Controlling an electrically-driven actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9461577-B2
Application number	US-201514956015-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2015
Priority date	Aug 9, 2013
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

In some aspects, an actuation system includes an electrical positioning driver and an electrically-driven actuator. A voltage boost converter in the electrical positioning driver receives an input voltage. The voltage boost converter passes the input voltage to a voltage bus in the electrical positioning driver. The voltage on the voltage bus is converted to an actuator power signal that controls the electrically-driven actuator. The voltage boost converter boosts the voltage on the voltage bus to control a mechanical output performance of the electrically-driven actuator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of exciting an electrically-driven load, the method comprising:
receiving an input voltage at a voltage boost converter of an electrical driver;
applying the input voltage to a voltage bus of the electrical driver;
converting a voltage on the voltage bus to power signal that drives the electrically-driven load;
receiving a load status at the voltage boost converter, the load status comprising load status information relating to the electrically-driven load; and
boosting the voltage on the voltage bus, by operation of the voltage boost converter based on the load status, to control performance of the electrically-driven load.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical driver comprises a subsystem of a power conversion system, and receiving the input voltage includes receiving the input voltage from a voltage source that is external to the power conversion system.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein boosting the voltage on the voltage bus increases an amplitude of the voltage on the voltage bus above a maximum output voltage amplitude of the voltage source.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein boosting the voltage on the voltage bus increases an amplitude of the voltage on the voltage bus above an amplitude of the input voltage.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
passing the input voltage from the voltage boost converter to the voltage bus during a first time period; and
boosting the voltage on the voltage bus during a second, different time period.

6. The method of claim 5 , comprising:
passing the input voltage from the voltage boost converter to the voltage bus during a steady-state operating condition of the electrically-driven load; and
boosting the voltage on the voltage bus during a transient-state operating condition of the electrically-driven load.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein converting the voltage on the voltage bus to power signal includes operating an inverter of the electrical driver, and operating the inverter generates a time-alternating voltage signal based on the voltage on the voltage bus.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising boosting the voltage on the voltage bus in response to information associated with the electrically-driven load.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising filtering the input voltage signal and passing a filtered input voltage signal from the voltage boost converter to the voltage bus.

10. An electrical drive system comprising:
an electrical driver having a load that is controlled by power signal from an output terminal of the electrical driver; and
the electrical driver, including:
a voltage bus electrically connected between a voltage boost converter of the electrical driver and the output terminal; and
the voltage boost converter electrically connected between the voltage bus and an input terminal of the electrical driver, the voltage boost converter operable to apply a voltage to the voltage bus, and to boost the voltage on the voltage bus to control performance of the load.

11. The electrical drive system of claim 10 , the electrical driver further including an input filter electrically connected between the input terminal and the voltage boost converter, wherein the voltage boost converter is operable to:
receive a filtered input voltage from the input filter;
pass the filtered input voltage to the voltage bus; and
boost the filtered input voltage to control the performance of the load.

12. The electrical drive system of claim 10 , wherein the load includes a rotor that moves or maintains its position in response to the power signal.

13. The electrical drive system of claim 10 , wherein the electrical driver comprises a subsystem of a power conversion system, and the input terminal of the electrical driver is electrically connected to receive an input voltage from a voltage source that is external to the power conversion system.

14. The electrical drive system of claim 13 , wherein the load comprises a valve of the power conversion system, and controlling the performance of the load includes controlling movement of a valve component.

15. The electrical drive system of claim 13 , wherein the load comprises a variable geometry mechanism of the power conversion system, and controlling the performance of the load includes controlling movement of the variable geometry mechanism.

16. The electrical drive system of claim 10 , the electrical driver further including an inverter electrically connected between the voltage bus and the output terminal.

17. The electrical drive system of claim 10 , wherein the voltage boost converter includes a control module configured to receive a control signal, wherein the control module is operable to switch the voltage boost converter between operating in a boost mode and a non-boost mode based on the control signal.

18. The electrical drive system of claim 17 , wherein the control module is configured to switch the voltage boost converter based on load status information provided by the control signal.

Assignees

• Woodward Inc

Inventors

• Ried David L

Classifications

• H02M2001/007

  Electricity · mapped topic

• F16K31/00

  Actuating devices;} Operating means; Releasing devices {(regulating means G05D) · CPC title

• H02M7/48

  using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode · CPC title

• H02P25/06 Primary

  Linear motors · CPC title

• H02P29/00

  Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors, appropriate for both AC and DC motors (arrangements for starting electric motors H02P1/00; arrangements for stopping or slowing electric motors H02P3/00; control of motors that can be connected to two or more different electric power supplies H02P4/00; regulating or controlling the speed or torque of two or more electric motors H02P5/00; vector control H02P21/00) · CPC title