CN118140190A

CN118140190A - Multi-phase voltage regulator control

Info

Publication number: CN118140190A
Application number: CN202280071260.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 屠洪万; 李泰宗; 詹姆斯·罗伯特·伍尔夫; 劳伦斯·迪华德·巴赫; 拉维·曼达; 穆尔蒂·雅拉
Original assignee: Hubbell Inc
Current assignee: Hubbell Inc
Priority date: 2021-08-23
Filing date: 2022-08-23
Publication date: 2024-06-04

Abstract

A control system for a multi-phase power system includes a first phase line, a second phase line, and a third phase line. The control system includes a plurality of regulator controls, including: a first regulator control configured to control a first tap-changer associated with a first phase line; a second regulator control configured to control a second tap-changer associated with a second phase line; a third regulator control configured to control a third tap-changer associated with a third phase line; and an electronic processor coupled to the first, second, and third regulator controls. The electronic processor is configured to regulate the voltage of the multiphase system using the first regulator control, the second regulator control, and the third regulator control.

Description

Multi-phase voltage regulator control

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/236,080, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/241,294, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/251,342, U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 9/294, and U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63/251,342, U.S. No. 2021, U.S. 10/1, filed on 23, 2021, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

Embodiments relate to a multi-phase voltage regulator and control therefor.

Disclosure of Invention

One aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a multi-phase voltage regulator controller implemented using voltage regulator controls electrically connected to a single printed circuit board for controlling various aspects of each phase of the multi-phase voltage regulator.

In one aspect, a control system for a multi-phase power system includes a first phase line, a second phase line, and a third phase line. The control system includes a plurality of regulator controls, including: a first regulator control configured to control a first tap-changer associated with a first phase line; a second regulator control configured to control a second tap-changer associated with a second phase line; a third regulator control configured to control a third tap-changer associated with a third phase line; a converter circuit configured to convert power flowing through the first, second, and third phase lines to a level for powering the first, second, and third tap changers; and an electronic processor coupled to the first, second, and third regulator controls. The electronic processor is configured to: determining whether the voltage level of the first phase line exceeds a threshold value; when the voltage level of the first phase exceeds a threshold, controlling the first relay to supply power to the first tap-changer with power converted from the first phase line to effect a tap-change on the first phase line; determining whether the voltage level of the second phase line exceeds a threshold value when the voltage level of the first phase line is less than the threshold value; and when the voltage of the first phase line is less than the threshold value, controlling the second relay to supply power to the first tap changer with the power converted from the second phase line to achieve the tap change on the first phase line.

In another aspect, a control system for a multi-phase power system includes a first phase line, a second phase line, and a third phase line. The control system comprises: a plurality of regulator controls, comprising: a first regulator control configured to control a first tap-changer associated with a first phase line; a second regulator control configured to control a second tap-changer associated with a second phase line; a third regulator control configured to control a third tap-changer associated with a third phase line; an electronic processor is coupled to the first, second, and third regulator controls. The electronic processor is configured to: determining an average voltage of the multi-phase power system based on the voltage of the first phase line, the voltage of the second phase line, and the voltage of the first phase line; determining a voltage regulation command based on the average voltage and the multiphase setpoint; determining whether the first tap changer, the second tap changer and the third tap changer are set to the same tap position; when the first tap changer, the second tap changer and the third tap changer are in the same tap position, a voltage adjustment command is issued to each of the first, second and third regulator controls.

In another aspect, a control system for a multi-phase power system includes a first phase line, a second phase line, and a third phase line. The control system comprises: a plurality of regulator controls, comprising: a first regulator control configured to control a first tap-changer associated with a first phase line; a second regulator control configured to control a second tap-changer associated with a second phase line; a third regulator control configured to control a third tap-changer associated with a third phase line; and an electronic processor coupled to the first, second, and third regulator controls. The electronic processor is configured to: determining whether each of the voltage of the first phase line, the voltage of the second phase line, and the voltage of the third phase line is within a band of a target band center (target bandcenter); performing a voltage regulation operation when one or more of the voltages of the first phase line, the second phase line, and the third phase line are out of band of the center of the target band; determining whether any of the voltages of the first phase line, the second phase line, and the third phase line differ from the target band center by more than a threshold value; and adjusting a tap position of a tap changer associated with a phase line having a voltage furthest from the center of the band when any one of the voltages of the first phase line, the second phase line, and the third phase line differs from the target band center by more than a threshold value.

Other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

Drawings

1A-1D illustrate a controller for a voltage regulator tap-changing system according to various embodiments.

Fig. 2 shows a printed circuit board included in the controller of fig. 1A-1C.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a control system of a multi-phase voltage regulator control system, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a multi-phase voltage system according to some embodiments.

Fig. 5A and 5B illustrate schematic diagrams of power circuits for a tap-changing motor, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a first example process or operation of a multi-phase voltage regulator controller, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a second example process or operation of a multi-phase voltage regulator controller in accordance with some embodiments.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a third example process or operation of a multi-phase voltage regulator controller, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 9 illustrates an exemplary voltage band center arrangement according to some embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating a process or operation of reducing voltage imbalance in a multi-phase voltage regulator control system, in accordance with some embodiments.

Fig. 11 illustrates an exemplary interface for configuring a multi-phase voltage regulator controller.

Fig. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a fourth example process or operation of a multi-phase voltage regulator controller, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 13 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary multi-phase voltage regulator controller, in accordance with some embodiments.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1A-1D illustrate various perspective and front views of a multi-phase voltage regulator controller 100 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the controller 100 may be used to control the shifting of voltage tap positions in a three-phase power system. The voltage tap position may be referred to hereinafter simply as "tap position".

As shown, the controller 100 includes a front panel 105, the front panel 105 supporting various respective control mechanisms, such as switches, indicators, etc., corresponding to three respective phase lines, such as a-phase, B-phase, C-phase, of a three-phase power system. In particular, the front panel 105 includes a first set of control mechanisms 110A that correspond to a first regulator for controlling a regulator tap changer associated with a first phase voltage regulator (e.g., a phase) of a three-phase power system. The first set of control mechanisms 110A corresponding to the first regulator may be referred to hereinafter as first regulator control 110A. The front panel 105 also includes a second set of control mechanisms 110B corresponding to a second regulator for controlling a regulator tap changer associated with a second phase voltage regulator (e.g., B-phase) of the three-phase power system. Further, the front panel 105 includes a third set of control mechanisms 110C corresponding to a third regulator for controlling a regulator tap changer associated with a third phase voltage regulator (e.g., phase C) of the three-phase system. The second set of control mechanisms 110B corresponding to the second regulator may be referred to hereinafter as "second regulator control 110B" and the third set of control mechanisms 110C corresponding to the third regulator may be referred to hereinafter as "third regulator control 110C". Accordingly, the controller 100 includes regulator controls 110A-110C that are used to regulate the line voltage of each respective phase in a three-phase power system by adjusting the voltage tap positions.

