Head End Power Module Having Two Inverters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016190969-A1
Application number	US-201414586262-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 30, 2014
Priority date	Dec 30, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a method for generating power for a machine. The method may include inverting a common power at a first location and outputting a first inverted power. The method may further include inverting the common power at a second location, outputting a second inverted power, and shifting an operational phase of the second inverted power so that the first inverted power and the second inverted power are in phase. The method may further include passing the first inverted power to a transformer, passing the second inverted power to the transformer, and transforming the first inverted power and the second inverted power to a transformed power.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A power module for a machine, comprising:
a first power inverter; a second power inverter; a first controller connected to the first power inverter and configured to selectively shift an operational phase of the first power inverter; a second controller connected to the second power inverter; and a transformer including a first primary winding connected to the first power inverter and a second primary winding connected to the second power inverter.

2 . The power module of claim 1 , wherein the first power inverter is connected in parallel with the second power inverter.

3 . The power module of claim 1 , wherein the first controller is operatively connected to the second controller and configured to retrieve a power characteristic from the second controller.

4 . The power module of claim 3 , wherein the second controller is operatively connected to the first controller and configured to retrieve a power characteristic from the first controller.

5 . The power module of claim 4 , wherein the first controller is configured to selectively shift an operational phase of the first power inverter based on the retrieved power characteristic.

6 . The power module of claim 5 , wherein the second controller is configured to selectively shift an operational phase of the second power inverter based on the retrieved power characteristic.

7 . The power module of claim 6 , wherein the first control unit is configured to shift the operational phase of the first power inverter by about 180 degrees from the operational phase of the second power inverter.

8 . The power module of claim 3 , wherein the power characteristic is indicative of one or more of voltage, current and operational phase.

9 . The power module of claim 3 , further including
a first line filter connected between the first inverter and the transformer, and a second line filter connected between the second inverter and the transformer.

10 . The power module of claim 9 , wherein the first line filter and the second line filter are configured to reduce a harmonic distortion from a power output for each of the first and second inverters.

11 . A method for generating power for a machine, comprising:
inverting a common power at a first location and outputting a first inverted power; inverting the common power at a second location and outputting a second inverted power; shifting an operational phase of the second inverted power so that the first inverted power and the second inverted power are in phase; passing the first inverted power to a transformer; passing the second inverted power to the transformer; and transforming the first inverted power and the second inverted power to a transformed power.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein shifting the operational phase of the second inverted power includes shifting the operational phase by about 180 degrees out of phase with an operational phase of the first inverted power.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein inverting the common power at the first location and inverting the common power at the second location includes inverting the common power in parallel.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:
passing the first inverted power includes passing the first inverted power to a first transformer portion; and passing the second inverted power includes passing the second inverted power to a second transformer portion.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein shifting the operational phase of the second inverted power includes selectively shifting the operational phase based on a power characteristic associated with the first location.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein shifting the operational phase of the second inverted power includes shifting the operational phase by about 180 degrees from an operational phase of the first inverted power.

17 . The method of claim 11 , further including removing an harmonic component from the first inverted power before passing the first inverted power to the first transformer portion.

18 . The method of claim 11 , further including removing an harmonic component from the second inverted power before passing the second inverted power to the second transformer portion.

19 . The method of claim 11 , further including:
monitoring a power characteristic at the first location; and selectively adjusting a voltage of the second inverted power based on the monitored power characteristic.

20 . A power module for a locomotive, comprising:
a first power inverter; a second power inverter; a first controller connected to the first power inverter and configured to retrieve a first power characteristic and selectively shift an operational phase of the first power inverter by about 180 degrees based on the first power characteristic; a second controller connected to the second power inverter and configured to retrieve a second power characteristic and selectively shift an operational phase of the second power inverter by about 180 degrees based on the second power characteristic; a transformer including a first primary winding and a second primary winding, wherein: the first power inverter is connected to the first primary winding and passes the first inverted power to the transformer through the first primary winding; and the second power inverter is connected to the second primary winding and passes the second inverted power to the second primary winding; a first line filter connected between the first inverter and the transformer, wherein the first line filter is configured to reduce an harmonic signal component from the first inverted power; and a second line filter connected between the second inverter and the transformer, wherein the second line filter is configured to reduce an harmonic signal component from the second inverted power.

Assignees

• Electro Motive Diesel Inc

Inventors

• Jalla Madan Mohan

Classifications

• B60L2240/529

  Current · CPC title

• B60L2240/527

  Voltage · CPC title

• B60L2240/526

  Operating parameters · CPC title

• B60L2210/40

  DC to AC converters · CPC title

• H02K11/028 Primary

  Suppressors associated with the rotor · CPC title