MXPA01006350A - System, method and apparatus for connecting electrical sources in series under full load - Google Patents

Abstract

A circuit connects a low-voltage high-current DC power source (PL) in series with a high-voltage low-current DC source (PD). The series connection is made under full power by using the second source PL to commutate the load current and allow the first source PD to be reconfigured from series to parallel operation, doubling its current rating.

Description

SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING ELECTRICAL SOURCES IN A LOW-LOAD SERIES BACKGROUND Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system, method and apparatus for connecting a high current, low voltage (PL) DC source when additional power is required by the load. The invention makes it possible for the series connection to be performed under full power and, in a preferred embodiment, doubles the current ratio of the first source PD. In the preferred embodiment, the invention doubles the nominal current speed of the low current PD high voltage source by breaking it into two series sources and reconfiguring them to operate in parallel. The PD output voltage in parallel mode is only half its serial value, but is compensated by the addition of the high current low voltage source, connected in series P. An important feature of this invention is that it makes it possible for the second source PL to be connected in series with the first source PD while low without joining and appreciably without falling of the energy flow towards the load or elevation of the voltage of the load while it is operated within the constraints of nominal conditions of the first and second sources PD, PL such that the transfer of energy or power is transparent to the load, for example, power anomalies are not detected by the load (interruptions of the current or voltage, peaks, oscillations, falls, disturbances, etc.). This is achieved by using the second PL source to switch the load current. The topology of the resulting circuit allows the load current to be increased to its limit with both sources, contributing power or energy to its nominal limits. An additional feature of this invention is the control strategy used to control the source P and effect the transitions between the modes.

THE PROBLEM RESOLVED WITH THE INVENTION In a typical application of the present invention, an electric load is supplied by a diesel engine that drives a single-phase, three-phase winding alternator connected to a diode rectifier. The alternator / rectifier combination is constrained by the nominal values of current and voltage based on the rated motor power at full rpm. In this case, the load is generally operated at constant DC voltage with the power varying in proportion to the DC input current. This mode of operation is herein designated as Diesel Operation (Figure 1). It is desirable to operate the load at higher power by connecting a second source of high current power in series with the output of the rectifier. The second source, which is constrained to approximately half the rated load voltage, must be interrupted while the load is operating at full diesel power and, in addition, it must not raise the load voltage. The problem, therefore, is to find an economically viable circuit topology and a control strategy to connect a PL high-voltage low voltage power source in series with a high voltage PD low current power source that is operating an electric charge. The circuit must double the rated PD current, not increase the charging voltage, and allow the smooth connection of the second PL source to times when the increased load current is required for the higher power operation.

PROCEDURES TO SUPPLY MORE CURRENT TO THE LOAD AT THE NOMINAL VOLTAGE Additional current is available to operate the load at higher potential if an external DC source is connected in parallel with the output of the rectifier (Figure 2). When the voltage of the external source is greater than the output of the rectifier, the diodes of the rectifier are diverted inversely, the charging current is transferred from the alternator to the external source and, as a result, the alternator / rectifier current decreases to zero. This type of Parallel Line Connection allows an external source to supply the additional current and power to the nominal voltage of the load. The connection can be made while the load is operating at full diesel power, but the voltage from the external source must equal the required voltage of the load. If the voltage of the external source is less than the rated load voltage, the source can be connected in series with the rectifier to provide additional power while maintaining the required charging voltage (Figure 3). In this type of series line connection, the alternator is exceeded at a reduced voltage so that the resulting charge voltage remains at its nominal value. The rectifier and the external source each carry the full load current but contribute energy or power proportional to their respective voltages. This mode also referred to herein as Diesel Overpressure Operation, since the voltage of the external power source is intensified by the combination of diesel, alternator / rectifier to supply the load at its rated voltage and with higher power.