According to an exemplary embodiment, each of the regulator controls 110A-110C includes, among other things, several switches and/or buttons for controlling the operation of a corresponding phase tap changer of the A-phase to the C-phase of the three-phase power system. For example, each of the regulator controls 110A-110C includes a mode switch 115A-115C, respectively, for controlling whether the corresponding tap change is manually controlled or automatically controlled by the controller 100. In addition, each regulator control 110A-110C includes a power switch 120A-120C, respectively, that is used to control whether the tap-changer or tap-changing motor is powered by an internal power source or an external power source. In addition, each regulator control 110A-110C includes a tap changer 125A-125C, respectively, for raising and/or lowering the position of a corresponding voltage tap.

As shown in fig. 1C and 1D, the front panel 105 of the controller 100 also supports one or more additional user interface components for controlling and/or monitoring the operation of the a-phase to C-phase regulator tap changer. For example, in some embodiments, the controller 100 also includes a display 130 for monitoring various system conditions and several control buttons 135 for providing various inputs to the controller 100. Various indicator lights 140 are also provided for visually indicating certain conditions such as forward or reverse power, voltage up or down operation, and others. In some embodiments, the front panel 105 includes one or more openings that provide access to a connection interface that provides various modes of communication with the controller 100. For example, the controller 100 may include a USB interface 145 and/or a smart flash SD card interface 150. Furthermore, according to the exemplary embodiment of fig. 1-1C, the controller 100 may include one or more additional terminal ports that provide power to the three tap-changers, or more specifically, to the motors of the three tap-changers, to enable mechanical switching to the necessary tap(s).

In some embodiments, such as the embodiments shown in fig. 1A, 1B, and ID, the regulator controls 110A-110C are arranged vertically along the front panel 105. That is, with respect to the front panel 105, the first regulator control 110A is positioned above the second regulator control 110B, and the second regulator control 110B is positioned above the third regulator control 110C. In some embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in fig. 1C and 1D, the front panel 105 is divided into three sub-panels 160A-160C. Each of the three sub-panels 160A-160C corresponds to a respective regulator control 110A-110C. For example, a first sub-panel 160A (labeled "REGULATOR (regulator 1)") includes a first set of control mechanisms 110A associated with a voltage regulator that controls the first phase line. Similarly, the second sub-panel 160B (labeled "REGULATOR (regulator 2)") includes a first set of control mechanisms 110B associated with the voltage regulator controlling the second phase line, and the third sub-panel 160C (labeled "REGULATOR (regulator 3)") includes a third set of control mechanisms 110C associated with the voltage regulator controlling the third phase line. It should be appreciated that the arrangement of the adjusters 110A-110C on the front panel 105 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1D, as the adjuster controls 110A-110C may be rearranged and/or positioned at various other locations along the front panel 105.

Whether or not the front panel 105 is divided into three separate sub-panels, each of the regulator controls 110A-110C is electrically connected to a single printed circuit board (printed circuit board, PCB) within the controller 100. That is, all electrical connections of the control mechanism included in the regulator controls 110A-110C are supported by a single PCB. As shown in fig. 2, the controller 100 includes a first PCB 200 that provides control and/or power to the various components of the controller 100. In particular, the first PCB 200 includes respective interfaces or connections 205A-205C that correspond to the control mechanisms and/or power connections included in the regulator controls 110A-110C. Thus, the first PCB 200 provides all necessary processing, control signal generation, and power for all three phases of a three-phase power system, e.g., provided to the tap-changers by the regulator controls 110A-110C.

The power and control elements of the regulator controls 110A-110C are relatively high power analog elements. In some embodiments, it is preferable to separate the high power analog components supported by the first board from any additional low power digital components of the controller 100. For example, as shown in fig. 2, the controller 100 may also include a second PCB 210 housing low power digital components and signals. However, it should be noted that in some embodiments, the high power analog components and signals and the low power digital components and signals are housed by a single PCB. Whether there are one or two boards, according to this exemplary embodiment, similar processing, control, and power generation for each of the three phases remains entirely on the first PCB 200. That is, according to this embodiment, no separate boards or modules are required for each phase, and thus no respective regulator control 110A-110C is required, as all processing and power generation of tap changers associated with all three phases may be processed on the first PCB 200.

Fig. 3 illustrates an example block diagram of a control system 300 for an example tap-changing system of a three-phase power system, according to some embodiments. The control system 300 includes a controller 100, the controller 100 being electrically and/or communicatively connected to various modules or components of the control system 300. For example, the controller 100 is connected to the regulator controls 110A-110C, the user interface 305, the sensor 310, the communication module 315, the power source 320, and the tap-changing motors 325A-325C for adjusting voltage tap positions associated with each respective one of the three-phase power systems.

As described above, the controller 100 is configured to communicate with the regulator controls 110A-110C. In particular, the controller 100 may be configured to receive signals from the regulator controls 110A-110C and/or transmit signals to the regulator controls 110A-110C when a user operates one or more of the mode switches 115A-115C, the power switches 120A-120C, and/or the tap changers 125A-125C. For example, the controller 100 may be configured to automatically operate the respective regulator control 110 when the corresponding mode switch is configured to perform an automatic mode of operation. Similarly, the controller 100 may be configured to power a particular regulator control 110 with the voltage supplied by the phase line when the corresponding power switch 120 is moved to an external power supply setting. Further, when operating in the manual mode of operation, the controller 100 may be configured to raise or lower a particular tap position based on the operation of one or more of the tap changers 125A-125C.

The controller 100 is further configured to communicate with a user interface 305 and one or more sensors 310. The user interface 305 includes, for example, a display 130, control buttons 135, and various indicator lights 140. The sensors 310 may include one or more voltage sensors for monitoring respective voltages of phase lines (e.g., a-C phases) included in a three-phase power system. The sensors may also include one or more current sensors, one or more temperature sensors, one or more additional voltage sensors, and/or one or more other sensors for monitoring physical and electrical characteristics of the tap-changing system.

The communication module 315 is configured to provide communication between the controller 100 and one or more external devices (e.g., a smart phone, a tablet, a laptop, etc.) in a three-phase power system. In some embodiments, the communication module 315 includes a USB interface 145 and a smart flash SD card interface 150. In some embodiments, the communication module 315 includes one or more wireless and/or wired transmitters, receivers, and/or transceivers for communicating with external devices. In some embodiments, the communication module 315 is configured to communicate with external devices operated by utility service providers and/or service technicians. In such embodiments, the communication module 315 may communicate with one or more external devices over a network. The network may be, for example, a Wide Area Network (WAN) (e.g., the internet, a TCP/IP based network, a cellular network such as, for example, a global system for mobile communications [ GSM ] network, a general packet radio service [ GPRS ] network, a code division multiple access [ CDMA ] network, an evolution data optimized [ EV-DO ] network, an enhanced data rates for GSM evolution [ EDGE ] network, a 3GSM network, a 4GSM network, a digital enhanced cordless telecommunications [ DECT ] network, a digital AMPS [ IS-136/TDMA ] network, or an integrated digital enhanced network [ iDEN ] network, etc.). In other embodiments, the network may be, for example, a Local Area Network (LAN), a neighborhood network (NAN), a home local area network (HAN), or a Personal Area Network (PAN) employing any of a variety of communication protocols, such as Wi-Fi, bluetooth, zigBee, etc. In yet another embodiment, the network comprises one or more of a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Local Area Network (LAN), a neighborhood network (NAN), a home local area network (HAN), or a Personal Area Network (PAN). In some embodiments, the communication module 315 communicates with one or more peripheral devices in a supervisory control and data acquisition (supervisory control and data acquisition, SCADA) management system.

