Method and device to recover energy in driving inductive loads

Abstract: A circuit device for recovering energy in inductive load (L) driving, being of a type associated with a driver circuit (2) for the inductive load (L) which is connected to a power supply line (4), comprises: a charge accumulator (C) connected to one end of the inductive load (L); a control circuit (3) monitoring the charge level (V) of the accumulator (C); an on/off switch (S) linked operatively to the control circuit (3) and connecting the accumulator (C) to the power supply line (4); and a switch means (IC1) connected between the accumulator and the inductive load (L) to intermittently discharge the inductive load (L) as the driver circuit (2) is controlled to turn off.

Description: This invention relates to a circuit device for recovering energy in inductive load driving. The invention also relates to a method of turning off inductive loads in an energy-recovering way. More particularly, the invention relates to a circuit device of a type associated with a driver circuit_for the inductive load which is connected at a first end to the power supply line and at a second end to the driver circuit, and further comprising, a charge accumulator (C) formed by a capacitor connected at a first end to the power supply line (4); a control circuit (3) for monitoring the charge level (V) of said charge accumulator (C) and discharging the inductive load as the driver circuit is turned off. As it is well known, during the "turn-off" transient of an inductive load, overvoltages are developed which may result in the load-driving electronic components being damaged irreversibly. To obviate such a serious drawback, the prior art has proposed driver circuits for inductive loads which incorporate protection arrangements against overvoltages. A typical example of circuits of that kind is illustrated by Figure 1, where an inductance L is shown driven by a power transistor T between a power supply line at a voltage Val and ground. When the power transistor is driven to conduct, as by means of an appropriate base voltage Vc(t), a voltage drop VL appears across the inductance L which is equal to the difference between the supply voltage Val and the collector-to-emitter voltage Vce of the transistor operating in the saturation phase.As a result, a current I L is flowed through the inductance which is given by the following relation: I L = (Val - Vce)/L. Further, the amount of energy stored in the inductance will be (1/2)L I L ². Upon turning off, due to the natural inertia of the inductive load, the current IL tends to retain its value, and since under such conditions the transistor is in an open circuit state, the voltage at the collector rises to very high values, well above the supply voltage Val. Accordingly, the transistor would be excited by an overvoltage which may cause it to fail. To avoid such likely damage, a loop-back diode D has been proposed which is connected in parallel with the inductance. Upon turning off, the energy stored in the inductance is discharged as a current flowed through the diode D. While being advantageous from certain aspects, this prior approach can only be adopted where switching speed is a limitation of no special concern. The discharge time Ts offered by the prior approach actually is a fairly long and often unacceptable one for many practical applications, such as those attendant to wire printers whose high printing rate requires very short current decay times. To overcome this limitation, the prior art has proposed a second approach illustrated by Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings. A Zener diode Z is added and connected between the diode D and the power supply Val. On turning off, the voltage across the inductance L is VF and VZ added together, the two last-mentioned terms representing the voltage drop across the diode D and the Zener diode Z. The decay time, or time Ts to discharge the current IL, is, therefore, reduced in accordance with the following relation: Ts = L I L /(VF + VZ) By adjustment of the threshold value VZ, the value of the discharge time Ts can be set for a given inductance L and current IL.However, not even the latter prior approach is entirely devoid of disadvantages from that all the energy stored in the inductance during the conduction period is lost to the Zener diode. Dependent on the number and the characteristics of the inductive loads, the power lost to the Zener may be on the order of some tens of watts. Another prior art solution is disclosed in the GB patent application No. 2 050 738; however, even this solution cannot afford discharge of the inductive load at regular intervals. The underlying technical problem of this invention is to provide a circuit device which has such structural and functional features as can effort rapid switching of loads of an inductive nature, while keeping the driving of such loads within safe limits and overcoming the drawbacks mentioned hereinabove in connection with the prior art. Another object of the invention is to regain, during the turn-off phase, the energy stored in the inductive load during the conduction phase. The solutive idea on which the invention stands may be seen as to consist of transferring the stored energy from the inductance to a temporary "accumulator" and dumping it at regular intervals from the accumulator into the main power network. Based on this solutive idea, the technical problem is solved by a circuit device