DISADVANTAGES OF THESE PROCEDURES The use of a parallel line connection is limited to cases where the voltage of the external source is equal to the required operating voltage of the load. The use of a serial line connection has two serious problems. The first is that the alternator and the rectifier must be of larger dimensions to handle the increased load current even when they operate at less than the nominal voltage while in the series mode. For example, if the load power is doubled during the Diesel Overpressure Operation and the external source supplies half the load voltage, then the alternator and the rectifier must carry twice their nominal current at half their rated voltage. While the output power of the alternator remains essentially the same as in the diesel mode, the losses due to high currents are prohibitive and this mode of operation is only possible for a very short time. The second problem is that there is considerable difficulty in switching from Diesel Operation to Series Line Operation without shutting down (for example, interrupting) the energy towards the load. The required load transfer must be fast and powerful. There is no economic method to achieve the required switching process with a simple serial line connection. A procedure to supply more current to the load can be to reconfigure the windings of the alternator in two parallel groups of windings (formation of a double winding alternator) and connecting the windings to the two rectifiers. However, there are no known means to date to simultaneously maintain the load and its nominal voltage (without falling, disturbances, etc.) with two rectifiers connected in parallel. In summary, a parallel line connection will not work when the voltage of the available external source is less than the rated voltage of the load. A serial line connection is not practical because the size of the alternator and rectifier have to be increased to handle the higher currents and there is no feasible way to make the connection while it is under full power. A double winding alternator with two rectifiers connected in parallel will not work because the output voltage is too low for the load. To date, there has been no means to solve the above problems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks by providing a PL low voltage / high current source to supply additional power to a high voltage load without appreciably decreasing the energy flow to the load or undermining the load voltage while operating. within the nominal constraints of the first and second sources PD, PL, such that the energy transfer is non-union, for example, transparent to the load, for example, no energy anomalies are detected (interruptions, peaks, oscillations, falls, disturbances, etc. in the current or voltage) by the load. In one embodiment, the invention doubles the nominal current of a high voltage, low PD source, allowing it to operate virtually indefinitely (eg, for extended periods of time) at increased currents required by a series connection with a PL source of high low voltage current. The present invention further provides the second source PL to be connected (and disconnected) in series with the first source PD while the load is operating under full power. The resulting circuit topology and control strategy overcome the disadvantages of parallel and serial line connections that previously made them unsuitable for this application. The invention makes it possible to add a high current source in series with a low current source in operation, and increase the load current to its limit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITY Figure 1 shows the Diesel operation; Figure 2 shows the line connection in parallel; Figure 3 shows the simple serial line connection; Figure 4 shows the line connection in series, with parallel rectifiers; Figure 5 shows the present invention, capable of performing the full load power transfer; Figure 6 shows the present invention, optimized for fewer components; Figure 7 shows the present invention, in double mode; Figure 8 shows the flow diagram for the connection sequence of the present invention; Figure 9 shows the flow chart for the disconnect sequence of the present invention; and Figure 10 shows an AC power transport truck, driven by diesel (diesel) with the diesel overpressure truck configuration in the double mode or the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES The invention is preferably explained by considering the solution in two parts. However, it will be appreciated that the form of the explanation will not limit the scope of the invention as claimed and that the invention may be explained or practiced otherwise.

