Power system and associated system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10974607-B2
Application number	US-201715643537-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2017
Priority date	Jul 7, 2017
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A power system is disclosed. The power system includes a first power generating unit. The first power generating unit includes a first power converting subunit and a first control unit coupled to the first power converting subunit, where the first control unit is configured to regulate a voltage of the first power generating unit. The power system further includes a second power generating unit coupled to the first power generating unit and a load, where the second power generating unit includes a second power converting subunit and a second control unit coupled to the second power converting subunit, wherein the second control unit is configured to control a current of the second power generating unit to share a quantity of electrical output current flowing through the load among the first and second power generating units.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power system comprising:
a lead unit comprising:
a first power converting subunit;
a first control unit coupled to the first power converting subunit, wherein the first control unit is configured to regulate a first voltage and to control a current of the lead unit; and
at least one first inductor and at least one first capacitor operatively coupled to an output end of the first power converting subunit; and

a remote unit coupled to the lead unit and a load, wherein the remote unit comprises:
a second power converting subunit;
a second control unit coupled to the second power converting subunit, wherein the second control unit is configured to control operation of the second power converting subunit based on the current of the lead unit and the load, wherein the second control unit is configured to control a current of the remote unit to share a quantity of electrical output current flowing through the load among the lead and remote units; and
at least one first inductor and at least one first capacitor operatively coupled to an output end of the second power converting subunit,

wherein a phase of the first voltage of the lead unit measured by a sensor onboard the remote unit is configured to be synchronized with a phase of a second voltage of the remote unit measured at the at least one first capacitor of the remote unit, wherein a converter breaker of the remote unit is configured to close responsive to synchronizing the phase of the first voltage of the lead unit with the phase of the second voltage of the remote unit, and
wherein the second control unit is configured to change operation of the second power converting subunit to change an amount of electric output current generated by the second power converting subunit based on an amount of the electrical output current of the lead unit.

2. The power system of claim 1 , wherein each of the lead and remote units is a vehicle.

3. The power system of claim 2 , wherein each of the vehicles is a locomotive.

4. The power system of claim 1 , wherein the second control unit is configured to control the current of the remote unit to equally share the quantity of electrical output current flowing through the load among the first power converting subunit and the second power converting subunit.

5. The power system of claim 1 , wherein the second control unit is configured to control the current of the remote unit to unequally share the quantity of electrical output current flowing through the load among the first power converting subunit and the second power converting subunit.

6. The power system of claim 1 , wherein the lead unit comprises a first sensor disposed at a first location and the remote unit comprises a second sensor disposed at a second location.

7. The power system of claim 6 , wherein the first sensor is coupled to the first control unit.

8. The power system of claim 6 , wherein the second sensor is coupled to the second control unit.

9. The power system of claim 6 , wherein the second control unit is configured to control the current of the remote unit based on the quantity of electrical output current flowing through the load detected by the second sensor.

10. The power system of claim 1 , further comprising a common bus configured to couple the lead unit to the remote unit.

11. The power system of claim 10 , wherein the common bus comprises at least one of a head end power (HEP) interconnecting line, and a synchronizing line.

12. The power system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first inductor and the at least one first capacitor of each of the lead and remote units correspond to each alternating current phase of the corresponding first and second power converting subunits.

13. The power system of claim 12 , wherein lead unit further comprises a converter breaker, wherein each of the lead and remote units further comprises at least one second inductor corresponding to each alternating current phase, operatively coupled to the corresponding at least one first capacitor and the converter breaker of each of the lead unit and the remote unit, respectively.

14. The power system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second control units are configured to input a plurality of operational parameters.

15. The power system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second power converting subunits are at least one of an alternator and an inverter.

16. The power system of claim 1 , wherein the lead unit includes circuitry that is configured to operate at a same electrical power frequency as electrical equipment of the remote unit.

17. A method of operating a power system, the method comprising:
regulating a first voltage of a lead unit, using a first control unit of the lead unit, wherein a remote unit is coupled to the lead unit and a load, wherein the lead unit further comprises a first power converting subunit coupled to the first control unit and at least one first inductor and at least one first capacitor operatively coupled to an output end of the first power converting subunit, the remote unit comprising a second power converting subunit coupled to a second control unit and at least one first inductor and at least one first capacitor operatively coupled to an output end of the second power converting subunit;
synchronizing a phase of the first voltage of the lead unit measured by a sensor onboard the remote unit with a phase of a second voltage of the remote unit measured at the at least one first capacitor of the remote unit, wherein a converter breaker of the remote unit is configured to close responsive to synchronizing the phase of the first voltage of the lead unit with the phase of the second voltage of the remote unit;
controlling a current of the lead unit using the first control unit; and
controlling a current of the remote unit to share a quantity of electrical output current flowing through the load among the lead and remote units based on the current of the lead unit and the load, using the second control unit, wherein the remote unit is configured to change an amount of current of the remote unit based on an amount of current of the lead unit.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein controlling the current of the remote unit comprises equally sharing the quantity of electrical output current flowing through the load among the first power converting subunit and the second power converting subunit.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein controlling the current of the remote unit comprises unequally sharing the quantity of electrical output current flowing through the load among first power converting subunit and the second power converting subunit.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising reducing a high frequency harmonic current circulating between the lead unit and the remote unit to less than or equal to a threshold value.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein reducing the high frequency harmonic current circulating between the lead unit and the remote unit comprises synchronizing carrier waves used for modulation of the first power converting subunit with corresponding carrier waves used for modulation of the second power converting subunit.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein synchronizing the carrier waves used for modulation of the first power converting subunit with the corresponding carrier waves used for modulation of the second power converting subunit comprises changing a time-period of at least one switching cycle of the carrier waves used for modulation of the s

Assignees

• Gen Electric
• Transp Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Kumar Ajith Kuttannair
• Ganireddy Govardhan
• Ali Shahid
• Chennamsetty Prashanth Manikumar

Classifications

• H02J2105/37

  exchanging power with electric vehicles [EV] or with hybrid electric vehicles [HEV] · CPC title

• B60L15/002 Primary

  for control of propulsion for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways; for control of magnetic suspension or levitation for vehicles for propulsion purposes · CPC title

• B60L9/16 Primary

  using AC induction motors · CPC title

• H02J3/01

  Arrangements for reducing harmonics or ripples · CPC title

• B60L2240/527

  Voltage · CPC title