LOW SWITCH COUNT DIRECT AC-TO-AC POWER CONVERTER

• Main Authors: JANKOVIC, Zeljko, Radomir, BHAVARAJU, Vijay, LEQUESNE, Bruno, Patrice-Bernard, FAMILIANT, Yakov, Lvovich
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 20.03.2019
• Subjects: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC,OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWERSUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORSOR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUTPOWER; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; ELECTRICITY; GENERATION

A load control device to control current flow to an AC load includes a circuit having line-side switches and floating-neutral side switches, along with a controller connected to the circuit that is programmed to control the circuit so as to cause each of the line-side switches and each of the floating-neutral side switches to switch between an On condition or an Off condition to selectively operate the circuit in an active mode and a free-wheeling mode. A full phase voltage is provided to the AC load during the active mode and a zero voltage is provided to the AC load during the free-wheeling mode. The controller applies a modulating function to the circuit, so as to modulate a supply voltage to control a frequency and an average of a load voltage present across terminals of the AC load, thereby enabling variable frequency operation of the AC load.