Part 1: Use of the Double Winding Alternator and a Second Rectifier to Duplicate the Nominal Current The solution to the problem of high alternator / rectifier currents during series operation is to use a double winding alternator and two rectifiers as illustrated in Figure 4. In this case, the alternator is configured with two star windings and the six resulting outputs are connected to two separate diode rectifiers. In the preferred embodiment, each winding has the same rated current, and half the nominal voltage as the single winding alternator. Of course, other configurations are possible in the present invention. For example, it is possible to configure three star windings with nine outputs connected to three. separate rectifiers. The outputs of the two rectifiers can be connected in series to supply the nominal current and voltage to the load. The addition of the second rectifier is not obvious because the additional rectifier slightly reduces the efficiency of the entire system, but this is especially acceptable for the particular application of the present invention. An advantage disclosed by the present invention is that with the use of each additional rectifier the nominal voltage of each rectifier can be reduced because the series connection reduces the blocking voltage requirement on each rectifier. This series configuration, for example, is suitable for normal diesel operation when the load power can be fulfilled by the diesel engine and the full load voltage must be supplied by the alternator / rectifier combination. In this mode, the windings of the alternator and the rectifier are at the same current levels as those that could be for a simple winding simple rectifier solution. Advantageously, the voltage and flow levels in the alternator remain unchanged. The output of the two rectifiers can be connected in parallel to supply, in the preferred embodiment, twice the nominal current at half the nominal voltage. This configuration is suitable for the Diesel Overpressure Operation when the alternator and the rectifier must handle much higher currents at a greatly reduced voltage. Again here, the windings of the alternator and the rectifiers operate at the same current level, as for the case of simple winding. But in this case, the parallel configuration doubles the output current. The use of a double winding alternator with two rectifiers that can be connected either in series or in parallel solves the problem of excessively high alternator and rectifier currents. The series connection provides the nominal voltage under Operation Diesel and the parallel connection doubles the output current capacity. Thus, the present invention solves the previous problems without connection and without appreciably reducing the flow of energy towards the load or raising the voltage of the load while operating within the nominal constraints of the first and second sources PD, P, such that the energy transfer is transparent to the load, for example, no anomalies in energy or power (interruptions, peaks, oscillations, drops, disturbances, etc. of current and voltage) are detected by the load. The use of a double winding alternator with two rectifiers that can be configured either in series or in parallel, can be applied to different applications. Although the present invention is explained below with reference to a diesel engine truck, the invention can be applied, for example, to locomotives where the available power or power is limited, the high current at low voltage is required and the high voltage at low current, corresponding to the operation at low speed and high speed, respectively. A distinctive feature of this invention is that the double winding alternator with two rectifiers is used to facilitate smooth transitions from series to parallel and from parallel to series, particularly while under full load and while maintaining full charge voltage. . In the preferred embodiment, an inverter of the voltage source (VS1) is used as the load to facilitate this smooth transition. The VSl incorporates a capacitor bank as part of its input circuit, which forms the so-called DC connection. The VSl can be operated so that, within certain limits, its output voltage (which is connected to the load) can be adjusted independently of the voltage of the DC (input) connection. The system controller adjusts the DC connection voltage by varying the excitation of the alternator.

Part 2 - Use of an External Source (Low Voltage) to Switch the Load The solution to the switching problem is to make the transition in different steps using a new circuit topology and a new control strategy. In the circuit shown in Figure 5, the external power source is first connected in parallel with one of the double rectifiers. This provides a path or switching path for the load current so that the rectifier can be disconnected and then re-connected in parallel with the other rectifier. This smoothly reconfigures the alternator and rectifiers from serial to parallel operation, doubles its combined nominal current, and halves its rated voltage, without interrupting the load current. Finally, the load current is increased to its limit with both sources, which contribute to the power or energy to its nominal limits.

