Regulated dc power supply

Abstract: A DC power supply includes a magnetic amplifier (18), filter, back-up battery (24), switch-over regulating circuit (22) and error amplifier (21). The magnetic amplifier (18) receives AC pulses and controls the pulse width of the pulses. The filter converts the pulses to a DC output. The switch-over regulating circuit (22) connects the battery (24) to the DC output. The error amplifier (21) monitors the DC output and provides, at its output, an error signal to the magnetic amplifier (18) and the switch-over regulating circuit (22).

Description: This invention relates to DC power supplies of the kind including AC supply means adapted to supply AC pulses, rectifier means adapted to rectify and filter said AC pulses to provide a DC output voltage at a DC output, back-up battery means, and switching control means operable to connect said back-up battery means to said DC output. The invention also relates to a method of regulating the output voltage of a power supply having a DC output. US-A-4,225,792 discloses a power supply wherein a DC output voltage is normally provided by rectifying and filtering input AC pulses. A voltage regulator circuit regulates this DC output voltage. A monitoring circuit detects a loss of DC power and, in response causes a transfer circuit to couple a standby battery to the output load. The known power supply has the disadvantage of a complex construction. EP-A-0 083 216 discloses a stabilizing DC power supply apparatus which includes AC pulse supply means including a magnetic amplifier adapted to control the width of the supplied AC pulses, and error sensing and amplifier means adapted to sense the DC output voltage and provide a control signal to the magnetic amplifier, whereby the width of the AC pulses is controlled and hence the DC output voltage is stabilized. It is an object of the present invention to provide a DC power supply which is of simple construction. Therefore, according to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a DC power supply, including AC supply means adapted to supply AC pulses, rectifier means adapted to rectify and filter said AC pulses to provide a DC output voltage at a DC output, back-up battery means, and switching control means operable to connect said back-up battery means to said DC output, characterized in that said AC supply means includes magnetic amplifier means adapted to control the width of said AC pulses, in that error amplifier means is provided adapted to provide an error signal to said magnetic amplifier means and to said switching control means, in that when said error signal is below a predetermined threshold value the pulse widths of said AC pulses are varied to maintain said DC output voltage and when said error signal is above said predetermined threshold value said switching control means is operated to connect said battery means to said DC output, and in that said switching control means is adapted, in dependence on said error signal, to regulate said DC output voltage when said battery means is connected to said DC output, whereby said DC output voltage is maintained at a substantially constant level. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of regulating the output voltage of a power supply having a DC output, and back-up battery means connected to said DC output by switching control means, including the steps of providing AC pulses and rectifying and filtering said AC pulses to provide a DC output voltage on said DC output, characterized by the steps of: providing said AC pulses to magnetic amplifier means; controlling the pulse width of said AC pulses passing through said magnetic amplifier means; generating an error signal as a function of said DC output voltage; providing said error signal to said magnetic amplifier means and to said switching control means; and maintaining said DC output voltage by establishing a threshold value for said error signal, below which the pulse widths of said AC pulses are varied to maintain said output voltage and above which said switching control means is operated to connect said back-up battery means to said DC output and to regulate said DC output voltage in dependence on said error signal. It will be appreciated that a DC power supply according to the invention has the advantage of a simple construction, since a single error amplifier means is coupled to the magnetic amplifier means and to the switching control means, to effect voltage regulation and switching control. A further advantage is that the error amplifier can continue to provide voltage regulation when the back-up battery means is switched in, thereby avoiding any slight differences in regulated output voltage between the two modes of operation which might arise if separate regulators were utilized. One embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figures 1A and 1B show a power supply according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figures 1A and 1B show a power supply 10 for supplying a regulated DC output voltage to an output voltage terminal 12 (Figure 1B). Referring to Figure 1A, circuit 10 includes a secondary transformer winding T1 for receiving a plurality of AC input voltage pulses. Winding T1 is connected between an input voltage line 14 and a first reference potential terminal 16 which in a preferred embodiment is ground. Circuit 10 is part of a switch mode power supply. The portion of the power supply not shown in the drawings receives AC