Power converter with modular stages connected by floating terminals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11211862-B2
Application number	US-202117187664-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2021
Priority date	May 5, 2011
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus for electric power conversion includes a converter having a regulating circuit and switching network. The regulating circuit has magnetic storage elements, and switches connected to the magnetic storage elements and controllable to switch between switching configurations. The regulating circuit maintains an average DC current through a magnetic storage element. The switching network includes charge storage elements connected to switches that are controllable to switch between plural switch configurations. In one configuration, the switches forms an arrangement of charge storage elements in which at least one charge storage element is charged using the magnetic storage element through the network input or output port. In another, the switches form an arrangement of charge storage elements in which an element discharges using the magnetic storage element through one of the input port and output port of the switching network.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a switched capacitor power converter having an input port and an output port, the switched capacitor power converter comprising:
one or more drivers;
a plurality of switches to be interconnected with a plurality of passive devices and controllable to switch between at least a first switch configuration and a second switch configuration to respectively correspond to at least a first conduction path and a second conduction path;
a controller operable to alternate switching the plurality of switches in accordance with one or more switching frequencies to transfer energy from the input port to the output port of switched capacitor power converter; and
a modulator to generate a switching frequency of the one or more switching frequencies to facilitate soft switching of at least some of the plurality of switches,
wherein the first conduction path via the first switch configuration is to facilitate at least a positive change in charge on at least one passive device of the plurality of passive devices and the second conduction path via the second switch configuration is to facilitate at least a negative change in charge on the at least one passive device of the plurality of passive devices.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the modulator to generate the switching frequency of the one or more switching frequencies to facilitate the soft switching of the at least some of the plurality of switches to comprise a modulator to generate the switching frequency of the one or more switching frequencies to facilitate zero current switching (ZCS) of the at least some of the plurality of switches.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , and further comprising a memory.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the memory comprises a programmable memory.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the programmable memory to be used, at least in part, to facilitate operation of the switched capacitor power converter.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the memory comprises a reprogrammable memory.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the reprogrammable memory comprises a FLASH memory.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the switched capacitor power converter to be used, at least in part, to produce a voltage in the reprogrammable memory.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the energy is to be provided to the input port during operation of the switched capacitor power converter by a source of electrical energy.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the source of electrical energy to comprise at least one of the following: a power converter or a battery.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of passive devices comprises at least one of the following: one or more capacitors; one or more inductors; or any combination thereof.

12. A power converter comprising:
a first port;
a second port;
at least one inductor inserted into a power path between the first port and the second port, the at least one inductor having respective first and second nodes to couple the at least one inductor to the power path; and
a switching network to include a plurality of switches, one or more switches of the plurality of switches to interconnect one or more capacitors with the at least one inductor via one or more interconnections during operation of the power converter, at least one interconnection of the one or more interconnections to form a switched-capacitor network to switch between a first switch configuration and a second switch configuration,
wherein the switched-capacitor network to be controllable to switch between the first and the second switch configuration at one or more switching frequencies so as to transfer energy via the power path between the first port and the second port,
wherein the at least one inductor to facilitate a change in charge on at least some of the one or more capacitors at a charge rate during operation of the power converter, the charge rate to be determined, at least in part, by the at least one inductor, and
wherein the one or more switching frequencies to include a frequency to facilitate soft switching of at least some switches of the plurality of switches.

13. The power converter of claim 12 , wherein the frequency to facilitate the soft switching of the at least some switches of the plurality of switches to comprise a frequency to facilitate zero current switching (ZCS) of the at least some switches of the plurality of switches.

14. The power converter of claim 12 , wherein the at least one inductor comprises a magnetic core.

15. The power converter of claim 14 , wherein the at least one inductor to include windings supported by the magnetic core, the windings to be disposed between the respective first and second nodes of the at least one inductor.

16. The power converter of claim 12 , wherein the switched-capacitor network to be controllable via a controller.

17. The power converter of claim 16 , wherein the controller is to implement at least one of the following: a variable-frequency control or control based, at least in part, on current.

18. The power converter of claim 17 , wherein the variable-frequency control is to be implemented, at least in part, via one or more pulse-width modulation (PWM) signals.

19. The power converter of claim 16 , wherein the controller to implement a deadtime interval.

20. The power converter of claim 19 , wherein the controller to implement the deadtime interval so as to prevent the plurality of switches from conducting simultaneously.

21. The power converter of claim 12 , wherein the at least one inductor to facilitate the change in charge on the at least some of the one or more capacitors at a discharge rate during operation of the power converter, the discharge rate to be determined, at least in part, by the at least one inductor.

22. The power converter of claim 21 , wherein the charge rate and the discharge rate are substantially the same.

23. The power converter of claim 12 , wherein the power converter is to provide power to one or more loads, directly or indirectly.

24. The power converter of claim 23 , wherein the power is to be provided via a buck converter.

25. The power converter of claim 24 , wherein the buck converter comprises a multi-phase buck converter.

26. The power converter of claim 23 , wherein the second port is to provide a voltage to be regulated via a buck converter.

27. A resonant power converter, comprising:
one or more drivers;
a controller to implement a deadtime interval; and
a switching network to include a plurality of switches controllable to switch between at least a first and a second switch configurations so as to selectively interconnect a plurality of capacitors with a plurality of inductors,
wherein the switching network comprises a first group of switches of the plurality of switches to interconnect first capacitors of the plurality of capacitors with a first inductor of the plurality of inductors to form a first switched-capacitor network during operation of the resonant power converter,
wherein the switching network further comprises a second group of switches of the plurality of switches to interconnect second capacitors of the plurality of capacitors with a second inductor of the plurality of inductors to form a second switched-capacitor network during operation of the resonant power converter,
wherein the first switched-capacit

Assignees

• Psemi Corp

Inventors

• Giuliano David M

Classifications

• H02M3/00

  Conversion of DC power input into DC power output · CPC title

• H02M1/4225

  using a non-isolated boost converter · CPC title

• H02M3/077

  with parallel connected charge pump stages · CPC title

• Y02B70/10

  Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes · CPC title

• H02M3/07 Primary

  using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode {, e.g. charge pumps} · CPC title