Power Converter Supply Power Estimation Without Direct Mains Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power supplies struggle to accurately determine power supplied by mains connections due to high voltage and current values, making it complicated to measure and calculate power effectively.
Innovation Solution
A power supply system that includes an input terminal, output terminal, power converter, measurement circuit, and control unit to determine mains voltage and current, using a loss model to calculate load power, loss power, and supply power based on these measurements, with an isolation transformer for electrical isolation and a measurement circuit to derive signals representative of mains voltage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If voltage and current are measured directly at the mains connection output, then power determination accuracy is improved, but measurement difficulty and device complexity increase due to high voltage and current values
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary measurement approach by measuring voltage and current at the load side of the power converter rather than directly at the mains connection. A loss model is used as a mediator to calculate the mains voltage and subsequently determine the supply power, avoiding direct measurement of high voltage/current while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct electrical measurement of high voltage and current with a computational approach. Instead of using complex high-voltage measurement equipment, the system uses a loss model and standard measurements at the load side to calculate the supply power through mathematical relationships.
2Measurement precision
If direct measurement of mains voltage and current is implemented, then power calculation accuracy is improved, but device complexity and measurement cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The loss model serves as an intermediary computational tool that enables accurate power calculation without requiring complex high-voltage measurement equipment. The model uses easily obtainable measurements at the load side to derive the supply power through calculated relationships rather than direct measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the measurement point from the high-voltage mains side to the lower-voltage load side of the power converter. This extraction allows standard measurement equipment to be used while maintaining measurement accuracy through the loss model compensation.
3Ease of operation
If power is determined using loss model and load side measurements, then measurement safety and ease of operation are improved, but measurement precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The loss model incorporates feedback mechanisms where the measured load side voltage and current are used to calculate power loss, which is then fed back to determine the supply power. This feedback loop ensures that the calculated values compensate for the indirect measurement approach, maintaining accuracy while improving safety and ease of operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Provides a practical and accurate method to determine supply power without losing accuracy, enabling efficient power conversion and management, especially for LED fixtures, by using measurable quantities like voltage and current to calculate power loss and supply power.
Implementation Method 1
a power converter configured to convert a supply power, received from the external power supply, to a load power
Implementation Method 2
the secondary circuit being electrically isolated from the primary circuit and magnetically coupled to the primary circuit
Implementation Method 3
a measurement circuit configured to provide a signal representative of the mains voltage
Implementation Method 4
a power converter configured to convert a supply power, received from the external power supply, to a load power
Data Source
AI summary
Power supply for powering a load, the power supply comprising an input terminal configured to be connected to an external power supply having a mains voltage, an output terminal configured to be connected to the load, a power converter configured to convert a supply power, received from the external power supply, to a load power for powering the load, a measurement circuit configured to provide a signal representative of the mains voltage, a control unit configured to determine a voltage and a current on a load side of the power converter, and receive the signal from the measurement circuit and to determine the mains voltage based on the signal, and determine the load power supplied on the load side of the power converter, determine a loss power representing the power loss from the external power supply to the load side of the power converter, and determine the supply power.