U.S. patent application number 14/062861 was filed with the patent office on 2014-05-01 for method and apparatus for supplying and switching power.
The applicant listed for this patent is Mohammad M. Mojarradi, Laurence P. Sadwick. Invention is credited to Mohammad M. Mojarradi, Laurence P. Sadwick.
Application Number | 20140117949 14/062861 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46583260 |
Filed Date | 2014-05-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140117949 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sadwick; Laurence P. ; et
al. |
May 1, 2014 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING AND SWITCHING POWER
Abstract
A dimming power supply includes a power source, a transformer, a
full bridge rectifier and a control switch.
Inventors: |
Sadwick; Laurence P.; (Salt
Lake City, UT) ; Mojarradi; Mohammad M.; (La Canada,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Sadwick; Laurence P.
Mojarradi; Mohammad M. |
Salt Lake City
La Canada |
UT
CA |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
46583260 |
Appl. No.: |
14/062861 |
Filed: |
October 24, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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13540532 |
Jul 2, 2012 |
8593842 |
|
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14062861 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
323/239 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G05F 1/455 20130101;
H02M 2001/008 20130101; H02M 5/293 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
323/239 |
International
Class: |
G05F 1/455 20060101
G05F001/455 |
Claims
1. A power supply, comprising: a power source; a transformer
comprising a first winding and a second winding, said first winding
being connected to said power source, said second winding
comprising a first tap and a second tap, said first tap being
connected to a first load output; a full bridge rectifier
comprising four nodes, a first of said four nodes being connected
to said second tap of said second winding, a second of said four
nodes being connected to a second load output, and a third of said
four nodes being connected to a reference voltage source; a control
switch connected between a fourth of said four nodes and said
reference voltage source; and a current monitor connected between
the control switch and the reference voltage source.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/540,532 entitled "Method and Apparatus for
Supplying and Switching Power", and filed on Jul. 2, 2010, which
claimed priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/641,310
entitled "Method and Apparatus for Supplying and Switching Power",
and filed on Dec. 17, 2009, which claimed priority to U.S. Pat. No.
7,656,692 entitled "Method and Apparatus for Supplying and
Switching Power", filed on Oct. 31, 2007. The aforementioned
applications are assigned to an entity common hereto, and the
entirety of the aforementioned applications are incorporated herein
by reference for all purposes.
BACKGROUND
[0002] High voltage power supplies are needed for many types of
electronic devices. A low voltage may be converted to the
appropriate high voltage by a transformer and associated signal
conditioning components to obtain the desired voltage and current
level. Often multiple electronic components and systems are powered
by a single power supply. However, some types of loads may need
individual current control. Typical power supplies provide global
voltage or current control, but not individual voltage or current
control for each of a number of outputs. A common solution is to
provide a separate regulated power supply for each load or a subset
of loads but not the entire set of loads, increasing the size and
cost by including a transformer and filtering and control circuitry
for each load or subset of loads.
[0003] An exemplary prior art power supply is illustrated in FIG.
1, in which a transformer 2 and full bridge rectifier 4 are used to
convert an alternating current (AC) input 6 to a full-wave
rectified current to power a load 8. The full bridge rectifier 4
comprises four diodes, with two input nodes at anode-cathode
junctions between diodes. The full bridge rectifier 4 also
comprises two output nodes, one at a cathode-cathode junction
between diodes to which the load 8 is connected, and one at an
anode-anode junction that is typically grounded. As is known, a
direct current (DC) signal may also be provided to the load 8 by
connecting a capacitor (not shown) between the output at the
cathode-cathode junction of the full-bridge rectifier 4 and ground,
thereby smoothing the full-wave rectified current to DC.
SUMMARY
[0004] An exemplary embodiment of an apparatus for supplying and
switching power may include a power source, a transformer, a full
bridge rectifier and a control switch. The transformer has a first
winding and a second winding, the first winding being connected to
the power source, the second winding having a first tap and a
second tap, with the first tap being connected to a first load
output. The full bridge rectifier includes four nodes, the first
being connected to the second tap of the second winding, the second
being connected to a second load output, the third being connected
to a reference voltage source. The control switch is connected
between a fourth of the four nodes and the reference voltage
source.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a schematic of a prior art power supply.
