Power supply unit having outputs that can be connected in parallel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9966845-B2
Application number	US-201314376909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2013
Priority date	Feb 6, 2012
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A power supply unit comprises at least one first converter unit and a second converter unit. The at least one first converter unit is controlled with a first controller and supplies at a first output at least one of a first output voltage that is regulated using a first voltage regulator and an output current that is regulated using a first current regulator. The second converter unit is controlled by a second controller and supplies at a second output at least one of an output voltage that is regulated using the second voltage regulator and an output current that is regulated using a second current regulator. The first and second outputs are connected in parallel for providing a higher output power, and at least one controller includes a supervision unit for recognizing an output-side parallel connection.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power supply unit, comprising:
at least one first converter unit controlled with a first controller, said at least one first converter unit supplying, at a first output, at least one of (i) a first output voltage which is regulated via a first voltage regulator and (ii) an output current which is regulated via a first current regulator; and
at least one second convertor unit controlled by a second controller, said at least one second convertor unit supplying, at a second output, at least one of (i) a second output voltage which is regulated via a second voltage regulator and (ii) a second output current which is regulated via a second current regulator;
wherein the first and second outputs are connected in parallel to provide a higher output power;
wherein at least one of the first and second controllers includes a supervision unit for recognizing an output-side parallel connection,
wherein the supervision unit is supplied with a recognition signal, which for parallel-switched outputs, automatically changes its signal state; and
wherein, for a recognized parallel connection, the first and second voltage regulators and the first and second current regulators are coupled by predetermining desired voltage values or current values that are matched to one another.

2. The power supply unit of claim 1 , wherein the desired voltage values are predetermined as a common desired voltage value.

3. The power supply unit of claim 2 , wherein each current regulator is subordinate to the coupled first and second voltage regulators.

4. The power supply unit of claim 1 , wherein the desired current values are predetermined as a common desired current value.

5. The power supply unit of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first and second controllers each include a current regulator for regulating a current flowing via a corresponding assigned output.

6. The power supply unit of claim 1 , wherein one of the at least one first and second controllers is configured as a master; and wherein another of the at least one first and second controllers takes over as a slave desired values of the master upon recognition of a parallel connection.

7. The power supply unit of claim 6 , wherein, when the first and second outputs are connected via the connecting piece, one of (i) a mechanical (ii) electromagnetic sensor is activated.

8. The power supply unit of claim 1 , wherein one of the at least one first and second controllers is configured as a master; and wherein another of the at least one first and second controllers takes over as a slave one of (i) switch-on and switch-off times and (ii) switch-on and switch-off points in time of the master upon recognition of a parallel connection.

9. The power supply unit of claim 1 , wherein the first and second outputs are connected via a connecting piece; and wherein the connecting piece is mechanically coupled to an electric auxiliary contact to influence the recognition signal.

10. The power supply unit of claim 9 , wherein, for more than two outputs, the dimensions of the connecting piece and the first and second outputs are predetermined such that only specific outputs are connected via the connecting piece.

11. The power supply unit of claim 9 , wherein, when the first and second outputs are unconnected, an electric auxiliary contact is open or closed and, when the first and second outputs are connected via the connecting piece, the electric auxiliary contact is closed or opened.

12. The power supply unit of claim 9 , wherein, when the first and second outputs are connected via the connecting piece, an electromechanical actuation element is actuated.

13. The power supply unit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a higher-ranking controller that includes a supervision unit for recognizing an output-side parallel connection;
wherein the higher-ranking controller is connected to the at least one first and second controllers of the at least one first and second converter units.

14. A method for operating a power supply unit, comprising:
controlling, by a first controller, at least one first converter unit to supply, at a first output, at least one of (i) a first output voltage which is regulated via a first voltage regulator and (ii) an output current which is regulated via a first current regulator;
controlling, by a second controller, at least one second converter unit to output, at a second output, at least one of (i) a second output voltage which is regulated via a second voltage regulator and (ii) a second output current which is regulated via a second current regulator;
wherein the first and second outputs are connected in parallel to provide a higher output power;
wherein at least one of the first and second controllers includes a supervision unit for recognizing an output-side parallel connection;
wherein the supervision unit is supplied with a recognition signal, which for parallel-switched outputs, automatically changes its signal state; and
wherein, for a recognized parallel connection, the first and second voltage regulators and the first and second current regulator are coupled by predetermining desired voltage values or current values that are matched to one another.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein, when the first and second outputs are connected via a connecting piece, an auxiliary contact is additionally opened or closed via the connecting piece.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein, during a startup process of the power supply unit, a parallel connection of the first and second outputs is checked, the at least one first converter unit being started up first, and the output voltage being detected as the recognition signal at the output of the at least one second converter unit during said start-up.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one first and second converter units are each controlled via a current regulator; and wherein during ongoing operation a briefly changed desired voltage value is predetermined to the current regulator and during this process a difference between the first and second output voltages is detected as the recognition signal.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one first and second converter units are each controlled via a current regulator; and wherein during ongoing operation a briefly changed desired current value is predetermined to the current regulator and during this process an actual current value of another converter unit is detected as the recognition signal.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein current is injected between the first and second outputs via an additional voltage source; and wherein during this process a difference between the first and second output voltages is detected as the recognition signal.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one first and second converter units is controlled via a current regulator; and wherein a desired current value is briefly specified directly to one converter unit of the at least one first and second convertor units such that the one converter unit operates in a pure current source mode and such that a voltage at a corresponding output of the one converter unit is detected as the recognition signal.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the directly predetermined desired current value corresponds to the desired current value of another converter unit of the at least one first and second converter units.

22. The method of claim 14 , wherein a difference between the first and second output voltages

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Augesky Christian
• Schweigert Harald

Classifications

• G01R31/54

  Testing for continuity · CPC title

• H02M3/158 Primary

  including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load · CPC title

• G01R31/026

  Physics · mapped topic

• H02J1/102 Primary

  being switching converters (H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T307/707

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic