‘US 2016009420941 cu») United States c2) Patent Application Publica BUSH et al. oy (71) Applicant: Liebert Corporation, Columbus, OH w Terry D. BUSH, Westerville, OH (US), Charles DUNN, Worthington, OH (US) James MILLER, Fredericktown, OH (US): Charles F BLAIR, Powell, OF (ws) (72) Inventors (93) Assignee: LIEBERT CORPORATION, Columbus, OF (US) (21) Appl. Nos 147851,295 (22) Filed: Sep. 11,2018 Related U Application Data (60) Provisional application No, 621056.63 20, 2014 filed on Sep. (ON (10) Pub. No.: US 2016/0094209 Al (43) Pub, Date Mar. 31, 2016 ication Classification (1) Ine 103K Sos Ma 1774 200601) (2006.01) ‘H03K 5/003 (2013.01); MORK 17774 (01301) on ABSTRACT A DC offset voltage in an AC input voltage fo transformer And associated stration current are eliminated by the place- ‘meat of an antiparallel diode pair eireuit in series between & source ofthe AC input voltage and 2 primary winding ofthe ‘eansformer, The aati-parallel diode pai eteuit hasan iaput coupled to an ontpnt by parallel connected oppositely biased branch diode circuits. Bach branch diode circuit hs atleast ‘one diode wikere the diode of one such branch die circuit is biased in one direction and the diode of the other such branch ode circuit is biased in an opposite direction and each branch diode circuit has the same number of diodes as the oiler branch diode cir 314Patent Application Publication Mar. 31, 2016 Sheet 1 of 4 US 2016/0094209 AI o+ CONTINUOUS: TOROIDAL CORE H+ 120 VAC. NORMAL CURRENT CHARGING * POWER SUPPLY DC CAPACITOR FIG 2Patent Application Publication Mar. 31, 2016 Sheet 2 of 4 US 2016/0094209 AI 314 APPLIED LINE VOLTAGE, TRANSFORMER VOLTAGE oon BY DIODE VOLTAGE DROP) POSITIVE DIODE VOLTAGE NEGATIVE DIODE, VOLTAGE ‘TRANSFORMER VOLTAGE, (REDUCED BY DIODE VOLTAGE DROP) FIG4Patent Application Publication Mar. 31, 2016 Sheet 3 of 4 US 2016/0094209 AI APPLIED VOLTAGE LINE VOLTAGE MINUS DIODE VOLTAGE VOLTAGE SEEN BY TRANSFORMER LINE VOLTAGE, PLUS DIODE VOLTAGE ‘APPLIED VOLTAGE VOLTAGE SEEN BY ‘TRANSFORMER ‘SATURATION CURRENTPatent Application Publication Mar. 31, 2016 Sheet 4 of 4 US 2016/0094209 AI 810 814 AMPLIFIER] [|US 2016/0094209 AI METHOD AND CIRCUIT FOR ELIMINAT ‘TRANSFORMER SATURATION IN THI PRESENCE OF DC OFFSET VOLTAGE {0001} This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provi- sional Application No. 62/056,636 fled on Sep. 29,2014. The entire disclosure of the abave application is incorporated herein by reference. FIELD 10002] The present disclosure relates to elimination of a transformer saturation current in the presence of a DC offset voltage in an AC input voltage to the transformer BACKGROUND 10003] This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which isnot necessarily prior an. [0003] | Magnetic ux of a core of transformer is diretly proportional to the vollsevonds (time integral of vollage) applied othe primary winding ofthe transformer. The term. oore” as used here means the core of «transformer. The fox diroetion (polarity alternates postive and negative just asthe intgral ofthe voltage applied does. Depenslng on the ‘design, given core can only contain limited fox density. IF the ux deasity reaches this limit, the core becomes “satu- rated inthe sense that no more flux canbe created in thecare ‘even if vollage continues to be applied. This can happen for several reasons, for example if higher than rated voltage is ‘applied to the transformer When this oecurs, the impedance ‘ofthe primary winding of the transformer becomes very small, because the counter-EMF (electro-magnetic-force) induced bythe nonmally changing magnetic field no longer exists. tis this counter-EME voltage which opposes the applied voltage and normally limits the eurent in the primary Winding ofthe transformer. 