[0006] FIG. 2 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power.
[0007] FIG. 3a is an exemplary waveform across a control switch in
an exemplary apparatus for supplying and switching power.
[0008] FIG. 3b is an exemplary waveform across a load in an
exemplary apparatus for supplying and switching power.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a schematic of another exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power, including a current sensor.
[0010] FIG. 5 is a schematic of another exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power, including a resistor as a current
sensor.
[0011] FIG. 6 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power having multiple output stages in
parallel, using a single transformer.
[0012] FIG. 7 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power having multiple output stages in
parallel, including multiple transformers.
[0013] FIG. 8 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power using a 555 timer as an oscillator
and a field effect transistor to switch current through a
transformer.
[0014] FIG. 9 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power using a 555 timer as an oscillator
and an inverter and a network of bipolar junction transistors to
switch current through a transformer.
[0015] FIG. 10 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power including stacked transistors with
biasing resistors for high power applications and an optional
current sensor resistor.
[0016] FIG. 11 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power including stacked transistors with
biasing capacitors for high power applications and an optional
current sensor resistor.
[0017] FIG. 12 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power including additional stacked
transistors with biasing resistors for high power applications and
an optional current sensor resistor.
[0018] FIG. 13 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power including stacked diodes for high
power applications.
[0019] FIG. 14 is a flowchart of an exemplary operation for
supplying power.
[0020] FIG. 15 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power with a half-bridge driver on the
primary transformer winding.
[0021] FIG. 16 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power with a full-bridge driver on the
primary transformer winding.
[0022] FIG. 17 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power with a push-pull driver on the
primary transformer winding.
[0023] FIG. 18 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power with an AC line voltage at the input
to a transformer.
[0024] FIG. 19 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power with an AC line voltage input.
[0025] FIG. 20 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power with an AC line voltage input, with
an electrically isolated control input.
[0026] FIG. 21 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power with a waveform generator controlling
a driver on the primary transformer winding.
[0027] FIG. 22 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power with a grounded center tap on the
primary transformer winding.
[0028] FIG. 23 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power with a waveform generator controlling
a driver on the primary transformer winding.
[0029] FIG. 24 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power with a three-phase AC power source to
the primary transformer winding.
[0030] FIG. 25 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power with a controller that provides
control based at least in part on an ambient light detector.
[0031] FIG. 26 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power with a controller that provides
control based at least in part on a motion sensor.
[0032] FIG. 27 is a schematic of an exemplary apparatus for
supplying and switching power with a controller that provides
control based at least in part on a smart grid control and
monitoring system.
DESCRIPTION
[0033] The drawings and description, in general, disclose a method
and apparatus of supplying and switching power to one or more
loads. The current through the loads may be individually controlled
using relatively low voltage pulse width modulated control signals.
Multiple loads may be powered and individually controlled and/or
switched from a single power source and by one or more transformers
and full bridge rectifiers.
[0034] Referring now to FIG. 2, an exemplary embodiment of an
apparatus for supplying and switching power to a load 10 will be
described. In this exemplary embodiment, a power source (not shown)
provides a waveform 12 to the primary winding of a transformer 14.
A full bridge rectifier 16 made up of four diodes is connected to
one tap of the secondary winding of the transformer 14. (Please
note that the use of the phrase "full bridge rectifier" herein does
not imply any traditional connection of the inputs and outputs of
the diode network.) The load 10 is connected to the full bridge
rectifier 16 and to another tap of the secondary winding of the
transformer 14. In this exemplary embodiment, the portion of the
circuit including the transformer 14 and full bridge rectifier 16
has inductance and capacitance values having an LC time constant
such that a square wave on the primary winding of the transformer
14 substantially produces a sine wave across the load 10; in
certain instances, additional capacitance and capacitors may be
included in the circuit. Because the direction of the current
through the secondary winding of the transformer 14 and the load 10
alternates, it does not matter whether the load is connected to the
upper or lower tap of the secondary winding of the transformer 14
except for the relative phase angle difference depending on how the
taps are connected.
