Ballard Power Systems Corporation

Continental Automotive Systems Us, Inc.

Siemens Vdo Automotive Corporation

Continental Automotive Systems Corporation

Duo Deng

Anil Tuladhar

Kerry Eden Grand

Kenneth James Farkas

Kent Michael Harmon

Bing Cheng

Kon-King Mike Wang

Dumitru Raceu

Fengtai Huang

Steven J Kowalec

John D Franklin

Vijay Bhavaraju

Kent M Harmon

A switch/power conditioning module may be added to a hybrid vehicle to selectively supply power from an AC power bus to a load, providing on-vehicle standby power generating capability with a minimum of added hardware and/or when the vehicle is stationary.

Power generation system suitable for hybrid electric vehicles

Cycle error correction is performed in an electronic power system to compensate for a difference between an AC grid side frequency and an AC load side frequency. The electronic power system can comprise an electronic power inverter, such as one usable with an uninterruptible power supply. Cycles of signals indicative of the AC grid power and the AC load power are counted and compared to obtain a cycle error value. If the cycle error value exceeds a first value to indicate that AC load side frequency is too high or too low, then compensation is performed to change the AC load side frequency to be closer to the AC grid side frequency. If the cycle error value falls below a second value to indicate that the AC grid side frequency and AC load side frequency are sufficiently close to one another, then the compensation is deactivated.

Method and apparatus for cycle error correction for a power converter device, such as an electronic power inverter

An electrical power converter system adjusts a wakeup voltage periodically, to permit earlier connection and/or operation, to increase performance. The electrical power converter system selects between a mathematically adjusted wakeup voltage based on at least one previous period, and a table derived wakeup voltage that takes into account historical information. The electrical power converter system is particularly suited to applications with periodicity such as solar based photovoltaic power generation.

Method and apparatus for adjusting wakeup time in electrical power converter systems and transformer isolation

An encoder failure detector system and method for detecting failure of an encoder during time periods when a zero rotational speed is expected. For example, in one embodiment a test signal is applied during a period when a zero rotational speed is expected and a failure is indicated if no movement of a rotor is detected in response to the test signal.

System and method for encoder failure detection

Cycle error correction is performed in an electronic power system to compensate for a difference between an AC grid side frequency and an AC load side frequency. The electronic power system includes an electronic power inverter, such as one usable with an uninterruptible power supply. Cycles of signals indicative of the AC grid power and the AC load power are counted and compared to obtain a cycle error value. If the cycle error value exceeds a first value to indicate that AC load side frequency is too high or too low, then compensation is performed to change the AC load side frequency to be closer to the AC grid side frequency. If the cycle error value falls below a second value to indicate that the AC grid side frequency and AC load side frequency are sufficiently close to one another, then the compensation is deactivated.

Independent phase output voltage control for a 3-phase 4-wire DC/AC inverter, for example, is provided. With the independent phase output voltage control, all three phase output voltages from the DC/AC inverter can be separately and effectively controlled to provide balanced 3-phase voltages from the DC/AC inverter to an unbalanced load, and/or to provide unbalanced 3-phase voltages from the DC/AC inverter to a balanced or unbalanced load. The independent phase output voltage control method can be applied to an inverter power system, with outputs of N-phase (N+1) wire configurations. Here, N can be any integer number greater than zero.

System and method for unbalanced independent AC phase voltage control of a 3-phase, 4-wire output DC/AC inverter

A power system employs an outer voltage feedback loop and an inner current feedback loop to control a power converter, such as a DC to AC inverter for transferring electrical power between a power source, for example a photovoltaic array, and a load, for example a power grid. The outer loop accommodates variations in the output of the power source, for example accommodating anomalies in IV characteristics such as IV droop characteristic associated with photovoltaic cells. The outer loop may employ a first control regime or a second control regime, for example, dependent on whether a DC bus voltage or power is smaller than a value corresponding to measurement resolution or expected noise.

Method and apparatus for tracking maximum power point for inverters, for example, in photovoltaic applications

Devices and methods for detecting islanding operation of a static power source involve injection of a non-harmonic error on the phase angle of the static power source in regular steps to introduce a very small intentional phase shift for the output voltage of the static power source in every voltage cycle which is corrected in each cycle in synchronization with the grid voltage in normal operation of the grid. In abnormal operation of a grid loss, this intentional small phase shift or error causes an intentional small frequency drift in each voltage cycle that continues in one cycle after another cycle. When the intentional frequency drift is over a preset level, a detection circuit starts to isolate the static power source from the grid to prevent islanding operation.

Devices and methods for detecting islanding operation of a static power source

A power converter system advantageously employs a modular, bi-directionally symmetrical power converter assembly in a readily customizable configuration to interconnect a direct current power source to a three-phase alternating power grid. Connections external to the power converter assembly are selected to optimize the power converter system for a specific application, such as interconnecting a photovoltaic array to the three-phase electrical power grid. The electrical interconnections of various elements including isolation transformers, voltage sensors, and control switches are optimized to improve efficiency and reliability.

Power converter system

A system including a current sensor to sense a current provided by an electronic power converter, the current sensor includes an output; an overcurrent detection circuit with an input coupled to an output of the current sensor; and a logic control circuit configurable to maintain the current provided by the electronic power converter in response to the sensed current having a short circuit magnitude, the logic control circuit including an input coupled to an output of the overcurrent detection circuit and at least one output coupled to at least one switch of the electronic power converter.

Ride through in electronic power converters

Circuits and methods for use with an integrated circuit chip having internal back EMF estimation to control a permanent magnet synchronous motor includes an AC current feedback circuit, a scaling circuit, and a current regulator. Additionally, a speed regulator may be employed. In one embodiment, during operation at very low speed, the speed regulator is in an open loop control mode due to a back EMF detection limitation of the IC chip, and only the current regulator is active. A feedback current signal, together with a user-defined command current signal, serves the input of the current regulator, which controls the AC motor current and drives the motor speed from standstill. Once the motor speed reaches a certain level, the measured back EMF from the IC chip is sufficient to estimate the motor speed, which is compared with a user-defined command speed, and an error of the these two signals provides the input of a speed regulator.

Circuit configuration for permanent magnet synchronous motor control

A power conversion system which comprises a controller and conversion assemblies which selectively rectify and invert an electrical signal. Conversion assemblies comprise a plurality of integrated gate bipolar transistor assemblies. The power conversion system is effective to convert DC current to AC current, to convert AC current to DC current, and to control the output frequency of a received electrical signal to a conventional operating range.

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Canton, MI, United States of America

Duo Deng