Uninterruptible Power Supply Voltage Multiplier Subsea
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional uninterruptible DC power supplies for subsea applications are large, heavy, complex, and expensive due to their high component count, making them unreliable and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A compact, lightweight uninterruptible power supply design that uses a voltage multiplier to boost AC input power to DC, eliminating the need for transformers and DC-DC converters, and incorporates a switch to connect energy storage during power failures, ensuring continuous DC power delivery with a simplified circuit and reduced component count.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional uninterruptible DC power supply design is used, then reliable power supply is achieved, but the system becomes large, heavy, complex, and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates unnecessary components from the conventional UPS design. Specifically, it removes the DC-DC converter stage and simplifies the rectifier design, keeping only the essential components needed for uninterrupted power supply functionality while reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rectifier circuit in the patent is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it rectifies AC input voltage, charges the energy storage device, and provides output voltage regulation. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated circuits, thereby reducing component count and system complexity while maintaining reliability.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If conventional uninterruptible DC power supply design is used, then power supply continuity is ensured, but weight and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the DC-DC converter stage from the conventional UPS architecture, which significantly reduces the number of magnetic components (transformers and inductors). This extraction of unnecessary components directly reduces the system weight and size while preserving the core functionality of ensuring continuous power supply during grid failures.
3Reliability
If conventional uninterruptible DC power supply design is used, then stable DC output is achieved, but component count exceeds 1000
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into fewer components. The rectifier circuit simultaneously performs AC-to-DC conversion, voltage regulation, and energy storage charging functions that would traditionally require separate dedicated circuits. This consolidation reduces the component count from over 1000 to a manageable number while maintaining output stability through integrated control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The simplified rectifier design serves as a multi-functional component that handles rectification, voltage regulation, and battery charging, eliminating the need for separate DC-DC converters and other auxiliary circuits. This universal approach maintains stable DC output while dramatically reducing the total number of components in the system.
4Device complexity
If voltage multiplier is used to boost AC voltage to DC, then transformer and DC-DC converter are eliminated, but voltage boosting capability must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional electromagnetic transformer-based voltage boosting mechanism with an electronic voltage multiplier circuit. This substitution eliminates heavy magnetic components while achieving the same voltage transformation function through solid-state electronic components, thereby simplifying the circuit and reducing weight without compromising voltage boosting capability.
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
The solution provides reliable, efficient, and cost-effective uninterrupted DC power with a reduced component count, improved durability, and increased energy storage capacity, suitable for subsea operations at depths of 1000 to 4000 meters.
Implementation Method 1
a rectifier connected to the AC input terminals for providing a rectifier output power at rectifier output terminals
Implementation Method 2
a voltage multiplier connected at voltage multiplier input terminals to the AC input terminals for providing a boosted DC voltage at voltage multiplier output terminals
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
It is described an uninterruptible power supply (1), comprising: AC input terminals (3a,3b,3c) for receiving AC input power; a rectifier (5) connected to the AC input terminals (3a,3b,3c) for providing a rectifier output power at rectifier output terminals (7a,7b); a voltage multiplier (9) connected at voltage multiplier input terminals (11a,11b,11c) to the AC input terminals (3a,3b,3c) for providing a boosted DC voltage at voltage multiplier output terminals (15a,15b); DC output terminals (17a, 17b) connected to the voltage multiplier output terminals for providing DC output power to a load; a switch (19); and energy storage terminals (21a, 21b) connected to the voltage multiplier output terminals (15a, 15b) and connectable via the switch to the input terminals of the output converter.