Power supply system

Abstract

The power supply capacity of the entire system can be increased.SOLUTION: The load control system includes a main line cable 9 including a power supply line for supplying DC power to a plurality of load control systems 20, a plurality of branch means provided for each load control system 20 for branching the power supply line, and a plurality of power supply lines provided for each load control system 20 and connected to the power supply line branched by the branch means. A power supply system 100 includes a plurality of branch line cables 17 that supply DC power to a load control system 20, and a plurality of power supply devices 10 each including a generation unit 110 that generates DC power from AC power, a first connection terminal 13 that is connected to the generation unit 110 and to which a main line cable 9 can be connected, and a second connection terminal 14 that is connected to the generation unit 110 and the first connection terminal 13 and to which the main line cable 9 can be connected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The disclosed technology relates to a power supply system. [Background technology]

[0002] In a conventional system for supplying power and transmitting and receiving signals between a parent station and multiple child stations, the longer the connecting cable, the greater the transmission loss, which can lead to a problem of insufficient voltage supply (hereinafter referred to as "drop") to child stations connected far from the parent station.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that enables additional power line connections to be performed reliably with a simple operation. Specifically, in a cable distribution system, when the power supply voltage from the parent station drops below a predetermined value, it is possible to easily attach a separate power supply to the child station where the voltage has dropped via a branch connector. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-255871 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, power is supplied via a branch connector that can connect to a power line of a separate power source only to the slave stations downstream of the branch connector. Therefore, for example, depending on the operating state of each slave station, there is a risk that the voltage to the slave stations upstream of the added separate power source may be insufficient.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a power supply system that can increase the power capacity of the entire system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a power supply system including: a main cable including a power line that supplies DC power to a plurality of load control systems; a plurality of branching means provided for each of the load control systems and branching the power line; a plurality of branch cables provided for each of the load control systems and connected to the power lines branched by the branching means and supplying the DC power to the load control systems; a generation unit that generates the DC power from AC power; a plurality of power supply devices each including a first connection terminal connected to the generation unit and to which the main cable can be connected; and a second connection terminal connected to the generation unit and the first connection terminal and to which the main cable can be connected, and the power supply devices are connected to one another on a single line formed by the main cable.

[0008] According to the power supply system of the first aspect, the power capacity of the entire system can be increased.

[0009] A second aspect of the present disclosure is the power supply system of the first aspect, wherein the power supply system further includes a main controller, the main controller outputs a signal including a command signal that commands the operation of a load controlled by the load control system, the main cable further includes a signal line for supplying the signal, the branching means is configured to branch the power line and the signal line, the main cable connects the main controller to one of the plurality of power supply devices, the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal of the power supply device each include a signal terminal to which the signal line can be connected, and the signal terminal of the first connection terminal and the signal terminal of the second connection terminal are directly connected, and the branch cable supplies the DC power and the signal to the load control system.

[0010] According to the power supply system of the second aspect, DC power and signals can be supplied through one main cable.

[0011] A third aspect of the present disclosure is the power supply system of the second aspect, wherein the main cable is a cable in which the power line and the signal line are integrally formed, and the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal of the power supply device are configured to be connectable to the cable.

[0012] According to the power supply system of the third aspect, a cable in which the power line and the signal line are integrally formed can be connected to the power supply device.

[0013] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the power supply system of the second aspect, wherein at least one of the plurality of branching means is arranged between the main controller and the power supply device, and between the plurality of power supply devices.

[0014] According to the power supply system of the fourth aspect, the branching means can be disposed between the plurality of power supply devices.

[0015] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is the power supply system of the first aspect, wherein the power supply devices further include an input terminal that receives the AC power from the outside via a power cable and is connected to the generating unit, and an output terminal that is connected to the input terminal and supplies the input AC power to the outside via a power cable separate from the power cable, wherein one end of the power cable is connected to the other end of the power cable that is connected to an AC power source, and the input terminal of one of the power supply devices other than the first power supply device is connected to the other end of another power cable that is connected to the output terminal of the other of the other power supply devices.

[0016] According to the power supply system of the fifth aspect, the power supply devices can be connected to each other.

[0017] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is the power supply system of the first aspect, wherein the plurality of power supply devices have a sealed structure that is dustproof and drip-proof.

[0018] According to the power supply system of the sixth aspect, the power supply device can be provided with a dustproof and drip-proof structure.

