High current low voltage regulated power supply

Claim 2

The circuit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said number of phases and number of transistors is three.

Claim 3

The circuit as set forth in claim 3 wherein the said means coupling the said second terminal of said controllable impedance means acts to couple the said second terminal to each of the respective ones of said plurality of phases of said alternating input means via respective diode means to thereby provide full wave rectification.

Claim 4

The circuit as set forth in claim 1 wherein first diode means are coupled between the said electrodes commonly coupled to the said one of said pair of output terminals and tHe said first terminal of said controllable impedance means and second diode means are coupled between the said first terminal of said controllable impedance means and said commonly connected base electrodes.

Claim 5

The circuit as set forth in claim 5 wherein said plurality of phases comprises three phases and said input means includes transformer means having a three-phase primary winding arrangement coupled to the respective ones of said three phases and at least a three-phase secondary winding arrangement with respective ones of the windings of said secondary winding arrangement being individually connected to the respective said electrodes to perform the said emitter function of said plurality of transistor means, with the number of said plurality of transistor means corresponding to the number of secondary windings.

Claim 6

The circuit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said commonly connected base electrodes are connected to the said commonly coupled electrodes to perform said collector function by an anti-saturation diode.

Claim 7

A voltage conversion circuit for converting a polyphase alternating current input to a regulated direct current output voltage comprising; a plurality of transistors corresponding in number to the number of phases of said polyphase input with each transistor arranged so that the individual emitter-collector paths thereof are connected between respective ones of the said phases of said input and output circuit to thereby allow the respective transistor electrodes connected to the respective ones of said phases of said input to perform an emitter function and provide a rectifying path of controllable impedance to effect unidirectional current flow between said input and said output circuit to thereby produce a direct current output voltage thereat; current driving means connected to the base electrode of each of the respective transistors to thereby effect control of the impedance of each of said rectifying paths; means coupling voltage variations in said output voltage to said current driving means to vary the respective impedances of said rectifying paths in response to said variations to thereby regulate said output voltage; and diode means connected between said output circuit and said base electrodes.

Claim 8

The circuit as set forth in claim 8 wherein said diode means are connected between said output circuit and said current driving means.

Claim 9

The circuit as set forth in claim 9 further including a pair of series-connected diodes means connected between said base electrodes and said current driving means.

Claim 10

A voltage conversion circuit for converting a polyphase alternating current input to a regulated direct current output voltage, comprising: a plurality of transistors corresponding in number to the number of phases of said polyphase input with each transistor arranged so that the individual emitter-collector paths thereof are connected between respective ones of the said phase of said input and an output circuit to thereby allow the respective transistor electrodes connected to the respective ones of said phases of said input to perform an emitter function and provide a rectifying path of controllable impedance to effect unidirectional current flow between said input and said output circuit to thereby produce a direct current output voltage at the collector electrodes thereof commonly connected to one another at said output circuit; current driving means coupled by a first diode to the said commonly connected collector electrodes and by a second diode to a node to which each of the base electrodes of the respective transistors of said plurality of transistors are commonly connected to thereby allow control of the impedance of each of said rectifying paths; and means coupling voltage variations in said output voltage to said current driving means to vary the respective impedances of said rectifying paths in response to said variations to thereby regulate said output voltage.

Claim 11

The circuit as set forth in claim 11 wherein said diode means comprise a pair of series-connected diodes.

Claim 12

A voltage conversion circuit for converting a polyphase alternating current input to a regulated direct current output voltage, comprising: a plurality of transistors corresponding in number to the number of phases of phases of said polyphase input with each transistor having its emitter connected to a respective phase of said polyphase input, its base connected to a common node with the bases of the other of said transistors and its collector connected in common with the collectors of the other of said transistors to an output circuit to provide a rectifying path of controllable impedance between each of said input phases and said output circuit; current driving means connected by first diode means to the said common node of the said bases of each of said transistors and by second diode means to the said commonly connected collectors so as to effect control of the impedance of each of said rectifying paths; and error-sensing means to detect variations from prescribed conditions in said output circuit to vary the impedances of said rectifying paths to maintain said prescribed conditions.