As shown, the control system 300 of the tap-changing system also includes a power supply 320, the power supply 320 being electrically and/or communicatively connected to the controller 100 and other components included in the control system 300, such as the regulator controls 110A-110C and the tap-changing motors 325A-325C. The power supply 320 may be configured to selectively provide power to the various components of the control system 300 from an internal power source or an external power source. In some embodiments, the power source 320 includes an internal power source, such as a rechargeable battery, that may be used to provide power to one or more components included in the control system 300. For example, when one or more of the power switches 120A-120C are set to an internal power supply position, the power supply 320 may power the control system 300 with power from the rechargeable battery.

In some embodiments, power source 320 is also configured to selectively power components of control system 300 with power received from an external power source (such as a phase line included in a three-phase power system). In such an embodiment, power supply 320 may include one or more AC-to-AC converters, AC-to-DC converters, and/or DC-to-DC converters configured to convert AC power supplied by the phase lines to an appropriate level for powering one or more components of control system 300.

For example, fig. 4 illustrates an embodiment in which power source 320 includes a converter circuit that converts power received from three-phase power system 400 to a level for powering control system 300. As shown, three-phase power system 400 includes a power source 405, a voltage regulator 410, phase lines 415A-415C, a neutral line 415N, and a ground 420. The power supply 320 includes a converter circuit 425 that is used to convert AC power transmitted along the phase lines 415A-415C to a level for powering the controller 100, the regulator controls 110A-110C, the tap-changing motors 325A-325C, and other components of the control system 300. In the illustrated embodiment, the converter circuit 425 is a three-phase half-wave rectifier configured to collect the positive half-cycles of the AC power transmitted by the phase lines 415A-415C and use the collected power to power the control system 300. For example, when one or more of the power switches 120A-120C are set to an external power supply position, the controller 100 may be configured to power the one or more regulator controls 110A-110C and the tap-changing motor 325A-325C with positive half cycles of the AC power transmitted along the phase lines 415A-415C. In some examples, the positive half wave is used for power harvesting. In some examples, other types of converter topologies are used in place of the three-phase half-wave rectifier.

Referring again to fig. 3, the controller 100 also includes a plurality of electrical and electronic components that provide power, operational control, and protection to components and modules within the controller 100 and/or control system 300. For example, the controller 100 includes, among other things, an electronic processor 330 (e.g., a microprocessor or another suitable programmable device) and a memory 335. In some embodiments, the electronic processor 330 and/or the memory 335 are mounted to a surface of the first PCB 200. In some embodiments, the electronic processor 330 and/or the memory 335 are embedded within a surface of the first PCB 200. In other embodiments, the electronic processor 330 and/or the memory 335 are otherwise electrically and physically coupled to the first PCB 200. In some embodiments, the electronic processor 330 and/or the memory 335 are supported by the second PCB 210.

The memory 335 includes, for example, a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area and the data storage area may include a combination of different types of memory, such as Read Only Memory (ROM) and Random Access Memory (RAM). Various non-transitory computer readable media may be used, such as magnetic, optical, physical, or electronic memory. The electronic processor 330 is communicatively coupled to the memory 330 and executes software instructions stored in the memory 335 or in another non-transitory computer readable medium, such as another memory or an optical disk. The software may include one or more applications, program data, filters, rules, one or more program modules, and other executable instructions. In some embodiments, the memory 335 includes one or more modules configured to perform various functions of the controller 100. For example, memory 335 may include a voltage comparator module for analyzing the voltage of phase lines 415A-415C. In some embodiments, the memory 335 may additionally or alternatively include a tap-changing module that is used to generate a signal (e.g., raise and/or lower a signal) to instruct the tap-changing motors 325A-325C to change tap positions based on the phase line voltage measurements. In some embodiments, the memory 335 may additionally or alternatively include a tap-changing module that is used to generate a signal (e.g., raise and/or lower a signal) to instruct the tap-changing motors 325A-325C to change tap positions based on the positions of the tap-changing switches 125A-125C.

Fig. 5A and 5B illustrate exemplary diagrams that show how power is supplied to each of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C when the controller 100 determines that the voltage of one or more phases, such as the voltage on one or more of the phase lines 415A-415C, needs to be increased or decreased. As shown, power is provided to the tap-change motors 325A-325C for each phase even when AC power for any one or more phases is de-energized, for example, for maintenance reasons or due to line faults. It is desirable to shift the tap position of each phase, i.e., in accordance with a commanded power determined by controller 100 and/or regulator controls 110A-110C, even when one or more of phase lines 415A-415C are weak (dead), so when that particular phase is restored, the weak phase is set to the appropriate tap setting. Otherwise, the power distribution system 400 may be unbalanced and operate inefficiently or exhibit other adverse properties.

As shown IN fig. 5B, the signal motora-BAD corresponding to phase a (e.g., phase line 415A) of the three-phase power system 400 is output from a voltage comparator 505A that compares the motora-IN input voltage with a reference voltage Vref. If the Motor-A-IN input voltage exceeds Vref, the output Motor-A-BAD signal will go low, indicating that there is sufficient voltage on phase line 415A. Thus, in this case, the a-phase tap-changing motor 325A has sufficient power and may facilitate tap changing. Conversely, if the Motor-A-IN input voltage does not exceed Vref, the Motor-A-BAD output from the voltage comparator will be high, indicating that there is insufficient power on phase line 415A to power tap-change Motor 325A. Note that although not explicitly shown in the figures, output signals Motor-B-BAD and Motor-C-BAD corresponding to phases B (e.g., phase line 415B) and C (e.g., phase line 415C) are generated in a similar manner as described for signals Motor-a-BAD. As shown in fig. 5B, the output voltage of the comparator is inverted to produce the appropriate logic that matches the truth table shown in fig. 5A.

The logic diagram below the schematic in fig. 5A will now be described in accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments. For example, if all three phases (e.g., phase lines 415A-415C) of three-phase power system 400 have sufficient respective transmission voltages, each of the "monitor IN" signals, i.e., monitor-A-IN, monitor-B-IN, and monitor-C-IN, is at a logic "1" as shown IN the last row of the logic diagram of FIG. 5A, according to one possible scenario. It should be noted that the sufficient transmitted voltage need not be the correct voltage according to the current load requirements and as commanded by the controller 100, but is a voltage high enough to exceed Vref, as described with reference to fig. 5B. Thus, since each input voltage is high enough, e.g., non-zero, this would indicate an open circuit, as would be the case when a particular phase voltage is off-line, the corresponding "motoro BAD" signals, motoro-a-BAD, motoro-B-BAD, and motoro-C-BAD, are all at logic "0". It should be noted that a logic "0" with reference to the motorbad signal means that the corresponding signal is at a low potential. In fact, as described above, when any Motor BAD signal is "low," this indicates that the corresponding phase line 415 has sufficient power to drive the corresponding tap-changing Motor 325.

