KR20000015790A - High efficiency lighting system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A universal electric power interface is provided to accept plural AC power and DC power sources at the same time and to use the AC and the DC power sources for a lighting and/or a final use by a joint-owning method. CONSTITUTION: A DC power system capable of serving all electrical end-use applications such as maintains normal lighting conditions by lighting fixtures requiring DC electrical power as well as other DC compatible loads. A power control and conversion device receives AC electrical power from a public utility or similar AC source and converts AC power to DC power and delivers low voltage DC electrical power to lighting fixtures or any DC compatible end-use. An alternative DC power source or sources may be connected to the device and within the device combined with the converted source in service to the load. A standby rechargeable battery serves as an alternative DC source and may be provided to maintain power during line power outages. Optionally, an alternative DC power source such as a photovoltaic DC electrical power source may be connected to the power control device, to provide DC electrical power proportionally to the DC loads. In a further embodiment, a variety of power sources may be connected to the power device such as a gas driven cogenerator unit to supply DC electrical power. This device may also serve in a stand alone application without AC line grid supplies.

Description

Power system for high efficiency lighting

Uninterruptible power sources are known as components that are particularly necessary for emergency lighting systems where lighting integrity is essential and when applied to computer equipment to "safely handle" a brief line power outage so that no data is lost and synthesized. Many have limited battery storage performance due to typical high battery storage capacity requirements and high battery unit costs. Therefore, the operation cycle with the conventional uninterruptible means cannot be maintained while the power failure is increased. Some specific lighting systems are similarly protected by AC power sources for critical applications such as operating rooms in hospitals. Such systems tend to be sophisticated and very expensive, depending on whether they use a battery or an AC auxiliary power source, and as a result are limited to very expensive applications. Given the cost, many of these systems are not reasonable in terms of output performance and durability. Instead of these considerations, the reduced amounts for auxiliary emergency lighting and other power needs are provided in packaged "add-on" systems that are provided only for specific applications and not for regular standard lighting system needs, but are applied and coupled during power outages. Supplied by; These types of packages are often used in stairwells and consist of a simple housing that encloses one or two simple flood lamps by means of batteries, basic chargers, power sensor means and limited light output capacity.

These conventional systems, although more sophisticated and complex in configuration, are loss in performance due to cost, do not improve lighting performance, efficiency, and improve power application values except through limited uninterrupted operation during critical power outages. It is not considered an equivalent or economic alternative for conventional lighting or other end users.

The present invention relates to low voltage, DC, high efficiency uninterruptible lighting and DC power systems capable of operating simultaneously with a plurality of alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) power sources.

1 is a block diagram of a basic power system applied to a lighting fixture and showing basic input and output power connections.

FIG. 2 is a physical block diagram of a basic power system, such as a photovoltaic cell (PV), used as an unblockable lighting system without an auxiliary DC power input but with a connected battery system.

3 is a wiring diagram of a single lighting circuit configuration using the cluster concept of preventing excessive low voltage current and voltage drop from the low voltage DC power module to extend the cable length.

4 is a wiring diagram of a four power module system that accommodates larger lighting area requirements supported from a single AC high voltage line circuit breaker while avoiding excessive low voltage operating cable lengths and dropouts.

5 is a block diagram of the lighting system of FIG. 2 with a PV panel.

6 is a front view of a power control unit with typical power input and output connections.

FIG. 7 is a detailed diagram of wiring for a two lamp low voltage DC gas discharge ballast compatible with a power control unit. FIG.

8 is a schematic diagram of the wiring for a single lamp low voltage DC gas discharge ballast compatible with the power control unit.

9 is a front view of an enclosure including a battery.

10 is a block diagram of a power control unit showing typical power input and power output connections and internal functions.

11 is a block diagram of an alternative energy selective lighting system using natural gas cavitation as an alternative DC power source.

It is an object of the present invention to routinely replace conventional building or office lighting and other end uses and more versatile uninterruptible lighting systems and / or to consider conventional end use needs without compromising end use performance. Or to provide an end-use power system.