Connection Sequence: Realization of External Series Connection Under Load The switching process for connecting the external source in series and switching the rectifier outputs from the serial configuration to the parallel configuration is a process comprising at least the following steps described in Figure 8. In the preferred embodiment, the controller controls the operation. In summary, the connection sequence of the preferred embodiment begins with the rectifiers of the double windings of a source in a series configuration. The external source is placed in a configuration in parallel with one of the rectifiers and the internal source gradually decreases in voltage until this rectifier is inversely diverted, for example, power is no longer supplied to the load. The deflected rectifier, inverted, is then placed in parallel with the other rectifier in order to provide twice the current as the original configuration. Step 802 starts from an initial state of Diesel Operation with the rectifier outputs connected in series and the load supplied by the diesel engine (Step 804). During the Diesel Operation, the alternator excitation and the motor speed are controlled by the controller (CPU, Figure 4) to meet the power, voltage and current requirements of the load. For the diesel overpressure operation, the system controller (also referred to as the TCU (Control Unit of Traction)) controls switching in Figures 4-6 based on input signals such as external line voltage and vehicle speed. The TCU controls an automatic sequence to connect and disconnect the external power source while it is under full load. The transition begins by measuring the external line voltage (Step 806) and adjusting the alternator excitation (Step 808) so that the rectified outputs of each winding are close to the external line voltage (UL). The line contactor is then closed (Step 810) to connect the external source in parallel with the rectifier output 1. No preload is required before the connection is made because the system controller maintains the output voltage of the rectifier to be close to (UL) the external line voltage and no current flows appreciably through the line contactor. Next, the excitation is slightly reduced (Step 812) to decrease the DC output of the rectifiers and therefore decrease the input voltage of the DC connection of the inverter. As a result, the power supply inversely deflects the rectifier 1 and causes the portion of the load carried by the Rectifier 1 to be transferred to the external supply. The load current is now supplied by the external source in series with the Rectifier 2. No current flows in the Rectifier 1. The opening of the switch S2 (Step 814) now opens the series connection between the two rectifiers at zero current. Due to this arrangement the load is maintained at all times at the current voltage level corresponding to its power or nominal power during the Diesel Operation (PD). It will be appreciated that this circuit topology is able to advantageously connect the line without any preload process and then open the switch S2 to zero current, because the load is an inverter of the voltage source. The controller for such an inverter is able to compensate, within certain limits, the variations in the input voltage connected to the DC junction of the inverter and maintain the load at full power. Therefore, in addition to its normal function of controlling the load inverter, the controller also actively adjusts the excitation to vary (Step 816) the input voltage of the inverter during the connection sequence, to provide a smooth transition to the operation in series under load. This results in a connection in series without connection, towards the external source. At this time, the series connection between Rectifier 1 and Rectifier 2 is open and has no effect on the operation because there is no current flowing in Rectifier 1. The negative output of Rectifier 1 is then disconnected (Step 818). ) from the negative terminals of the collective bar DC and reconnected to the negative output of the rectifier 2. Again here, no current flows in the rectifier 1 or the commutator due to the topology of the circuit. Step 822 is connected to Rectifier 1 in parallel with Rectifier 2 by connecting the positive output of Rectifier 1 to the positive output of Rectifier 2. Since the alternator windings share a common flow path, half the current The load flowing in winding 1 is quickly and smoothly transferred to winding 2 until the windings and rectifiers share the load equally, which completes the transfer. The outputs of the two rectifiers are now connected in parallel with each other and in series with the external source. Each alternator winding operates at its full nominal voltage but only at half of its rated current. The diesel operates at half of its nominal output (0.5 * PD) and the external supply provides the rest of the power (0.5 * PL). The load operates at its nominal voltage and with current and power equivalent to what the diesel engine only provides during the Diesel Operation. The next step (824) is to increase the power of the charging energy to its maximum by increasing the charging current. The current is equally divided between the two rectifiers and the windings of the alternator so that they are not overloaded. The increased power comes partially from diesel and partly from the external source. The transition from full power with diesel (PD) to full load power (PF = PD + PL) occurs at the same voltage by doubling the current drawn from the line and through the alternator. This increase in power is also a non-union transition since the charging voltage remains constant and the controller simply adjusts the load to draw more current from the combined energy sources. After the rectifiers are connected in parallel, the controller adjusts the excitation of the alternator to keep the load at the most optimal voltage. This voltage could be adjusted, for example, in consideration of the speed of the vehicle to maintain the load at its most desirable point of operation. The controller can also compensate for variations in the line voltage by adjusting the excitation and thus maintain the load at its ideal operating point.