Furthermore, with each phase line just described having sufficient voltage, each respective relay 510A-510C shown IN FIG. 5A is controlled such that the Motor IN input voltage is delivered to the corresponding Motor-OUT. For example, relay 510A IN the A-phase path is controlled such that Motor-A-IN is electrically connected to the Motor-A-OUT signal. Similarly, motor-B-IN is electrically connected to Motor-B-OUT, and Motor-C-IN is connected to Motor-C-OUT. This situation is shown IN the logic diagram by the Motor power input (MOTOR POWER INPUT) column, motor-A-IN, motor-B-IN, motor-C-IN, with a "1, 1" situation. Thus, when each respective phase line 415 has sufficient power to drive a corresponding tap-changing Motor 325, the column of LOGIC OUTPUTs (LOGIC OUTPUT), motor-A-BAD, motor-B-BAD, motor-C-BAD have a "0, 0" condition, and the column of Motor power OUTPUTs (MOTOR POWER OUTPUT), motor-A-OUT, motor-B-OUT, motor-C-OUT have an "A, B, C" condition. Thus, the power of the tap-changing motors 325A-325B is provided by each of the regulator controls 110A-110C on each individual phase.

On the other hand, if one of the three phase lines 415A-415C does not have a sufficient voltage potential (e.g., a voltage less than a threshold value of the minimum voltage required to power the tap-changing motor 325), the corresponding relay circuit 510A-510C is controlled such that the tap-changing motor 325A-325C for that phase is powered by one of the other phase lines having a sufficient voltage (e.g., exceeding the minimum threshold value required to power the tap-changing motor 325). For example, phase lines 415A and 415B may have sufficient voltage, but phase line 415C may not have sufficient voltage. This situation is shown in the penultimate row of the chart and may exist if, for example, phase line 415C is offline or experiences a fault. In these cases, tap-changing motor 325A is supplied with power from phase line 415A, tap-changing motor 325B is supplied with power from phase line 415B, and tap-changing motor 325C is supplied with power from phase line 415A.

Specifically, relays 510A-510C shown IN FIG. 5A are controlled such that Motor-A-IN is electrically connected to the Motor-A-OUT signal and Motor-B-IN is electrically connected to Motor-B-OUT. However, IN this case, motor-A-OUT is also connected to Motor-C-OUT because phase line 415C is weak and Motor-C-IN does not have sufficient voltage to drive tap-changing Motor 325C. This situation is shown IN the logic diagram by Motor power input (MOTOR POWER INPUT) columns, motor-A-IN, motor-B-IN, and Motor-C-IN, with a "1, 0" situation. Thus, the LOGIC OUTPUT (LOGIC OUTPUT) column, motor-A-BAD, motor-B-B-BAD, motor-C-BAD has a "0, 1" condition, and Motor power OUTPUT (MOTOR POWER OUTPUT) column, motor-A-OUT, motor-B-OUT, motor-C-OUT has a "A, B, A" condition.

Further depicted in the logic diagram are other possible scenarios in which one or more of the phase lines 415A-415C is insufficient to power their respective tap-changing motors 325A-325C. That is, each of the tap-change motors 325A-325C for one or more weak phases is shown to be receiving power. Moreover, in some embodiments, the tap-changing motors 325A-325C are not powered solely by the phase lines 415A-415C to which they are connected. In some embodiments, the tap-changing motors 325A-325C may be powered by a combined rectified positive half wave cycle of the phase lines 415A-415C. In some embodiments, the negative half-wave period of phase lines 415A-415C is taken to power the system instead of or in addition to the negative half-wave period.

As described above, when one or more of the mode switches 115A-115C are set to an automatic mode of operation, the controller 100 is configured to control the tap-changing motors 325A-325C using the regulator controls 110A-110C to automatically adjust the tap positions. The controller 100 automatically adjusts the tap positions so that the voltage of the three-phase power system 400 is within a target band (e.g., within a desired voltage range) or band center of the voltage set point. In some embodiments, controller 100 is configured to implement an "independent phase independent operation" control method for controlling the tap position of each phase line 415A-415C. In such an embodiment, the controller 100 controls the tap position of a particular phase in accordance with the respective set point and compensation voltage associated with the particular phase. For example, the controller 100 controls the tap position of the a-phase based on the a-phase voltage set point and the corresponding compensation voltage of the a-phase. In some embodiments, controller 100 is configured to implement a "multi-phase independent operation" control method for controlling the tap position of each phase line 415A-415C. In such an embodiment, the controller 100 controls the tap positions of a particular phase in accordance with the multiphase set point and the corresponding compensation voltage associated with the particular phase being adjusted. For example, the controller 100 controls the tap position of phase a based on the multiphase set point and the corresponding compensation voltage of phase a. The multi-phase setpoint may be, for example, a target band center and/or voltage band of the multi-phase voltages of the system 400.

In some embodiments, the controller 100 is configured to regulate the voltage of the three-phase power system 400 by implementing a "group average Mode" (GANGED AVERAGE Mode) control method. While implementing the "group average mode" control method, controller 100 uses the same multiphase set point and the average compensation voltage of system 400 calculated based on the respective voltages of all three phases to control the tap position of each phase line 415A-415C. That is, the controller 100 uses the regulator controls 110A-110C to control tap positions of all three phases based on the same multi-phase set point and average compensation voltage, rather than based on a single phase voltage set point or a compensation phase voltage specific to a particular phase. By using the same multiphase setpoint and average compensation voltage to control tap positions, the controller 100 effectively moves taps positioned at the maximum or minimum setpoint toward the center of the voltage band, thereby bringing the system voltage into the target band.

Fig. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a process or operation 600 for adjusting a system voltage (e.g., controlling tap position) according to a "group average mode" control method. Although shown as occurring sequentially, some of the steps may be performed in parallel. At block 605, the controller 100 determines whether the power flow is in the same direction for all of the regulator controls 110A-110C (block 605). If the controller 100 determines that the power flow is not in the same direction for each of the voltage regulator controls 110A-110C, the controller 100 prevents operation of the "group average mode" control method (block 610). In some examples, the blocking operation at block 610 includes transforming, by the controller 100, the voltage regulation method into a "multi-phase independent operation" control method to regulate the system voltage.

If the controller 100 determines that the power flows in the same direction for each of the voltage regulator controls 110A-110C, the controller 100 calculates an average compensation voltage for the three-phase power system 400 (block 615). As described above, the average compensation voltage is calculated based on the respective voltages of each phase. At block 620, the controller 100 runs a voltage regulation task based on the determined average compensation voltage and the multiphase setpoint (block 620). The multi-phase set point is used to control tap positions for all phases and may include, for example, a target band center voltage and/or voltage band of the three-phase power system 400. The operating voltage adjustment task includes determining whether to issue one of an up command or a down command based on the average compensation voltage and the multi-phase setpoint. That is, at block 620, the controller 100 determines a voltage regulation operation, such as issuing an up command or a down command, based on the average compensation voltage and the multiphase set point of the system 400. For example, if the average compensation voltage of the system 400 exceeds the multi-phase set point, the controller 100 may determine to issue a decrease command. Likewise, if the average compensation voltage of the system 400 is less than the multiphase set point, the controller 100 may determine to issue a boost command.

