US 7,459,890 B2
Method and circuit for controlling an electric power plant
Stefano Baratto, Naples (Italy); Francesco Giuffré, Messina (Italy); Umberto Macri, San Leucio (Italy); Mario Lavorgna, Bacoli (Italy); Giuseppe D'Angelo, Casalnuovo di Napoli (Italy); and Giovanni Moselli, Grumo Nevano (Italy)
Assigned to STMicroelectronics S.R.L., Agrate Brianza (Italy)
Filed on Nov. 23, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/286,586.
Claims priority of application No. VA2004A0055 (IT), filed on Nov. 23, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2006/0132103 A1, Jun. 22, 2006
Int. Cl. H02P 11/00 (2006.01); H02P 9/00 (2006.01); H02H 7/06 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 322—44  [322/24; 322/17] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A control circuit for an electric power plant comprising an asynchronous generator of an AC voltage, a motor to rotate a rotor of the asynchronous generator as a function of a first control signal of a developed motor torque, and a bank of capacitors coupled to the asynchronous generator and having a total capacitance varying as function of a second control signal, the control circuit comprising:
a monitor circuit to monitor at least one parameter of the AC voltage; and
a control signal generator circuit cooperating with said monitor circuit to generate the first and second control signals by soft-computing techniques both as a function of the frequency and of a representative value of an amplitude of the AC voltage to make the AC voltage have a desired amplitude and frequency.