[0019] A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is a power supply system according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein at least one of the plurality of power supply devices includes a control unit that controls the voltage of the DC power generated by the generation unit to adjust the voltage depending on the magnitude of the current that changes depending on the operating state of the load control system.

[0020] According to the power supply system of the seventh aspect, the magnitude of DC power can be made uniform among a plurality of power supply devices. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the disclosed technology, the power capacity of the entire system can be increased. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a power supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a power supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a control unit of the power supply device according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a voltage adjustment process according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] An example of an embodiment of the disclosed technology will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or equivalent components and parts in each drawing are given the same reference numerals. Also, the dimensional proportions in the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0024] The power supply system 100 according to this embodiment includes a main power source 5, a main controller 7, a branching means 15, a load control system 20, a power supply device 10, a main cable 9, a branch cable 17, and a power cable 3. The overall configuration of the power supply system 100 will be described using Figure 1. Note that a plurality of branching means 15, load control systems 20, power supply devices 10, main cables 9, branch cables 17, and power cables 3 are provided. Here, when identifying each of the power supply devices 10, main cables 9, and power cables 3, the letters A and B may be added to the reference numerals.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1 , in the power supply system 100, a commercial AC power supply 2 is the starting point, and a main power supply 5, a main controller 7, a power supply device 10A, and a power supply device 10B are arranged in this order. Note that in the power supply system 100 according to the present embodiment, two power supply devices 10, namely, power supply devices 10A and 10B, are shown as the power supply devices 10, but this is not limiting, and three or more power supply devices may be arranged depending on the desired power capacity. The main controller 7 and each power supply device 10 are electrically connected by a plurality of main cables 9. As described above, in the power supply system 100, a plurality of power supply devices 10 are provided on one line formed by the main cable 9. Furthermore, the commercial AC power supply 2, the main power supply 5, and the main controller 7 are installed, for example, in a control panel 1 in a factory.

[0026] A plurality of branching means 15 are connected to each main cable 9. A plurality of load control systems 20 are electrically connected to the corresponding branching means 15 via branch cables 17. In other words, the branch cables 17 are provided so as to branch off from the main cable 9 via the branching means 15.

[0027] The load control system 20 includes, for example, an actuator 22 and a sub-controller 21 that controls the actuator 22 (see FIG. 2). The actuator 22 in this embodiment is, for example, an industrial actuator that uses a motor as a drive source to move a moving object. The sub-controller 21 has a function of controlling the movement of each of the actuators 22. The sub-controller 21 includes a smoothing capacitor, a driver, a control unit, and a control voltage generation circuit. The control unit of the sub-controller 21 controls the shared power to the motor and controls the actuator 22 by controlling the drive of the driver based on a command signal from the main controller 7, which is a higher-level device. The control voltage generation circuit of the sub-controller 21 is, for example, a down-converter, and generates a voltage suitable for the operation of the control unit from a control power supply voltage of DC power supplied from the main controller 7 or the power supply device 10. The main controller 7, which is provided adjacent to the main power supply 5, controls which of the multiple load control systems 20 to operate. That is, the main controller 7 outputs a signal including a command signal that commands the operation of the actuator 22 controlled by the load control system 20. Note that the load control system 20 according to this embodiment is exemplified by an industrial actuator with a built-in controller, in which the sub-controller 21 and the actuator 22 are integrated. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the sub-controller 21 and the actuator 22 may be separate entities in the load control system 20. Furthermore, the load may be, for example, a motor roller (a motorized roller for a conveyor) or a roller conveyor used in a transport system, and the load control system 20 may be configured together with a control device that controls this. Alternatively, the load control system 20 may be any system that includes a load that consumes power from a power source and a control device that controls the load, such as a combination of a servo motor and a servo amplifier that controls it, or a combination of lighting and its control device.

[0028] 1, the main power supply 5 receives AC power from a commercial AC power supply 2 and outputs DC power to each power supply device 10 via a main controller 7. The main power supply 5 may have the same configuration as the power supply device 10, or may be a general-purpose power supply device having a different configuration from the power supply device 10.

[0029] The power supply device 10 of this embodiment has a sealed structure with dustproof and drip-proof specifications. Specifically, it meets the protection class of IP20 or higher of the international standard (IEC: International Electrotechnical Commission) 60529. For example, if the protection class meets the protection class of IP21 or higher, such as when the protection class is IP54 or higher, the power supply device 10 will have not only a high level of dustproof configuration but also a drip-proof configuration. Therefore, the power supply device 10 can be installed not only outside the control panel 1 but also in places where even stricter standards are set. In other words, the degree of freedom in the placement of the power supply device 10 can be increased.