At block 625, the controller 100 determines whether each of the regulator controls 110-110C is set to the same voltage tap position before issuing the determined command to the regulator controls 110A-110C (block 625). If the voltage regulator controls 110A-110C are set to the same tap position, the controller 100 issues the determined command, such as an up command or a down command, to all three voltage regulator controls 110A-110C (block 630). The up command issued to all three voltage regulator controls 110A-110C may be referred to as an "issued group up command" and the down command issued to all three voltage regulator controls 110A-110C may be referred to as a "group down command". The group command issued to the regulator controls 110A-110C causes each of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C to be operated in accordance with the group command. After issuing the group up command or the group down command to all three voltage regulator controls 110A-110C, the controller 100 continues to regulate the system voltage (block 635). For example, the controller 100 repeats the process 600 to continue regulating the voltage of the three-phase power system 400.

However, if the voltage regulators 110A-110C are not set to the same tap position at block 625, the controller 100 determines whether the adjustment operation determined at block 620 is a raise command (block 640). Further, prior to issuing a command to one or more of the voltage regulator controls 110A-110C, the controller 100 evaluates the tap position of each respective regulator control 110A-110C with respect to the tap positions of the other two regulator controls 110A-110C (block 640). If the controller 100 determines that the command is a raise command, the controller 100 issues a raise command to the regulator control 110A-110C having the lowest tap position (block 645). However, if the controller 100 determines that the command is a down command, the controller 100 issues a down command to the one or more voltage regulator controls 110A-110C having the highest tap positions (block 650). After issuing the decrease command at block 645 or the increase command at block 650, the controller 100 continues to regulate the system voltage (block 635).

In a first example provided with respect to process 600, it will be assumed that at block 640, controller 100 determines that a raise command is issued and that regulator control 110A is set to tap position 8R, regulator control 110B is set to tap position 8R, and regulator control 110C is set to tap position 6R. In this example, since voltage regulator control 110C is set to the lowest tap position, controller 100 will issue a raise command to regulator control 110C to raise the tap position of the C-phase (block 645). After controller 100 increases the tap position of the C-phase from 6R to 7R using regulator control 110C, controller 100 then proceeds to continue regulating the voltage of system 400 (block 635).

Continuing with this first example, the controller 100 may continue to regulate the multi-phase voltage of the power distribution system by restarting the process 600. In this example, execution of process 600 will again cause controller 100 to reach block 640 because the tap is still in a different tap position (e.g., regulator control 110A is set to tap position 8R, regulator control 110B is set to tap position 8R, and regulator 110C is now set to tap position 7R). Thus, if the controller 100 determines at block 640 that the issued command is another raise command, the controller 100 will again issue a raise command to the regulator control 110C to raise the tap position of the C-phase (block 645). After the controller 100 increases the tap position of the C-phase from 7R to 8R using the regulator control 110C, the controller 100 then proceeds to continue regulating the multi-phase voltage of the power distribution system 400 (block 635). Continuing again with this first example, all three regulator controls 110A-110C are now set to the same tap position of 8R. Thus, when the process 600 is executed a third time, the controller 100 will proceed from block 625 to block 630, at block 630, the controller 100 issuing a group command to all three regulator controls 110A-110C. For example, if the controller 100 determines at block 620 that another step-up command is needed to bring the system voltage in-band, the controller 100 will issue a group step-up command to all three regulator controls 110A-110C at block 630. In operation, the controller 100 may continue to perform the process 600 until the target multiphase setpoint is met.

As a second example provided with respect to process 600, it will be assumed that at block 640, controller 100 determines that a raise command is issued and that regulator control 110A is set to tap position 6R, regulator control 110B is set to tap position 7R, and regulator control 110C is set to tap position 8R, controller 100. In this example, since the regulator control 110A is set to the lowest tap position, the controller 100 will issue a raise command to the regulator control 110A to raise the tap position of phase a (block 645). After controller 100 increases the tap position of phase a from 6R to 7R using regulator control 110A, controller 100 then proceeds to continue regulating the multiphase voltage of system 400 (block 635).

Continuing with this second example, the controller 100 may continue to regulate the multi-phase voltage of the power distribution system by restarting the process 600. In this example, again performing process 600 will cause controller 100 to reach block 640 because the tap is still in a different tap position (e.g., regulator control 110A is now set to tap position 7R, regulator control 110B is set to tap position 7R, and regulator control 110C is set to tap position 8R). Thus, if the controller 100 determines at block 640 that the issued command is another raise command, the controller 100 will issue a raise command to the regulator control 110A, HOB to raise the tap positions of the A-phase and B-phase, respectively. After the controller 100 increases the tap positions of the a-phase and B-phase from 7R to 8R, the controller 100 then proceeds to continue to regulate the multiphase voltage of the system 400 (block 635). Continuing again with this second example, all three regulator controls 110A-110C are now set to the same tap position of 8R. Thus, when the process 600 is executed a third time, the controller 100 will proceed from block 625 to block 630, at block 630, the controller 100 issuing a group command to all three regulator controls 110A-110C. For example, if the controller 100 determines at block 620 that another up command is needed to bring the system voltage in-band, the controller 100 will issue a group up command to all three regulator controls 110A-110C at block 630. Although the first and second examples are described with respect to an up command, similar logic may be applied to a scenario in which a down command is issued to bring the system voltage in-band.

Each individual phase may also be controlled according to the voltage set point limits and the settings determined from the phase voltage and current measurements when performing process 600. The setpoint limits may include, for example, user-defined voltage band thresholds and tap position settings. In some cases, a tap position increase or decrease command issued for a particular phase (e.g., phase a) may violate the settings used to govern the operation of process 600. In this case, the controller 100 is configured to stop controlling the non-violating phases (e.g., B-phase and C-phase) with the "group average mode" control method, and instead begin controlling the non-violating phases using separate phase measurements until the blocking condition no longer exists. A 1V hysteresis may be applied before the "group average mode" control method of controlling the tap positions of the a-C phases is resumed.

In some embodiments, controller 100 is configured to regulate the voltage of three-phase power system 400 by implementing a "group control phase mode" control method. The "group control phase mode" control method is similar to the "group average mode" control method described above. However, while implementing the "group control phase mode" control method, the controller 100 is configured to set the control phase (e.g., the A phase) that is used to control all of the regulator controls 110A-110C, rather than using the average compensation voltage to control the regulator controls 110A-110C. Thus, the control phase is used to set the voltage regulation operation (e.g., determine an up or down command). Thus, if one of the non-control phases experiences a change (e.g., a rise or fall) in direction of adjustment, the non-control phase will still be adjusted in the direction of the control phase, whether from a power flow change or automatically determining a change.

