Bi-directional ac or dc voltage regulator

Abstract

The invention provides a bi-directional voltage regulator having a controller, an input circuit and an output circuit, the input and output circuits being capacitively coupled one to the other and being symmetrical one relative to the other, wherein each circuit comprises two terminals (AC,AC,AC,AC,) across which are connected a capacitor (C2,C2,) and, in parallel with the capacitor (C2,C2,), a series connection of an inductor (L1; L2) and a switching network (S1; S2) controlled by the controller. Each switching network (S1; S2) has two branches in anti-parallel, of which each branch permits only uni-directional current flow and at least one branch comprises a switching means. If one branch only of each switching network comprises a switching means then the regulator of the invention is a DC regulator which has the advantage over conventional Ćuk converters in that it permits bi-directional power flow. If both branches of each switching network comprise switching means, then the device may be constructed as an AC or DC regulator/transformer which retains the capacity to permit bi-directional power flow.