The method of the invention in one aspect involves electronic
power control by varying the amplitude of an electrical
power supply voltage, independent of frequency, whereby the output frequency will always be the same as the input frequency. An electrical circuit apparatus for accomplishing this function in a specific embodiment is also disclosed herein. The specific circuitry of this aspect of the invention uses eight
solid state switches, such as IGBT's, eight diodes, an
inductor, input and output filters and novel controlling circuitry. The controller apparatus and methods of the invention may be used to implement all otherwise conventional converter types, buck, boost, and inverting (and duals of these) versions to obtain different regulating characteristics, including
galvanic isolation of the output from the input. Indeed, the eight-switch controller can act to either buck or boost the input
voltage, and can switch between bucking and boosting during a cycle, thus providing more control of the regulated output
voltage. The inventive methods and devices may be used in
power factor correction,
voltage and / or current
harmonic filtering and
neutralization, line and load conditioning, control of power transfer between two power grids, and programmable control of surges, sags, dropouts and most other
voltage regulation problems.