Fig. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a process or operation 700 for adjusting a system voltage (e.g., controlling tap position) according to a "group control phase mode" control method. Although shown as occurring sequentially, some of the steps may be performed in parallel. At block 705, the controller 100 designates a control photo to be used to set voltage regulation operations (block 705). This includes determining a specified phase compensation voltage based on the compensation voltage of the specified control phase. In some examples, the controller 100 determines additional values associated with the specified control, such as average values and set points. At block 710, the controller 100 begins to regulate the three-phase voltage system 400 based on the specified control phase voltage and the specified setpoint value (block 710). This includes, for example, determining, by the controller 100, a voltage regulation operation based on the specified control phase voltage and the specified setpoint. As described above with respect to process 600, the voltage regulation operation may be, for example, an up command or a down command.

At block 715, the controller 100 determines whether each of the voltage regulators 110A-110C is set to the same tap position before issuing the determined command to the regulator controls 110A-110C (block 715). If the regulator controls 110A-110C are set to the same tap position, the controller 100 issues a group command, such as a group up command or a group down command, to all three regulator controls 110A-110C (block 720). After issuing the group command to all three regulator controls 110A-110C, the controller 100 continues to regulate the system voltage (block 725). For example, the controller 100 repeats the process 600 to continue regulating the voltage of the three-phase power system 400.

However, if the regulator controls 110A-110C are not set to the same tap position at block 715, the controller 100 determines whether the regulation operation determined at block 710 is a raise command (block 730). Further, the controller 100 evaluates the tap position of each respective regulator control 110A-110C with respect to the tap positions of the other two regulator controls 110A-110C before issuing commands to one or more of the regulator controls 110A-110C (block 730). If the controller 100 determines that the command is a raise command, the controller 100 issues a raise command to the regulator control 110A-110C having the lowest tap position (block 735). After issuing the up command, the controller 100 continues to regulate the system voltage (block 725). However, if the controller 100 determines that the command is a down command, the controller 100 issues a down command to the one or more regulator controls 110A-110C having the highest tap positions (block 740). After issuing the decrease command, the controller 100 continues to regulate the system voltage (block 725).

In some embodiments, the controller 100 is configured to regulate the voltage of the system 400 by implementing a "multi-phase average" control method. Similar to the "group average mode" control method, controller 100 uses the same polyphase set points and average compensation voltage of system 400 to control the tap position of each phase line 415A-415C while implementing the "polyphase average" control method. However, when the controller 100 implements the "multi-phase average" control method, control is limited to the phases of the band that are most outside of the desired voltage range. That is, unlike the "group average mode" control method, the controller 100 does not issue a group up command or a group down command to all of the regulator controls 110A-110C at the same time. If any of the regulator controls 110A-110C were blocked when implementing the "multi-phase average" control method, the controller 100 would switch from using the "multi-phase average" control method to using the "multi-phase independent operation" control method to control tap positions.

Fig. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a process or operation 800 for adjusting a system voltage (e.g., controlling tap position) according to a "multi-phase average" control method. Although shown as occurring sequentially, some of the steps may be performed in parallel. At block 805, the controller 100 determines whether operation of any of the regulator controls 110A-110C is blocked (block 805). If operation of one or more of the regulator controls 110A-110C is blocked, the controller 100 begins to regulate the system voltage using a "multi-phase independent operation" control method (block 810). If none of the regulator controls 110A-110C is prevented from operating, the controller 100 calculates an average compensation voltage for the three-phase power system 400 (block 815). As described above, the average compensation voltage is calculated based on the respective voltages of each phase.

At block 820, the controller 100 runs a voltage regulation task based on the determined average compensation voltage and the multiphase setpoint (block 820). The operating voltage adjustment task includes determining whether to issue one of an up command or a down command based on the average compensation voltage and the multi-phase setpoint. That is, at block 820, the controller 100 determines a voltage regulation operation, such as issuing an up command or a down command, that will bring the voltage of the power distribution system 400 in-band based on the average compensation voltage and the multi-phase set point.

At block 825, the controller 100 determines whether the adjustment operation determined at block 820 is a raise command (block 825). Further, prior to issuing commands to one or more of the regulator controls 110A-110C, the controller 100 evaluates the respective voltages of each phase with respect to the voltages of the other two phases (block 825). If the controller 100 determines that the command is a boost command, the controller 100 issues a boost command to the voltage regulator 110A-110C associated with the voltage regulator having the smallest or lowest voltage (block 830). After issuing the up command, the controller 100 continues to regulate the system voltage (block 835). If the controller 100 determines that the command is a decrease command, the controller 100 issues a decrease command to the regulator control 110A-110C associated with the regulator control having the greatest or highest voltage (block 840). After issuing the decrease command, the controller 100 continues to regulate the system voltage (block 835).

As described above, controller 100 uses regulator controls 110A-110C to adjust the position of each tap based on the voltage of phase lines 415A-415C relative to the center of the voltage band. For example, when a three-phase voltage of a power system (such as three-phase power system 400) drops below a predefined voltage level (less than a voltage band center), controller 100 may be configured to raise one or more of the voltage tap positions to a point of higher voltage using regulator controls 110A-110C and tap-changing motors 325A-325C. This has the effect of increasing the system voltage. Similarly, as another example, when the voltage of the power system increases above a predefined voltage level (greater than the voltage band center), the controller 100 may be configured to reduce one or more of the tap positions to a point of lower voltage using the regulator controls 110A-110C and the tap-changing motors 325A-325C. This has the effect of reducing the system voltage.

Regulator controls 110A-110C, corresponding to phase lines 415A-415C, respectively, are generally configured to operate according to the same band center voltage and bandwidth settings. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the voltage regulator controls 110A-110C may be configured to operate according to a 120V band center voltage (normalized with the voltage transformer secondary voltage) and a 3V bandwidth. For induction motor loads, NEMA MG1 provides guidance regarding the rise in temperature of the motor for unbalanced voltage supply voltages, as even small voltage imbalances can result in large current imbalances flowing through the phase lines 415A-415C. For example, a voltage imbalance of 3.5% across phase lines 415A-415C may result in a 25% temperature rise in a large load (such as a multi-phase induction motor).

Various methods for regulating system voltage, such as the ganged and independent control methods described herein, may be used to reduce voltage imbalances occurring within the three-phase power system 400. However, some voltage regulation methods for controlling tap positions are ineffective in considering the source voltage imbalance that requires the regulator controls 110A-110C to be in different tap positions to obtain a balanced three-phase voltage. Furthermore, if the load on each phase line 415A-415C is unbalanced and the line drop compensation is used to calculate the load voltage under the feeder using the load current measurement and the line impedance, the regulator controls 110A-110C should be at different taps to obtain a balanced voltage. This can be difficult when using a voltage regulation method that sets the individual phase taps to the same position.

Thus, another method of regulating the system voltage by controlling tap position is proposed, as described below, to reduce the voltage imbalance supplied to the three-phase load on the system 400. Fig. 10 is a flow chart illustrating a process or operation 1000 for reducing voltage imbalance supplied to a three-phase load in an electrical power system 400. It should be understood that although shown as occurring sequentially, some of the steps may be performed in parallel.

