Methods and systems for protecting DC circuits

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9502884-B2
Application number	US-201414461347-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2014
Priority date	Aug 15, 2013
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

Methods and systems for protecting DC circuits are provided. In an aspect, a method for controlling at least one protection circuit is disclosed. The method can monitor one or more parameters of the at least one protection circuit. One or more control signals can be selectively provided to a plurality of switches in the at least one protection circuit based on one or more parameters of the at least one protection circuit, in order to implement the appropriate protective topology based on one or more parameters of the at least one protection circuit. The method can be used to control a plurality of switches in the protection circuit and protect the DC circuit against short circuit, instabilities, and bus outages, and the like.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling at least one protection circuit, wherein the at least one protection circuit comprises a plurality of switches, wherein the plurality of switches comprises five or more switches, wherein a first switch is connected between a positive input terminal of the at least one protection circuit and a positive input terminal of an input capacitor, a second switch is connected between a positive terminal of an input capacitor and an input terminal of an inductor, a third switch is connected between the input terminal of the inductor and a ground potential, a fourth switch is connected between an output terminal of the inductor and the ground potential, and a fifth switch is connected between the output terminal of the inductor and an output terminal of the at least one protection circuit, the method comprising:
monitoring one or more parameters of the at least one protection circuit, wherein the at least one protection circuit functions as one or more switching converters;
selectively providing one or more control signals to the plurality of switches in the protection circuit based on one or more parameters of the at least one protection circuit, wherein the one or more parameters comprise one or more of input current, output voltage, input capacitor voltage, output capacitor voltage, output current, and inductor current of the at least one protection circuit; and
wherein selectively providing one or more control signals to the plurality of switches in the at least one protection circuit based on the one or more parameters of the at least one protection circuit comprises providing one or more control signals to close the first switch and the fifth circuit, open the fourth switch, and switch the second switch and the third switch when the inductor current is outside a predefined range to in order to limit the inductor current to a predefined inductor current value.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: providing one or more control signals to open the second switch and close the third switch in order to drive the inductor current to zero if the inductor current is beyond the predefined inductor current value for over a predefined period of time.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one protection circuit further comprises one or more sensors configured to monitor the one or more parameters of the at least one protection circuit.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more parameters of the at least one protection circuit is obtained via one or more voltage sensors and one or more current sensors.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one protection circuit is connected between a DC distribution system and a load.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one protection circuit is coupled between a main DC distribution system and a secondary DC distribution system, and wherein the one or more control signals are selectively provided to the at least one protection circuit independently.

7. A method comprising:
monitoring one or more parameters of the at least one protection circuit, wherein the at least one protection circuit functions as one or more switching converters, and wherein the at least one protection circuit comprises a decoupling switch, an input capacitor, a buck converter, and a boost converter connected in cascade, wherein the decoupling switch is a first switch, the input capacitor is coupled across an input terminal of the at least one protection circuit and a ground potential, and wherein the buck converter comprise a second switch connected to a inductor, a third switch coupled across between the ground potential and a connection point between the second switch and the inductor, and wherein the boost converter comprises the inductor, a fourth switch, a fifth switch and an output capacitor, wherein the fifth switch is connected between the inductor and an output terminal of the at least one protection circuit, and wherein the fourth switch is coupled across the ground potential and a connection point between the inductor and the fifth switch, and wherein the output capacitor is coupled between the output terminal of the at least one protection circuit and the ground potential;
selectively providing one or more control signals to the five switches in the protection circuit based on one or more parameters of the at least one protection circuit, wherein the one or more parameters comprise one or more of input current, output voltage, input capacitor voltage, output capacitor voltage, output current, and inductor current of the at least one protection circuit; and
wherein selectively providing one or more control signals to the five switches in the at least one protection circuit based on the one or more parameters of the at least one protection circuit comprises providing one or more control signals to close the first switch and the fifth circuit, open the fourth switch, and switch the second switch and the third switch when the inductor current is outside a predefined range to in order to limit the inductor current to a predefined inductor current value.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising: providing one or more control signals to open the second switch and close the third switch in order to drive the inductor current to zero if the inductor current is beyond the predefined inductor current value for over a predefined period of time.

9. An apparatus comprising:
a protection circuit, wherein the protection circuit comprises a plurality of switches, wherein the plurality of switches is five or more switches, wherein a first switch is connected between a positive input terminal of the at least one protection circuit and a positive input terminal of an input capacitor, a second switch is connected between a positive terminal of an input capacitor and an input terminal of an inductor, a third switch is connected between the input terminal of the inductor and a ground potential, a fourth switch is connected between an output terminal of the inductor and the ground potential, and a fifth switch is connected between the output terminal of the inductor and an output terminal of the at least one protection circuit;
a controller, wherein the controller is configured for selectively providing one or more control signals to the plurality switches in the protection circuit based on one or more parameters of the at least one protection circuit, wherein the one or more parameters comprise one or more of input current, output voltage, input capacitor voltage, output capacitor voltage, output current, and inductor current of the at least one protection circuit;
wherein selectively providing one or more control signals to the five switches in the protection circuit based on the one or more parameters of the protection circuit comprises providing one or more control signals to close the first switch when the input voltage is below a predefined input voltage value and above the input capacitor voltage; and
providing one or more control signals to close the second switch, open the third switch, and switch the fourth switch and the fifth switch when the ratio of the input voltage and the input current is over a predefined value.

10. A method for controlling at least one protection circuit, wherein the at least one protection circuit comprises a plurality of switches, wherein the plurality of switches comprises five or more switches, wherein a first switch is connected between a positive input terminal of the at least one protection circuit and a positive input terminal of an input capacitor, a second switch is connected between a positive terminal of an input capacitor and an input terminal of an inductor, a third switch is connected between the inpu

Assignees

• Univ South Carolina

Inventors

• Ghisla Ugo
• Dougal Roger
• Kondratiev Igor

Classifications

• H02M1/32

  Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection · CPC title

• H02H9/02

  responsive to excess current {(current limitation for voltage regulators G05F1/573; disconnection after limiting H02H3/025)} · CPC title

• H02H3/38 Primary

  responsive to both voltage and current; responsive to phase angle between voltage and current · CPC title

• H02H3/20

  responsive to excess voltage · CPC title

• H02H7/1213

  for DC-DC converters · CPC title