[0030] A plurality of power supply devices 10 can be provided on a line formed by a main cable 9. A power cable 3 is connected to each power supply device 10. The power supply devices 10 are switching power supplies that can operate in parallel with a plurality of devices. The main power supply 5 and the plurality of power supply devices 10 are connected in parallel in terms of the way the power cables 3 are connected. The power cables 3 include a power cable 3A that connects the commercial AC power supply 2 and the power supply devices 10, and a power cable 3B that connects the power supply devices 10 to each other. The power cable 3A is an example of a power cable, and the power cable 3B is an example of another power cable. Each power supply device 10 does not have to be connected to the commercial AC power supply 2. Each power supply device 10 may receive AC power via the main power supply 5.

[0031] The main cable 9 is a cable in which a power line 18 and a signal line 19 are integrally formed (see FIG. 2). The main cable 9 of this embodiment is a flat cable in which two power lines and three signal lines are aligned in a row in cross section. However, the main cable 9 is not limited to having two power lines and three signal lines. For example, the main cable 9 may have three or more power lines 18 and at least one or four or more signal lines 19. Furthermore, the main cable 9 is not limited to a flat cable. It may also be a round cable in which two power lines and three signal lines are gathered in a circular shape in cross section. The power line 18 supplies DC power to each load control system 20. The signal line 19 supplies a control signal for controlling the actuator 22 to each load control system 20. The main cable 9 includes a main cable 9A connecting the main controller 7 and the power supply devices 10 and a main cable 9B connecting the power supply devices 10 to each other.

[0032] The branching means 15 is provided for each load control system 20 and is a branching connector that branches the power line 18 and the signal line 19 of the main cable 9. However, the branching means 15 is not limited to a branching connector as long as it can branch the power line 18 and the signal line 19 of the main cable 9 and connect to a branch cable 17, which will be described later. Although at least one branching means 15 is connected to the main cable 9, this is not limited to this depending on the system configuration. In this embodiment, a plurality of branching means 15 are arranged between the main controller 7 and the power supply device 10 (i.e., for the main cable 9A) and between the power supply devices 10 (i.e., for the main cable 9B).

[0033] The branch cable 17 is provided for each load control system 20 and is connected to a power line 18 and a signal line 19 branched by the branching means 15. In other words, the branch cable 17 supplies DC power and command signals to the load control system 20.

[0034] Next, the functions and configuration of the power supply device 10 will be described in detail using the power supply device 10A as an example. The power supply device 10B also has the same functions and configuration as the power supply device 10A. As shown in FIG. 2, the power supply device 10A of this embodiment has a generator 110 that generates DC power from AC power. The generator 110 is composed of an AC / DC converter that includes a transformer for driving the actuator, a transformer for operating the subcontroller, switching elements for controlling both transformers, a rectifier, and a capacitor. The rectifier converts the negative voltage component of the input voltage into a positive voltage and rectifies it to DC, or eliminates the negative input voltage component to generate DC. The capacitor is also used to smooth the pulse wave.

[0035] The power supply device 10A also has a first connection terminal 13 to which the main cable 9A is connected and a second connection terminal 14 to which the main cable 9B is connected. Here, the first connection terminal 13 and the second connection terminal 14 each include a power terminal connected to the power line 18 of the main cable 9 and a signal terminal connected to the signal line 19 of the main cable 9.

[0036] The power supply terminal of the first connection terminal 13, the power supply terminal of the second connection terminal 14, and the generation unit 110 are connected by a power line inside the power supply device 10. That is, the power supply terminal of the first connection terminal 13, the power supply terminal of the second connection terminal 14, and the generation unit 110 of each power supply device 10 are all connected via main cables 9A and 9B, so that the transmission paths of DC power are all electrically connected.

[0037] Furthermore, the signal terminal of the first connection terminal 13 and the signal terminal of the second connection terminal 14 are directly connected by a signal line inside the power supply device 10. Supplementally, the signal line connecting the first connection terminal 13 and the second connection terminal 14 bypasses the inside of the power supply device 10 and is also connected to the CPU 51 of the control unit 114 (described later) (not shown). That is, the power supply device 10 is connected to the main controller 7 by a so-called multi-drop method. However, this is not a limitation. The first connection terminal 13 may be a signal input terminal, the second connection terminal 14 may be a signal output terminal, and the first connection terminal 13 and the second connection terminal 14 may each be connected to the CPU 51 by separate signal lines. In this case, for example, the power supply device 10A realizes communication by passing a signal from the main controller 7 to the power supply device 10B. That is, the power supply device 10 may be connected to the main controller 7 by a so-called daisy chain method.