[0035] A switch 20 such as, for example, an n-channel metal oxide
semiconductor field-effect transistor (NMOSFET) or re-channel field
effect transistor (FET) or a bipolar transistor or set of
transistors is/are connected between the full bridge rectifier 16
and ground 22, with a pulse width modulated (PWM) control signal 24
applied to the control input of the switch 20 to vary the duty
cycle of the current through the load 10. It is, of course,
understood that any suitable transistor can be used; for example,
p-channel MOSFETs (PMOSFETs), bipolar junction transistors,
insulated gate bipolar transistors, etc. may be used with or in
place of the NMOSFETs.
[0036] Although the full bridge rectifier 16 generates a rectified
sine wave 18 through the switch 20 as illustrated in FIG. 3a, a
full sine wave 19 as illustrated in FIG. 3b is produced across the
load 10.
[0037] The full bridge rectifier 16 has a pair of input nodes 30
and 32 and a pair of output nodes 34 and 36. A first diode 40 is
connected in the full bridge rectifier 16 at the anode to output
node 34 and at the cathode to input node 30. A second diode 42 is
connected at the anode to input node 30 and at the cathode to
output node 36. A third diode 44 is connected at the anode to
output node 34 and at the cathode to input node 32. A fourth diode
46 is connected at the anode to input node 32 and at the cathode to
output node 36. Input node 30 of the full bridge rectifier is
connected to one tap of the secondary winding of the transformer
14, input node 32 of the full bridge rectifier is connected to one
side of the load 10, and the other side of the load 10 is connected
to another tap of the secondary winding of the transformer 14.
Output node 34 of the full bridge rectifier 16 is connected to
ground 22, and output node 36 of the full bridge rectifier 16 is
connected to ground 22 through the control switch 24. Note that the
load 10 is connected to a node 32 that is traditionally used as an
input to the full bridge rectifier 16 (between an anode and a
cathode), and the control switch 20 is connected to a node 36 that
is traditionally used as the output of the full bridge rectifier 16
(between two cathodes). This configuration provides simple and
effective low voltage control over the current through the load 10,
placing the load in what is traditionally the input path of a full
bridge rectifier and the control in what is traditionally the
output path. This configuration allows an AC signal to be
controlled by a DC switch.
[0038] Note that the ground 22 may comprise a local ground or an
absolute ground, as desired. For the case of a local ground, this
may be accomplished by simply connecting node 34 at the anodes of
diodes 40 and 44 to the side of the control switch 24 opposite the
full bridge rectifier 16.
[0039] The transformer 14 used in the apparatus to supply power as
described herein is not limited to any particular type of
transformer and may change the ratio between the input and output
voltage levels in any manner desired. The terms primary and
secondary windings are not to be seen as limiting, and are
interchangeable. That is, the power source may be connected to
either winding of a transformer 14 as desired, with the load 10 and
full bridge rectifier 16 connected to the other winding. The
voltage or current can be stepped up or stepped down with the
transformer, depending, for example, on the particulars of the
application.
