Patent Document

FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to switching circuits. More specifically, effectively switching on and off a capacitor or capacitor bank within a closed system. This invention is applicable to various applications such as arc welding, magnetizing materials, and switching capacitors. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Traditionally electronic switches have been unable to switch high-energy loads effectively resulting in damage to the switch, the capacitor, and the devices to which power is being provided. Effective resolution of this problem has been too costly and, without a switch that could effectively switch high-energy capacitors in and out of a circuit, the state of the art has been unable to provide suitable avenues of controlling the power imbalance issues and other related problems. The state of the art today, and for the past several decades, has been to use switch circuits that require a certain amount of current to bias their base and this current is typically used to induce the line voltage. Consequently, it was impossible not to cause damage to switches, capacitors and even motors simply because there was no way to effectively switch capacitance in and out of high power circuits in such a way to efficiently resolve imbalance and harmonics issues. 
     Currently there are no high-energy power line capacitor switching systems that match the voltage across a capacitor to the line voltage at the time the switch contact is made. In addition, there is no practical way that a capacitor can be discharged rapidly so that it can to switched on and rapidly charged, or that guarantees that the capacitor is kept in its discharge state in the event of a power loss. 
     The ever-increasing demand for electrical energy has triggered greater efforts to attain higher efficiency in every aspect of energy switching in the electrical power industry. Many providers and regulators have sought to address the ever-increasing demand and rising cost by looking at power factor correction (reactive power) and more importantly, load imbalance correction and harmonic distortion remedies. As we have experienced there have been many efforts to increase efficiency, reduce power consumption, and mitigate power delivery costs but these efforts have not effectively addressed the growing problem described above. 
     Thus, there is a need in the art for a novel, high-energy switching circuit that reduces energy consumption by high power loads. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a novel switching circuit that can safely transfer energy from an electrical power source to a load while overcoming the above described and other deficiencies of conventional circuit protection devices and power switching devices. 
     The invention comprises a resister along with a high-energy triac switch, which in combination together, achieve the desired means of releasing capacitance when required to correct for imbalance and harmonic distortion. 
     This invention allows for use in a variety of electrical systems where high-energy capacitance is utilized. Thus the scope of the disclosed invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than the examples given. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be better understood upon reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the Drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of the novel dynamic switch. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention provides a novel capacitor switching system that can safely transfer energy from a source to a load while overcoming the deficiencies of conventional circuit protection devices and switching devices. 
     In  FIG. 1  current travels in line  4  and through resistor  2 , which limits the current that can flow through opto coupler  1  via lead  25 . A control circuit connected to leads  18  and  19  is isolated from other circuitry by the operation of opto coupler  1 . The opto coupler operates as a load sensing device that contains diode  14  and a triac  15  that senses operating conditions and establish the zero crossing of the wave-form of the AC current on line  4 . When opto coupler  1  is activated by its control circuit triac  15  in opto coupler  1  conducts a flow of current to line  26 . Triac  15  allows some of the current passing through resistor  2  to pass onto the gate terminal of triac  5  via line  26 . Triac  15  operates as a load controller that provides a signal to diode  14  and to the gate aspect of triac  5 . Triac  15  is connected to the gate of triac  5  and triac  5  is turned on and it and capacitor  12  conduct the AC current that passes through resistor  2 . Thermistor  28  is a device that senses temperature changes of triac  5 . Thermistor  28  reports the temperature of triac  5  to a processor (not shown). Processor (not shown) will use reported readings from thermistor  28  to determine opening and closing of triac  5 . A processor (not shown) sends a current through diode  14 . The processor analyzes operating conditions of the reactive load and the load controlling device and corrects for load imbalance and harmonic distortion. The processor receives data from thermistor  28 , lead  19 , and resistor  10  and provides feedback to the opto coupler  1  and transistor  9 . Some current is transferred from diode  14  to triac  5 . Current passing through diode  14  passes to ground via line  18 . AC current passing through triac  5  to line  20  passes on to and through capacitor  12  to ground. As the current of the sine wave on line  4  approaches zero in quadrant II of AC wave-form, relay  17  operates and its contact  16  closes when the AC voltages on line  4  and capacitor  12  are near equal. Relay  17  operates as a low voltage load controller that regulates AC voltages that pass to capacitor  12 , capacitor  6 , and triac  5 . Varistors behave like two back-to-back zener diodes to suppress surges in both directions. Varistor  3  provides circuit protection by absorbing voltage spikes and the resulting current from the collapsing magnetic field of the inductance of coil  7  when relay  17  is de-energized and its contact  16  is opened. The inductance of coil  7  operates as a control signal. Varistor  3  allows the line current caused by the voltage spikes to pass to capacitor  12  via line  21 . Current passing through varistor  3  passes through capacitor  12  to ground. Varistor  3  is connected in parallel to triac  5  and opto coupler  1 . The AC current of line  4  passes to capacitor  6 . Any AC current passing through capacitor  6  passes through capacitor  12  via line  22 . Contact  16  of relay  17  passes the current on line  4  to and through capacitor  12  when contact  16  is closed. A power source  8  provides a current to coil  7  of relay  17 . Relay  17  operates a disconnect means by either the opening or closing of contact  16 . When relay  17  is operated and its contact is closed capacitor  6  is bypassed. When contact  16  of relay  17  opens the current flowing through contact  16  is diverted through capacitor  6 . When a control signal is applied via resistor  10  to the gate terminal of transistor  9  current flows through transistor  9  and coil  7  of relay  17 . Relay  17  is connected in parallel to triac  5  and opto coupler  1 . 
     While what has been described herein is a preferred embodiment of the invention those skilled in the art will understand that numerous changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Category: 4