[0038] Furthermore, power supply device 10 has an input terminal 11 connected to power cable 3A and an output terminal 12 connected to power cable 3B. Power cable 3A, power cable 3B, and generation unit 110 are connected by a power cable inside power supply device 10. As a result, AC power input from power cable 3A is supplied to generation unit 110 and is also output to power cable 3B.

[0039] The power supply device 10 of this embodiment includes a generation unit 110, a detection unit 112, and a control unit 114. In the power supply device 10, the generation unit 110, the detection unit 112, and the control unit 114 function to perform feedback control on the DC power. The reason for performing feedback control is that the power supply device 10 is capable of parallel operation, and the output voltage may fluctuate within ±10% of the rated voltage depending on the load even during normal operation.

[0040] As described above, the generating unit 110 has a function of generating DC power from AC power.

[0041] The detection unit 112 has a function of detecting the current of the DC power generated by the generation unit 110. Specifically, the detection unit 112 detects the output current from the generation unit 110 using, for example, a shunt resistor, and outputs the voltage value of the output current to the control unit 114.

[0042] The control unit 114 has a function of controlling the voltage of the DC power generated by the generation unit 110 to be adjusted. Specifically, the control unit 114 controls the voltage of the DC power to be output in accordance with the voltage value detected by the detection unit 112. For example, the control unit 114 adjusts the voltage of the DC power to be output by controlling a switching element. Specifically, when the actual output voltage value is lower than the target voltage value, the control unit 114 controls the switching element so that the ON period of the switching element is extended. On the other hand, when the actual output voltage value is higher than the target voltage value, the control unit 114 controls the switching element so that the ON period of the switching element is shortened. In this way, the control unit 114 constantly checks the actual output voltage value and controls the ON / OFF time of the switching element based on that value, thereby stably ensuring the target output voltage value.

[0043] As described above, the output current of the power supply device 10 varies depending on the load of each load control system 20. Therefore, as the output current increases, the control unit 114 reduces the output voltage to balance the outputs of the power supply devices 10, thereby achieving parallel operation. This also has the advantage of distributing the load on each power supply device 10. More specifically, the power supply system 100 according to this embodiment is configured such that a plurality of power supply devices 10 capable of parallel operation are connected in parallel via the main cable 9, and supply power to the load control system 20 via the branch cable 17. That is, the first connection terminal 13, the second connection terminal 14, and the generation unit 110 of all the power supply devices 10 are electrically connected via the main cable 9. This makes it possible to effectively achieve parallel operation in which the outputs of the power supply devices 10 are balanced, thereby substantially equalizing the loads on the power supply devices 10.

[0044] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration including the control unit 114 in the power supply device 10 according to this embodiment.

[0045] The control unit 114 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 51, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 52, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 53. Each component is connected via a bus 54 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0046] The CPU 51 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls various components. The ROM 52 stores various programs and data. The RAM 53 temporarily stores programs or data as a work area. That is, the CPU 51 reads a program from the ROM 52 and executes the program using the RAM 53 as a work area.

[0047] Next, the operation of the power supply device 10 according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of a voltage adjustment process, which is an example of feedback control executed in the power supply device 10. Each process in the power supply device 10 is executed by the CPU 51 functioning as the control unit 114.

[0048] 4, the CPU 51 acquires the voltage value of the detection unit 112. More specifically, the detection unit 112 acquires a voltage value corresponding to the current value output by the generation unit 110.

[0049] In step S103, the CPU 51 determines whether the current value output by the generation unit 110 is greater than the threshold value. If the CPU 51 determines that the current value output by the generation unit 110 is greater than the threshold value (step S103: YES), the process proceeds to step S105. On the other hand, if the CPU 51 determines that the current value output by the generation unit 110 is not greater than the threshold value, that is, is equal to or less than the threshold value (step S103: NO), the process returns to step S101.

[0050] In step S105, the CPU 51 controls the generation unit 110 to adjust the voltage value output by the generation unit 110. Specifically, the CPU 51 controls the switching element to adjust the voltage value of the DC power in the generation unit 110. Then, the process returns to S101.