Another object of the present invention is to provide high operating efficiency at lower operating costs than conventional incandescent and fluorescent lighting systems.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a long-term uninterrupted (3 hours +) with a small storage capacity.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide optimum battery management for long term stationary battery shelf life and more economical operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a compatible and economical connection to alternating energy sources such as solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, fuel cells and other similar DC power supplies and to maintain the battery within the desired performance range while maintaining the output load. Or to provide for the management of these energy sources in connection with supplying the load.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a system with improved safety through low voltage operation, nominal 26.6 volts for two lead-acid, 12 volt battery systems at room temperature between the power control unit and the lighting fixture or DC end-use device. It is. While supplying a suitable DC-compatible load, other battery systems can also be applied and the output supply voltage is adjusted for optimal battery maintenance and lifespan.

Another object of the present invention is to achieve high power performance through dynamic high power factor correction and likewise to achieve overall low harmonic AC supply line distortion.

Another object of the present invention is to achieve service performance by low voltage operation and greater overall application value while using standard building wiring and wire sizes while achieving very small voltage drops.

Another object of the present invention is independent of critical disasters and areas, such as limited collapse and explosion, through modular independent power in-line devices between AC circuit breakers and end use that increases system and subsystem integrity with simple component standardization. It aims to provide the integrity of the entire building's power for other end uses and lighting.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a universal power interface that accepts multiple AC and DC power sources simultaneously and shares them in lighting and / or end use applications in a shared manner.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a universal power interface that accommodates multiple AC or DC power sources individually and that nothing else supports lighting and / or end use applications with expected performance for conventional end use applications.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a means and method for using the present invention as a power interface that can be used for low voltage, DC operation in buildings with conventional standard high voltage AC wiring and cable sizes.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modular structure that allows power units to be connected in series to satisfy high DC dynamic voltages at increasing power unit design voltages.

In order to achieve the above and other evident objects, the present invention is a formal integration of various DC electronic ballasts for use as gas discharge lamps that require DC power as defined by the voltage requirements of the present invention. The use of lighting fixtures includes the application of high efficiency lighting systems to maintain regular lighting levels and conditions.

The system includes power control means that receive AC and / or DC power from the power source and deliver the required low voltage DC power for lighting fixtures or DC compatible end use. When connected to an AC power source, the power control means converts the AC power source into a regulated low voltage DC that is compatible with the long term "floating" voltage requirements of the fixed rechargeable battery electrical system. The battery, on an alternative basis, supplies the necessary DC low voltage power to the power control means. An example lead-acid design battery is connected to the power control means such that it can be kept fully charged or "floating" by the power control means during normal supply of AC power from a grid or similar AC power source.

The power control means also serves to transfer the DC power required during the AC power outage from the battery to the DC compatible lighting fixture or compatible end use to maintain DC operating power seamlessly.

The power control means may be a plurality of power control means connected to its battery and / or alternative DC power source to maintain lighting or end-use power in a building with multiple room and area requirements.

An optional photovoltaic (PV) source of DC power may be connected to the power control means for proportionally reducing the amount of power taken from the grid or similar AC power source. The control means can deliver any excessive PV power that is not needed for the electrical load to the selectively connected battery without exceeding the safety and stable long term operating requirements of the battery. If the power application does not include a battery, the power control means will likewise and proportionally support the load with an AC power source without exceeding the operating limit.

The accumulator supplies, as an alternative, DC low voltage power to the load when the power control means drops a very regulated DC voltage below the battery voltage, as in the case of interrupting the converted DC power from the AC cost power control means. do. Otherwise the power control means keeps the battery fully charged by the power from the AC grid power source and in a standby "floating" state.

In one aspect of the invention, the AC power input is converted to a DC "floating" voltage that is controlled equally by the power control means without using a battery or auxiliary DC power source, thereby satisfying low voltage DC lighting. Thus, high efficiency gas discharge lighting is provided by the power control means, with a switching-mode voltage regulator design, by means of very high AC-DC conversion efficiency and optimum voltage control, and as in conventional electrical ballast design, DC ballast. Is achieved by eliminating the same AC-DC conversion component. Switching-mode voltage regulation is preferred, but the invention is not limited to such voltage regulation means.

The power control means may include circuitry to transfer power while preventing the DC current from exceeding a predetermined limit. The power control means may comprise other circuitry capable of detecting the short circuit so as to interrupt the DC power delivery until the short circuit is removed.