Claim 13

A power supply for developing a regulated direct current signal from a source of unregulated three-phase alternating current signals, comprising: transformer means including a three-phase primary winding arrangement coupled to said source and at least a three-phase secondary winding arrangement associated with said primary winding arrangemet; output impedance means coupled between a pair of output terminals; a plurality of transistor means corresponding in number to the number of phases of said secondary winding arrangement with the respective emitter electrodes of said plurality of transistor means coupled to the respective phase windings of said secondary winding arrangement and with the respective collector electrodes of said plurality of transistor means commonly connected to one another at one of said pair of output terminals and with the respective base electrodes of said plurality of transistor means commonly connected to one another; controllable impedance means having a control means and a controllable impedance path between first and second terminals with said impedance path controllable in response to a signal on said control means and with said first and second terminals coupled respectively between said commonly connected base electrodes and the other of said pair of output terminals so as to thereby vary the current flow through said base electrodes in response to said signal on said control mean; and means coupling the said control means of said controllable impedance means to said output impedance means for providing an error signal to said control means and coupling the said second terminal of said controllable impedance means to the said secondary winding arrangement of said transformer means so as to cause the transistor means having the most positive phase potential on the emitter electrode thereof coupled thereto to become conductive so that the junction between the said emitter electrode and base electrode thereof is forward biased while the corresponding junctions of the remainder of said plurality of transistor means which are non-conducting are reversed biased and so that the junction between the said collector electrode therefor of the said conducting transistor means and the said base electrode is reverse biased whereby rectification is obtained via the said corresponding reverse biased junctions of the said remainder of transistor means which are non-conducting and regulation is obtained via the said reverse biased junction of said conductive transistor means in response to said controllable impedance means.

Claim 14

A circuit as set forth in claim 14 wherein the said at least three-phase secondary winding arrangement comprises three secondary windings to provide three-phase alternating current and wherein said plurality of transistors compriSes three transistors the individual emitters of which are directly coupled to the respective secondary windings of said three secondary windings and the individual collectors of which are directly connected in common to the said one terminal of said pair of output terminals, said secondary windings acting to provide alternating current signals 120* apart which signals act to render the respective transistors conductive over the 120* intervals when the signals are most positive.

Claim 15

The circuit as set forth in claim 15 wherein the said means coupling the said second terminal of said cotrollable impedance means to the said secondary winding arrangement includes individual diode means coupled between each of the respective secondary windings of said three secondary windings and the said second terminal of said controllable impedance means to thereby provide full wave rectification of said three-phase alternating current.

Claim 16

The circuit as set forth in claim 14 further including diode means coupled between the said commonly connected collector electrodes and the said commonly connected base electrodes of said plurality of transistor means to thereby prevent reverse current flow through said transistor means from said output impedance means.

Claim 17

A power supply for developing a regulated direct current signal from a source of unregulated three-phase alternating current signals, comprising: transformer means including a three phase primary winding arrangement coupled to said source and a six-phase star secondary winding arrangement associated with said primary winding arrangement; output circuit means; six transistors the individual emitters of which are coupled to the respective six secondary windings of said six-phase star secondary winding arrangement and the individual collectors of which are connected in common to said output circuit means, said six-phase star secondary winding arrangement acting to provide alternating current signals 60* apart which signals act to render the respective transistors conductive over the 60* interval when the signals are most positive so as to provide a unidirectional current to said output circuit means the magnitude of which varies in accordance with the magnitude of the base current of said transistors; current driving means connected to the base electrodes of said transistors so as to vary the base current of said transistors in accordance with variations of the voltage applied to said current driving means from said output circuit; and means connected between said output circuit means and said current driving means so as to vary the base current of said transistor means in accordance with variations in the output voltage across said output circuit means.

Claim 18

The circuit as set forth in claim 18 further including diode means coupled between said output circuit means and the bases of said transistors.

Claim 19

A voltage conversion circuit for converting a polyphase input signal to a regulated direct current output signal, comprising: source means for providing a source of unregulated three-phase alternating current signals; polyphase transformer input means including a three-phase primary winding arrangement coupled to said source means and a three-phase secondary winding arrangement including three secondary windings, one associated with each of the said three phases; output circuit means including impedance means; diode means including three diodes with each of the respective diodes having one electrode coupled respectively to individual ones of said three secondary windings and with the other electrode thereof commonly connected to said output circuit means; a plurality of transistors corresponding in number to the number of said plurality of secondary windings and connected so that the emitters of the respective transistors are respectively coupled to individual ones of said plurality of secondary windings and so that the respective coLlectors are commonly connected to said output circuit means; current driving means coupled to each base of the bases of said plurality of transistors by a pair of series-connected diodes so as to thereby vary the base current available to each transistor in accordance with the voltage applied to said current driving means; means coupled between the said impedance means of said output circuit means and said current driving means to vary the current of said current driving means in accordance with variations in the output voltage developed across the said impedance means so as to thereby vary the base current available to said plurality of transistors in accordance with the said variations in said output voltage; and further diode means coupled between said output circuit means and said current driving means to prevent reverse current flow through said output circuit means to said transformer input means.