[0051] Note that the voltage adjustment process may be performed by a control IC (Integrated Circuit) (not shown) provided in addition to the CPU 51 as the control unit 114. When a control IC is used, the CPU 51 controls the detection unit 112 and communication with the main controller 7.

[0052] As described above, the power supply system 100 according to this embodiment includes a main cable 9 including a power line that supplies DC power to a plurality of load control systems 20, a plurality of branching means 15 provided for each load control system 20 and branching the power line, a plurality of branch cables 17 provided for each load control system 20 and connected to the power lines branched by the branching means 15 to supply DC power to the load control systems 20, a generation unit 110 that generates DC power from AC power, a first connection terminal 13 connected to the generation unit 110 and to which the main cable 9 can be connected, and a second connection terminal 14 connected to the generation unit 110 and the first connection terminal 13 and to which the main cable 9 can be connected, and the power supply units 10 are connected to one another on a single line formed by the main cable 9. The power supply system 100 according to this embodiment can increase the power capacity of the entire system.

[0053] Furthermore, the power supply system 100 according to this embodiment allows for easy installation of additional power supply devices 10. Furthermore, compared to conventional cable wiring, this allows for greater flexibility in the placement of power supply devices 10, allowing for flexible addition of power supply devices 10 according to the application. Furthermore, because the power supply devices 10 are connected to one another on a single line formed by the main cable 9, only one cable is required for the entire system. This allows for a simple cable system to be realized. For example, the power supply system 100 according to this embodiment is useful when applied to a production line comprising multiple work devices in a factory. That is, multiple load control systems 20 are divided into multiple groups, each consisting of at least one load control system 20, and each of the multiple groups comprises multiple work devices. In this case, even if a power capacity shortage is discovered after the system is constructed, the shortage can be easily compensated for by installing additional power supply devices 10 near each work device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 Control panel 2 Commercial AC power supply 3 Power Cable 3A power cable 3B power cable (separate power cable) 5 Main power 7 Main Controller 9 Main Cable 10 Power supply 11 Input terminal 12 Output terminal 13 First connection terminal 14 Second connection terminal 15 Branching means 17 Branch Cable 18 Power line 19 Signal line 20 Load Control System 100 Power Supply System 110 Generation part 112 Detector 114 Control Unit

Claims

1. a main cable including a power line that supplies DC power to a plurality of load control systems; a plurality of branching means provided for each of the load control systems, for branching the power line; a plurality of branch cables provided for each of the load control systems, connected to the power supply lines branched by the branching means, and supplying the DC power to the load control systems; a plurality of power supply devices each including a generating unit that generates the DC power from AC power, a first connection terminal connected to the generating unit and to which the main line cable can be connected, and a second connection terminal connected to the generating unit and the first connection terminal and to which the main line cable can be connected; Including, A power supply system in which the power supply devices are connected to one another on a single line formed by the main cable.

2. The power supply system further includes a main controller; the main controller outputs a signal including a command signal that commands the operation of a load controlled by the load control system; the main cable further includes a signal line for supplying the signal; the branching means is configured to branch the power supply line and the signal line, the main cable connects the main controller and one of the plurality of power supply devices; the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal of the power supply device each include a signal terminal to which the signal line can be connected, and the signal terminal of the first connection terminal and the signal terminal of the second connection terminal are directly connected; The power supply system of claim 1 , wherein the branch cable supplies the DC power and the signal to the load control system.

3. the main cable is a cable in which the power line and the signal line are integrally formed, The power supply system according to claim 2 , wherein the first connection terminal and the second connection terminal of the power supply device are configured to be connectable to the cable.

4. 3. The power supply system according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the plurality of branching means is disposed between the main controller and the power supply device and between the plurality of power supply devices.

5. the power supply device further includes an input terminal that receives the AC power from an external source via a power cable and is connected to the generator, and an output terminal that is connected to the input terminal and supplies the input AC power to an external source via a power cable separate from the power cable, one end of the power cable is connected to an AC power source, and the other end of the power cable is connected to the input terminal of one of the power supply devices; 2. The power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the input terminal of the power supply device other than the first power supply device is connected to the other end of another power cable having one end connected to the output terminal of the other power supply device.

6. The power supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of power supply devices have a dustproof, drip-proof, and sealed structure.

7. The power supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of power supply devices includes a control unit that controls the voltage of the DC power generated by the generation unit to adjust the voltage depending on the magnitude of the current that changes depending on the operating state of the load control system.

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