Embodiments of energy storage caddies adapted to couple to a welding power supply are provided. The energy storage caddies may include an energy storage device, a charger, control circuitry, and power conversion circuitry. Certain control circuitry may be adapted to control the energy storage device to discharge to provide a direct current (DC) voltage output to the welding power supply when a weld load demand is detected, to monitor a charge level of the energy storage device, and to alert a user to an error when the charge level of the energy storage device falls below a predetermined limit.

A method and apparatus for providing welding type power includes a phase shifted double forward converter having a first and second converter with a controller and an output rectifier. The output rectifier has at least one cathode current path that creates a cathode magnetic field when current flows in the cathode current path. The output rectifier also has at least one anode current path that creates an anode magnetic field when current flows in the anode current path. The cathode current path is disposed and oriented and the anode current path is disposed and oriented such that the cathode magnetic field acts to at least partially cancel the anode magnetic field.

A torch for connection to an electric arc welding system having a wire feeder, a power source and a weld process controller for the power source. The torch being connected to the front end of a welding gun, which gun has a rear end with a first unique component of a connector. The welding system has a second component of the connector matching the first component. The gun has a communication channel extending from the torch to the first component for transmitting data to the welding system through the connector. The torch has a memory with an identification code outputted on the communication channel to the first component and the system has a decoder circuit connected to the second component and responsive to a selected identification code.

Welding system and method permit exchange of data with Smart Grid monitors and/or controllers. The welding systems include a welding power supply configured to convert power between the power grid and the welding power supply. A grid interface cooperates with control circuitry to transmit data to and/or from the grid monitors and/or controllers on the grid side. The control circuitry may control operation of the welding power supply based upon data from the grid. The system may include power generation devices (e.g., engine-drive generators) and energy storage devices (e.g., batteries). The control circuitry may control operation of such devices, the exchange of power between them, and the draw of power from the grid or the application of power to the grid based upon the data exchanged with the grid monitors and/or controllers.

A welding-type power supply includes a controller, a preregulator, a preregulator bus, and an output converter. The controller has a preregulator control output and an output converter control output. The preregulator receives a range of inputs voltages as a power input, and receives the preregulator control output as a control input, and provides a preregulator power output signal. The preregulator includes a plurality of stacked boost circuits. The preregulator bus receives the preregulator output signal. The output converter receives the preregulator bus as a power signal and receives the output converter control output as a control input. The output converter provides a welding type power output, and includes at least one stacked inverter circuit.

A welding-type power supply includes a controller, a preregulator, a preregulator bus, and an output converter. The controller has a preregulator control output and an output converter control output. The controller has a converter control output connected to the control input, and a flux balancing module. The converter control output is responsive to the flux balancing module such that the flux in the transformer remains balanced.

An engine-driven welder/generator is controlled by an integrated controller that is coupled to both the engine and to the welder/generator. The controller receives input signals for operational parameters of the engine, and additional signals indicative of electrical output by the welder/generator. Operation of the engine and welder/generator may thus be coordinated. The controller may control speed, timing, fuel injection, and so forth of the engine, and output of the welder/generator, such as by control of input to a field coil.

Methods and apparatus to communicate via a weld cable are disclosed. An example welding accessory includes a first port to receive input power via a first weld cable, a power converter to convert the input power to output power, a second port to output the input power via a second weld cable, and one or more output switches to selectively divert the input power from the power converter to the second port.

The invention provides a DSC-based full-digital SiC inversion type multi-function argon arc welding power supply, which includes a main circuit and a DSC control circuit; the main circuit includes a common mode noise suppression module, a power frequency rectification and filter module, a SiC inversion and commutation module, power transformer, a SiC rectification and smoothing module and a non-contact arc ignition module connected in sequence and are respectively connected to external arc load; the DSC control circuit includes a DSC minimum system, a human-machine interaction module, a fault diagnosis and protection module, a SiC high-frequency drive module connected to SiC inversion and commutation module, and an electrical load signal detection module connected to the arc load. The argon arc welding power supply has a simple structure, high control accuracy, fast response, small size, high efficiency, low energy consumption and excellent process adaptability, which can improve the quality of welding process.

The invention relates to a method and a device (1) for welding by means of a non-consumable electrode (2), wherein a welding current (I) alternating in polarity at a welding frequency (f.sub.s) is applied by a current source (3) between the electrode (2) and a workpiece (4) in order to form an arc (5), and the polarity is changed back to the polarity before the polarity change if the voltage (U) is above the voltage threshold value (U.sub.s+, U.sub.s−) and the welding current (I) is below the current threshold value (I.sub.s+, I.sub.s−). According to the invention, the welding voltage (U) and the welding current (I) after a preset duration (Δt) after the polarity change are compared with the voltage threshold value (U.sub.s+, U.sub.s−) and the current threshold value (I.sub.s+, I.sub.s−), and in addition the power (P) in the arc (5) is determined, and the polarity is changed back if the welding voltage (U) is greater than the voltage threshold value (U.sub.s+, U.sub.s−), and/or if the welding current (I) is less than the current threshold value (I.sub.s+, I.sub.s−), and/or the determined power (P) is less than a preset power threshold value (P.sub.s).