12171 results about "Converters" patented technology

An enhanced receiver for wireless power transmission is disclosed. The receiver may be able to convert RF waves into continuous, stable and suitable voltage or power that can be used for charging or powering an electronic device. The receiver may include an antenna array for extracting and rectifying power from RF waves or pockets of energy. An input boost converter in the receiver may step up and stabilize the rectified voltage, while charging a storage element in the receiver. An output boost converter in the receiver may step up the output voltage of the storage element to deliver continuous and suitable power or voltage to a load. A microcontroller in the receiver may perform power measurements at different nodes or sections to adjust the operation of the input and output boost converters so that load power requirements can be satisfied at all times.

A micropower Maximum Power Point Tracker (μMPPT) suitable for use in low power applications to maximize the power output for a solar-power cell array. In one embodiment, a μMPPT comprises an electrical circuit which includes a microprocessor/microcontroller used to execute the μMPPT control algorithm, and a modulator controller to control the pulse width or frequency to a high speed switch. In addition, the electrical circuit may include an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter usable to measure the input voltage from a connected solar array, the current through an inductor of the circuit, and the voltage of an attached energy store/load. In another embodiment, the μMPPT may operates in at least two modes depending on the energy store/loads conditions.

A method and system is proposed for the physical trading of electricity, which is characterized by continuous Dynamic Advanced Prices formation and propagation over a single price period that is a few seconds long. The Node and Branch price equations are applied to the power flows and to the corresponding costs incurred at measure points, as well as to the system-wide costs allocated equitably by means of a Price Designator, Price Announcers, Price Transmuters and Intelligent Meters and by other devices, all of which function together in a sequential and repetitive process of preliminary bidding, clearing, adjustment and dispatching, followed by price designation, confirmation and conversion in a way that takes into account congestion and security costs and the compensation of involuntary deviations. The method provides a common electricity trade environment that allows every market participant, especially every consumer, to respond adequately to last minute price changes.

A method for providing maximum power point tracking for an energy generating device using a local buck-boost converter coupled to the device is provided. The method includes operating in a tracking mode, which includes initializing a conversion ratio for the buck-boost converter based on a previous optimum conversion ratio. A device power associated with the initialized conversion ratio is calculated. The conversion ratio is repeatedly modified and a device power associated with each of the modified conversion ratios is calculated. A current optimum conversion ratio for the buck-boost converter is identified based on the calculated device powers. The current optimum conversion ratio corresponds to one of a buck mode, a boost mode and a buck-boost mode for the buck-boost converter.

A microwave ablation catheter is provided. The microwave ablation catheter includes a coaxial cable connected at its proximal end to a microwave energy source and at its distal end to a distal radiating section. The coaxial cable includes inner and outer conductors and a dielectric positioned therebetween. The inner conductor extends distally past the outer conductor and is in sealed engagement with the distal radiating section. A balun is formed in part from a conductive material electrically connected to the outer conductor of the coaxial cable and extends along at least a portion of the coaxial cable. The conductive material has a braided configuration and is covered by at least one insulative material.

The present invention provides a power converter that can be used to interface a generator that provides variable voltage at variable frequency to a supply network operating at nominally fixed voltage and nominally fixed frequency and including features that allow the power converter to remain connected to the supply network and retain control during supply network fault and transient conditions. The power converter includes a generator bridge electrically connected to the stator of the generator and a network bridge. A dc link is connected between the generator bridge and the network bridge. A filter having network terminals is connected between the network bridge and the supply network. A first controller is provided for controlling the operation of the semiconductor power switching devices of the generator bridge. Similarly, a second controller is provided for controlling the operation of the semiconductor power switching devices of the network bridge. The first controller uses a dc link voltage demand signal VDC_NET* indicative of a desired dc link voltage to control the semiconductor power switching devices of the network bridge to achieve the desired level of dc link voltage that corresponds to the dc link voltage demand signal VDC_NET*. The second controller uses a power demand signal P* indicative of the level of power to be transferred from the dc link to the supply network through the network bridge, and a voltage demand signal VTURB* indicative of the voltage to be achieved at the network terminals of the filter to control the semiconductor power switching devices of the network bridge to achieve the desired levels of power and voltage that correspond to the power and voltage demand signals P* and VTURB*.

