Patent GB-1226970-A (GB)
IPC: H02K13/14
Filed: 1967-11-08
Abstract: 1,226,970. Inverting. NATIONAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORP. 5 Nov., 1968 [8 Nov., 1967], No. 50916/67. Heading H2F. A square wave output invertor comprises a hybrid mechanical/electronic switching arrangement to provide single or polyphase output, the arrangement including a rotatable multisegment commutator and at least one controllable rectifier e.g. thyristor. In principle, load current is transferred to a thyristor just prior to commutation of a brush from one commutator segment to another, whereby sparking is avoided. A maximum of two thyristors are used irrespective of the number of phases, and the frequency is set by the commutator rotational speed and the number of segments. Fig. 2 shows a developed view of a commutator having two rings of segments, a segment 15 in one ring being connected to + E terminal of a 3 wire D.C. source while segment 16 in the other ring is joined to the -E terminal. Brushes 19, 20 contact respective rings and are bridged by a commutating choke 21. The positions taken up by the brushes during rotation of the commutator in direction 34 are labelled 19a to 19d, 20a to 20d. The D.C. supply and the output are connected to the circuit by slip rings and brushes (not illustrated). A pulse transformer 25 for a thyristor 22 is connected between segment 15 and an auxiliary segment 26 of segment 15. Identical connections are made to a thyristor 27. Operation (Fig. 2 embodiment).-With the commutator rotating, current flows via segment 15, half of choke 21 and via load 12 to the D.C. mid wire. When brush 19 bridges the gap between 15 and 26 load current is mainly carried by the primary of 25 and a firing pulse is thereby produced to fire Th 22. (The ratio of the current flowing in the said primary to the current flowing directly from segment 15 to the brush 19 depends upon the contact areas of brush 19 with segments 15 and 26 and the relative impedance of the two paths). Thus by the time the brush is at position 19b all the load current flows through Th 22 and via segment 23 to the load. When brush 19 is at position 19c, the end of the choke connected to brush 20 receives the -E potential of segment 16 while the centre tap is held at +E potential by a capacitor 33. Thus the potential at brush 19 rises to + 2E volts which extinguishes Th 22 and current through the load is reversed. Brush 19 now carries no current as it transfers to segment 17 which is also currentless. Normally non-conductive diodes 35, 36 connected to terminals 24, 29 respectively accommodate reactive loads. The cycle continuous with Th 27 being turned ON and subsequently turned OFF and so on. A three phase embodiment of the above arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 3 (not shown) there being one pair of brushes per phase and two thyristors and extra isolating segments. In an embodiment, Fig. 4, the choke 21 is connected in series with the two thyristors 22, 27 across the DC supply terminals 24, 29 and each thyristor is provided with two pulse transformers to produce firing pulses as before when the respective brush contacts an auxiliary segment 26, 50 &c. so that their primaries carry load current. In modifications of the Fig. 4 arrangement there is only one ring of commutator segments e.g. Fig. 5 (not shown) which illustrates a single phase arrangement and Figs. 6, 7 (not shown) illustrating a polyphase arrangement. In Figs. 6, 7 the additional pulse transformers 48, 54 are not required. If a synchronous motor is to be driven from the invertor the motor and commutator may be coupled together. There must be an odd number of phases so that the commutating capacitor will be suitably charged. Alternatively the thyristors may be triggered by photo-electric sensers or auxiliary contacts which sense the positions of the segments in relation to the brushes, instead of by means of the subsidiary segments and pulse transformers.