The Aerospace Corporation

Other

University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.

Kasemsan Siri

Issa E Batarseh

Richard P Welle

Richard L Weinbrenner

Anand K Upadhyay

Allyson D Yarbrough

Evan Robert Ulrich

David John Caldwell

Steven M Beck

Jeffrey Arthur Lang

Martin Panevsky

Chu-Quon Lee

Christopher Hartney

John Morales

Bernard Harris Jefferson, Jr

An apparatus may include a group of distributed-input series-output (DISO) converters, each of which are actively controlled by a common maximum power tracking (MPT) controller. The common MPT controller is configured to actively control one of the DISO converters in the group of DISO converters to update a present group-peak power voltage of the one DISO converters while remaining DISO converters in the group of DISO converters are controlled to hold most recently grouped peak power voltages updated during their previously non-overlapping uniform time windows of active MPT control.

Maximum power tracking among different groups of distributed power sources with uniform time/voltage distribution control

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that provides increased operational flight endurance and efficiency. The UAV includes a power generation system, which includes an internal combustion engine and one or more batteries (batteries). The power generation system is configured to generate power for propulsion of the UAV. The internal combustion engine is configured to power a lift propeller, generating vertical lift of the UAV, and the batteries are configured to power a micro-propeller assembly, propelling the UAV in a forward direction or multiple additional directions.

Long range endurance aero platform system

Optimum power tracking for distributed power sources may be provided by a family of power system architectures having distributed-input series-output (DISO) converters. The DISO converters may be controlled to achieve uniform input voltages across their respective distributed power sources while also tracking an optimum power point of the power system. Each DISO converter may be operably connected to a corresponding power source to form a power-processing channel. A controller may be operably connected to the plurality of DISO converters to control the operation thereof.

Maximum power tracking among distributed power sources

A grid-tie inverter (the 'inverter') may include a power converter that receives a direct current (DC) output voltage from a DC input power source, and generates an alternating current (AC) output voltage for transmission to a utility power grid. The inverter may also include a system controller that regulates the AC output voltage to efficiently transfer power to the utility power grid while a system AC load may be terminated across the output of the inverter. The inverter may also provide active power factor correction between the utility grid voltage and current. Furthermore, the inverter may also offer harmonic cancellation, which minimizes or eliminates the harmonic content out of the utility power grid voltage and current.

Grid-tie inverter with active power factor correction

Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus for optimum power tracking for distributed power sources. The apparatus includes a plurality of distributed-input parallel-output converters. Each converter is operably connected to a corresponding power source to form a power-processing channel. The apparatus also includes a controller operably connected to the plurality of converters, and is configured to provide uniform input voltages across each power source while tracking an optimum power point. The controller provides tolerance for multiple faults up to N&#x2212;1 power source failures for the apparatus comprising an N-channel converter power system with N distributed power sources.

Optimum power tracking for distributed power sources

A multisource power system utilizing output isolated DC-DC converters in a serial input, parallel output arrangement provides uniform input voltage distribution and selective maximum power tracking wherein embodiments include maximum power tracking ('MPT') with a single MPT controller, a battery dominated output voltage bus, and a regulated output voltage bus.

Multisource power system

A power system controller includes multiple channels and each channel has a current sharing controller that is coupled to a shared current signal bus and a shared voltage signal bus.

Current sharing power system

A channelized uniform distribution power system controls individual channels of power converters with each channel of power converters having uniform output power as the channels are controlled by voltage control signals from respective controllers that are interconnected by a shared current signal and a shared voltage signal for controlling the channels to provide uniform power, with conventional current limiting and voltage regulation functions. Each channel may have a number of converters being parallel-input parallel-output connected converters, series input parallel-output connected converters, and parallel-input series output connected converters.