10005] 11thse AC voltage applied othe transformer also has ‘a DC voltage (such asa DC ofset voltage), the DC voltage as ‘tis itegrated over ime would theoretically eventually drive the core to saturation even ifthe DC voltage is very smal, La practice, this will depend on the “permeability” ofthe core material, a measure of how easily a material ean become ‘magnetized. “Aircore” traaformers for example, having no ‘magnetic core material, have a very high pemmeabilty and will not saturate, Many practical transformers (E- cones for ‘example) have an intentional ar gap inserted within the core material and do not saturate easily. Por these transformers some small amount of DC voltageean he tolerated dic to the effective ux “loses” created by the air wap. Tiss also true Jor “eut C” core toroidal transformers (the cut inserts an ait ap), However, continuous wound toroidal transformers have ho gap and virtually no flax losses and therefore ean tolerate ‘lost no DC without saturating to some degree, 10006] | With reference to FIG. 1, the “BH” curve of FIG. 1 shows how eore permeability afc the relationship berseen ‘magnetic field strength H (created by the applied voltage and ‘curent flowing in the transformer windings) and magnetic ‘Tux density B (lux in the transformer core) for continvous toroidal cores, F-1cores and cut-C toroidal eres. Tis curve shows that as magnetic field strength H increases, the fx density B inereases but reaches maximum saturation level where increased magnetic fleld strength does not further ‘increase fx density (fo illustrative purposes, the curves for ‘each core type have been normalized to the same mxismum, Mar. 31,2016 ‘Tux density). The BH curve of FIG. 1 also shows that as ‘malgetic field changes direction there is a“hysteresis” effect Where the change in fix deasity lags behind the field strength. The amount of this hysteresis represents losses in the core and also is proportional to the susceptibility ofthe core to DC vollage satration. Depending on the permeability ‘ofthe core, the hysteresis effect changes. Asean he seen from FIG. 1, an F-l core has the greatest hysteresis, whereas the continous toroidal corehas the last This illustrates why the latter is so susceptible to DC voltage, such as a DC offset voltage [0007] With reference to FIG. 2, when a small DC offset voltage (such 10-20 il-volts)sapplied toa toroidal core transformer the toroidal core transformer becomes partially satunted, Ifthe DC offset voltage is positive, the saturation current occurs near the end ofthe positive half eyele as shown inFIG. 2. Conversely, ifthe DC offset voltage is negative, the saturation current occurs near the end of the negative hal eyeleas also shown in FIG. 2. The DC olla voltage in FIG. 2is exaggerated for better elariy SUMMARY, [008] Tie section provides # general summary of the isclosue, and is nota comprehensive disclosure ofits fll scope oral ofits features, [0009] In accordance with an aspect ofthe present disclo- sure, a DC offset voltage in an AC input votage ta trans- ormer and associated saturation current arcclinsinsted y the placement of an anti-parallel diode pair circuit in series between a source of the AC input voltage and a primary ‘Winding of the transformer, The atisparalel diode pair cit cuit hes aa input coupled to an output by parallel connected ‘oppositely biased branch diode ciruits, Foch branch diode cout has at least one diode where the diode of one sch branch diode circuit is biased in one direction and the diode of the other such branch diode circuit is hase! in an opposite siretion and cach branch diode eieuit has the same number fof diodes asthe other branch diode cect [0010] Inanaspect each branch diode circuit includes two ‘diodes connected ia series with each other withthe diodes of ‘one of the branch diode eircuits biased in the one direction ‘and the dies of the other branch diode eects biased in the ‘opposite direction, [0011] nan aspect, midpoints ofthe branch diode cireuits fare connected together, [0012] Further areas of applicabitty will become apparent Irom the deseription provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illusttation only and are not intended to limit the seape of the present disclosure, DRAWINGS [0013] The drawings deseribed herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible Implementations, and are not intended to limit the seope of the present disclosure, [0014] FIG. 1a waveform diagram showing how perme- ability ofa transformer core allt the relationship between ‘magnetic field strength and magnetic flux density: [0018] FIG. 2isa-waveform diagram shossing where satu- ration current occurs inthe positive and negative half eyeles ‘due to a small DC offset voltage applied ta toroidal trans- former;