Surge current suppression circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11190011-B2
Application number	US-202016923647-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2020
Priority date	Jan 7, 2020
Publication date	Nov 30, 2021
Grant date	Nov 30, 2021

Abstract

A surge current suppression circuit includes a switch, a bypass resistor, a detection resistor, and a comparator. The switch is coupled to a first end of an energy storage capacitor in series, wherein a second end of the energy storage capacitor is coupled to a load and receives an input power source. The bypass resistor is coupled to the switch in parallel. The detection resistor is coupled to the switch in series to generate a detection voltage according to a capacitor current flowing through the energy storage capacitor. The comparator compares the detection voltage with a reference voltage to generate a control signal. When the detection voltage is greater than the reference voltage, the control signal controls the switch to be turned off. When the detection voltage is less than the reference voltage, the control signal controls the main switch to be turned on.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surge current suppression circuit comprising:
a switch coupled to a first end of an energy storage capacitor in series, wherein a second end of the energy storage capacitor is coupled to a load and configured to receive an input power source, wherein the energy storage capacitor is configured to stabilize the input power source provided to the load,
a bypass resistor coupled to the switch in parallel,
a detection resistor coupled to the switch in series, and configured to generate a detection voltage according to a capacitor current flowing through the energy storage capacitor, and
a comparator configured to compare the detection voltage with a reference voltage to generate a control signal,
wherein when the detection voltage is greater than the reference voltage, the switch is turned off by the control signal; when the detection voltage is less than the reference voltage, the switch is turned on by the control signal.

2. The surge current suppression circuit in claim 1 , wherein when the switch is turned off, the capacitor current flows through the detection resistor through the bypass resistor so as to reduce the capacitor current.

3. The surge current suppression circuit in claim 1 , wherein when the capacitor current is greater than or equal to a upper threshold current, the detection voltage is greater than the reference voltage; when the capacitor current is less than or equal to a lower threshold current, the detection voltage is less than the reference voltage.

4. The surge current suppression circuit in claim 1 , further comprising:
an amplifier configured to amplify the detection voltage and output the amplified detection voltage to the comparator.

5. The surge current suppression circuit in claim 4 , wherein a first end of the switch is coupled to the second end of the energy storage capacitor and a first end of the bypass resistor; a second end of the switch is coupled to a second end of the bypass resistor and a first end of the detection resistor.

6. The surge current suppression circuit in claim 5 , wherein the first end and a second end of the detection resistor are respectively coupled to a first input end and a second input end of the amplifier; an output end of the amplifier is coupled to a first input end of the comparator; a second input end of the comparator is configured to receive the reference voltage and an output end of the comparator is coupled to a control end of the switch.

7. The surge current suppression circuit in claim 1 , wherein in response to a transient voltage change of the input power source; when the capacitor current is greater than or equal to the upper threshold current, the comparator is configured to control the switch to be turned off, and the capacitor current flows through the bypass resistor so that the capacitor current is decreased; when the capacitor current is less or equal to the lower threshold current, the comparator is configured to control the switch to be turned on, and the capacitor current flows through the switch so that the capacitor current is increased.

8. The surge current suppression circuit in claim 1 , further comprising:
a hysteresis unit coupled between an output end of the comparator and an input end of the comparator which configured to receive the reference voltage, wherein the hysteresis unit is configured to provide a stable output within a voltage range increased at the input end of the comparator.

9. The surge current suppression circuit in claim 8 , wherein the hysteresis unit comprises:
a resistor, and
a diode coupled to the resistor in series; wherein an anode of the diode is coupled to the output end of the comparator and a cathode of the diode is coupled to the input end of the comparator.

10. A power circuit configured to provide an input power source to a load, the power circuit comprising:
an energy storage capacitor coupled to the input power source and the load, wherein the energy storage capacitor is configured to stabilize the input power source provided to the load, and a capacitor current flowing through the energy storage capacitor, and
a surge current suppression circuit coupled to the energy storage capacitor in series,
wherein in response to a transient voltage change of the input power source; when the capacitor current is greater than or equal to an upper threshold current, the surge current suppression circuit is configured to control the capacitor current to be decreased; when the capacitor current is less than or equal to a lower threshold current, the surge current suppression circuit is configured to control the capacitor current to be increased.

11. The power circuit in claim 10 , wherein the surge current suppression circuit comprises:
a switch coupled to a first end of the energy storage capacitor in series, wherein a second end of the energy storage capacitor is coupled to the load and configured to receive an input power source,
a bypass resistor coupled to the switch in parallel,
a detection resistor coupled to the switch in series, and configured to generate a detection voltage according to a capacitor current flowing through the energy storage capacitor, and
a comparator configured to compare the detection voltage with a reference voltage to generate a control signal,
wherein when the detection voltage is greater than the reference voltage, the switch is turned off by the control signal; when the detection voltage is less than the reference voltage, the switch is turned on by the control signal.

12. The power circuit in claim 11 , wherein when the switch is turned off, the capacitor current flows through the detection resistor through the bypass resistor so as to decrease the capacitor current.

13. The power circuit in claim 11 , wherein when the capacitor current is greater than or equal to the upper threshold current, the detection voltage is greater than the reference voltage; when the capacitor current is less than or equal to the lower threshold current, the detection voltage is less than the reference voltage.

14. The power circuit in claim 11 , wherein the surge current suppression circuit further comprises:
an amplifier configured to amplify the detection voltage and output the amplified detection voltage to the comparator.

15. The power circuit in claim 11 , wherein in response to a transient voltage change of the input power source; when the capacitor current is greater than or equal to the upper threshold current, the comparator is configured to control the switch to be turned off, and the capacitor current flows through the bypass resistor so that the capacitor current is decreased; when the capacitor current is less or equal to the lower threshold current, the comparator is configured to control the switch to be turned on, and the capacitor current flows through the switch so that the capacitor current is increased.

Assignees

• Delta Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lai Chien-An
• Hsu Chang-Yuan

Classifications

• H02H9/025 Primary

  Current limitation using field effect transistors · CPC title

• H02H9/02 Primary

  responsive to excess current {(current limitation for voltage regulators G05F1/573; disconnection after limiting H02H3/025)} · CPC title

• H02H1/0007

  concerning the detecting means (in general G01R or other subclasses of G01; reed switches H01H71/2445) · CPC title

• H02H9/001 Primary

  limiting speed of change of electric quantities, e.g. soft switching on or off (progressive control of electronic switches for eliminating interferences H03K17/16) · CPC title