Controller 100 determines whether all three phase lines 415A-415C have voltages within the band with the center voltage (block 1005). For example, referring to the example shown in FIG. 9, controller 100 determines whether phase lines 415A-415C are at a voltage within a 3V band centered at 120V. When one or more of the phase line voltages are not in-band with the center voltage, the controller 100 performs an operation of bringing the out-of-band phase into-band with the center voltage (block 1010). For example, the controller 100 may use one or more of the voltage regulation methods described above (e.g., "group average mode", "group control phase mode", "multi-phase average", etc.) to bring the out-of-band phase into the band of the band center.

When all three phase line voltages are within the band with the center voltage, controller 100 determines whether any voltage differences between the phases (e.g., the voltage difference between phase lines 415A and 415B, the voltage difference between phase lines 415A and 415C, and the voltage difference between phase lines 415B and 415C) exceeds the minimum phase voltage differential (minimize phase voltage differential, MPVD) threshold (block 1015). For example, as shown in fig. 11, which illustrates an exemplary interface for configuring the controller 100, the controller 100 may be configured to operate according to a MPVD threshold equal to 0.5V. However, it should be understood that other values of MPVD may alternatively be selected.

When the voltage difference between two or more of the phase lines 415A-415C exceeds MPVD, the controller 100 is configured to reduce the voltage difference by moving the corresponding voltage tap (associated with the phase line 415 having the voltage furthest from the band center voltage) using the regulator control 110 and the voltage tap motor 325 (block 1020). For example, referring to fig. 9, the voltage of the first phase line 415A and the voltage of the second phase line 415B are both different from the band center voltage by about 1.5V. In particular, the voltage of the first phase line 415 is 1.5V greater than the band center voltage, and the voltage of the second phase line 415 is 1.5V less than the band center voltage. Thus, controller 100 controls regulator control 110A to lower the tap position associated with phase line 415A. Similarly, controller 100 controls regulator control 110B to raise the tap position associated with phase line 415B. In some embodiments, the voltage tap position is not moved until the set time delay is completed. Controller 100 may continue to perform process 1000 until none of the voltage differences between the phases (e.g., the voltage difference between phase lines 415A and 415B, the voltage difference between phase lines 415A and 415C, and the voltage difference between phase lines 415B and 415C) exceeds the MPVD threshold.

In an alternative embodiment of a method for reducing the voltage imbalance supplied to a three-phase load, controller 100 may be configured to calculate the respective voltage differences between each phase line 415A-415C and the belt center voltage, rather than calculating the voltage differences between phase lines 415A-415. For example, controller 100 may be configured to calculate a voltage difference between phase line 415A and the band center voltage, a voltage difference between phase line 415B and the band center voltage, and a voltage difference between phase line 415C and the band center voltage. In such an embodiment, controller 100 then compares the voltage difference between phase lines 415A-415C and the band center voltage to MPVD thresholds before raising or lowering the voltage tap position.

Fig. 12 is a flow chart illustrating another example method or process 1200 for regulating the voltage of a three-phase power system, such as three-phase power system 400. It should be understood that although shown as occurring sequentially, some of the steps may be performed in parallel.

At block 1205, the controller 100 begins the process 1200 (block 1205). At block 1210, the controller 100 determines whether a target clock cycle condition, such as a clock cycle beat of 260.4 microseconds, is met (block 1210). If the target clock cycle condition is met, the controller 100 executes an interrupt driven service routine (blocks 1215-1225). At block 1215, the controller 100 samples each analog channel feed and converts the sampled analog signals to digital signals accordingly (block 1215). At block 1220, the controller 100 applies a recursive discrete fourier transform (discrete fourier transform, DFT) to each channel feed input (block 1220). At block 1225, the controller 100 calculates the current through the tap-changing motors 325A-325C (block 1225).

At block 1230, the controller 100 determines whether a target number of samples, such as 64 samples, have been counted (block 1230). If the target number of samples has not been counted, the controller 100 returns to block 1210. If the target number of samples has been counted, the controller 100 performs a status update of one or more of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C (block 1235). Performing the status update may include checking a value of current flowing through one or more of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C.

At block 1240, the controller 100 determines whether the state of one or more of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C is equal to zero (block 1240). If at block 1240, the controller 100 determines that the state of one or more of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C is zero, the controller 100 performs a first routine to manage the voltage set points of the system and to manage the state of an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) coupled to the controller 100 (block 1245). After block 1245, the controller 100 increments the state of the one or more tap-changing motors 325A-325C by one (block 1250) and determines whether the updated state of the one or more tap-changing motors 325A-325C is greater than three (block 1255). If the status of one or more of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C is greater than three, the controller 100 sets the status of one or more of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C to zero (block 1260) before returning to block 1235. If the status of one or more of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C is not greater than three, the controller 100 returns to block 1235.

Returning to block 1240, if the controller 100 determines that the status of one or more of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C is not equal to zero, the controller 100 determines if the status of one or more of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C is equal to one (block 1265). If, at block 1265, the controller 100 determines that the status of one or more of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C is equal to 1, the controller 100 performs one or more housekeeping tasks (block 1270) and proceeds to block 1250. If at block 1265, the controller 100 determines that the state of one or more of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C is not equal to one, the controller 100 determines if the state of one or more of the tap-changing motors 325A-225C is equal to two (block 1275).

If at block 1275, the controller 100 determines that the status of one or more of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C is equal to two, the controller 100 performs one or more data logging tasks (block 1280) and proceeds to block 1250. If at block 1275, the controller 100 determines that the state of one or more of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C is not equal to two, the controller 100 determines if the state of one or more of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C is equal to three (block 1285).

If, at block 1285, the controller 100 determines that the state of one or more of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C is equal to three, the controller 100 executes one or more voltage adjustment routines for each phase (block 1290). For example, the controller 100 regulates the voltage using one or more of the voltage regulation methods described herein. After adjusting the phase voltage, the controller 100 proceeds to block 1250. If, at block 1285, the controller 100 determines that the status of one or more of the tap-changing motors 325A-325C is not equal to three, the controller 100 outputs an error notification (block 1295) before proceeding to block 1260.

Fig. 13 illustrates a block diagram 1300 of an example hardware architecture that can be used to implement one or more of the voltage regulation methods described herein. It should be understood that the hardware architecture shown in fig. 13 is provided as an example only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the multiphase voltage regulation method described herein in any way. As shown, the hardware architecture includes a computing module with a processor (CPU) coupled to a secure flash boot, secure dynamic random access memory (secure dynamic random access memory, SDRAM), and static random access memory (static random access memory, SRAM). The computing module is connected to additional memory components including external memory cards, data storage, and program flash.

The hardware architecture also includes a power supply and various communication components connected to the computing module. For example, the communication component includes first and second universal asynchronous receiver-transmitters (universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter, UART), an ethernet port, and a universal serial bus (universal serial bus, USB). Furthermore, the hardware architecture includes an ADC for converting analog inputs to the computing module, an EEPROM for storing the current settings of the system, and a digital input/output interface.

In the foregoing specification, specific examples, features and aspects have been described. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. The specification and figures are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present teachings.

