METHOD FOR DETECTING A BREAKDOWN IN A SWITCHING CURRENT SOURCE AND CORRESPONDING POWER SOURCE

• Main Authors: ESTEVE GWENAEL, GENESTE NICOLAS, TRUONG THANH-TUAN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.10.2012
• 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; MEASURING; MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES; PHYSICS; TESTING

A method of detecting a fault of a switching electricity source having a control stage responsive to a setpoint signal to deliver a control signal that is modulated with a predetermined duty ratio (α) to a power stage that is to deliver electricity to a load. The method includes the steps of: determining at least one nominal value (αmin, αmax) for the duty ratio for normal operation, and at least one fault threshold (αSC, αOC) as a function of the nominal value; determining at least one instantaneous value (α) of the duty ratio of the signal issued by the control stage; and comparing the instantaneous value with the fault threshold. A detection circuit implementing the method is also provided.