Maintaining normal power for a lighting fixture that requires DC power, the system includes power control means for receiving DC power from a DC power source and supplying the required DC power to the lighting fixture, and power for converting AC power into DC power. Control means.

In a further embodiment for remote use, such as a remote facility that does not have access to conventional AC power, the high efficiency lighting system maintains normal lighting conditions with lighting fixtures that require DC power. This remote system includes DC power from a suitable auxiliary DC power source, such as a photovoltaic panel, to deliver the necessary low voltage DC power to the remote facility lighting fixture and / or compatibility end-use application, and power control means. The power control means also controls the maximum charge and optimum state of charge of the battery.

The battery also supplies the necessary DC low voltage power to the power control means on an alternative basis. It is connected to the power control means while maintaining the state of charge by the power control means while the DC power source is available, such as at the time of sunrise when power is input from the photovoltaic panel.

Moreover, power control means are needed for a period of time when power is not available from the power source or photovoltaic panel, such as when the secondary DC power source has to be shut off for certain reasons, such as when the cloud is blocked for the PV source and at night. DC power is transferred from the battery to the lighting fixture.

The invention can be best understood in connection with the accompanying drawings.

1 is a block diagram of the main components of an uninterruptible lighting system supported by the present invention. This system may be used for other DC compatible loads designed to utilize the output voltage of the power system of the present invention. It can be installed where conventional building lighting or other end-use devices are needed. Unlike emergency lighting and other emergency power systems, this is a full service, high performance end-use power product. It works with standard fixtures, lamps, and DC-compatible devices without compromising output performance in the case of common power outages. This allows battery power storage to continue normal power support functions for extended periods of time without disrupting work activity due to lighting losses and potential other power needs. The main subsystem that binds the entire system together is the power control unit (PCU) 1, which normally uses standard AC grid power to support end-use applications and keeps the optional battery 2 at optimum charge. The lighting fixture 3 when used for illumination is a gas discharge lamp such as a fluorescent lamp using an electrical ballast which requires a DC low voltage (nominal 26.6 volts) input supplied by the line 5 from the power control unit 1. . Other lamp types can also be used, such as incandescent lamps. During a power outage, the DC line 5 is supplied by the battery 2.

FIG. 2 is a physical block diagram of an AC electrical service panel 6 with three standard wire cable systems supplying the PCU 1 with a voltage of 120 to 277 VAC. The battery case (7) generally includes two group 24/27 size discharge lead-acid accumulators (8) in series and connected to the PCU (1) via a 30 AMP fuse (9) and cables (10 and 11). Is connected to. The wiring for all lighting fixtures and compatible end uses (3) is a nominal operating voltage of 26.6 volts DC. In a nominal embodiment, each PCU 1 has an electrical DC of 25 amperes at or near the design voltage of the 10 two tube 48 inch T8 fluorescent fixture or 20 single tube fixture 3 or the battery system used. The load equivalents can be powered.

3 shows a wiring design for a typical office lighting application 15 with walls 16 as supported by a single PCU 1. Compartment zone 7 conveniently serves to receive a relatively small battery volume 2. The AC line 4 leads to the PCU 1 as it can be of a compact size which can be advantageously mounted in the ceiling hole. The DC wiring connection 5 to the lighting fixture is also in the ceiling hole and is close to the PCU 1 to provide a short wiring path to the lighting fixture 3. These devices, where the low voltage is connected to the lighting load, form internal clusters that overlap many times from a single supported high voltage AC line as shown in FIG.

PCU 1 is an electrical input with a wide range of continuous AC supply voltages and can accept inputs in the range of 110 to 277 VAC. The power input to the PCU 1 is nominally 755 watts for AC rms (square root mean) current, which ranges from 2.6 to 6.6 amps depending on the AC input range. The equivalent range of the input AC current varies depending on the AC input voltage. The PCU (1) has a high power factor corrected to .99, 20 amp circuit breakers and number 12 wires can be expected to support large quantities of PCUs and their corresponding illumination capacities achieve up to 3 PCUs from a 120 volt line do. Likewise, six units can be supported with 277 voltage lines for a total of about 4000 watts of DC power output and 4300 watts of AC input.

