Regulator circuit having a clamped regulating wave

Claim 2

In a regulting circuit utilizing a regulating wave of controlled harmonic content, in combination, a-c input means, output means, series regulating means for supporting the difference between an unregulated voltage signal at said input means and a regulated voltage at said output means, shunt regulating means for applying to said series regulating means a regulating wave having periodic clamped intervals, means for connecting said shunt regulating means between said series regulating means and said output means, said shunt regulating means including a thyristor for establishing said clamped intervals, control means for generating control signals for turning said thyristor on and off in a predetermined sequence and for controlling the phase angle between said control signals and the voltage signal at said a-c input means in accordance with the voltage at said output means, commutating inductance means, commutating capacitance means and means for electrically connecting said commutating inductance means and said commutating capacitance means to said thyristor to apply commutating voltage and current thereto.

Claim 3

In a regulating circuit utilizing a regulating wave of controlled harmonic content, in combination, a-c input means, output means, regulating inductance means for supporting the difference between an unregulated voltage at said input means and a regulated voltage at said output means, means for connecting said regulating inductance means between said a-c input means and said output means, wave generating means for generating a regulating voltage wave having zero voltage intervals of controllable spacing and duration, connecting means for applying the regulating voltage waves generated by said wave generating means to said regulating inductance means, said wave generating means including switching means for initiating and terminating said zero voltage intervals and control means for energizing said switching means in a predetermined sequence at a rate which varies in accordance with the voltage at said output means.

Claim 4

In a regulating circuit utilizing a regulating wave of controlled harmonic content, in combination, a-c input means, output means, regulating inductance means for supporting the difference between an unregulated voltage at said input means and a regulated voltage at said output means, means for connecting said regulating inductance means between said a-c input means and said output means, wave generating means for generating a regulating voltage wave having zero voltage intervals of controllable spacing and duration, connecting means for applying the regulating voltage waves generated by said wave generating means to said regulating inductance means, said wave generating means including switching means for initiating and terminating said zero voltage intervals and control means for energizing said switching means in a predetermined sequence at a rate which varies in accordance with the voltage at said output means.

Claim 5

A regulating circuit as set forth in claim 5 in which said control means includes controllable oscillator means for generating a signal voltage having a frequency which varies in accordance with the voltage at said output means and signal translating means for firing said switching means in a predetermined sequence at a rate determined by the frequency of said signal voltage.

Claim 6

A regulating circuit as set forth in claim 2 in which said output means includes output capacitance means, rectifying means having an a-c input and a d-c input, means for connecting said a-c input to said regulating inductance means and means for connecting said output capacitance means across said d-c output.

Claim 7

In a regulating circuit utilizing a regulating wave of controlled harmonic content, in combination, a-c input means, output means, series regulating means for supporting the difference between an unregulated voltage at said a-c input means and a regulated voltage at said output means, means for electrically connecting said series regulating means between said input means and said output means, controllable switching means, means for electrically connecting said switching means in shunt with said series regulating means between said series regulating means and said output means, sensing means for generating a signal voltage having a frequency which is a whole-number multiple of the frequency of the voltage at said a-c input means when the voltage at said output means is at its regulated value and which varies from that whole-number multiple frequency as the voltage at said output means varies from said regulated value, translating means for energizing said controllable switching means in a predetermined sequence at a rate determined by the frequency of said signal voltage and means for electrically connecting said translating means to said switching means and to said sensing means.

Claim 8

In a regulating circuit utilizing a regulating wave of controlled harmonic content, in combination, a-c input means, output means, series regulating means for supporting the difference between an unregulated voltage at said a-c input means and a regulated voltage at said output means, means for electrically connecting said series regulating means between said input means and said output means, controllable switching means, means for electrically connecting said switching means in shunt with said series regulating means between said series regulating means and said output means, sensing means for generating a signal voltage having a frequency which is a whole-number multiple of the frequency of the voltage at said a-c input means when the voltage at said output means is at its regulated value and which varies from that whole-number multiple frequency as the voltage at said output means varies from said regulated value, translating means for energizing said controllable switching means in a predetermined sequence at a rate determined by the frequency of said signal voltage and means for electrically connecting said translating means to said switching means and to said sensing means.

