System for and method of controlling inrush current between a power source and a load

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10847970-B2
Application number	US-201815875839-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2018
Priority date	Jan 19, 2018
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A system for controlling inrush current between a power source and a load includes an output capacitor configured to be coupled in parallel with the load. The system also includes a transistor having a gate, a collector configured to be coupled to the power source, and an emitter configured to be coupled to the load. The system also includes a collector resistor coupled between the collector of the transistor and the gate of the transistor. The system also includes an emitter capacitor coupled between the gate of the transistor and the emitter of the transistor to facilitate current flow from the power source through the collector resistor and the emitter capacitor to charge the output capacitor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling inrush current between a power source and a load, comprising:
an output capacitor configured to be coupled in parallel with the load;
a sensor configured to detect an output capacitor status corresponding to a charge level of the output capacitor;
a transistor having a gate, a collector configured to be coupled to the power source, and an emitter configured to be coupled to the load;
a collector resistor coupled between the collector of the transistor and the gate of the transistor; and
an emitter capacitor coupled between the gate of the transistor and the emitter of the transistor to facilitate current flow from the power source through the collector resistor and the emitter capacitor to charge the output capacitor.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a diode coupled between the emitter of the transistor and the collector of the transistor.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the diode is biased to reduce a likelihood of current flowing through the diode from the collector to the emitter.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller coupled to the gate of the transistor and the sensor and configured to control the transistor based on the output capacitor status.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a transistor on event in response to the output capacitor status indicating that the output capacitor is fully charged; and
apply an on mode voltage to the gate of the transistor to cause the transistor to operate in an on mode to allow a driving current to pass through the transistor to power the load in response to determining the transistor on event.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a transistor off event in response to determining that the power source has been turned off; and
apply an off mode voltage to the gate of the transistor to cause the transistor to prevent the driving current from passing through the transistor.

7. The system of claim 4 , further comprising a gate resistor coupled between the controller and the gate of the transistor.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the transistor is an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT).

9. A system for controlling inrush current between a power source and a load, comprising:
an output capacitor configured to be coupled in parallel with the load;
a transistor having a gate, a collector configured to be coupled to the power source, and an emitter configured to be coupled to the load;
a collector resistor coupled between the collector of the transistor and the gate of the transistor;
an emitter capacitor coupled between the gate of the transistor and the emitter of the transistor to facilitate current flow from the power source through the collector resistor and the emitter capacitor to charge the output capacitor; and
a controller coupled to the gate of the transistor and configured to:
determine a transistor on event in response to determining that the output capacitor is fully charged, and
apply an on mode voltage to the gate of the transistor to cause the transistor to operate in an on mode to allow a driving current to pass through the transistor to power the load in response to determining the transistor on event.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a diode coupled between the emitter of the transistor and the collector of the transistor and biased to reduce a likelihood of current flowing through the diode from the collector to the emitter.

11. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a sensor coupled to the controller and configured to detect an output capacitor status corresponding to a charge level of the output capacitor.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine the transistor on event in response to the output capacitor status indicating that the output capacitor is fully charged.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a transistor off event in response to determining that the power source has been turned off; and
apply an off mode voltage to the gate of the transistor to cause the transistor to prevent the driving current from passing through the transistor.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the transistor is an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT).

15. A method for controlling inrush current between a power source and a load, comprising:
outputting, by the power source, electrical current;
facilitating, by a collector resistor and an emitter capacitor of a circuit, flow of the electrical current through the collector resistor and the emitter capacitor to charge the output capacitor, the circuit being located between the power source and the load and having:
an output capacitor configured to be coupled in parallel with the load,
a transistor having a gate, a collector configured to be coupled to the power source, and an emitter configured to be coupled to the load,
the collector resistor coupled between the collector of the transistor and the gate of the transistor, and
the emitter capacitor coupled between the gate of the transistor and the emitter of the transistor;

determining, by a controller, a transistor on event in response to the output capacitor being fully charged; and
applying, by the controller, an on mode voltage to the gate of the transistor to cause the transistor to operate in an on mode to allow a driving current to pass through the transistor to power the load in response to determining the transistor on event.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising detecting, by a sensor, an output capacitor status corresponding to a charge level of the output capacitor, wherein determining the transistor on event further includes determining the transistor on event in response to the output capacitor status indicating that the output capacitor is fully charged.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining, by the controller, a transistor off event in response to determining that the power source has been turned off; and
applying, by the controller, an off mode voltage to the gate of the transistor to cause the transistor to prevent the driving current from passing through the transistor.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein
the transistor is an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT).

19. A system for controlling inrush current between a power source and a load, comprising:
an output capacitor configured to be coupled in parallel with the load;
a sensor configured to detect an output capacitor status corresponding to a charge level of the output capacitor;
a transistor having a gate, a drain configured to be coupled to the power source, and a source configured to be coupled to the load;
a drain resistor coupled between the drain of the transistor and the gate of the transistor; and
an source capacitor coupled between the gate of the transistor and the source of the transistor to facilitate current flow from the power source through the drain resistor and the source capacitor to charge the output capacitor.

20. A method for controlling inrush current between a power source and a load, comprising:
outputting, by the power source, electrical current;
facilitating, by a drain resistor and an source capacitor of a circuit, flow of the electrical current through the drain resistor and the source capacitor to charge the output capacitor, the circuit being located between the power source and the load

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Feng Frank Z
• Bax Randall
• Schmid Ryan W
• Chai Huazhen (Harry)

Classifications

• H02H9/001 Primary

  limiting speed of change of electric quantities, e.g. soft switching on or off (progressive control of electronic switches for eliminating interferences H03K17/16) · CPC title

• H02H1/043

  to inrush currents (H02H1/046 takes precedence; differential protection of transformers H02H7/045) · CPC title

• H02M3/155

  using semiconductor devices only · CPC title

• H02H1/0007

  concerning the detecting means (in general G01R or other subclasses of G01; reed switches H01H71/2445) · CPC title