[0040] During operation, the power source generates a square wave
across the primary winding of the transformer 14, inducing an
alternating current across the secondary winding of the transformer
14. Again, in this exemplary embodiment, the alternating current
through the secondary winding is substantially a sine wave
(rectified by the full bridge rectifier across the control switch
20), although the current may be shaped to have any other desired
waveform by controlling the LC or RC time constants of the circuit
or by adding other passive or active components as is known in the
art. In addition, a sine wave or any other desired waveform could
be used instead of the square wave as an input to the primary side
of the transformer. The control switch 20 may be used to turn the
current through the load 10 on and off. For the purposes of the
following discussion, it will be assumed that the control switch 20
is on, allowing current to flow through the load 10. During one
phase of operation, one tap 50 of the secondary winding of the
transformer 14 will have a higher potential than the other tap 52,
such as a positive voltage at tap 50 and a negative voltage at tap
52. In this phase of operation, current will flow in a loop from
ground 22, into the output node 34 of the full bridge rectifier 16,
diode 40, input node 30, the secondary winding of the transformer
14, the load 10, input node 32, diode 46, output node 36 and
through the control switch 20 to ground 22. During the second phase
of operation, tap 52 will be at a higher potential than tap 50, and
current will flow in a loop from ground 22, output node 34, diode
44, input node 32, the load 10, the secondary winding of the
transformer 14, input node 30, diode 42, output node 36 and through
the control switch 20 to ground 22. Thus, at any given time when
current is flowing through the load 10, two diodes (e.g., 42 and 44
or 40 and 46) in the full bridge rectifier 16 are conducting a
current.
[0041] If the control switch 20 is turned off by the input signal,
(for example a PWM) control signal 24, the terminating path to
ground 22 is disconnected from the load 10 and current cannot flow
through the load 10. The control signal 24 may be synchronized with
the current waveform through the secondary winding of the
transformer 14 or may be asynchronous as desired, either
maintaining unbroken waves in the rectified sine wave or chopping
them abruptly based on the requirements of the load 10. The
frequencies of the current waveform through the secondary winding
of the transformer 14 and the PWM control signal 24 may also be set
to any desired rates based on the requirements of the load 10. For
example, the current waveform through the secondary winding of the
transformer 14 may be set at 50 kHz and the PWM control signal 24
may be set at 1 kHz. The width of the pulses on the PWM control
signal 24 adjusts the duty cycle of the current through the load
10. If the PWM control signal 24 is on for 900 microseconds and off
for 100 microseconds of each period, the duty cycle of the current
through the load 10 will be 90%. Note that the PWM control signal
24 of the exemplary embodiment comprises a square wave or series of
pulses, but may alternatively comprise any waveform desired to vary
the duty cycle of the current through the load 10, or may
alternatively comprise a simple on-off control signal to turn the
load 10 on or off without varying the duty cycle.
[0042] The method and apparatus for supplying and switching power
as described herein may be used for either low or high voltage
loads as desired, while enabling simple low voltage control. For
example, several thousand volts or higher may be provided to the
load 10 by selecting diodes in the full bridge rectifier 16 and a
control switch 20 that can withstand high voltages without damage.
In this case, the control switch 20 may comprise a single high
voltage NMOS transistor or other type of transistor, or may
comprise a stack of transistors as described in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/681,767 entitled "Method and Apparatus for
Supplying Power" of Laurence P. Sadwick et al., filed Mar. 3, 2007,
which is incorporated herein by reference for all that it
discloses. This enables, for example, a PWM control signal 24 of a
low voltage, such as 5 volts or 3.3 volts DC, to control a current
at a potential of several thousands of volts through the load
10.
[0043] Referring now to FIG. 4, another exemplary embodiment of the
apparatus for supplying power may include a current sensor 60,
placed anywhere desired in the current path such as between the
control switch 62 and ground 64. The current sensor 60 may be used
to measure the current level through the load 66. The current
sensor 60 may comprise any suitable device for detecting and
quantifying current, such as a resistor, an inductively coupled
coil, an analog to digital (A/D) converter, etc. For example, the
current sensor may comprise a resistor 70 as illustrated in FIG. 5,
placed between the control switch 72 and ground 74. In this
embodiment, the current may be detected and quantified by measuring
the voltage drop between a node 76 above the resistor 70 and ground
74, using any suitable device such as an A/D converter, RMS
converter, a filter or set of filters, and/or amplifier.