The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element of any or all the claims. The application is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.

Moreover, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms "comprises," comprising, "" has, "" having, "" includes, "" including, "" containing, "" contains, "" containing (containing) or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Elements beginning with "comprising … a," "having … a," "comprising … a," or "containing … a" do not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains the element without further constraints. The terms "a" and "an" are defined as one or more unless specifically stated otherwise herein. The terms "substantially," "approximately," "about," or any other version thereof are defined as being approximately as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in one non-limiting embodiment, the term is defined to be within 10%, in another embodiment within 5%, in another embodiment within 1%, and in another embodiment within 0.5%. The term "coupled," as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is "configured" in some way is configured at least in that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.

It will be appreciated that some embodiments may be comprised of one or more general purpose or special purpose processors (or "processing devices"), such as microprocessors, digital signal processors, custom processors, and field programmable gate arrays (field programmable GATE ARRAY, FPGAs), and unique stored program instructions (including software and firmware) that control the one or more processors to implement, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some, most, or all of the functions of the methods and/or apparatus described herein. Alternatively, some or all functions could be implemented by a state machine that has no stored program instructions, or in one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), in which each function or some combinations of certain of the functions are implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of the two methods may be used.

Furthermore, one embodiment may be implemented as a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable code stored thereon for programming a computer (e.g., comprising a processor) to perform a method as described and claimed herein. Examples of such computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, hard disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, ROMs (read-only memory), PROMs (programmable read-only memory), EPROMs (erasable programmable read-only memory), EEPROMs (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), and flash memory. Moreover, it is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such software instructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation.

The Abstract of the disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing detailed description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

Claims

1. A control system for a multi-phase power system including a first phase line, a second phase line, and a third phase line, the control system comprising:

a plurality of regulator controls, comprising:

a first regulator control configured to control a first tap-changer associated with the first phase line;

a second regulator control configured to control a second tap-changer associated with the second phase line;

a third regulator control configured to control a third tap-changer associated with the third phase line;

A converter circuit configured to convert power flowing through the first, second, and third phase lines to a level for powering the first, second, and third tap changers; and

An electronic processor coupled to the first, second, and third regulator controls, the electronic processor configured to:

Determining whether a voltage level of the first phase line exceeds a threshold;

When the voltage level of the first phase exceeds the threshold, controlling a first relay to power the first tap-changer with power converted from the first phase line to affect a tap-change on the first phase line;

determining whether the voltage level of the second phase line exceeds the threshold value when the voltage level of the first phase line is less than the threshold value; and

When the voltage of the first phase line is less than the threshold, a second relay is controlled to power the first tap-changer with power converted from the second phase line to affect a tap-change on the first phase line.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:

determining whether the voltage level of the third phase line exceeds the threshold value when the voltage level of the second phase line is less than the threshold value; and

When the voltage of the first phase line is less than the threshold, the voltage of the second phase line is less than the threshold, and the voltage of the third phase line exceeds the threshold, a third relay is controlled to power the first tap-changer with power converted from the third phase line to affect a tap-change on the first phase line.

3. The control system of claim 2, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:

When the voltage of the second phase line is less than the threshold value and the voltage of the third phase line exceeds the threshold value, the third relay is controlled to supply power to the second tap-changer with power converted from the third phase line to affect a tap change on the second phase line.

4. The control system of claim 3, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:

When the voltage of the third phase line exceeds the threshold, the third relay is controlled to supply power to the third tap-changer with power converted from the third phase line to affect a tap change on the third phase line.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein the converter circuit collects positive half cycles of power flowing through the first, second, and third phase lines to power the first, second, and third tap changers.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third regulator controls are supported on a single Printed Circuit Board (PCB) coupled to the electronic processor.

7. The control system of claim 1, further comprising a front panel comprising:

a first sub-panel associated with the first regulator control;

a second sub-panel associated with the second regulator control; and

A third sub-panel associated with the third regulator control.

8. A control system for a multi-phase power system including a first phase line, a second phase line, and a third phase line, the control system comprising:

a plurality of regulator controls, comprising:

determining an average voltage of the multi-phase power system based on the voltage of the first phase line, the voltage of the two phase lines, and the voltage of the first phase line;

determining a voltage regulation command based on the average voltage and a multiphase setpoint;

determining whether the first tap changer, the second tap changer and the third tap changer are set to the same tap position;

the voltage adjustment command is issued to each of the first, second, and third regulator controls when the first, second, and third tap changers are in the same tap position.

9. The control system of claim 8, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:

determining whether the voltage regulation command is an up command or a down command;

Determining which of the first, second and third tap changers is set to a lowest tap position; and

When the voltage adjustment command is a boost command, the voltage adjustment command is issued to a regulator control associated with the corresponding tap-changer set to the lowest tap position.

10. The control system of claim 8, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:

determining which of the first, second and third tap changers is set to a highest tap position; and

When the voltage adjustment command is a decrease command, the voltage adjustment command is issued to a regulator control associated with the corresponding tap-changer set to the highest tap position.

11. The control system of claim 8, wherein the multiphase setpoint comprises a target band center voltage of the multiphase power system.

12. The control system of claim 11, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:

determining whether the average voltage exceeds the target band center voltage by a first amount; and

Wherein the voltage adjustment command is a decrease command when the average voltage exceeds the target band center voltage by the first amount.

13. The control system of claim 11, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to:

Determining whether the average voltage is less than the target band center voltage by a first amount; and

Wherein the voltage adjustment command is a step-up command when the average voltage is less than the target band center voltage by the first amount.

14. The control system of claim 8, wherein the electronic processor is further configured to independently control each of the first, second, and third regulator controls when operation of at least one of the first, second, and third regulator controls is prevented.

15. A control system for a multi-phase power system including a first phase line, a second phase line, and a third phase line, the control system comprising:

a plurality of regulator controls, comprising:

a third regulator control configured to control a third tap-changer associated with the third phase line; and

determining whether each of the voltage of the first phase line, the voltage of the second phase line, and the voltage of the first phase line is within a band of a target band center;

performing a voltage regulation operation when one or more of the voltages of the first, second and third phase lines are out of band of the target band center;

Determining whether any of the voltages of the first, second, and third phase lines differ from the target band center by more than a threshold value; and

When any one of the voltages of the first, second, and third phase lines differs from the target band center by more than the threshold value, the tap position of the tap-changer associated with the phase line having the voltage farthest from the band center is adjusted.

16. The control system of claim 15, wherein the first, second, and third regulator controls are supported on a single Printed Circuit Board (PCB) coupled to the electronic processor.

17. The control system of claim 15, further comprising a front panel comprising:

a first sub-panel associated with the first regulator control;

a second sub-panel associated with the second regulator control; and

A third sub-panel associated with the third regulator control.

18. The control system of claim 15, wherein the voltage regulation operation comprises controlling the first, second, and third tap changers in a group-wise manner.

19. The control system of claim 15, wherein the voltage regulation operation comprises controlling the first tap changer, the second tap changer, and the third tap changer in an independent manner.

20. The control system of claim 15, wherein the value of the threshold is definable by a user.