as previously indicated and defined in the characterizing part of Claim 1. The technical problem is also solved by a method of turning off inductive loads as defined in the characterizing part of Claim 9. The features and advantages of a circuit device according to the invention, and associated turn-off method, will be apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example and not of limitation with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 shows diagramatically a prior art turn-off circuit for an inductive load; Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of a prior art turn-off circuit; Figure 3 shows diagramatically a circuit device according to this invention; Figure 4 is a diagramatic view showing the device of Figure 3 in greater detail; and Figures 5 to 8 are respective diagrams of signal waveforms present in the circuit device of this invention. With reference to the drawing figures, generally and schematically shown at 1 is a circuit device for recovering energy in inductive load driving. Specifically, the device 1 is intended for association with a driver circuit 2 for an inductance L. The driver circuit 2 is quite simple in construction and comprises a power transistor T of the npn bipolar type. This transistor has its collector terminal A connected to one end of the inductance L. The other end of the inductance L is connected to a line 4 over which a voltage Val is supplied. Further, the transistor T has its emitter terminal E connected to ground and its base B adapted to receive a time-variable voltage control signal; hereinafter, this signal will be designated Vc(t), its waveform being as shown in Figure 8. The device 1 comprises a capacitor C which functions as an electric charge accumulator during the inductance L turn-off phase. The capacitor C is connected in the circuit device 1 with one end run to the supply Val line 4. Connected between the circuit device 1 and the driver circuit 2 is a loop-back diode D. More particularly, the diode D is connected with one end to the collector A of the transistor T, and with its other end, to the other end of the capacitor C. Also provided is a control circuit 3 which monitors the voltage drop V across the capacitor C. This circuit is connected between one end of the capacitor C and ground. The control circuit 3 comprises a comparator IC1 whose hysteresis is appropriate to switch between two predetermined threshold levels Vss (upper threshold) and Vsi (lower threshold). Preferably, the value of Vss is selected to be twice that of the voltage supply Val. Linked operatively to the control circuit 3 is a normally open microswitch S wherethrough one end, specifically the end connected to the diode D, of the capacitor C is led to the supply line 4. In addition, an inductor L1 is provided between the switch S and the line 4. The construction of the circuit device 1 is completed by a protection diode D1 which is connected between a fixed contact B of the switch D and ground. Shown in greater detail in Figure 4 is a preferred embodiment of the circuit device 1, again given herein by way of example only. In this embodiment, a field-effect transistor T1 serves the function of the microswitch S. The drain terminal P1 of said transistor T1 is connected to the capacitor C, whilst the source terminal S1 of transistor T1 is connected to the inductor L1. The control circuit 3 comprises the hysteresis voltage comparator IC1 and a Zener diode Z at which a voltage VZ appears. One input of the comparator IC1 is held at a reference voltage value Vref. The other, non-inverting input is connected to ground through a resistor R1, and to the capacitor C through the Zener diode Z. Indicating with Vi the hysteresis voltage of the comparator IC1, which straddles the value of the reference voltage Vref, the comparator will change its state upon the voltage at the non-inverting input attaining respectively the following values: Vss = Vref + Vi/2 or Vsi = Vref - Vi/2. The comparator IC1 has an output connected to the base terminal B2 of an npn bipolar transistor T2 having its emitter E2 connected to ground. A resistor R2 is connected between the output of the comparator IC1 and the base B2. The collector C2 of this transistor T2 is coupled to the gate terminal G1 of transistor T1 through a transformer TR1. The operation of the circuit device according to the invention and the method for turning off the inductance L will now be described. Upon the transistor T being turned off, due to a base-to-emitter voltage drop Vc(t)=0, the current I L at the inductance L will tend to retain its initial value by inertia. Through the diode D, which has the voltage drop VF present across it, the current I L begins to charge the capacitor C in the device 1. Across the capacitor C, the voltage V is VA-VF. This voltage value is constantly monitored by the control circuit 3. On the voltage V at the capacitor C attaining the upper voltage threshold value Vss, the circuit 3 will control the switch S to make. In this way, the capacitor C is allowed to discharge to the main supply line 4 through the inductor L1. On the other hand, as the capacitor C attains the lower threshold value Vsi, the switch S is controlled to break, and the capacitor charged again by the current I L until the voltage across it rises back to the upper threshold voltage. More specifically, when the voltage referred to ground reaches at the capacitor C the value of Vss = VZ + Vref + Vi/2, the comparator IC1 