[0044] Referring now to FIG. 6, multiple loads (e.g., 80 and 82)
may be powered by a single transformer 84 and power source (not
shown). In this exemplary embodiment, n loads 80 and 82 are
connected to one tap of the secondary winding of the transformer
84, and n full bridge rectifiers 86 and 90 are connected to the
other tap of the secondary winding of the transformer 84 as
described above with respect FIG. 2. Note that it is not necessary
that the loads 80 and 82 all be connected to the same tap of the
secondary winding of the transformer 84, the load 82 and 84 and
full bridge rectifier 86 and 90 may be interchanged if desired, and
may also be connected to center taps on the secondary winding of
the transformer 84 if desired to provide different maximum voltage
levels across the loads 82 and 84. Each load 80 and 82 may be
individually controlled by a dedicated control signal 92 and 94,
and the current through each load 80 and 82 may be individually
monitored by optional dedicated current sensors 96 and 98 if
desired.
[0045] In an alternative embodiment for powering n loads as
illustrated in FIG. 7, each load (e.g., 100 and 102) is provided
with a dedicated transformer 104 and 106. The transformers 104 and
106 may be identical, or may be individually selected to match the
requirements of each load, such as to provide different maximum
voltage levels or currents based on the same input waveform from
the power source. Each load 100 and 102 is provided with a full
bridge rectifier 110 and 112 and may be individually controlled by
independent control switches 114 and 116 and PWM control signals
120 and 122. Current through each load may also be individually
monitored by including current sensors (not shown) as discussed
above.
[0046] Referring now to FIG. 8, an exemplary embodiment of an
apparatus for supplying power will be described, including an
oscillator for generating a square wave on the primary winding of a
transformer. An oscillator such as, for example, a 555 timer 130 or
other device is used to generate an alternating waveform such as a
square wave or sine wave at any desired frequency. Any suitable
oscillator may be used, such as a crystal oscillator, phase locked
loop, Wein bridge, Royer, Hartley, or Colpitts oscillator, ring
oscillator, logic oscillator, operational amplifier oscillator,
bridge oscillator, etc. A switch such as an NMOS transistor 132
applies the waveform generated by the 555 timer 130 to the primary
winding of a transformer 134. Filter capacitors (not shown) and
other components may be added as desired across the primary and/or
secondary winding of the transformer 134 for filtering and resonant
tuning to obtain the desired output waveform, but may not be
necessary and should be viewed as optional. One or more loads 136,
full bridge rectifiers 140, control switches 142 and current
sensors 144 may be connected to the secondary winding of the
transformer 134 as described above.
[0047] In another exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, an
oscillator 150 may be coupled to the primary winding of a
transformer 152 via an inverter and driver pair made up of bipolar
junction transistors (BJTs) or other devices. The oscillator 150
drives the input of an inverter made up of a BJT transistor 154 and
a pullup resistor 156, controlling a pair of BJT transistors 160
and 162 that alternately pull the primary winding of the
transformer 152 between power 164 and ground 166.
[0048] As mentioned above, the apparatus for supplying and
switching power may be adapted to higher power and higher voltage
applications by stacking transistors as illustrated in FIG. 10. A
transformer 170, full bridge rectifier 172 and load 174 are
arranged as described in other exemplary embodiments above or in
other suitable alternative arrangements as desired. A control
switch such as n-channel FET 176 is connected between the full
bridge rectifier 172 and ground 180. An optional current sensor
such as a resistor 182 and current sensor output 184 may be
included if desired as discussed above. Additional switches such as
n-channel FETS 186 and 190 may be connected in series with the
control switch 176. The gates of the stacked transistors 176, 186
and 190 may be biased by the nodes in a voltage divider made up of
resistors 192, 194 and 196. Alternatively (see FIG. 11), in an
alternating current environment, the gates of stacked transistors
200, 202 and 204 may be biased by the nodes in a voltage divider
made up of capacitors 206, 208 and 210. Note again that the
illustrated current sensor 212 is purely optional and may be
omitted or relocated if desired. The additional stacked transistors
(e.g., 176, 186 and 190) divide the voltage dropped between the
full-bridge rectifier 172 and ground 180 across the transistors,
enabling higher voltage operation. The apparatus for supplying
power and switching may thus be used, for example, as a high
voltage relay capable of handling tens of thousands of volts by
dividing the voltage across multiple stacked transistors, while
still enabling a low voltage control signal to turn on and off the
output current and to vary the duty cycle. The transistors may be
stacked as deeply as desired, as illustrated in FIG. 12. For
example, a stack of 10 transistors 220, 222 and 224) may be
connected in series, each rated for 1000 volts, in order to provide
a 10,000 volt output. The stack of transistors may be biased by a
voltage divider chain made up of resistors (e.g., 226, 228 and 230)
or capacitors as desired.