Claim 9

A regulating circuit as set forth in claim 5 in which said output means includes output capacitance means, rectifying means having an a-c input and a d-c output, means for connecting said a-c input to said series regulating means and means for connecting said output capacitance means across said d-c output.

Claim 10

A regulating circuit as set forth in claim 5 which includes commutating inductance means, means for connecting said commutating inductance means in series with said controllable switching means, commutating capacitance means and switching means for electrically connecting said commutating capacitance means to said controllable switching means to apply commutating current and voltage thereto.

Claim 11

In a regulating circuit utilizing a regulating wave of controlled harmonic content, in combination, polyphase a-c input means, output means, regulating inductance means, a polyphase coupling transformer having primary winding means and a plurality of electrically isolated secondary winding means, means for connecting said regulating inductance means between said input means and the primary winding means of said coupling transformer, means for connecting said coupling transformer to said output means, a plurality of thyristors for short-circuiting said secondary winding means in a predetermined sequence, control means for generating control signals for energizing said thyristors and for advancing and retarding the phase relationship between said control signals and the voltage at said polyphase a-c input means in accordance with the voltage at said output means, commutating inductance means, commutating capacitance means and means for electrically connecting said commutating inductance means and said commutating capacitance means to said thyristors to apply commutating voltage and current thereto.

Claim 12

In a regulating circuit utilizing a regulating wave of controlled harmonic content, in combination, polyphase a-c input means, output means, regulating inductance means, a polyphase coupling transformer having primary winding means and a plurality of electrically isolated secondary winding means, means for connecting said regulating inductance means between said input means and the primary winding means of said coupling transformer, means for connecting said coupling transformer to said output means, a plurality of thyristors for short-circuiting said secondary winding means in a predetermined sequence, control means for generating control signals for energizing said thyristors and for advancing and retarding the phase relationship between said control signals and the voltage at said polyphase a-c input means in accordance with the voltage at said output means, commutating inductance means, commutating capacitance means and means for electrically connecting said commutating inductance means and said commutating capacitance means to said thyristors to apply commutating voltage and current thereto.

Claim 13

In a regulating circuit utilizing a regulating wave of controlled harmonic content, in combination, a-c input means, output means, regulating inductance means, means for connecting said regulating inductance means between said input means and said output means, regulating wave generating means having regulating terminal means; said wave generating means including first clamping means for passing a short-circuiting current in a first direction between said regulating terminal means, second clamping means for passing a short-circuiting current in a second direction between said regulating terminal means and means for connecting said clamping means to said regulating terminal means; said wave generating means being adapted to introduce periods of substantially zero voltage into the voltage between said regulating terminal means, means for connecting said regulating terminal means to said inductance means between said inductance means and said output means, control means for generating firing signals for initiating and terminating said periods of substantially zero voltage and for controlling the frequency of said firing signals in accordance with the voltage at said output means, said control means including a controllable oscillator for generating a signal voltage having a frequency which varies in accordance with the voltage at said output means and signal translating means for firing said clamping means in a predetermined sequence at a rate determined by the frequency of said signal voltage.

Claim 14

In a regulating circuit utilizing a regulating wave of controlled harmonic content, in combination, a-c input means, output means, regulating inductance means, means for connecting said regulating inductance means between said input means and said output means, regulating wave generating means having regulating terminal means; said wave generating means including first clamping means for passing a short-circuiting current in a first direction between said regulating terminal means, second clamping means for passing a short-circuiting current in a second direction between said regulating terminal means and means for connecting said clamping means to said regulating terminal means; said wave generating means being adapted to introduce periods of substantially zero voltage into the voltage between said regulating terminal means, means for connecting said regulating terminal means to said inductance means between said inductance means and said output means, control means for generating firing signals for initiating and terminating said periods of substantially zero voltage and for controlling the frequency of said firing signals in accordance with the voltage at said output means, said control means including a controllable oscillator for generating a signal voltage having a frequency which varies in accordance with the voltage at said output means and signal translating means for firing said clamping means in a predetermined sequence at a rate determined by the frequency of said signal voltage.

