Phase angle and voltage balancing in a multi-phase system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10291114-B2
Application number	US-201615357058-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2016
Priority date	Mar 1, 2012
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods for phase angle balancing and voltage balancing in multi-phase systems are described herein. The system can include a multi-phase control system coupled to a plurality of voltage regulators. The multi-phase control system can receive sense signals from the plurality of voltage regulators. The multi-phase control system can use the sense signals to determine phase angles between the multiple phases and adjust an output voltage of a phase. The multi-phase control system can also use the sense signals to determine voltage deltas between the multiple phases and adjust an output voltage of a phase.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of phase angle balancing in a multi-phase power delivery system, comprising:
receiving at a multi-phase control system, a first sense signal from a first voltage regulator associated with a first phase, a second sense signal from a second voltage regulator associated with a second phase, and a third sense signal from a third voltage regulator associated with a third phase;
calculating at the multi-phase control system an initial first phase angle from the first sense signal, an initial second phase angle from the second sense signal, and an initial third phase angle from the third sense signal, wherein the initial first phase angle, the initial second phase angle, and the initial third phase angle form an initial phase angle balance condition;
determining at the multi-phase control system a largest phase angle from among the initial first phase angle, the initial second phase angle, and the initial third phase angle; and
adjusting by the multi-phase control system an output voltage of a phase opposite the largest phase angle.

2. The method of phase angle balancing of claim 1 , comprising:
receiving at the multi-phase control system a new first sense signal from the first voltage regulator, a new second sense signal from the second voltage regulator, and a new third sense signal from the third voltage regulator;
calculating at the multi-phase control system a new first phase angle, a new second phase angle, and a new third phase angle, wherein the new first phase angle, the new second phase angle, and the new third phase angle form a new phase angle balance condition;
determining at the multi-phase control system if the new phase angle balance condition is better than the initial phase angle balance condition;
when the new phase angle balance condition is better than the initial phase angle balance condition:
determining a new largest phase angle from among the new first phase angle, the new second phase angle, and the new third phase angle; and
adjusting an output voltage of a phase opposite the new largest phase angle; and

when the new phase angle balance condition is not better than the initial phase angle balance condition, undoing a latest adjustment.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initial first phase angle is a phase angle between the first phase and the second phase of the multi-phase power delivery system, wherein the initial second phase angle is a phase angle between the second phase and the third phase of the multi-phase power delivery system, and wherein the initial third phase angle is a phase angle between the third phase and the first phase of the multi-phase power delivery system.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising periodically confirming that an optimized phase angle balance condition is maintained.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the output voltage of the phase opposite the largest phase angle is adjusted by adjusting a selected voltage regulator associated with the phase opposite the largest phase angle, wherein the selected voltage regulator is one of the first voltage regulator, the second voltage regulator or the third voltage regulator.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a voltage regulator controller associated with the selected voltage regulator adjusts the output voltage by adjusting a tap changer within the selected voltage regulator.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the optimized phase angle balance condition is maintained by the multi-phase control system, the multi-phase control system comprising one or more voltage regulator controllers coupled to the first voltage regulator, the second voltage regulator and the third voltage regulator of the multi-phase power delivery system.

8. A method of voltage delta balancing in a multi-phase power delivery system, comprising:
receiving at a multi-phase control system, a first sense signal from a first voltage regulator associated with a first phase, a second sense signal from a second voltage regulator associated with a second phase, and a third sense signal from a third voltage regulator associated with a third phase;
calculating at the multi-phase control system an initial first voltage delta from the first sense signal, an initial second voltage delta from the second sense signal, and an initial third voltage delta from the third sense signal, wherein the initial first voltage delta, the initial second voltage delta, and the initial third voltage delta form an initial voltage balance condition;
determining at the multi-phase control system a largest voltage delta from among the initial first voltage delta, the initial second voltage delta, and the initial third voltage delta; and
adjusting by the multi-phase control system an output voltage of a phase opposite the largest voltage delta.

9. The method of voltage delta balancing of claim 8 , comprising:
receiving at the multi-phase control system, a new first sense signal from the first voltage regulator, a new second sense signal from the second voltage regulator, and a new third sense signal from the third voltage regulator;
calculating at the multi-phase control system a new first voltage delta, a new second voltage delta, and a new third voltage delta, wherein the new first voltage delta, the new second voltage delta, and the new third voltage delta form a new voltage balance condition;
determining if the new voltage balance condition is better than the initial voltage balance condition;
when the new voltage balance condition is better than the initial voltage balance condition:
determining a new largest voltage delta from among the new first voltage delta, the new second voltage delta, and the new third voltage delta; and
adjusting an output voltage of a phase opposite the new largest voltage delta; and

when the new voltage balance condition is not better than the initial voltage balance condition, undoing a latest adjustment.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the initial first voltage delta is a voltage difference between the first phase and the second phase of the multi-phase power delivery system, wherein the initial second voltage delta is a voltage difference between the second phase and the third phase of the multi-phase power delivery system, and wherein the initial third voltage delta is a voltage difference between the third phase and the first phase of the multi-phase power delivery system.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising periodically confirming that an optimized voltage delta balance condition is maintained.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of periodically confirming that the optimized voltage delta balance condition is maintained further comprises:
determining whether a predetermined time period has passed; and
when the predetermined time period has passed, reconfirm that the optimized voltage delta balance condition is maintained.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein when the predetermined time period has not passed, a current voltage regulator settings is maintained.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the output voltage of the phase opposite the largest voltage delta is adjusted by adjusting a selected voltage regulator from among the first voltage regulator, the second voltage regulator, and the third voltage regulator.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein a voltage regulator controller associated with the selected voltage regulator adjusts the output voltage by adjusting a tap changer within the selected voltage regulator.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the optimized voltage delta balance condition is maintained by the multi-phase control s

Assignees

• Cooper Technologies Co
• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Daley Daniel J

Classifications

• H02M5/10

  using transformers · CPC title

• G05F1/14 Primary

  using tap transformers or tap changing inductors as final control devices · CPC title

• H02M1/42 Primary

  Circuits or arrangements for compensating for or adjusting power factor in converters or inverters · CPC title

• H02P13/06

  by tap-changing; by rearranging interconnections of windings · CPC title

• H02M1/4216

  operating from a three-phase input voltage (H02M1/4233 takes precedence) · CPC title