[0049] The apparatus for supplying and switching power may also be
adapted to higher power and higher voltage applications by using
diodes rated for high power or by stacking diodes as illustrated in
FIG. 13, or by a combination of the two techniques. For example,
each leg of the full bridge rectifier 240 may include two or more
diodes (e.g., 242, 244). The apparatus for supplying and switching
power having high power diodes and/or stacked diodes functions as
with other exemplary embodiments (e.g., as in FIG. 2), although the
higher potentials are safely tolerated by the high power diodes or
by dividing them across multiple diodes in each leg of the full
bridge rectifier 240.
[0050] Referring now to FIG. 14, an exemplary operation for
manufacturing a power supply will be described. An alternating
waveform generator is connected 250 to a first winding of a
transformer, and a first load terminal is connected 252 to a first
end of a second winding of the transformer. A second end of the
second winding of the transformer is connected 254 to a first
terminal of a full bridge rectifier. A second load terminal is
connected 256 to a second terminal of the full bridge rectifier. A
ground is connected 260 to a third terminal of the full bridge
rectifier, and the fourth terminal of the full bridge rectifier is
connected 262 to ground through a control switch. In one exemplary
embodiment, the third terminal is a diode anode-anode junction, the
fourth terminal is a diode cathode-cathode junction and the first
and second terminals are diode cathode-anode junctions. The
exemplary operation may optionally include connecting a current
sensor between the control switch and ground.
[0051] Note that any desired waveforms may be used across the
primary and secondary windings of the transformer (e.g., 14) and
thus across the load (e.g., 10). Similarly, any desired waveform
may be used as the control signal to operate a control switch
(e.g., 20), such as a pulse width modulated signal, a sine,
triangle, sawtooth or square wave, or a pulse or stepped
signal.
[0052] The method and apparatus for supplying and switching power
described herein provides a very effective solution for providing
individually controllable currents to multiple loads using a single
power source and optionally one or more transformers. A sine wave
or any other desired waveform may be driven in alternating
directions through the loads, with the waveform shaped by supplying
passive or active wave as desired in the secondary side of the
circuit. Either high or low voltage load currents may be controlled
using low voltage control signals, both to turn the load on and off
and to vary the duty cycle of the current through the load.
[0053] Referring now to FIGS. 15-19, a number of exemplary power
sources will be described for use with the method and apparatus for
supplying and switching power. It is to be noted that these
embodiments are purely exemplary and the method and apparatus for
supplying and switching power is not limited to these embodiments.
In one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 15, a half-bridge driver is
used to drive one tap of the primary winding of a transformer 270,
with the other tap being grounded. The half bridge driver may
comprise a pull-up PFET 272 and a pull-down NFET 274, and may be
controlled, for example, by a signal from an oscillator placed on
the control inputs 276 and 280 of the pull-up PFET 272 and
pull-down NFET 274. As is understood by those skilled in the art,
the type of transistor may be adjusted as desired. For example, the
pull-up PFET 272 may be replaced by a pull-up NFET, in which case
the control inputs of the two transistors would be controlled by
complementary signals.