line current which is converted to an unregulated DC voltage and stored on bulk capacitors. A switching circuit periodically pulses the DC voltage across a primary transformer winding to provide the AC input voltage pulses referred to above. The square wave so generated is received by secondary transformer winding T1. Power supply 10 includes a magnetic amplifier 18 which receives the plurality of pulses from winding T1 on input voltage line 14. Magnetic amplifier 18 includes a saturable reactor L5, a magnetic biasing voltage terminal 20 and a transistor Q6 connecting terminal 20 to saturable reactor L5. A magnetic biasing voltage is provided to terminal 20 by the input voltage pulses. Diodes CR14 and CR15 rectify the voltage pulses and inductor L3 and capacitor C26 filter the pulses to provide the biasing voltage on terminal 20. Power supply 10 also includes a rectifier and a filter for converting the input pulses to a DC output voltage at terminal 12. The rectifier includes diodes CR18A and CR18B. The anode of diode CR18A is connected to saturable reactor L5, the anode of diode CR18B is connected to reference potential terminal 16, and their cathodes are connected together. The filter includes inductor L4 connected between the cathode of diode CR18A and terminal 12. Referring to Figure 1B, the filter further includes a capacitor C29 connected across the output between terminals 12 and 16. Power supply 10 further includes an error amplifier 21, and a switch-over regulating circuit 22 for connecting a back-up battery 24 to terminal 12. Switch-over regulating circuit 22 includes transistors Q10 and Q11, resistors R64, R65 and R66, and a precision reference voltage supply circuit 26. Back-up battery 24 is connected between terminal 16 and the drain of transistor Q10. In a preferred embodiment, transistor Q10 is a power MOSFET. The source of transistor Q10 is connected to terminal 12 thereby connecting battery 24 to the DC output. Transistor Q11 is connected between the control electrode or gate of transistor Q10 and the output 28 of error amplifier 21. In a preferred embodiment, resistor R66 is connected between the emitter of transistor Q11 and output 28. The gate of transistor Q10 is connected to a reference potential terminal REF₁. In a preferred embodiment, resistor R65 is connected between the gate of transistor Q10 and REF₁. The control electrode or base of transistor Q11 is connected to a reference potential terminal 30 through a resistor R64. The reference voltage for terminal 30 is provided, in a preferred embodiment, by precision reference voltage supply circuit 26. Circuit 26 includes a differential amplifier U6 with + and - input terminals and an output connected to terminal 30. Resistors R62 and R63 are series connected between terminal 30 and reference terminal 16 and form a voltage divider. The common point 32 between resistors R62 and R63 provides a feedback voltage to the - input of differential amplifier U6. A reference potential terminal REF₂ is connected to the + input of differential amplifier U6. The output of differential amplifier U6 is connected to the base of transistor Q11 through resistor R64. Error amplifier 21 includes a differential amplifier U5 having - and + inputs and an output 28. The + input of differential amplifier U5 is connected to a reference potential terminal REF₃ through a resistor R57. The - input of differential amplifier U5 is connected to a resistor R56. Resistor R56 is connected to the common point 34 between series connected resistors R54 and R55, resistors R54 and R55 being connected in parallel with the DC output between terminals 12 and 16. In this manner, the - input of differential amplifier U5 receives a signal which is proportional to the DC output. Output 28 of differential amplifier U5 is also connected to the control electrode or base of transistor Q6 through resistor R52 (See Figure 1A). In operation, when AC power is active, saturable reactor L5 receives a plurality of square wave pulses from the secondary winding of transformer T1. The pulses are rectified by CR18 and filtered by inductor L4 and capacitor C29 and provide a DC output voltage at terminal 12. In a preferred embodiment the output voltage will be about 5.1 volts. The output voltage is monitored by error amplifier 21. Resistors R54 and R55 divide the output voltage which is then provided, along with reference voltage REF₃, to differential amplifier U5. In a preferred embodiment, REF₃ is about 2.5 volts. Differential amplifier U5 generates an error signal which is a function of the output voltage. This error signal is then provided to both magnetic amplifier 18 and switch-over regulating circuit 22. The error signal received by magnetic amplifier 18 is provided to the base of transistor Q6. As the error signal changes, the base current of transistor Q6 will change thereby affecting the magnetic biasing current received by saturable reactor L5 from terminal 20. By changing the magnetic biasing current on reactor L5 the pulse width of pulse passing therethrough will be controlled. For example, if the output voltage starts to fall, the error signal will increase because the output voltage is reflected on the - input of differential amplifier U5. This will decrease the base current of PNP transistor Q6. As the conductance of transistor Q6 decreases, the magnetic biasing voltage received by saturable reactor L5 will decrease, which will increase the pulse width of pulses passing through saturable