Patent · US Expired

Bilateral power converter for a satellite power system

US5359280A · kind A · utility

41Cited by
7References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 4, 1994
Grant dateOct 25, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 4, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S323/906
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A bilateral power converter (10) for a satellite power system comprises a battery (12), an inductor (14), a switching means (18, 20), and a controller (16). The battery (12) preferably has a first and second terminals. The inductor (14) is coupled to the first terminal of the battery (12) and the switching means (18, 20). The switching means (18, 20) selectively couples the second end of the inductor (14) to a bus (28) or to ground ill response to a control signal. The controller (16) monitors the bus (28) voltage, current flow to the battery (12) and the current flow through the switching means (18, 20). The controller (16) also receives control signals from the satellite's computer (13) and automatically regulates the voltage on the bus (28) by adjusting the duty cycle of the signal output by the controller (16) to the switching means (18, 20). Responsive to the duty cycle of the signal output by the controller (16), the bilateral converter (10) acts either as a buck converter or a boost converter to charge or discharge the battery according to the amount of power on the bus (28).

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.