[0054] In another exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 16, the
primary winding of a transformer 290 is powered by a full-bridge
driver. One tap of the primary winding is driven by a first side
having a pull-up NFET 292 and a pull down NFET 294, and the other
tap of the primary winding is driven by a second side having a
pull-up NFET 296 and a pull-down NFET 298. The full-bridge drive
may be controlled by signals from an oscillator, with complementary
signals applied to the control inputs of the pull-up NFET 292 and
pull down NFET 294 and an inverted version of those complementary
signals applied to the control inputs of the pull-up NFET 296 and
pull-down NFET 298. As is understood by those skilled in the art,
the type of transistor may be adjusted as desired, with the control
inputs being adapted accordingly. The transistors in this and all
other embodiments described herein may comprise N or P channel
metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETS),
junction gate field-effect transistors (JFETS), insulated gate
bipolar transistors (IGBTS), NPN and/or PNP bipolar junction
transistors (BJTS), Darlington transistors or any other types of
transistors or switches desired. Note also that the transformers
may be rated for high power applications as needed or may be
stacked to distribute voltage potentials across multiple
components.
[0055] In another exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 17, the
primary winding of a transformer 300 is powered by a push-pull
driver. Power is supplied to the center tap of the primary winding,
with the end taps alternately pulled down through NFETS 302 and 304
under the control of an oscillator. (See FIG. 21) Alternatively,
the center tap may be grounded with the end taps alternately pulled
up through transistors 302 and 304. (See FIGS. 22, 23) In yet
another alternative, a three phase AC signal from a power grid or
other source may be used, with one phase connected to the center
tap and the other two phases connected to end taps through
transistors 302 and 304. (See FIG. 24) Multiple phases can be
accommodated with multiple embodiments and switches as described
herein. The method and apparatus for supplying and switching power
is not limited to any particular type or configuration of
transformer or means of driving the transformer. The transformer or
alternative power supply may be run at any desired frequency, such
as 50 Hertz, 60 Hertz, 400 Hertz, etc. The transformer, if used,
may have a delta configuration, wye configuration, or any other
desired configuration, etc.
[0056] The method and apparatus for supplying and switching power
described herein also may be used to switch AC power using a low
voltage control signal, using a simple and effective circuit to
perform a function that might otherwise be performed by solid state
relays, triacs, thyristors, mosfet switches, etc. Referring now to
FIG. 18, the oscillator of the previous exemplary embodiments may
be replaced by connecting the primary winding of a transformer 310
to an AC signal, such as the 110 volt AC signal from a power grid.
The AC signal may be connected to the transformer 310 as desired.
For example, one tap of the primary winding may be connected to the
hot lead 312 of an AC signal, with the other 314 being connected
either to the return line of the AC signal or to a ground.
[0057] The full bridge rectifier 320 and control switch 322 may be
used to switch AC power through a load 324 without the use of a
transformer if desired, as illustrated in FIG. 19. To facilitate
the description of this embodiment, the full bridge rectifier will
now be described. As noted above, the term "full bridge rectifier"
does not imply any traditional connection at the inputs and
outputs, and in fact, the full bridge rectifiers described herein
have a nontraditional connection of the inputs and outputs. Also
note that the diodes of this embodiment and all others may comprise
high voltage diodes if desired, and may also comprise stacked
diodes as in FIG. 13. A first diode 322 is connected at the anode
to node 324 and at the cathode to node 326. A second diode 330 is
connected at the anode to node 326 and at the cathode to node 332.
A third diode 334 is connected at the anode to node 324 and at the
cathode to node 336. A fourth diode 340 is connected at the anode
to node 336 and at the cathode to node 332.
[0058] In this embodiment, one lead of an alternating current
signal, such as the hot lead 342 of a 110 volt AC signal from a
power grid, is connected to the one input of the load 324. Another
lead of an alternating current signal, such as the neutral lead 344
of an alternating current signal, is connected to node 326 of the
full bridge rectifier 320. A second input of the load 324 is
connected to node 336 of the full bridge rectifier 320. Nodes 324
and 332 of the full bridge rectifier 320 form a reference voltage
point or local ground, and are connected to each other through a
control switch 322 such as a transistor. During operation, current
flows through the load 324 in alternating directions as long as the
control switch 322 conducts and completes the circuit. During one
phase of operation, when input 342 is at a positive potential and
input 344 is at a negative potential, current flows from input 342,
through the load 324, diode 340, control switch 322 and diode 322
to input 344. During the other phase of operation, when input 344
is at a positive potential and input 342 is at a negative
potential, current flows from input 344, through diode 330, control
switch 322, diode 334 and the load 324 to input 342.