reactor L5. This will increase the output voltage. As noted above, the error signal from differential amplifier U5 is also provided to switch-over regulating circuit 22. More specifically, the error signal is provided to the emitter of NPN transistor Q11 through resistor R66. In a preferred embodiment, REF₁ is about 14 volts, REF₂ is about 2.5 volts and the voltage at the base of Q11 is about 5 volts. As long as the emitter voltage is below about 4.5 volts, transistor Q11 will be on and the collector voltage (gate voltage of transistor Q10) will be pulled low enough to keep transistor Q10 off. As the output voltage starts to drop, magnetic amplifier 18 will attempt to bring it up by increasing the pulse width. However, if the power supply has lost AC power, the output voltage will continue to drop. This will increase the error voltage thereby raising the emitter voltage on transistor Q11 and gradually decreasing its conductance. This will cause an increase in the collector voltage of transistor Q11 (which is also the gate of transistor Q10) which will turn on MOSFET Q10. Back-up battery 24 will now be connected to output terminal 12 and provide the required voltage. Error amplifier 21 will continue to monitor and regulate the output voltage by varying the conductance of Q11 and MOSFET Q10. By selectively sizing the components of magnetic amplifier 18 and switch-over regulating circuit 22, a threshold value for the error voltage may be established. For an error voltage below the threshold value, the pulse widths of magnetic amplifier 18 are varied to maintain the output voltage. For an error voltage above the threshold value, switch-over regulating circuit 22 connects battery 24 to output voltage terminal 12 and regulates the output voltage.

Claims: A DC power supply, including AC supply means adapted to supply AC pulses, rectifier means (CR18A, CR18B, L4, C29) adapted to rectify and filter said AC pulses to provide a DC output voltage at a DC output (12), back-up battery means (24), and switching control means (22) operable to connect said back-up battery means (24) to said DC output (12), characterized in that said AC supply means includes magnetic amplifier means (18) adapted to control the width of said AC pulses, in that error amplifier means (21) is provided adapted to provide an error signal to said magnetic amplifier means (18) and to said switching control means (22), in that when said error signal is below a predetermined threshold value the pulse widths of said AC pulses are varied to maintain said DC output voltage and when said error signal is above said predetermined threshold value said switching control means (22) is operated to connect said battery means (24) to said DC output (12), and in that said switching control means (22) is adapted, in dependence on said error signal, to regulate said DC output voltage when said battery means (24) is connected to said DC output (12), whereby said DC output voltage is maintained at a substantially constant level. A DC power supply according to any one of the preceding claim (1), characterized in that said switching control means (22) includes a first transistor (Q10) connecting said battery means (24) to said DC output (12), and a second transistor (Q11) connected between a control electrode of said first transistor (Q10) and the output of said error amplifier means (21), and in that a precision reference supply circuit (26) is connected to a control electrode of said second transistor (Q11). A DC power supply circuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said error amplifier means (21) includes a differential amplifier (U5) having a first input adapted to receive a signal proportional to said DC output voltage and a second input adapted to receive a reference potential, and an output on which said error signal is provided. A DC power supply according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said magnetic amplifier means (21) includes a saturable reactor (L5) arranged to receive said AC pulses, and bias supply means (Q6) adapted to supply a biasing voltage to said saturable reactor (L5) in dependence on said error voltage. A method of regulating the output voltage of a power supply having a DC output (12), and back-up battery means (24) connected to said DC output (12) by switching control means (22), including the steps of providing AC pulses and rectifying and filtering said AC pulses to provide a DC output voltage on said DC output (12), characterized by the steps of: providing said AC pulses to magnetic amplifier means (18); controlling the pulse width of said AC pulses passing through said magnetic amplifier means (18); generating an error signal as a function of said DC output voltage; providing said error signal to said magnetic amplifier means (18) and to said switching control means (22); and maintaining said DC output voltage by establishing a threshold value for said error signal, below which the pulse widths of said AC pulses are varied to maintain said output voltage and above which said switching control means (22) is operated to connect said back-up battery means (24) to said DC output (12) and to regulate said DC output voltage in dependence on said error signal.

Inventors: MATHISON LESLIE C, MATHISON, LESLIE C.
Applicants: AT & T GLOBAL INF SOLUTION, AT&T GLOBAL INFORMATION SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL INC.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: H02J9
IPC codes: G06F1, H02J9