Disconnection Sequence: Removal of External Series Connection Under Load The switching process to disconnect the external power source and restore the serial connection of the two rectifier outputs for the Operation Diesel, will be described with reference in the Figure 9. In Step 902, the controller reduces the load current to a level that can be supplied by the diesel engine (PD) without joining. Step 904 is to disconnect the positive output of Rectifier 1 from the positive output of Rectifier 2. This eliminates the connection of the rectifier in parallel and the load current is transferred smoothly completely to the remaining winding. The motor, the alternator and the rectifier still provide half the load power, but half the alternator and one rectifier are at full current and voltage and the other half has no current. The other half of the charging voltage is supplied in this case by the line. Step 906 is to disconnect the negative output of Rectifier 1 from the negative output of Rectifier 2, and reconnect the negative output of Rectifier 1 to the negative terminal of collective bus DC (Step 908). In the preparation (Step 910) to restore the serial connection between the two rectifier outputs, the controller adjusts the excitation to ensure that the rectifier output is slightly less than the line voltage. The positive output of Rectifier 1 is then reconnected in Step 912 to the negative output of Rectifier 2. No current flows during or after this transition, because the line voltage reversely bypasses Rectifier 1. The controller in Step 917 then raises the excitation until the Rectifier 1 starts to drive and the diesel collects the second half of the load, reducing the line current to zero, transferring the load to the diesel fuel without a union. The on-line contactor is then open to zero current (Step 916). This leaves the system again in the Diesel operation with the nominal current (diesel or diesel) and the nominal voltage a to the load. In the preferred embodiment, the two switches used to reconfigure the system for the Diesel Overpressure Truck Operation are single pole (non-three phase) and are not required to make or break the high currents or voltages. These operate in general at zero current. The precharge circuit in the embodiment shown in Figure 5 controls the speed of the energy transfer from the alternator and Rectifier 1 to the external source. This simplifies the control problem and allows the system controller to maintain the nominal load voltage during the transfer. The nominal value of the precharge circuit can be minimized because it only needs to accommodate the difference in voltage between the external source voltage and the output of Rectifier 1, at the beginning of the transfer. In some embodiments of the invention (Figure 6), the preload circuit can be eliminated by means of an appropriate control strategy implemented by the controller. The circuit of the present invention advantageously allows a high-voltage, high-current load to be supplied with the supplementary power or power from a low-voltage, high-current, external source. In addition, the circuit allows the load to operate at power levels beyond what available diesel engines can provide. In addition, the circuit topology minimizes the size of the alternator by allowing the parallel connection of the windings (through the rectifiers) to effectively double its nominal current only when half of its nominal voltage is required. The present invention provides a smooth and undisturbed transfer, allowing the load to operate at maximum diesel power throughout the transition without bonding and without appreciable drop in power flow to the load, or the rise of the load voltage while operating within the nominal constraints of the first and second sources PD, PL, such that the power transfer is transparent to the load, for example, no power anomalies are detected. or energy (interruptions, peaks, oscillations, drops, disturbances, etc. of current or voltage) by the load. The present invention will now be described as a particular example. However, it will be clear that the invention is not limited to such an example and can, moreover, be practiced otherwise. The following notations will be used in the following example.

Notation: Subindex U = Voltage L = Line (L = Trolley line) I = Current D = Diesel P = Power or Energy d = Load value (d = DC) R = Rectifier A road transport truck, powered by diesel (diesel) (Figure 10), is driven by two AC electric traction motors supplied by two inverters, according to the circuit topology shown in Figure 4. The inverters are capable of handling a combined power P to the input voltage Ud, of PD and DC and to the input current Id of DC. The inverters are connected to a common collective bar DC and are fed by an alternator and the bridge rectifier to the input voltage U of the inverter, nominal. At this voltage level the alternator and the rectifier can supply the current ID, where ID is only about half the I - The alternator is driven by a diesel engine capable of distributing maximum power PD, where PD is about half the power load Pd. While traveling uphill on a slope, you want to ascend the slope at a faster speed. For this purpose, the vehicle is connected to a low voltage trolley line with UL voltage by means of a pantograph, which increases the DC current supplied to the inverters from ID to IL. This must be done under the ambient of keeping the inverters at their voltage, DC input, nominal. This provides approximately twice the power for the load and this doubles the speed of the vehicle while it is on the slope when it is connected to the low-voltage trolley line. The Parallel Line Connection of the trolley line with the collective bar DC is not possible since the voltage required by the inverters is almost twice the UL voltage of the trolley, available. A serial line connection to the trolley line is not possible, since the available trolley IL current is twice the rated DC current of the alternator and rectifier ID and these will quickly overheat. The truck is capable of driving from the mechanical loading shovel to the trolley line under PD diesel power and can climb the slope to this power level. To use the additional power available from the trolley, the truck must be able to connect to the trolley line while remaining in continuous operation on the slope to the PD power. If the power level drops during the transition, the truck will slow down below the minimum permissible trolley speed limit (a safety limit for mine personnel) and be forced to stop. Prior to this invention, it had not been possible for high voltage inverters to make use of the available low voltage trolley power. The use of the circuit topology and control strategy described in the present invention is now possible to operate the truck to a low voltage trolley in the Diesel Overpressure Mode at the full rated Pd load power.