controls the bipolar transistor T2 to conduct, which in turn places the field-effect transistor T1 in conduction via the transformer TR1. Conversely, as the voltage at the capacitor C reaches the value of Vsi = VZ + Vref - Vi/2, the comparator state is changed over to turn off transistor T2 and switch transistor T1 to an open circuit state.Thus, the capacitor C can be charged by the current IL back to the voltage Vss, and this cycle is repeated as shown in Figure 6 until the current I L is fully depleted. The capacitor voltage has, during the loop-back phase of the current I L , a ripple lying between the threshold values Vss and Vsi, as shown in Figure 5. The peak-to-peak width is equal to the value of the hysteresis voltage Vi. Since the value of the inductor L1 is much lower than the inductance L, the discharge current of the capacitor C will be much higher than the charge current I L . This results in a much shorter time during which the switch S is held closed than the full discharge time of the inductance L. Stated otherwise, for each discharge cycle of the inductance L, there will occur several discharge cycles of the capacitor C. For simplicity of illustration, Figures 5 and 8 only show three make and break cycles of the switch S. The switching rate of the comparator IC1 is dependent on the values of the current I L , the capacitor C, the hysteresis Vi, and the small inductor L1. Advantageously, the circuit device of this invention is self-adaptive in that, for different values of I L , the switching rate changes automatically to hold the upper threshold voltage Vss at a predetermined constant value. This value of Vss would be selected to suit the characteristics of the inductive load, the maximum value to be assigned to the collector voltage VA of the power transistor T, and the target decay time for the current I L . The voltage VA pattern is shown in Figure 7. The circuit device of this invention does solve the technical problem and affords a number of advantages, foremost among which is the ability to maintain a high voltage across the inductance during the discharge period of the loop-back current. In addition, on the inductive load being turned off, the overvoltages are held within predetermined small values. The energy stored in the inductance during conduction is nearly all regained and returned to the power supply network, thereby bringing about considerably savings in overall energy consumption and avoiding the risk of overheating due to power dissipation.

Claims: A circuit device for recovering energy in inductive load (L) driving, being of a type associated with a driver circuit (2) for the inductive load (L) which is connected at a first end to a power supply line (4) and at a second end to the driver circuit (2), and further comprising a charge accumulator (C) formed by a capacitor connected at a first end to the power supply line (4) ; a control circuit (3) for monitoring the charge level (V) of said charge accumulator (C) and discharging the inductive load (L) as the driver circuit (2) is turned off, characterized in that it comprises: an on/off switch (S) controlled by said control circuit (3) and connecting a second end of said charge accumulator (C) to one end (B) of an inductor (L1) connected at its other end to said supply line (4) to intermittently discharge at regular intervals said charge accumulator (C) toward the power supply line (4); a loop-back diode (D) connected between the second end of said inductive load (L) and the second end of said charge accumulator (C) ; and a voltage comparator (IC1) controlling the on/off switch (S) in response to the voltage across said charge accumulator (C). A circuit device according to Claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a protection diode (D1) connected between one end of said on/off switch (S) and ground. A circuit device according to Claim 1, characterized in that said voltage comparator (IC1) is a hysteresis comparator (IC1). A circuit device according to claim 1, characterized in that one input of said comparator (IC1) is connected to the charge accumulator through a zener diode (Z). A circuit device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the value of the inductor (L1) is is much lower than the value of the inductive load (L). A circuit device according to Claim 3, characterized in that the switching rate of the hysteresis voltage comparator (IC1) changes automatically with the inductive load (L) to hold an upper threshold voltage (Vss) of said hysteresis voltage comparator (IC1) at a predetermined constant value. A circuit device according to Claim 1, characterized in that said on/off switch (S) is a transistor (T1). A circuit device according to Claim 4, characterized in that said on/off switch (S) is linked operatively to the output of said hysteresis comparator (IC1) through a transformer (TR1). A method of turning off inductive loads (L) in an energy-recovering way, characterized in that charges from the energy stored in an inductive load (L) are transferred periodically to a charge accumulator (C) formed by a capacitor and said charge accumulator is discharged at frequent intervals to a power supply line (4) through a circuit device according to claim 1.

Inventors: SERAGNOLI GIORDANO, SERAGNOLI, GIORDANO
Applicants: SGS THOMSON MICROELECTRONICS, SGS-THOMSON MICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
Application year: 1992
Main classification: H03K17
IPC codes: G05F1, H02P8, H03K17