Portable alternating current inverter having reduced imipedance losses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016261114-A1
Application number	US-201615155841-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 16, 2016
Priority date	Feb 26, 2008
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A portable power supply apparatus is provided having reduced impedance losses. The portable power supply apparatus is comprised of: a portable housing; a battery system residing in the housing; and an inverter circuit residing in the housing. The battery system generates a direct current (DC) voltage having a magnitude greater than or equal to a peak value of a desired alternating current (AC) voltage. The inverter circuit receives the DC voltage directly from the battery system, converts the DC voltage to an AC output voltage and outputs the AC output voltage to one or more outlets exposed on an exterior surface of the portable housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An alternating current (AC) power supply system, comprising:
an AC source connector for coupling to and receiving AC power from an AC power source; a power supply module coupled to the AC source connector and configured to receive the AC power from the AC source connector and comprising an output to provide the AC power; a battery system comprising a plurality of rechargeable battery cells configured to output DC power; an inverter configured receive AC power from the power supply module and receive DC power from the battery system and to output AC power at a predefined level; a control module coupled to the power supply module and the battery system and configured to monitor the AC power received by the power supply module and if the AC power received by the power supply module and supplied to the inverter is insufficient to enable the inverter to output the predefined level of AC power the control module instructs the battery system to provide DC power to the inverter to supplement the AC power provided to the inverter; and an outlet configured to receive AC power from the inverter.

2 . The AC power supply system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the inverter converts any received DC power into AC power and combines the converted power with AC power received from the power supply module.

3 . The AC power supply system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the inverter and the power supply module communicate to synchronize the AC power output from the inverter with the AC power received by the power supply module.

4 . The AC power supply system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the inverter requests phase information from the power supply module regarding the AC power received by the power supply module, the power supply module sends information to the inverter regarding the AC power received by the power supply module and the inverter adjusts a phase of the AC power output from the inverter.

5 . The AC power supply system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the AC power source is an internal combustion engine.

6 . The AC power supply system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the AC power source is a photovoltaic system.

7 . The AC power supply system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the battery system comprises a charging system, the charging system coupled to the AC power supply module for receiving AC power and coupled to the plurality of battery cells and configured to convert the AC power to DC power to charge the plurality of battery cells.

8 . The AC power supply system, as recited in claim 7 , wherein the control module is coupled to the charging system and controls AC power received from the AC power supply module and supplied to the plurality of battery cells.

9 . The AC power supply system, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the portable power supply requests information from the AC power source regarding an amount of AC power available from the AC power source, the AC power source provides information regarding the amount of AC power available from the AC power source in response to the request for information and the control module adjusts AC power drawn from the AC power source based on the response.

10 . The AC power supply system, as recited in claim 9 , wherein the portable power supply communicates with the AC power source via a radio frequency communication channel.

Assignees

• Black & Decker Inc

Inventors

• Brotto Daniele C
• Cruise Nathan J
• Ekstrom Erik J
• Wang Ren
• Abolhassani Mehdi T
• Spencer William D
• Bailey Jr Rouse Roby
• Seman Andrew E
• Eshleman Scott

Classifications

• H02J2207/20

  Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter · CPC title

• H02M7/003

  Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections · CPC title

• H02J7/34

  Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other DC sources, e.g. providing buffering (H02J7/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02M7/537

  using semiconductor devices only, e.g. single switched pulse inverters · CPC title

• H02M7/44

  by static converters · CPC title