AC power source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10958075-B2
Application number	US-201916282790-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2019
Priority date	Mar 5, 2018
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

An alternating-current power source can include a set of power storage units arranged in series and defining a power output. Each power storage unit can include a power storage device, a first connection configured to enable a voltage output of the power storage device, and a second connection configured to enable bypassing the voltage output of the power storage device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An alternating current (AC) power source, comprising:
a set of power storage units arranged in series and defining a power output including a first set of power storage units having a positive voltage DC dischargeable power storage device and a second set of power storage units having a negative voltage DC dischargeable power storage device, each of the first and second sets of power storage units having a first selectable connection configured to enable a voltage output of the respective power storage device and a second selectable connection configured to enable bypassing the voltage output of the respective power storage device, wherein the first set of power storage units are arranged in series with the second set of power storage units, and wherein the first and second sets of power storage units are separated by an electrical ground; and
a controller module communicatively connected with the set of first selectable connections and the set of second selectable connections and configured to selectively enable at least a subset of the first selectable connections or a subset of the second selectable connections, and wherein the selectively enabling emulates an AC waveform at the power output.

2. The AC power source of claim 1 wherein each power storage unit further includes a power sensor configured to sense a dischargeable power output of the respective power storage device.

3. The AC power source of claim 2 wherein the controller module is configured to receive the sensed dischargeable power output for the respective power storage device and determine an operating status of the respective power storage device.

4. The AC power source of claim 3 wherein the controller module includes an emulation AC waveform profile.

5. The AC power source of claim 4 wherein the controller module is configured to sense the dischargeable power output of a set of respective power storage devices, compare the dischargeable power outputs of the set of power storage devices with the emulation AC waveform profile, and selectably enable the subset of the first or second selectable connections such that the emulated AC waveform at the power output most closely resembles the emulation AC waveform profile.

6. The AC power source of claim 3 wherein the controller module is configured to selectively enable the second selectable connection to bypass respective power storage devices determined to have a failed operating status.

7. The AC power source of claim 1 wherein the controller module is configured to selectively enable the subset of first or second selectable connections such that the discharge of power storage devices is balanced across the set of power storage units.

8. The AC power source of claim 1 wherein the controller module is configured to selectively enable at least a subset of the first set of power storage units to emulate a positive voltage AC waveform at the power output and to selectively enable at least a subset of the second set of power storage units to emulate a negative voltage AC waveform at the power output.

9. The AC power source of claim 1 , further comprising an H-bridge, wherein the set of power storage units are positioned across a center leg of the H-bridge.

10. The AC power source of claim 9 , wherein the controller module is further configured to controllably operate the H-bridge to emulate a positive AC waveform at the power output and a negative AC waveform at the power output.

11. The AC power source of claim 1 further comprising a power filtering element at the power output.

12. The AC power source of claim 1 further comprising at least two sets of power storage units, wherein the controller module is further configured to selectably enable the at least two sets of power storage units to emulate a corresponding at least two phases of power.

13. A method of generating an alternating current (AC) waveform, the method comprising:
selectively enabling, by a controller module, one of a voltage output connection or a bypass connection for each of a first set of power storage units having a positive voltage DC dischargeable power storage device and a second set of power storage units having a negative voltage DC dischargeable power storage device, wherein the first set of power storage units are arranged in series with the second set of power storage units, and wherein the first and second sets of power storage units are separated by an electrical ground, such that the summated output of each of the first set of power storage units and second set of power storage units is provided to a power output, wherein the power output conforms with an emulation AC waveform profile.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising sensing, by a power sensor, a dischargeable power value for at least a subset of the first and second power storage units.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising receiving the sensed dischargeable value from the sensor for the subset of the first and second power storage units, and determining an operating status of the subset of dischargeable the first and second power storage units.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising comparing the operating status of the subset of dischargeable power storage units with the emulation AC waveform profile, and the selectively enabling includes selectively enabling a subset of the dischargeable power storage units such that the power output most closely resembles the emulation AC waveform profile.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein selectively enabling further includes selectively enabling one of the voltage output connection or a bypass connection for each of a first set of positive voltage dischargeable DC power storage units or a second set of negative voltage dischargeable DC power storage units, the sets of positive and negative voltage dischargeable DC power storage units arranged in series.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the selectively enabling further includes selectively enabling at least a subset of the first set of positive voltage dischargeable DC power storage units such that the power output conforms with a positive voltage waveform of the emulation AC waveform profile and selectively enabling at least a subset of second set of negative voltage dischargeable DC power storage units such that the power output conforms with a negative voltage waveform of the emulation AC waveform profile.

Assignees

• Ge Aviat Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Collins John Oliver
• Halsey Colin John
• Compton Russell Mark

Classifications

• H02J2105/32

  for aircrafts · CPC title

• H02J7/933

  the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters · CPC title

• H02J7/855 Primary

  with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery · CPC title

• G05B19/04 Primary

  Program control other than numerical control, i.e. in sequence controllers or logic controllers (G05B19/418 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02M7/4835

  comprising two or more cells, each including a switchable capacitor, the capacitors having a nominal charge voltage which corresponds to a given fraction of the input voltage, and the capacitors being selectively connected in series to determine the instantaneous output voltage · CPC title