Reconfigurable electromagnetic interference filter network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9722564-B2
Application number	US-201514703281-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2015
Priority date	May 4, 2015
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

An EMI filter network may be used to provide interference filtering for multiple loads (referred to collectively as a dynamic load). In one aspect, the EMI filter network includes electrical switches that establish different configurations or arrangements of passive circuit elements (e.g., inductors and capacitors) where each configuration generates a different filter value. The EMI filter network may be communicatively coupled to a controller which changes the configuration of the EMI filter network using the switches in response to the dynamic load changing operational states. For example, each configuration of the EMI filter network may correspond to one of the operational states of the dynamic load. Thus, as the operational state of the dynamic load changes—e.g., different motors become operational—the controller alters the configuration of the EMI filter network to provide a filter value that corresponds to the current operational state of the dynamic load.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for electromagnetic interference (EMI) filtering, the method comprising:
configuring an EMI filter network to provide a first filter value to a dynamic load defined by a plurality of loads coupled to the EMI filter network, wherein the EMI filter network comprises a plurality of switches, and wherein configuring the EMI filter network comprises selecting respective settings of the plurality of switches; and
upon identifying a change in an operational state of the dynamic load, reconfiguring the EMI filter network to provide a second filter value to the dynamic load by changing the settings of at least one of the plurality of switches,
wherein the first filter value corresponds to a first operational state of the dynamic load and the second filter value corresponds to a second operational state of the dynamic load, wherein, in the first operational state, a first set of the plurality of loads are operational, and in the second operational state, a second set of the plurality of loads are operational.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the EMI filter network comprises a plurality of inductors and a plurality of capacitors, wherein the EMI filter network provides the first filter value by electrically connecting the plurality of inductors and capacitors in a first configuration using the plurality of switches and provides the second filter value by electrically connecting the plurality of inductors and capacitors in a second configuration using the plurality of switches.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first set comprises a first load of the plurality of loads that is operational when the dynamic load is in the first operational state, and wherein the first load is non-operational when the dynamic load is in the second operational state.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first filter value is provided at a first output of the EMI filter network that connects to a first one of the plurality of loads, and the second filter value is provided at a second output of the EMI filter network that connects to a second one of the plurality of loads.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein, when the EMI filter network provides the first filter value at the first output, the EMI filter network provides a third filter value at the second output, and wherein the third filter value is different from the second filter value.

6. A method for EMI filtering, the method comprising:
configuring an EMI filter network to provide a first filter value to a dynamic load defined by a plurality of loads coupled to the EMI filter network, wherein the EMI filter network comprises a plurality of switches, and wherein configuring the EMI filter network comprises selecting respective settings of the plurality of switches;
upon identifying a change in an operational state of the dynamic load, reconfiguring the EMI filter network to provide a second filter value to the dynamic load by changing the settings of at least one of the plurality of switches, wherein the first filter value is provided at a first output of the EMI filter network that connects to a first one of the plurality of loads, and the second filter value is provided at a second output of the EMI filter network that connects to a second one of the plurality of loads; and
receiving power at one or more inputs of the EMI filter network from a power converter system, wherein the first and second filter values filter a received power before providing a filtered power to the dynamic load using the first and second outputs of the EMI filter network.

7. An EMI filter network, comprising:
a plurality of passive circuit elements;
a plurality of switches;
first and second outputs configured to couple to respective loads; and
at least one input configured to receive power from an external power source,
wherein the plurality of switches are disposed between the plurality of passive circuit elements such that, upon changing a state of at least one of the switches, the plurality of passive circuit elements are reconfigured from a first configuration that provides a first filter value for the first output to a second configuration that provides a second filter value for the second output, and
wherein the first configuration filters the power according to the first filter value and the second configuration filters the power according to the second filter value.

8. The EMI filter network of claim 7 , wherein, when switching from the first configuration to the second configuration, a filter value at the second output changes from a third filter value to the second filter value.

9. The EMI filter network of claim 8 , wherein, when switching from the first configuration to the second configuration, a filter value at the first output changes from the first filter value to a fourth filter value.

10. The EMI filter network of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of passive circuit elements comprises at least one inductor and at least one capacitor, wherein at least one of the plurality of switches is disposed between the inductor and capacitor to electrically connect and disconnect the capacitor from the inductor.

11. The EMI filter network of claim 7 , further comprising:
a controller configured to:
in response to identifying a change in an operational state of a dynamic load comprising the respective loads, control the state of the at least one switch to change the plurality of passive circuit elements from the first configuration to the second configuration.

12. A system, comprising:
an EMI filter network comprising a plurality of switches;
a dynamic load defined by a plurality of loads coupled to the EMI filter network, wherein the dynamic load and the EMI filter network are disposed in an airplane, wherein the dynamic load comprises at least two motors; and
a controller configured to:
configure the EMI filter network to provide a first filter value to the dynamic load, wherein configuring the EMI filter network comprises selecting respective settings of the plurality of switches; and
upon identifying a change in an operational state of the dynamic load, reconfigure the EMI filter network to provide a second filter value to the dynamic load by changing a setting of at least one of the plurality of switches.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the EMI filter network comprises a plurality of inductors and a plurality of capacitors, wherein the EMI filter network provides the first filter value by electrically connecting the plurality of inductors and capacitors in a first configuration using the plurality of switches and provides the second filter value by electrically connecting the plurality of inductors and capacitors in a second configuration using the plurality of switches.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first filter value is provided at a first output of the EMI filter network that connects to a first one of the plurality of loads, and the second filter value is provided at a second output of the EMI filter network that connects to a second one of the plurality of loads.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein, when the EMI filter network provides the first filter value at the first output, the EMI filter network is configured to provide a third filter value at the second output, and wherein the third filter value is different from the second filter value.

16. A system, comprising:
an EMI filter network comprising a plurality of switches;
a dynamic load defined by a plurality of loads coupled to the EMI filter network; and
a controller configured to:
configure the EMI filter network to provide a first filter value to the dynami

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Song Yujie
• Liu Shengyi
• Solodovnik Eugene
• Karimi Kamiar J

Classifications

• G06F30/392

  Floor-planning or layout, e.g. partitioning or placement · CPC title

• H03H7/075

  Ladder networks, e.g. electric wave filters · CPC title

• H03H1/0007 Primary

  of radio frequency interference filters · CPC title

• H03H7/0138 Primary

  Electrical filters or coupling circuits · CPC title

• H03H7/0153

  Electrical filters; Controlling thereof · CPC title