Power converter with switchable topology

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10833592-B2
Application number	US-201916539126-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2019
Priority date	Nov 29, 2018
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

Switching between a dual switch topology and a bridge forward topology in a power converter includes: receiving an input voltage; providing, via the dual switch topology, an output voltage; determining that the input voltage falls below a first threshold; switching a path of the input voltage from the dual switch topology to the bridge forward topology; and providing, via the bridge forward topology, the output voltage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of switching between a dual switch topology and a bridge forward topology in a power converter, the method comprising:
receiving an input voltage;
providing, via the bridge forward topology, an output voltage;
determining that the input voltage satisfies a threshold;
switching a path of the input voltage from the bridge forward topology to the dual switch topology; and
providing, via the dual switch topology, the output voltage.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining that the input voltage satisfies another threshold;
switching the path of the input voltage from the dual switch topology to the bridge forward topology; and
providing, via the bridge forward topology, the output voltage.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the other threshold is different from the threshold.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein switching the path of the input voltage from the dual switch topology to the bridge forward topology comprises matching a net duty cycle of the bridge forward topology to a duty cycle of the dual switch topology.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein matching the net duty cycle of the bridge forward topology to the duty cycle of the dual switch topology comprises:
activating one or more first field effect transistors (FETs) included in the dual switch topology and the bridge forward topology at half of the duty cycle of the dual switch topology; and
activating one or more second FETs not included in the dual switch topology and included in the bridge forward topology at the half of the duty cycle of the dual switch topology.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein switching the path of the input voltage from the bridge forward topology to the dual switch topology comprises switching, at a beginning of a cycle of the input voltage, the path of the input voltage from the bridge forward topology to the dual switch topology.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the input voltage satisfies the threshold comprises determining of the charge on a capacitor satisfies the threshold.

8. A power convertor for switching between a dual switch topology and a bridge forward topology, the power convertor configured for:
receiving an input voltage;
providing, via the bridge forward topology, an output voltage;
determining that the input voltage satisfies a threshold;
switching a path of the input voltage from the bridge forward topology to the dual switch topology; and
providing, via the dual switch topology, the output voltage.

9. The power convertor of claim 8 , further configured for:
determining that the input voltage satisfies another threshold;
switching the path of the input voltage from the dual switch topology to the bridge forward topology; and
providing, via the bridge forward topology, the output voltage.

10. The power convertor of claim 9 , wherein the other threshold is different from the threshold.

11. The power convertor of claim 9 , wherein switching the path of the input voltage from the dual switch topology to the bridge forward topology comprises matching a net duty cycle of the bridge forward topology to a duty cycle of the dual switch topology.

12. The power convertor of claim 11 , wherein matching the net duty cycle of the bridge forward topology to the duty cycle of the dual switch topology comprises:
activating one or more first field effect transistors (FETs) included in the dual switch topology and the bridge forward topology at half of the duty cycle of the dual switch topology; and
activating one or more second FETs not included in the dual switch topology and included in the bridge forward topology at the half of the duty cycle of the dual switch topology.

13. The power convertor of claim 8 , wherein switching the path of the input voltage from the bridge forward topology to the dual switch topology comprises switching, at a beginning of a cycle of the input voltage, the path of the input voltage from the bridge forward topology to the dual switch topology.

14. The power convertor of claim 8 , wherein determining that the input voltage satisfies the threshold comprises determining of the charge on a capacitor satisfies the threshold.

15. An apparatus, comprising:
a power convertor for switching between a dual switch topology and a bridge forward topology, the power convertor configured for:
receiving an input voltage;
providing, via the bridge forward topology, an output voltage;
determining that the input voltage satisfies a threshold;
switching a path of the input voltage from the bridge forward topology to the dual switch topology; and
providing, via the dual switch topology, the output voltage.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the power convertor is further configured for:
determining that the input voltage satisfies another threshold;
switching the path of the input voltage from the dual switch topology to the bridge forward topology; and
providing, via the bridge forward topology, the output voltage.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the other threshold is different from the threshold.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein switching the path of the input voltage from the dual switch topology to the bridge forward topology comprises matching a net duty cycle of the bridge forward topology to a duty cycle of the dual switch topology.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein matching the net duty cycle of the bridge forward topology to the duty cycle of the dual switch topology comprises:
activating one or more first field effect transistors (FETs) included in the dual switch topology and the bridge forward topology at half of the duty cycle of the dual switch topology; and
activating one or more second FETs not included in the dual switch topology and included in the bridge forward topology at the half of the duty cycle of the dual switch topology.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein switching the path of the input voltage from the bridge forward topology to the dual switch topology comprises switching, at a beginning of a cycle of the input voltage, the path of the input voltage from the bridge forward topology to the dual switch topology.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Miller Michael L
• Egan Patrick K

Classifications

• H02M1/0022

  the disturbance parameters being input voltage fluctuations · CPC title

• H02M3/33576 Primary

  having at least one active switching element at the secondary side of an isolation transformer · CPC title

• H02M3/3353 Primary

  having at least two simultaneously operating switches on the input side, e.g. "double forward" or "double (switched) flyback" converter · CPC title