Abstract:
In a variable operating frequency inverter or other converter with a parallel resonant commutation circuit, the frequency changes with the load to control the reactive power available for commutation of the thyristors or other controlled power devices. A constant turn-off time control circuit automatically adjusts the operating frequency so that the reactive power for commutation is optimum and reliability is improved. The control circuit and method utilizes sensed instantaneous power circuit parameters from which the future state of the commutating capacitor voltage can be predicted, and a computation circuit for determining the timing of firing signals to provide an approximately constant turn-off time for a conducting device.
Abstract:
A high frequency link cycloinverter and cycloconverter system having a parallel resonant comutation circuit operated at a variable frequency to control the reactive power available for commutation of the thyristors or other controlled power devices. A firing circuit component for computing the timing of a cycloconverter firing angle retard limit signal for an incoming device provides as a minimum a predetermined constant turn-off time for the outgoing device. For the cycloinverter system added turn-off time is computed to allow for simultaneous inverter and cycloconverter commutations at the retard limit. The control circuit and method utilizes sensed instantaneous power circuit parameters from which the state of the commutating capacitor voltage can be predicted, and a computation circuit for timing the generation of the retard limit signal.
Abstract:
An impulse commutated inverter is provided with control apparatus for firing a first commutating rectifier, sensing the subsequent flow of capacitor overcharge current in a parallel reset resistor and delaying a fixed time interval after current flow is first sensed before an opposite serially connected commutating rectifier is permitted to fire. The inverter is thus allowed to generate minimum pulse widths to achieve the maximum possible output voltage in pulse width modulation operation without increasing the risk of shoot-through resulting from simultaneous conduction of the two commutating rectifiers.
Abstract:
A polyphase switching circuit employing bidirectional conducting solid state devices (such as series capacitor commutated inverseparallel connected SCRs) each in series with one winding of a single phase high frequency transformer are switched in sequence at a high switching rate as compared to the low frequency polyphase supply to time share the transformer link among the phases. On the secondary side of the transformer is a similar polyphase switching circuit or a single phase rectifier comprising switching devices in series with the other winding that are switched synchronously with those on the primary side. With the aid of output filter capacitance, the reformed output voltage is a polyphase voltage with the same low frequency or a unidirectional voltage of one or either polarity.
Abstract:
To obtain fast response to a cyclical AC or variable DC input reference signal by a stepped-wave power converter circuit comprising a plurality of equal or unequal inverter modules connected in series or parallel so that the module output voltages add algebraically, the composite instantaneous output stepped-wave voltage is compared with the instantaneous voltage values of the limits of a control band placed about the reference signal. One or more inverter modules are switched to produce a step change whenever the composite output voltage is outside the control band limits. An application is a fast response switching power amplifier for driving sonar transducers.
Abstract:
A power converter circuit with a high frequency transformer or capacitor link between input and output switching circuits is operated by a control computer to provide voltage, frequency, and phase conversion and regulation. Each switching circuit has a plurality of solid state switches establishing multiple circuit paths from the input to the output terminals through the single phase high frequency link by conduction of different combinations of switches. Selected combinations of switches are fired synchronously at a high frequency switching rate to generate a series of energy transfer pulses. The control computer operates immediately in advance of each energy transfer pulse to calculate the net effective error, according to a predetermined criterion, between the instantaneous predicted output voltage (or current) and the desired or reference output voltage for each possible combination of switches. The combination that produces the minimum net effective error is selected and fired next. Single phase AC, polyphase AC, and DC input and output switching circuit configurations can be combined as desired.
Abstract:
When a short circuit or shoot-through occurs in a power circuit having two thyristors in series with commutating circuit inductors, a shunt capacitor isolated from the DC power supply by an impedance automatically resonates with the inductors to turn off both thyristors. A second automatic recovery system for repeated short circuits that occur before the capacitor has recharged operates to temporarily disable the power supply. In a high-voltage inverter the impedance is a resistor functioning to dampen voltage overshoots and to implement a relay or solid state second recovery system.