Alternating current (AC) voltage regulator and method of operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11777418-B2
Application number	US-202318101941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2023
Priority date	Jun 18, 2019
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

An alternating-current (AC) voltage regulator including an isolated power supply, a control circuit, an amplifier, and an output. The isolated power supply is configured to receive an input voltage and output a direct-current (DC) signal isolated from the input voltage. The control circuit is configured to adjust a portion of the input voltage, and output an adjusted voltage. The amplifier is configured to output a differential signal. The differential signal is based on at least one selected from a group consisting of the isolated DC signal, the adjusted voltage, and a feedback loop. The output is configured to add the differential signal to the input voltage resulting in a regulated voltage, and output the regulated voltage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An alternating-current (AC) voltage regulator comprising:
an isolated power supply configured to receive an input voltage and output a direct-current (DC) signal isolated from the input voltage;
a control circuit configured to adjust a portion of the input voltage, and output an adjusted voltage;
an amplifier configured to output a differential signal, the differential signal based on at least one selected from a group consisting of the isolated DC signal, the adjusted voltage, and a feedback loop; and
an output configured to add the differential signal to the input voltage resulting in a regulated voltage, and output the regulated voltage.

2. The AC voltage regulator of claim 1 , wherein an output of the amplifier is electrically isolated from an input of the amplifier via an isolator.

3. The AC voltage regulator of claim 2 , wherein the isolator includes at least one selected from a group consisting of one or more opto-isolators and a transformer.

4. The AC voltage regulator of claim 1 , wherein the isolated power supply is an AC/DC pulse-width modulated (PWM) power supply.

5. The AC voltage regulator of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit adjusts at least one selected from a group consisting of an amplitude of the portion of the input voltage and a phase of the portion of the input voltage.

6. The AC voltage regulator of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is a digital signal processor (DSP).

7. The AC voltage regulator of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit includes a zero crossing detector.

8. The AC voltage regulator of claim 7 , wherein the zero crossing detector is configured to
receive the input voltage,
detect a zero cross of the input voltage, and
adjust the input voltage based on the zero cross.

9. The AC voltage regulator of claim 7 , wherein the zero crossing detector includes one or more opto-isolators.

10. The AC voltage regulator of claim 7 , wherein the zero crossing detector includes one or more transformers.

11. The AC voltage regulator of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit includes a filter.

12. The AC voltage regulator of claim 11 , wherein the filter is a bandpass filter.

13. The AC voltage regulator of claim 11 , wherein the filter includes a digital signal processor (DSP).

14. The AC voltage regulator of claim 1 , wherein the amplifier is at least one selected from a group consisting of a class D audio amplifier and a class T audio amplifier.

15. The AC voltage regulator of claim 1 , wherein the input voltage is at least one selected from a group consisting of a split-phase voltage and a three-phase voltage.

16. The AC voltage regulator of claim 1 , wherein the regulated voltage has a frequency of at least one selected from a group consisting of 50 Hz, 60 Hz, and 400 Hz.

17. The AC voltage regulator of claim 1 , wherein the feedback loop includes a digital signal processor (DSP).

18. A method of regulating an alternating-current (AC) voltage, the method comprising:
receiving, via an isolated power supply, an input voltage;
outputting, via the isolated power supply, a direct-current (DC) signal isolated from the input voltage;
adjusting, via the control circuit, at least a portion of the input voltage;
outputting, via the amplifier, a differential signal, wherein the differential signal is based on at least one selected from a group consisting of the isolated DC signal, the adjusted voltage, and a feedback loop; and
adding the differential signal to the input voltage resulting in a regulated voltage; and
outputting, via the output, the regulated voltage.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
receiving, via a zero crossing detector, the input voltage,
detecting, via the zero crossing detector, a zero cross of the input voltage, and
adjusting, via the zero crossing detector, the input voltage based on the zero cross.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the control circuit includes at least one selected from a group consisting of a zero crossing detector and a digital signal processor (DSP).

Assignees

• Hubbell Inc

Inventors

• Pagenkopf Kenneth Edward

Classifications

• H02M5/293 Primary

  using semiconductor devices only · CPC title

• H02M1/44

  Circuits or arrangements for compensating for electromagnetic interference in converters or inverters · CPC title

• H02M7/04

  by static converters · CPC title

• G05F1/40

  using discharge tubes or semiconductor devices as final control devices · CPC title

• G05F1/575

  characterised by the feedback circuit · CPC title