The present invention is directed to a high density test probe which provides a means for testing a high density and high performance integrated circuits in wafer form or as discrete chips. The test probe is formed from a dense array of elongated electrical conductors which are embedded in an compliant or high modulus elastomeric material. A standard packaging substrate, such as a ceramic integrated circuit chip packaging substrate is used to provide a space transformer. Wires are bonded to an array of contact pads on the surface of the space transformer. The space transformer formed from a multilayer integrated circuit chip packaging substrate. The wires are as dense as the contact location array. A mold is disposed surrounding the array of outwardly projecting wires. A liquid elastomer is disposed in the mold to fill the spaces between the wires. The elastomer is cured and the mold is removed, leaving an array of wires disposed in the elastomer and in electrical contact with the space transformer The space transformer can have an array of pins which are on the opposite surface of the space transformer opposite to that on which the elongated conductors are bonded. The pins are inserted into a socket on a second space transformer, such as a printed circuit board to form a probe assembly. Alternatively, an interposer electrical connector can be disposed between the first and second space transformer.

A small form-factor transceiver module performs protocol translation, in addition to the conventional electrical and/or optical transmission media conversion. Such protocol conversion may enable transport of traffic from limited-range primary networks over long-range secondary networks, such as extension of Ethernet networks over low-rate TDM links. Additionally, such protocol conversion may enable interworking between different networks of differing technologies, such as transport of ATM traffic over Ethernet networks. The transceiver module may be a Small Form Factor transceiver (SFF), Small Form Factor pluggable module (SFP), Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) or any similar small form-factor module consisting of a housing, internal electronic circuitry and optionally optical components, and associated electrical or optical connectors. The transceiver module performs protocol translation by means of an integral protocol translation unit that performs standards-based or proprietary conversion between network protocols.

A single-inductor power converter with buck-boost capability provides regulated bipolar output voltage to a positive and a negative load. A five-switch bridge topology allows a controller to direct the inductor current to the appropriate outputs or circuit ground as needed to maintain regulation. The controller also adjusts the inductor current level for proper output voltage regulation. The five-switch bridge topology makes possible a wide range of ratios between the positive and negative output currents of the converter.

The increasing number of mobile battery-powered small appliances with different feed voltages and connecting devices is calling for a universal and compact energy supply apparatus which provides for an uncomplicated and at the same time cost-efficient adjustability to as many small appliances as possible. To this end, the present application proposes a universal power supply unit consisting of an energy station with an integrated voltage converter in combination with various appliance-specific adapter cables with a group of electronic components. This generates an individual programming signal in the adapter cable which when coupling the adapter cable to the energy station causes a corresponding setting of the required output values. This leads to a simple matching of the unit with various small appliances and provides for a large field of applications. In particular, by feeding solar energy the power supply unit may be rendered autarchic in terms of energy.

The invention discloses a system and a method for supplying power cooperatively by a mains supply, a photovoltaic cell and an energy storage battery. The method comprises the steps of firstly, acquiring a maximum output power and a load required power of the solar photovoltaic cell; if the maximum output power is greater than the load required power, starting the solar photovoltaic battery to supply power and charge the battery; and if the maximum output power is less than the load required power, starting the battery to supply power or starting the mains supply to supply power. According to the system and the method, the photovoltaic cell, the mains supply and the battery used as energy sources pass through self converters to have a unified output standard, and supply power to a bus, and each load receives energy from the bus through a DC-DC (direct current) converter and a DC-AC (alternating current) converter. Based on the structure design of the bus, various loads, including AC loads or DC loads, even loads with different voltages, in a power supply system can be satisfied, so that the structure can concurrently take different power supply requirements of various loads into consideration, can facilitate the expansion of the system, and also can facilitate the application of the system in different situations, therefore, the system and the method disclosed by the invention are wide in application range.

An n-point-converter circuit with two series-connected power converter valves, each having (n−1) turn-off semiconductor switches, is disclosed. The converter circuit has a voltage intermediate circuit with (n−1) electrically series-connected capacitors. The voltage intermediate circuit is connected in parallel to DC-side terminals of the series-connected power converter valves. At least one AC-side terminal can be connected to one or more of the n potentials of the voltage intermediate circuit by means of (n−2) cross arms, each of which includes at least (n−3) turn-off semiconductor switches. The multipoint converter is easy to implement, has an improved output voltage quality, and possesses an emergency running feature.

