Active power filter with adjustable neutral current limit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10587119-B2
Application number	US-201816164012-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2018
Priority date	Jun 27, 2018
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

According to one aspect of the disclosure, a power filter is provided including a first input configured to receive measurements of electrical characteristics of source power lines from a power source, a second input configured to receive measurements of electrical characteristics of load power lines to a load, an output configured to couple to output power lines to provide output current compensation signals, a power converter coupled to the power output and configured to receive input power, receive input control signals and provide the output current compensation signals based on the input control signals, and a controller configured to provide the control signals to the power converter, wherein the controller receives an indication of a neutral current limit, and the controller is configured to adjust the control signals based on the indication of the neutral current limit to limit current on a neutral of the output power line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power filter comprising:
a first input configured to receive measurements of electrical characteristics of source power lines from a power source, wherein the source power lines include a first phase line, a second phase line, a third phase line and a neutral;
a second input configured to receive measurements of electrical characteristics of load power lines to a load, wherein the load power lines include a first phase line, a second phase line, a third phase line and a neutral;
an output configured to couple to output power lines to provide output current compensation signals, wherein the output power lines include a first phase line, a second phase line, a third phase line and a neutral;
a power converter coupled to the output and configured to receive input power, receive control signals, and provide the output current compensation signals based on the control signals; and
a controller coupled to the first input, the second input and the power converter and configured to provide the control signals to the power converter, wherein the controller has an input to receive an indication of a neutral current limit indicative of a maximum value of current for the neutral of the load power lines, and the controller is configured to adjust the control signals based on the indication of the neutral current limit to limit current on the neutral of the load power lines to the neutral current limit.

2. The power filter of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to limit current on the neutral of the load power lines by adjusting the control signals based on a ratio between the neutral current limit and a neutral current reference signal.

3. The power filter of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate reference signals, based on the measurements of electrical characteristics of the source power lines from the power source, to correct at least one of harmonic distortion, power factor and load balance created by the load, and the controller is configured to generate the neutral current reference signal based on the reference signals.

4. The power filter of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to generate reference signals, based on the measurements of electrical characteristics of the source power lines from the power source, to correct at least one of harmonic distortion, power factor and load balance created by the load, wherein the reference signals include a first phase reference signal, a second phase reference signal and a third phase reference signal and the controller is configured to perform an orthogonal transform on the reference signals and generate the control signals to limit the current on the neutral of the load power lines based on a result of the orthogonal transform.

5. The power filter of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface, coupled to the controller, to receive the indication of the neutral current limit from a user.

6. The power filter of claim 5 , wherein the indication of the neutral current limit is input by a user as a percentage of a rated output of the power filter.

7. The power filter of claim 1 , wherein the output current compensation signals are AC output current signals, and wherein the power converter is configured to receive input power and to provide the output AC current signals based on the control signals.

8. The power filter of claim 1 , wherein the control signals are configured to control the power converter using pulse width modulation.

9. A method of operating a power filter to control characteristics of power from a source to a load, the method comprising:
receiving measurements of electrical characteristics of source power lines from the power source, wherein the source power lines include a first phase line, a second phase line, a third phase line and a neutral;
receiving measurements of electrical characteristics of load power lines to the load, wherein the load power lines include a first phase line, a second phase line, a third phase line and a neutral;
providing output power current compensation signals at output power lines, wherein the output power lines include a first phase line, a second phase line, a third phase line and a neutral;
receiving an indication of a neutral current limit, the neutral current limit being indicative of a maximum value of current for the neutral of the load power lines; and
controlling current on the neutral of the load power lines based on the indication of the neutral current limit.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the power filter includes a power converter that receives control signals and provides the output power current compensation signals based on the control signals, and wherein the method further includes limiting current on the neutral of the load power lines by adjusting the control signals based on a ratio between the neutral current limit and a neutral current reference signal.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein providing output power current compensation signals includes correcting at least one of harmonic distortion, power factor and load balance created by the load.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the power filter includes a power converter that receives control signals and provides the output power current compensation signals based on the control signals, and wherein the method further includes generating reference signals, based on the measurements of electrical characteristics of the source power lines from the power source, to correct at least one of harmonic distortion, power factor and load balance created by the load, wherein the reference signals include a first phase reference signal, a second phase reference signal and a third phase reference signal, and wherein the method further includes performing an orthogonal transform on the reference signals and generating the control signals to limit the current on the neutral of the load power lines based on a result of the orthogonal transform.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising receiving the indication of the neutral current limit from a user through a user interface.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the indication of the neutral current limit is input by a user as a percentage of a rated output of the power filter.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the output power current compensation signals are AC output current signals, and wherein the method further includes receiving AC power, converting the AC power to DC power and converting the DC power to AC power based on the control signals.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising converting the DC power to AC power using pulse width modulation.

17. A power filter comprising:
a first input configured to receive measurements of electrical characteristics of source power lines from a power source, wherein the source power lines include a first phase line, a second phase line, a third phase line and a neutral;
a second input configured to receive measurements of electrical characteristics of load power lines to a load, wherein the load power lines include a first phase line, a second phase line, a third phase line and a neutral;
an output configured to couple to output power lines to provide output current compensation signals, wherein the output power lines include a first phase line, a second phase line, a third phase line and a neutral;
a power converter coupled to the output and configured to receive input power, receive control signals and provide the output current compensation signals based on the control signals; and
a modulator for modulating the control sig

Assignees

• Schneider Electric Usa Inc

Inventors

• Marwali Mohammad Nanda Rahmana
• Bravais Thierry
• Batch John Simon

Classifications

• H02J3/01 Primary

  Arrangements for reducing harmonics or ripples · CPC title

• H02J3/26

  Arrangements for eliminating or reducing asymmetry in polyphase networks · CPC title

• H02M1/4216

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

• H02M1/12

  Arrangements for reducing harmonics from AC input or output · CPC title

• G05F1/70

  Regulating power factor; Regulating reactive current or power · CPC title