Claim 15

In a regulating circuit utilizing a regulating wave of controlled harmonic content, in combination, a-c input means, output means, regulating inductance means, means for connecting said regulating inductance means between said input means and said output means, regulating wave generating means for generating a regulating wave having a waveform each half-cycle of which includes a plurality of discrete voltage steps, means for connecting said wave generating means to said regulating inductance means said wave generating means including clamping switching means, commutating inductance means, commutating capacitance means, means for connecting said clamping switching means and said commutating inductance means in series, commutating switching means for connecting said commutating capacitance means across said clamping means, discharge inductance means, discharging switching means for connecting said discharge inductance means to said capacitance means to provide a path for the flow of resonant discharge current from and to said commutating capacitance means; and control means for turning said clamping switching means, said commutating switching means and said discharging switching means on and off in a predetermined sequence at a repetition rate determined by the voltage at said output means.

Claim 16

In a regulating circuit utilizing a regulating wave of controlled harmonic content, in combination, a-c input means, output means, regulating inductance means, means for connecting said regulating inductance means between said input means and said output means, regulating wave generating means for generating a regulating wave having a waveform each half-cycle of which includes a plurality of discrete voltage steps, means for connecting said wave generating means to said regulating inductance means said wave generating means including clamping switching means, commutating inductance means, commutating capacitance means, means for connecting said clamping switching means and said commutating inductance means in series, commutating switching means for connecting said commutating capacitance means across said clamping means, discharge inductance means, discharging switching means for connecting said discharge inductance means to said capacitance means to provide a path for the flow of resonant discharge current from and to said commutating capacitance means; and control means for turning said clamping switching means, said commutating switching means and said discharging switching means on and off in a predetermined sequence at a repetition rate determined by the voltage at said output means.

Claim 17

In a regulating circuit utilizing a regulating wave of controlled harmonic content, in combination, polyphase a-c input means, output means, regulating inductance means, means for connecting said regulating inductance means between said input means and said output means, polyphase regulating wave generating means for generating a polyphase regulating wave having a multistepped waveform, means for connecting said wave generating means in shunt with said regulating inductance means between said inductance means and said output means; said wave generating means including a plurality of switching means, a commutating transformer having a plurality of windings, a plurality of commutating capacitors, means for connecting said switching means in series with respective windings of said commutating transformer, means for connecting said commutating capacitors in closed circuit relationship with respective switching means and respective windings of said commutating transformer; control means for generating control signals for energizing said switching means in a predetermined sequence and for advancing and retarding the phase angle between said control signals and the voltage at said input means in accordance with the voltage at said output means.

Claim 18

In a regulating circuit utilizing a regulating wave of controlled harmonic content, in combination, polyphase a-c input means, output means, regulating inductance means, means for connecting said regulating inductance means between said input means and said output means, polyphase regulating wave generating means for generating a polyphase regulating wave having a multistepped waveform, means for connecting said wave generating means in shunt with said regulating inductance means between said inductance means and said output means; said wave generating means including a plurality of switching means, a commutating transformer having a plurality of windings, a plurality of commutating capacitors, means for connecting said switching means in series with respective windings of said commutating transformer, means for connecting said commutating capacitors in closed circuit relationship with respective switching means and respective windings of said commutating transformer; control means for generating control signals for energizing said switching means in a predetermined sequence and for advancing and retarding the phase angle between said control signals and the voltage at said input means in accordance with the voltage at said output means.