US2021051775A1PendingUtilityA1

Power supply for electric arc gas heater

Assignee: UMICORE NVPriority: Oct 1, 2014Filed: Oct 30, 2020Published: Feb 18, 2021
Est. expiryOct 1, 2034(~8.2 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
H05H 1/36H05B 7/185H05B 7/144B23K 9/073
58
PatentIndex Score
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Claims

Abstract

Such a design ensures the stability of the current control loop, while also ensuring a sufficient amount of current ripple to spread out the erosion zone on the electrodes of the torch.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A switching converter for driving an electrode of a welding device, the switching converter comprising:
 a pulse-width modulated chopper configured to operate at a switching frequency f s ; and   a ballast inductor coupled to the pulse-width modulated chopper and configured to be coupled with the electrode, wherein:
 the switching converter is configured to have a current control loop latency τ and an input voltage potential U 0 ; and 
 the ballast inductor has an inductance between 
   
       
         
           
             
               
                 ( 
                 
                   
                     U 
                      
                     0 
                   
                   
                     1 
                      
                     5 
                      
                     0 
                      
                     0 
                   
                 
                 ) 
               
                
               τ 
                
               
                   
               
                
               and 
                
               
                   
               
                
               
                 1 
                 
                   f 
                   s 
                 
               
                
               
                 
                   ( 
                   
                     
                       U 
                        
                       0 
                     
                     
                       2 
                        
                       0 
                        
                       0 
                     
                   
                   ) 
                 
                 . 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         2 . The switching converter of  claim 1 , wherein the inductance has a minimum value to maintain a loop stability criterion under operation. 
     
     
         3 . The switching converter of  claim 2 , wherein the inductance has a maximum value to produce a peak to peak current ripple to enhance wandering of electric arc roots on the electrode under operation. 
     
     
         4 . The switching converter of  claim 1 , wherein the switching converter is a DC to DC buck converter. 
     
     
         5 . The switching converter of  claim 1 , wherein U 0 >3000 volts. 
     
     
         6 . The switching converter of  claim 1 , wherein the switching converter is configured to provide between 1 and 10 MW. 
     
     
         7 . The switching converter of  claim 1 , wherein the welding device is a non-transferred electric arc gas heater is a non-transferred segmented plasma torch. 
     
     
         8 . The switching converter of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode is a hollow electrode. 
     
     
         9 . The switching converter of  claim 1 , wherein the switching converter is configured to produce a peak to peak current ripple of at least 50 amps over a duty cycle range of the pulse-width modulated chopper. 
     
     
         10 . The switching converter of  claim 9 , wherein the duty cycle range is at least 20% to 80%. 
     
     
         11 . A method of operating a welding device having a switching converter coupled with an electrode, the method comprising:
 providing a voltage potential U 0  to an input of the switching converter; and   providing a current from an output of the switching converter to the electrode, wherein the switching converter comprises:
 a pulse-width modulated chopper configured to operate at a switching frequency f s ; and 
 a ballast inductor coupled to the pulse-width modulated chopper and configured to be coupled with the electrode, wherein:
 the switching converter is configured to have a current control loop latency τ and an input voltage potential U 0 ; and 
 
 the ballast inductor has an inductance between 
   
       
         
           
             
               
                 ( 
                 
                   
                     U 
                      
                     0 
                   
                   
                     1 
                      
                     5 
                      
                     0 
                      
                     0 
                   
                 
                 ) 
               
                
               τ 
                
               
                   
               
                
               and 
                
               
                   
               
                
               
                 1 
                 
                   f 
                   s 
                 
               
                
               
                 
                   ( 
                   
                     
                       U 
                        
                       0 
                     
                     
                       2 
                        
                       0 
                        
                       0 
                     
                   
                   ) 
                 
                 . 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the inductance has a minimum value to maintain a loop stability criterion under operation. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the inductance has a maximum value to produce a peak to peak current ripple to enhance wandering of electric arc roots on the electrode under operation. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the switching converter is a DC to DC buck converter. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein U 0 >3000 volts. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the switching converter is configured to provide between 1 and 10 MW. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the welding device is a non-transferred electric arc gas heater is a non-transferred segmented plasma torch. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the electrode is a hollow electrode. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the switching converter is configured to produce a peak to peak current ripple of at least 50 amps over a duty cycle range of the pulse-width modulated chopper. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the duty cycle range is at least 20% to 80%.

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