4 shows the wiring design of an office area 19 with walls 16 separating eight small offices and four large object rooms. This involves the use of four separate uninterruptible lighting systems using four battery modules 2 and four PCUs 1 located in four central compartments 17. Four PCUs are supplied from a single 220 VAC of the power panel 6 via the AC cable 4 as distributed from the distribution box 20. Each of the lighting systems supplies ten two lamp fixtures 3.

There are several different power modes possible with PCU 1. 5 shows a battery case 7 and a photovoltaic (PV) panel 25 with an AC electrical service panel 6, a battery 8 and a fuse 9 connected to the PCU 1 by cables 10, 11. It shows an uninterruptible lighting system comprising a. This mode allows solar energy to be an auxiliary power source for the AC line while maintaining the storage battery case 7 with the battery 8 as a power substitute during AC outages and solar energy fluctuations.

As shown in FIG. 6, which is a front view of the PCU 1, it is simple to wire the PV panel to the PCU 1 without sophisticated AC power conditioners as in a typical PV application. The PV panel is simply connected to two PV inputs on the PCU (1). This mode allows high reliability lighting with PV as AC line, battery mount and overlapping power sources.

The simplest power mode of operation is when the AC line is input to a power source with a PCU (1) supporting a low voltage DC lighting system. Such a system with PCU 1 alone attached to the AC line is a viable, high efficiency lighting system with minimal interface power loss that can be afforded by reducing energy consumption. By simply connecting the battery subsystem to the base system, the user achieves an additional power mode that satisfies the uninterruptible DC power operation supporting the lighting. Another power mode of operation is achieved using a PCU 1 with no battery but with an AC input and a PV panel. The contribution of PV in this mode is preferably absorbed by the DC load with the balance supplied by the AC input.

In another power mode of operation the PCU 1 can be used as a standalone power system in which no grid supported central AC is produced. Such a system is preferably in an area remote from the AC grid. With such a system, with PCU 1 attached to a suitable PV panel and a suitable rechargeable battery, solar lighting and other DC loads need to be satisfied including a DC-AC 60 Hz power inverter.

PCU 1 is distinguished by whether it is useful enough to support multiple power modes of operation while satisfying lighting and other electrical requirements. It can also supply other DC loads such as home appliances, microwave ovens, DC refrigerators, and the like. Moreover, it is possible to alternately receive external DC power from various power sources other than photovoltaic cells, such as wind generators or engine driven DC generators.

6 also shows a front view of the PCU 1 with the heat sink 28 and the terminal strip 29 in a fin shape.

7 and 8 show wiring diagrams and details for two lamp and one lamp DC ballast, respectively.

9 is a front view of battery case 7 with housing 35, hinged lid 36 and latch 37. Thermoplastic case for sealed type lead-acid batteries.

10 shows a block diagram of the PCU 1. The AC input is rectified by a DC rectifier means such as a bridge circuit. Power factor correction means are used to achieve low harmonic distortion and high power factor overall at the AC input. The control means and the voltage regulator means interact via circuits such as a DC-DC switching power supply topology and pulse width modulation to provide a nominal 26.6 volts to the lighting ballast or other suitable DC load via the power connection means.

10 also shows control and voltage regulator means that can interact to block the DC output of the PCU 1 and to limit the upper operating current of the PCU 1 when a short circuit is detected. Circuitry for detecting such short circuits may be continuously active and dynamic and reset to normal at any time. Programmable voltages such as 13.3, 26.6, and 39.9 are also available to support serially connected battery systems and control requirements.

Battery undervoltage lockout isolates the battery in situations where charge is depleted to prevent discharge that chemically and physically damage the battery. PV voltage regulators and suppressors are power conditioners / controllers that suppress voltage transitions and prevent the hazards of charging batteries from PV panels.

FIG. 11 is an alternative embodiment for a power system driven with power including natural gas co-generation. AC power 50 is normally converted to DC power by PCU 1 consisting of DC power converter 51 and control means 52 or other components detailed by the operation of PCU 1. However, a co-generator in the form of a gas-fueled DC generator 53 receives a primary energy source from a natural gas source 54 and converts it into DC power to support a building lighting system, such as an electronically ballasted fluorescent light. . The system can use the building lighting system 55 to change customer needs to provide platters and more predictable power demand curves for the electrical utility, supplemented by gas energy sources, Relax peak power. This results in reduced demand charges.

