IP Library Granted Patent US 7,492,617
Granted Patent B2
US 7,492,617 · App. 11/770,155 · Granted Feb 17, 2009

Frequency control and power balancing in disturbed power inverter system and method thereof

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,492,617
App. No.
11/770,155
Granted
Feb 17, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for controlling DC to AC power converters (inverters) that are operated as voltage sources and are paralleled on the AC side. This method allows for controlling frequency while sharing real power. The disclosed method requires no communication between inverters for proper load sharing, thus enhancing reliability of a system of parallel inverters. The only signals required for control are the AC voltage and frequency and their reaction to the inverter output current. The present invention allows a multiplicity of inverters or active rectifiers to share power in relation to their share of the available power capacity of the system. This makes it possible to parallel DG sources with various response times while they are connected to either a utility grid or in a stand-alone power network with no communications required between inverters. The addition of communications to the system allows the dispatch of energy for economic reasons and to fine tune load balance. Communications can be used for systems status and maintenance but is not required for reliable short-term operation.

Claims (34)

1. An electrical power control system comprising:

a first inverter;

an electrical power grid;

a first inductive member connecting said first inverter to said electrical power grid; and,

a first inverter control system having a phase locked loop including a transfer function providing a predetermined phase shift between 0.5 to 500 degrees per Hz during nearly steady operation, whereby the input of said phase locked loop is a voltage on said electrical power grid side of said first inverter and the output of said phase locked loop is a sine wave corresponding to the desired fundamental value and phase at the output of said first inverter.

2. The electrical power control system of claim 1 wherein said transfer function is selected to provide a smaller phase shift when the output phase angle changes in less than 0.1 seconds and more than 0.1 milliseconds.

3. The electrical power control system of claim 1 wherein the phase locked loop is a first order phase locked loop.

4. The electrical power control system of claim 1 wherein the phased locked loop is a second order phase locked loop.

5. The electrical power control system of claim 4 further comprising a phase shift electrically connected to said phase locked loop and said low pass filter.

6. The electrical power control system of claim 5 further comprising a summation circuit electrically coupled to said low pass filter and a phase detector.

7. The electrical power control system of claim 1 further comprising: a second inverter electrically coupled to said electric power grid;

a second inductive member connecting said second inverter to said electrical power grid; and,

a second inverter control system having a phase locked loop including a transfer function providing a predetermined phase shift, whereby the input of said phase locked loop is a voltage on said electrical power grid side of said second inverter and the output of said phase locked loop is a sine wave corresponding to the desired fundamental value and phase at the output of said second inverter.

8. A phase lock loop comprising:

a phase detector having at least one input voltage from an electrical grid and an output;

a loop filter electrically having an input and an output, said loop filter being connected on said loop filter input to said phase detector output;

a voltage controlled oscillator having an input and a first and second output, said voltage controlled oscillator input being electrically connected to said loop filter;

a phase shift electrically connected to said loop filter output; and

a low pass filter electrically connected to said phase shift and said loop filter.

9. The phase lock loop of claim 8 wherein said first voltage controlled oscillator output is a signal representing a sine wave form and said second voltage controlled oscillator output is a signal representative of a cosine wave form.

10. The phase lock loop of claim 9 wherein said second voltage controlled oscillator is electrically connected to a second input on said phase detector.

11. A method of controlling power output from a control system, comprising the steps of: receiving a signal representative of voltage from an electrical grid;

receiving a signal representative of voltage from an inverter;

obtaining a phase error signal that represents the difference between the inverter and electrical grid voltages;

generating a frequency error signal that is a function of the phase error signal, wherein

said phase error signal and frequency error signals are voltage signals; and,

adjusting the phase error signal via a feedback loop that includes a phase shift and low pass filter of the frequency error signal; and,

shifting the phase between 0.5 to 500 degrees per Hz during nearly steady operation.

12. The method of controlling power output from a control system of claim 11 comprising the step of adjusting the frequency of the inverter by the use of the frequency error signal.

13. The method of controlling power output from a control system of claim 12 comprising the step of filtering the phase shift signal from a phase-locked loop.

14. The method of controlling power output from a control system of claim 13 comprising the step of generating a filtered phase shifted signal and generating said frequency error signal as a function of said filtered phase shifted signal.

15. The method of controlling power output from a control system of claim 14 comprising the step of generating a sine output and a cosine signal from said filtered phase shifted signal.

16. The method of controlling power output from a control system of claim 15 comprising the step of receiving said sine and cosine signal in a control system.

17. The method of controlling power output from a control system of claim 16 comprising the step of altering the output of an inverter based on the sine and cosine signal.

Assignments (8)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 18, 2019
From: NORTHERN POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
To: WEG ELECTRIC CORP.
Reel/Frame 048359/0049 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 17, 2018
From: NORTHERN POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
To: COMERICA BANK
Reel/Frame 046888/0822 →
MERGER Recorded Mar 18, 2014
From: NORTHERN POWER SYSTEMS UTILITY SCALE, INC.
To: NORTHERN POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 032461/0921 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2011
From: WIND POWER HOLDINGS, INC.
To: NORTHERN POWER SYSTEMS UTILITY SCALE, INC.
Reel/Frame 027403/0657 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2011
From: NORTHERN POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
To: WIND POWER HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 027403/0650 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 14, 2008
From: NORTHERN POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
To: CB WIND ACQUISITION CORP.
Reel/Frame 021824/0753 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 14, 2008
From: CB WIND ACQUISITION CORP.
To: NORTHERN POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 021838/0255 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 29, 2007
From: PETTER, JEFFREY K.; FREEMAN, BELVIN SEWELL
To: NORTHERN POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 019496/0940 →