Configuration of Diesel Overpressure and Control Strategy of the Present Invention The simple winding alternator and the diode rectifier of Figure 1 are replaced with a double winding alternator connected to two diode rectifiers (Figure 6). The two windings are identical and each does not supply half the rated voltage of the alternator. A two-pole line contactor brings the trolley voltage to where it can be connected in parallel with Rectifier 1. The inverter, bidirectional, single-pole (S3) and bi-directional switches of two simple poles (Si and S2) ) make it possible for the outputs of Rectifier 1 to be connected either in series or in parallel with Rectifier 2. A high speed, single pole, additional circuit breaker provides overcurrent protection between the truck and trolley systems. With all the switches in position 1, the two rectifiers are in series and there is no connection to the trolley line. The load operates at UD = Ud, ma? Í ID <; ICÍ, max and Pd < Pd, max • With all the switches in position 2, the two rectifiers are in parallel with each other and in series with the trolley line. The load operates at UD = Ud, max, l = Id, ma and Pü + P =, max • The truck operates in nominal diesel mode when the switches are in position 1 and all power is provided by the diesel engine. The transition from diesel operation to diesel overpressure works according to the connection sequence previously described. During the Diesel Overpressure Operation, the switches are all in position 2. The transition from Diesel to Diesel Overpressure Operation operates according to the disconnection sequence previously described. Of particular importance is that the duration of the effective transfer from one mode to the other is not critical because the transfer takes place with the vehicle operating under diesel power or full diesel. Without preload interval, the limiting factor in the transition is the time required to raise and lower the pantograph. Approximately one second is required for regulation of the DC connection voltage to stabilize before the line contactor is closed, and after the connection sequence begins. It has been found that, with the present invention within one second after Si is closed the counter can raise the load power to its full level. The transition from diesel to trolley is undisturbed and the vehicle will not be slowed down completely during the transfer. While on the trolley, the diesel power (PD) is supplemented by the power coming from the roadside substations (PL) and the inverters are able to operate at full power. Depending on the exact voltage, the current and power levels involved, this roughly doubles the vehicle's upward slope speed. The transition from trolley to diesel or diesel is also fast and smooth with the present invention. Therefore, the present invention solves the previous problems without bonding and without appreciably decreasing the flow of energy or power to the load, or raising the voltage of the load while operating within the nominal constraints of the first and second sources. PD, PL such that the power transfer is transparent to the load, for example, no anomalies in the power (interruptions, peaks, oscillations, falls, disturbances, etc., of the voltage current) are detected by the load .

Alternative Examples of the Invention In mines where the trolley voltage is suitably high (UL = Ud) the truck can operate in the Direct Trolley (DT) mode. This uses the Parallel Line Connection described with reference to Figure 2 and does not require the Si, S2 or S3 switches, only the circuit breaker and the line contactor. There are, however, some situations where high and low voltage trolley systems are installed, or could be installed, in the same mine.

In this case, it may be desirable to operate the truck either over the line using the low voltage line in the diesel overpressure trolley mode (DBT) or the high voltage line in the direct trolley (DT) mode. A variation of the invention, as shown in Figure 7, is the addition of a second single pole bidirectional switch (S4) to allow the truck to operate on high and low voltage trolley systems. In this case, the common terminal of the switch is connected to the load side of the positive pole of the line contactor. The other terminals are connected to the positive and negative sides of Rectifier 2, such that in position 1, the line contactor is connected to the negative termination of Rectifier 2 and in position 2 the line contactor is connected to the positive terminal Rectifier 2. With S4 in position 1, the truck can operate in either Diesel or Diesel Overpressure mode, by moving the other switches to position 1 or position 2, as previously described. This is suitable for operation under diesel power or on the low voltage trolley system, when UL < You. With S4 in position 2, and all other switches in position 1, the truck can operate in Direct Trigger mode as described above. This is suitable for operation on the high-voltage trolley system, where UL = Ud- In operation, the operator drives the vehicle under each trolley system and then raises the pantograph. The system controller then measures the voltage of the trolley line and the S positions accordingly. This provides safe, automatic and reliable operation, either on any trolley system without any consideration by the driver for the operating voltage of the trolley line.

