Incremental hybrid welding systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11420283-B2
Application number	US-201916601248-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2019
Priority date	Nov 17, 2009
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

Embodiments of a welding power supply include an engine adapted to drive a generator to produce a first power and a energy storage device adapted to discharge energy to produce a second power. The welding power supply also includes control circuitry adapted to detect a commanded output. The control circuitry is adapted to meet the commanded output by controlling access to power from the energy storage device to produce the second power when the commanded output is below a first predetermined load level. The control circuitry is further adapted to meet the commanded output by controlling access to power from the engine and the energy storage device to produce the first power and the second power when the commanded output is above a second predetermined load level.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A welding system, comprising:
an engine configured to drive a generator to produce engine power output, wherein the engine is rated below or equal to 25 horsepower;
an energy storage device configured to provide storage device power output; and
a controller configured to:
control production of welding power output by conversion of a storage device output and engine power output based upon a plurality of stepwise thresholds of commanded welding power;
command welding power output to be produced from the engine power output via a first power converter in response to the commanded welding power being below a first threshold of the plurality of stepwise thresholds; and
command welding power output to be produced from both the storage device power output and the engine power output in response to the commanded welding power exceeding the first threshold of the plurality of stepwise thresholds.

2. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein the first threshold of the plurality of stepwise thresholds is equal to 300 amps, and a second threshold of the plurality of stepwise thresholds is equal to 150 amps.

3. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein the first power converter is coupled to the energy storage device to convert the storage device power output to the welding power output.

4. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein the second power converter is coupled to the engine to convert the engine power output to at least one of the weld power output and an auxiliary power output.

5. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to command conversion of only storage device power output to produce the welding power output upon start up of the welding system and to allow a delay period to elapse before accessing engine power output from the engine.

6. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to access engine power output from the engine when a pause in the welding process is detected.

7. The welding system of claim 2 , further comprising a charger coupled to the energy storage device and to the generator and configured to receive the engine power output from the generator and to charge the energy storage device with the received engine power output.

8. The welding system of claim 7 , wherein the charger is configured to charge the energy storage device when the commanded welding power is between the first threshold and the second threshold of the plurality of stepwise thresholds.

9. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to deactivate the engine to prevent the generation of the engine power output during non-welding periods.

10. The welding system of claim 1 , wherein the engine is further configured to provide engine power output for an auxiliary power output when an auxiliary load is detected.

11. A welding system, comprising:
a first power converter configured to convert an engine power output from an engine that is configured to drive a generator to produce the engine power output, wherein the engine is rated below or equal to 25 horsepower;
a second power converter configured to convert a storage device power output from an energy storage device that is configured to provide the storage device power output; and
a controller configured to:
command welding power output to be produced from the engine power output via the first power converter in response to the commanded welding power being below a first threshold of a plurality of stepwise thresholds; and
command welding power output to be produced from both the storage device power output and the engine power output from the first power converter and a second power converter, respectively, in response to the commanded welding power exceeding the first threshold of the plurality of stepwise thresholds.

12. The welding system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to control an auxiliary power output by conversion of one of the storage device output or the engine power output from the first or second power converters, respectively, based upon a plurality of stepwise thresholds of commanded welding power.

13. The welding system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the energy storage device to discharge to produce the auxiliary power output.

14. The welding system of claim 11 , wherein the first threshold of the plurality of stepwise thresholds is equal to 300 amps, and a second threshold of the plurality of stepwise thresholds is equal to 150 amps.

15. The welding system of claim 11 , further comprising a charger coupled to the energy storage device and to the generator and configured to receive the engine power output from the generator and to charge the energy storage device with the received engine power output.

16. The welding system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to control access to the storage device power output from the energy storage device and control the engine power output from the engine and production of welding power output in response to the plurality of stepwise thresholds.

17. A welding system, comprising:
an engine configured to drive a generator to produce an engine power output, wherein the engine is rated below or equal to 25 horsepower;
an energy storage device configured to provide a storage device power output;
a controller configured to:
control access to the storage device power output from the energy storage device and an engine power output from the engine;
control production of welding power output and auxiliary power output by conversion of the storage device output and engine power output based upon a plurality of stepwise thresholds of commanded welding power;
command welding power output and auxiliary power output to be produced from the engine power output via a first power converter in response to the commanded welding power being below a first threshold of the plurality of stepwise thresholds; and
command welding power output to be produced from both the storage device power output and the engine power output in response to a the commanded welding power exceeding the first threshold of the plurality of stepwise thresholds.

18. The welding system of claim 17 , wherein the first threshold of the plurality of stepwise thresholds is equal to 300 amps, and the second threshold of the plurality of stepwise thresholds is equal to 300 amps.

19. The welding system of claim 17 , further comprising a charger coupled to the energy storage device and to the engine and configured to receive the engine power output from the engine and to charge the energy storage device with the received engine power output.

20. The welding system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured to activate and deactivate the engine to access the engine power output and to charge the energy storage device in response to the plurality of stepwise thresholds.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Albrecht Bruce Patrick
• Sykes Allen Raymond

Classifications

• B23K9/1006 Primary

  Power supply · CPC title

• B23K9/06

  Arrangements or circuits for starting the arc, e.g. by generating ignition voltage, or for stabilising the arc · CPC title

• B23K9/095

  Monitoring or automatic control of welding parameters · CPC title

• B23K9/1012 Primary

  characterised by parts of the process · CPC title

• B23K9/09

  Arrangements or circuits for arc welding with pulsed current or voltage · CPC title