Converter channelized uniform power distribution system

A uniform converter input voltage distribution power system evenly controls the individual input voltages of DC-to-DC series-input parallel-output connected converters using a uniform input voltage distribution controller including a generator for generating respective error signals from the converter input voltages using a common distribution reference signal for providing respective converter control signals connected to the converters through respective shared-bus controls for evenly distributing the power delivered by the converters that are shared-bus current-mode converters for preferably providing a low output voltage. Employing a common regulation control signal, the controller can also provide system output voltage regulation, system input current limiting, proportional-voltage control, relaxed voltage uniformity, and fault-tolerant power control.

Uniform converter input voltage distribution power system

A power and control architecture employing circuitry that sequentially regulate power flows from independent solar-array sources or a mixture of power sources providing power to a common load. The device may be used on a satellite with solar-array sources; however it may also be used on ground based systems. Stiff bus voltage regulation is obtained by tightly controlling the most recently activated power-processing channel while keeping the previously activated power-processing channels in the Maximum Power Tracking mode to supply maximum power to a common load. The remaining power-processing channels are turned off or operated in stand-by mode. In an alternative system, with primary design goal of uniform power sharing among solar-array sources, all solar array sources are activated with uniform power sharing at light load and, as load demand increases, sequentially controlled to operate in the Maximum Power Tracking mode one solar array source at a time as necessary.

Sequentially-controlled solar array power system with maximum power tracking

An inverter for use in connecting a DC power source to the utility grid includes a single DC-AC conversion stage, maximum (source) power tracking, and current control based on feed-forward compensation as a function of input power voltage error, rectified utility line voltage, and a scaled inverse of RMS utility line voltage. Various topologies of the inverter power stage are developed for bi-directional power-flow operation after those developed for unidirectional power-flow operation. Various embodiments also include over-voltage protection, over-current protection, under-voltage protection, over-temperature protection, and stand-by battery with battery management control, while still others are adapted for a multiple-channel front-end distributed power system with distributed maximum power tracking for serving as a single DC power source input to the inverter system downstream with controllers, emergency or auxiliary loads, and alternative current feedback control systems. Improved control architectures are developed with bipolar sensing of the inverter output current and a bipolar sinusoidal reference signal.

Solar array inverter with maximum power tracking

An inverter for use in connecting a DC power source to the utility grid includes a single DC-DC conversion stage, maximum (source) power tracking, and current control based on feed-forward compensation as a function of an input power commanding voltage, rectified utility line voltage, and either a scaled and squared inverse or a scaled inverse of RMS utility line voltage. Various embodiments also include over-voltage, over-current, under-voltage, and over-temperature protection, and a stand-by battery with its battery management control, while others adapt a multiple-channel front-end distributed power system with distributed maximum power tracking to serve as a single DC power source input to the inverter system downstream with controllers, emergency or auxiliary loads, and alternative current feedback control systems for providing an in-phase output current with respect to the utility grid voltage while absorbing maximum power available from the DC power source and minimally utilizing the stand-by battery for maximal system reliability.

A uniform converter output voltage distribution power system evenly controls the individual output voltages of DC-to-DC parallel-input series-output connected converters using a uniform output voltage distribution controller including a generator for generating respective error signals from the converter output voltages using a common distribution reference signal for providing respective converter control signals connected to the converters through respective shared-bus controls for evenly distributing the power delivered by the converters that are shared-bus current-mode converters for preferably providing high output voltages. Employing a common regulation control signal, the controller can also provide system output voltage regulation, system input current limiting, proportional-voltage control, relaxed voltage uniformity, and fault-tolerant power control.

Uniform converter output voltage distribution power system

A power recycling system receives input power at an input and feeds back through an auxiliary output recycled power to the input for supplementing the input power for recycling energy of the recycled power that would normally be wasted so as to provide improved power efficiency. The system can have several configurations, including a system for testing power supplies under test, or can be any electrical device, system, appliance or electronic load having a power input and auxiliary output for feeding back recycled energy to the power input.

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Torrance, CA, United States of America

Kasemsan Siri