Electric Power Conversion Device Ripple Suppression

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electric power conversion devices face challenges in suppressing ripples and detection delay in detected voltages, leading to potential overcurrent issues and malfunctions, particularly when using first-order lag low-pass filters, which either fail to remove ripples or introduce significant delays.

Innovation Solution

An electric power conversion device that includes a converter with a switch switched at a predetermined cycle, a voltage detector, and a control device that uses moving averages of the detected voltage over a predetermined period corresponding to the switching cycle to control the converter, effectively reducing ripples and detection delay.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a first-order lag low-pass filter is used to remove ripples from the detected voltage, then the ripples are suppressed, but the detection delay becomes large

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveripple suppressionVSAvoiddetection delay
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the filtering approach from a first-order lag low-pass filter to a moving average filter that calculates the average over a predetermined period corresponding to the switching cycle. This parameter change in the filtering method allows effective ripple suppression while minimizing detection delay, as the moving average can be computed with minimal computational overhead and provides timely voltage information for control purposes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of time

If the time constant of the low-pass filter is set to be small, then the detection delay is small, but the ripples remain in the detected voltage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection delayVSAvoidripple suppression
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the filtering methodology from time-constant-based low-pass filtering to a moving average calculation over a switching cycle period. This allows the system to achieve effective ripple filtering without introducing significant detection delay, as the moving average can be computed rapidly using simple arithmetic operations on recently sampled voltage values.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If the time constant of the low-pass filter is set to be large, then the ripples are removed, but the detection delay becomes large

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveripple suppressionVSAvoiddetection delay
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the first-order lag low-pass filter with a moving average filter calculated over a predetermined period corresponding to the switching cycle. This parameter change in the filtering approach achieves effective ripple suppression while maintaining minimal detection delay, because the moving average can be computed using simple arithmetic operations on a limited set of recent samples rather than requiring integration over a long time constant period.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Measurement precision

If a moving average over a long period is used, then the ripples are suppressed, but the device cannot follow rapid voltage variations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveripple suppressionVSAvoidresponse to rapid voltage changes
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the filtering period to correspond to the switching cycle period, which is a relatively short and fixed duration. This allows the moving average to suppress ripples effectively while maintaining the ability to respond to rapid voltage variations, as the filtering window is tied to the fundamental operating cycle rather than an extended time period that would smooth out important transient information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11444552B2Electric power converting device, and electricity generating system
Publication Date: 2022.09.13 TOHOKU UNIV
  • US11444552B2 patent drawing
  • US11444552B2 patent drawing
  • US11444552B2 patent drawing

AI summary

The present invention provides an electric power conversion device and an electric power generation system which are capable of suppressing ripples in a detected voltage and detection delay.