Patent ID: 11863062
Assignee: RAYTHEON COMPANY
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 14:
15. A capacitor discharge circuit, comprising:
a capacitor comprising a first plate and a second plate, the capacitor configured to store an electric charge, the capacitor having a capacitor voltage that is greater than 30 volts;
discharge circuitry configured to discharge the electric charge so that the capacitor voltage becomes zero volts, the discharge circuitry being connected to the first plate, comprising:
a switch comprising a first terminal and a second terminal;
a discharge section having a first terminal connected to the first plate and a second terminal connected to the first terminal of the switch, the discharge section comprising:
an inductor;
discharge load having a resistor in series with the inductor;
a diode connected in parallel with the discharge load; and

current level sensing circuitry;

wherein the switch is electrically in series with both the current level sensing circuitry and the capacitor, and the switch is electrically connected between the current level sensing circuitry and the capacitor; and,
a controller configured to provide, in response to a control signal, a discharge signal to the switch to enable the electric charge to become discharged from the capacitor and dissipated in the discharge load,
wherein, in response to the control signal, a first one of a plurality of discharge cycles is initiated and wherein:
during discharge of the electrical charge from the capacitor, no voltage is applied to the capacitor;
during a first phase of the plurality of discharge cycles:
the switch is closed electrically coupling the discharge section to the second plate with current passing from the first plate through discharge load, through the inductor, through the closed switch and through the current level sensing circuitry with such current producing a voltage to reverse bias the diode, a portion of energy in such current being dissipated in the discharge load and another portion of such energy such current being stored in a magnetic field of the inductor until the current reaches a predetermined level sensed by the current level sensing circuitry to initiate a second phase of the plurality of discharge cycles; and

during a second phase of the plurality of discharge cycle:
the switch is open electrically interrupting current from passing from the first plate through the inductor with such interrupted current resulting in the inductor producing a voltage to forward bias the diode and enable the energy stored in the magnetic field of the inductor to pass to the discharge load and dissipate in the discharge load and, subsequent to such discharge, initiate a subsequent one of the plurality of discharge cycles.