The cogeneration system can be driven continuously for the lighting load 55, eliminating the need for expensive synchronous 60 kW power inverters to be returned via the AC power line 50.

DC gas generator 53 connects directly to building lighting system 55 through an auxiliary DC input of PCU 1 to operate building lighting system 55.

Other embodiments may be applied to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims (27)

In a power system applied to lighting and other end-use application systems to maintain normal lighting conditions with conventional lighting fixtures and other end-use power applications that require DC power, Accepts AC power at multiple frequencies from a power source, accepts DC power from an alternative DC power source, and adjusts the regulated low voltage DC power required to a voltage matched lamp and / or at least one DC compatible end-house within the lighting fixture. Use power control means for delivering to a device load; The power control means, Converting the AC power into DC voltage regulated power, Combining the AC power converted into DC voltage regulated power and the alternative DC power source powering the at least one DC compatible end-use device load, Modifying the converted DC output voltage as a means for controlling power delivered by the alternative DC power source, And support an electrical load with or without an alternative DC power source for supplying the at least one DC compatible end-use device load. The method of claim 1, And said power control means limits the current at said DC output for an upper limit defined and defined by the maximum power performance of said power control means during power transfer. The method of claim 1, And the power control means cuts off the output power delivered upon detection of a short circuit across the output terminal. The method of claim 1, The alternative DC power source is a rechargeable battery that continues to power the at least one DC compatible load when power is interrupted from the AC power source, The rechargeable battery is maintained for optimum charging in a standby mode stopped by the regulated output voltage of the power control means. The method of claim 4, wherein And said rechargeable battery is activated to support said at least one DC compatible load when said AC input to said power control means is disconnected. The method of claim 4, wherein The power control means electrically connects the rechargeable battery from the at least one DC compatible load when the state of charge of the battery measured by the terminal voltage of the rechargeable battery is smaller than a predetermined value when there is no supporting power source. Power system, characterized in that the separation. The method of claim 4, wherein The power control means for disconnecting power to the battery from any other connected DC power source when the battery is fully charged. The method of claim 1, And said alternative DC power source is an energy converter for converting the energy source into an electrically compatible DC voltage. The method of claim 1, And said alternative DC power source is a photovoltaic solar panel. The method of claim 1, The alternative DC power source is a photovoltaic fuel cell. The method of claim 1, The alternative DC power source is an internal combustion mechanically driven DC electric generator supplied with fossil fuel. The method of claim 1, And said alternative DC power source is a fueled DC co-generator. The method of claim 12, The fuel supplied DC cogenerator is a thermal photovoltaic cogenerator. The method of claim 12, And the fuel supplied DC co-generator is a fuel cell generator. The method of claim 1, The alternative DC power source generates the required DC power. The method of claim 4, wherein And the battery is coupled in a power combination with the energy converter to convert an energy source into an electrically compatible DC voltage. The method of claim 16, And the power combination delivers power proportionally to the load. The method of claim 16, The power combination is a power load leveler that proportionally delivers power to the load. The method of claim 4, wherein And the power control means receives AC current from a power source whose power factor is corrected to approximately 1 with overall very low harmonic distortion reflected in the AC power source. The method of claim 1, And said power control means is arranged centrally and in close proximity to a lighting network of said plurality of DC loads forming said cluster. The method of claim 20, The cluster is a means for lowering the power roving voltage by minimizing the low voltage cable length. The method of claim 20, And said cluster is a means for ensuring local power integrity for the region to which power is supplied even if said central power source is disconnected in any way. The method of claim 20, And said cluster is powered from a standard high voltage AC cable of length proportional to said DC supported cable. The method of claim 20, The cluster utilizes a plurality of power control means, each of which has its own unique cluster and is mainly supplied with power from a single standard high voltage AC cable of proportionally long length to the DC supported cable. Characterized by a power system. The method of claim 4, wherein And the storage battery is coupled in a power combination with an energy converter of a packaged container serving the DC compatible load. The method of claim 4, wherein The battery system is characterized in that it combines in a power combination with an energy converter that powers a DC compatible load without a central grid supplied to an AC power source, such as in a stand alone supported power system rather than a grid. The method of claim 4, wherein And the power control means is present as a central power control point in the power network for all alternative power sources external to the central grid source and uses a local AC generated power source.