[0059] In an alternative embodiment, a current sensor may be placed
anywhere desired in the circuit. For example, a resistor may be
placed between the control switch 322 and node 324, with a
comparator or differential amplifier connected at each end of the
resistor to measure the voltage drop across the resistor, and
correspondingly, the current level through the circuit.
[0060] Note that the load 324, the control switch 322 and the
optional current sensor may each be placed at any desired point of
the circuit through which current flows during both phases of
operation, that is, in series with either input lead 342 or input
lead 344 or in series with the reference voltage point between
nodes 324 and 332 of the full bridge rectifier 320.
[0061] Referring now to FIG. 20, the control signal 352 and control
circuitry may be electrically isolated from the power source (e.g.,
the AC line 354 and 356) in this or any other embodiment by
inserting any suitable component such as an optocoupler 350 or
optoisolator between the control circuitry and the apparatus for
supplying and switching power. For example, an optocoupler 350 may
be used to electrically isolate the control signal 352 from the
transistor 362, thereby enabling low voltage control of the circuit
while isolating the control circuitry from surges or spikes that
might pass from the AC line 354 and 356, through the full bridge
rectifier 360 and transistor 362. This exemplary embodiment may
employ any suitable isolation means and is not limited to an
optocoupler or optoisolator.
[0062] The embodiments disclosed herein and other embodiments may
be adapted for use in dimming applications, where a voltage and/or
current supplied to the load is adjusted by a controller. The
controller may comprise a circuit, device, program, dimming signal
or other type of mechanism for controlling the switch to adjust,
modify, adapt, switch, or reduce the voltage and/or current to the
load. The controller is connected to the control input of the
control switch or transistor at the full bridge rectifier input
node, as illustrated in the drawings. The controller may use any of
a number of suitable control schemes to adjust the voltage and/or
current to the load, including pulse width modulation (PWM),
analog, digital, phase, voltage dimming, etc. The controller may
also be based on a number of suitable platforms, including one of
or any combination of a microprocessor, microcontroller, FPGA,
firmware, hardware, software, control, wired, wireless, Internet,
web-based, cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), voice
control, etc.
[0063] The controller may derive power directly along with the rest
of the power supply disclosed herein, or may derive power from an
external source, such as solar, mechanical, vibration, RF sources,
or battery, etc. The controller may be connected to the control
switch in either an isolated or non-isolated fashion as illustrated
in the drawings, such as in the direct connection of FIG. 19 or the
isolated connection of FIG. 20 via optocoupler 350. The controller
may be used to dim or adjust the voltage and/or current to the load
under manual control via any suitable manual interface such as
dials, knobs, buttons, switches, voice commands and voice
recognition, etc, or under automatic control such as by a computer
or other programmed or sensory input-based stimulus. For example,
the controller may be adapted to operate using a daylight
harvesting control, or based on ambient light detectors (See FIG.
25) and also coupled with other types of sensor such as motion
sensors (See FIG. 26), RFID, microphones, etc.
[0064] A variety of loads may benefit from dimming or adjusted
voltage and/or current levels. For example, light sources may be
adapted to a wider range of uses by a dimming power supply. Motors
and appliances may be controlled by supply voltage and/or current
adjustment, either by continuous level variation such as by
changing the on/off ratio or duty cycle of an input voltage and
current to provide dimming and controlled brown-out capability, or
by using discrete supply on/off control. For example, appliances
may be turned off or operated under lower power during brown-out
conditions, either under local control or under external control in
a smart grid control and monitoring system. (See FIG. 27) The
controller may be adapted to adjust the voltage and/or current
levels using any of a number of suitable control schemes, for any
of a number of different types of loads for a variety of beneficial
purposes.
[0065] While illustrative embodiments have been described in detail
herein, it is to be understood that the concepts disclosed herein
may be otherwise variously embodied and employed, and that the
appended claims are intended to be construed to include such
variations, except as limited by the prior art.
* * * * *