Claims (22)

1. An apparatus for connecting an additional power source or power in series with a first source of energy while said first source of energy supplies the energy to a load, to increase the power to the load, the apparatus comprises: a first source of energy for supply energy to a load; an additional energy source to supply additional energy to the load; and a connecting circuit for connecting the additional power source in series with the first power source, while said first power source supplies the power or power to the load, the circuit is arranged to make the connection without any anomalies occurring in it. the power in the load.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first source comprises at least two circuit elements connected in series that each provide a portion of the power for the load; and wherein the connecting circuit is arranged to connect the additional source in parallel with at least one of the circuit elements, and then disconnect the circuit element (s) from the remaining elements, when the first source is connected in series with the additional source.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the connecting circuit is also arranged to connect the circuit element (s) disconnected in parallel with at least one of the other circuit elements of the first source.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a controller for controlling the first source for lowering the output voltage of the first source, wherein at least one of the circuit elements is connected to the additional source, until one of the circuit elements is inversely deflected, whereby the current of one of the circuit elements is reduced to a current of relatively zero.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first source has a first nominal constraint and the additional source has a second nominal constraint, wherein, when the first source supplies the power to the load, and the connection is made, the additional source significantly increases the power to the load without there being an appreciable drop in the flow of energy to the load, or an increase in the voltage of the load while operating within the first and second nominal constraints of the first and second additional sources.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a controller for controlling the connection circuit for electrically connecting the additional source to the first source.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the controller controls the connection circuit for switching the apparatus between a series configuration of the circuit elements through which the energy is provided from the first source to the load and a configuration parallel of the circuit elements through which the energy is provided from the first source to the load in conjunction with the additional source.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the series configuration comprises a second circuit element connected in series with the first circuit element, and wherein the parallel configuration comprises the first circuit element connected in parallel with the second element. of circuit.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first circuit element is a first rectifier and the second circuit element is a second rectifier.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first source is a double coil source, and wherein the first rectifier is coupled to a first coil of the first source, and the second rectifier is coupled to a second coil of the second coil. first source.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the connection circuit further comprises a switch for selectively decoupling a positive output terminal of the first rectifier from a negative output terminal of the second rectifier, whereby the serial connection of the rectifier is broken. the circuit elements.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the connection circuit further comprises another switch for selectively decoupling a negative output terminal of the first rectifier from a negative input terminal of the load, and then coupling the negative output terminal to a negative output terminal of the second rectifier, whereby it is prepared for the configuration of the rectifiers in said configuration in parallel.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the connection circuit further comprises another switch for selectively coupling the terminal of the positive input of the first rectifier to a positive input terminal of the second rectifier, whereby the rectifiers are configured in a configuration in parallel.

14. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an in-line contactor for selectively coupling the additional source to the first rectifier.

15. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the load includes a capacitive DC connection input element, wherein the controller adjusts an excitation of the first source to vary the voltage present on the DC connection element independent of the source additional, and independent of the requirements of load voltage and load power requirements in order to optimize the operation of the drive system.

16. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the load includes a DC input capacitive input element where the controller adjusts an excitation of the first source, to compensate for variations in the output voltage of the additional source, with the In order to maintain the optimum voltage in the DC connection element.

17. The apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the load is one or more of the inverters of the AC voltage source.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein one or more of the inverters drives a road transport truck, driven by diesel or diesel.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the first source is an AC electric alternator.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the first source is part of a road transport truck driven by diesel or diesel.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the second source is a trolley energy line external to the road transport truck, driven by diesel or diesel.

22. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the additional source is a voltage in the range of the half load voltage.