A transformerless power conversion circuit is interconnected with an electric grid and converts an input DC power provided by a power generator into an AC power and feeding the AC power into the grid. The power conversion circuit includes a buck-boost converter converting the input DC power into two sets of DC power levels; and at least one half-bridge inverter converting the two sets of DC power levels into the AC power for feeding into the grid. The isolating transformer can be eliminated and the common ground problem for DC side and AC side is also solved. The power conversion circuit has significant improvement for device size, manufacture cost and conversion efficiency.

A plasma processing system is provided that includes a chamber having a lower electrode coupled to a substrate support and an upper electrode coupled to ground. The plasma processing system having a plasma processing volume that is defined between the upper electrode and the lower electrode. A direct current (DC) to direct current (DC) converter is provided to receive at an input a DC voltage input and supply at an output an amplified DC voltage signal that includes a radio frequency (RF) component. The DC voltage input follows a pulsing pattern that is digitally programmable. The output of the DC to DC convertor is connected to the lower electrode of the chamber. A controller is interfaced with the DC to DC converter to set the pulsing pattern. In one example, the DC to DC converter uses one of a bipolar or non-bipolar DC voltage supply and a RF generator is driven by a DC voltage supply. The RF generator is configured to produce a frequency ripple that defines the RF component.

An electrical waveform generator for driving an electromechanical load includes a digital signal processor connected to a waveform generator component in turn connected to an amplifier section with a filter network, the latter being connected to sensing and conditioning circuit componentry that is in turn connected to analog-to-digital converter circuitry. A digital memory stores digitized voltage and current waveform information. The processor determines a phase difference between voltage and current waveforms, compares the determined phase difference to a phase difference command and generates a phase error or correction signal. The processor also generates an amplitude error signal for inducing the amplifier section to change its output amplitude to result in a predetermined amplitude error level for a respective one of the voltage and current waveforms.

A comparison circuit compares a reference voltage Vref from a reference voltage generation circuit with an internal power supply voltage VCI on an internal power supply line to provide a signal according to the comparison result. A drive transistor supplies current to the internal power supply line from an external power supply node according to the output signal of the comparison circuit. A resistance element connected between the external power supply node and the output node of the comparison circuit and a resistance element connected between the output node of the comparison circuit and a ground node VSS suppresses the amplitude of an output signal of the comparison circuit. Thus, overdrive of the drive transistor can be suppressed, and a current corresponding to an abrupt change of the internal power supply voltage can be supplied from the external power supply node to the internal power supply line by the amplitude limitation function. Thus, an internal power supply voltage generation circuit is provided superior in high frequency response that can generate an internal power supply voltage stably.

A system and method for selecting a voltage output reference required of a DC-DC converter included in a power supply, the voltage output reference corresponding to an operating state of the power supply load. The method stores data for the voltage output reference required for each of a plurality of operating states of the load in a corresponding register. A control input that identifies an operating state of the load is received. An output of the register is selected in response to the control input. The voltage output reference required for the operating state of the load is generated in response to the selected output from the register. An apparatus for selecting a voltage output reference required by a load with a plurality of operating states includes a plurality of registers. Each of the plurality of registers has a register input and a register output, and is configurable to store data corresponding to a voltage required by the load for each of a plurality of operating states. The apparatus also includes a decoder having at least one input and at least one output. The inputs include a plurality of voltage inputs, and a control input. The output includes the voltage output reference. Each of the plurality of voltage inputs are coupled to the respective register output.

The invention relates to active impedance matching systems (AIMS) and methods for increasing the efficiency of a wave energy converter (WEC) having a shaft and a shell intended to be placed in a body of water and to move relative to each other in response to forces applied to the WEC by the body of water. The system includes apparatus for: (a) extracting energy from the WEC and producing output electric energy as a function of the movement of the shell (shaft) relative to the shaft (shell): and (b) for selectively imparting energy to one of the shell and shaft for causing an increase in the displacement and velocity (or acceleration) of one of the shell and shaft relative to the other, whereby the net amount of output electrical energy produced is increased. The apparatus for extracting energy and for selectively supplying energy may be implemented using a single device capable of being operated bi-directionally, in terms of both direction and force, or may be implemented by different devices.