one silicon controlled rectifier (SCR).

11. A power supply, comprising:
a DC power source;
at least one power storage device having electrodes coupled for receiving power from said DC power source;
at least one active current/power limit (ACL) circuit coupled to said electrodes of said power storage device wherein said active current limiter comprises of:
a differential amplifier configured to amplify a current across a sense resistor,
a comparator configured to compare the output voltage of the differential amplifier with an accurate shunt voltage reference and trip a series pass transistor through a driver;
a delay circuit, configured to filter noise to prevent tripping of the active current limit circuit for short duration peak currents;

a DC-to-DC converter having inputs coupled to said ACL circuit;
at least one crowbar circuit having a first terminal and a second terminal including a shorting device coupled to an output of said DC-to-DC converter for providing output terminals; and
a controller section including a DC-to-DC converter and a processor resistively coupled for receiving power from said power storage device.

12. The power supply of claim 11 , wherein said power storage device comprises at least one supercapacitor.

13. The power supply of claim 11 , wherein said controller section includes at least one infallible resistor and at least one Zener diode.

14. The power supply of claim 11 , wherein said ACL circuit comprises a plurality of said ACL circuits in series with one another.

15. The power supply of claim 11 , wherein said ACL circuit provides a series resistance value of <0.5 ohms while said ACL circuit is not triggered.

16. The power supply of claim 11 , wherein said crowbar circuit comprises a plurality of said crowbar circuits in parallel to one another.

17. The power supply of claim 11 , wherein said power storage device comprises a rechargeable battery, hybrid layer capacitor, or a lithium ion capacitor.

18. The power supply of claim 11 , wherein said DC-to-DC converter comprises a boost converter or a buck converter.

19. The power supply of claim 11 , wherein said crowbar circuit comprises at least one triode thyristor (TRIAC).

20. The power supply of claim 11 , wherein said crowbar circuit comprises at least one silicon controlled rectifier (SCR).

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Bezawada Murali Krishna
• Meijer Bart
• Boettger John
• Dtvs Suresh Babu

Classifications

• G06F1/30 Primary

  Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations (for resetting only G06F1/24) · CPC title

• G06F1/266

  Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips · CPC title

• H02H3/025

  Disconnection after limiting, e.g. when limiting is not sufficient or for facilitating disconnection · CPC title

• G06F1/28

  Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision · CPC title

• H02M3/04

  by static converters · CPC title