Patent · US Active

Energy dissipating device for DC power supplies

US8964437B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
10References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 15, 2013
Grant dateFeb 24, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 1, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02H9/041
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An energy dissipating device configured to connect to a power supply and to dissipate excess energy from a direct current (DC) rail in response to a change in power supply settings or operating characteristics. The energy dissipating device is connected to the DC rail, which conducts current generated by an AC/DC converter to at least one DC/DC converter. When power demand to the DC/DC converter is reduced, the DC/DC converter generates a supplemental current surge on the DC rail. A rail current monitor monitors the current level on the DC rail and generates the DC rail power signal indicative of the supplemental current surge level generated by the at least one DC/DC converter. The supplemental surge current is used to control dissipative elements connected across the DC rail to modulate a current sink path across the DC rail to dissipate the excess energy from the DC rail.

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