The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 25, 1988
Filed:
May. 15, 1987
Robert W Campbell, Anderson, IN (US);
Donald O Ruff, Anderson, IN (US);
David W Caldwell, Lapeer, MI (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A high DC voltage power supply includes a three-phase autotransformer and a three-phase full-wave rectifier applied to the usual motor vehicle electrical system of the low DC voltage type. The low three-phase AC voltage of the usual system is transformed by the autotransformer to obtain a high three-phase AC voltage which is then rectified by the rectifier to provide a high DC voltage. The load energized by the high DC voltage is ungrounded to reduce the voltage available for inadvertent discharge from either load terminal to ground. Switching apparatus is provided for selectively applying the low three-phase AC voltage to the autotransformer only when it is desired to energize the load thereby avoiding at all other times the energy losses that would otherwise be associated with energization of the autotransformer. In one embodiment, the load is a windshield heater element and the autotransformer has multiple sets of input taps to provide deice and defog modes of operation, respectively. The tapping of the autotransformer on the input or primary side yields efficiencies in the construction and operation of the autotransformer. The engine driven generator of the vehicle electrical system is excited from a voltage source independent of the low three-phase AC voltage put out by the generator, at least during any period that the generator is overloaded, thereby to prevent a degenerative collapse in the generator output voltage.