Active clamp flyback circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12224680-B2
Application number	US-202318163481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2023
Priority date	Aug 7, 2020
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

An active clamp flyback circuit includes: a clamp capacitor that is connected to a primary-side winding of a transformer and that is configured to absorb leakage inductance energy of the primary-side winding; an auxiliary switching transistor that is configured to control the clamp capacitor to perform reverse excitation power charging on the primary-side winding by using the auxiliary switching transistor; a first diode, where the first diode is connected in series between the clamp capacitor and the auxiliary switching transistor; and a second diode, where the second diode is connected between the first diode and the clamp capacitor, and the second diode is connected in series between the clamp capacitor and a primary-side auxiliary winding.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An active clamp flyback converter, comprising:
a transformer comprising a primary-side winding, a primary-side auxiliary winding, and a secondary-side winding;
a primary power switching transistor, wherein the primary power switching transistor is connected to the primary-side winding, and the primary power switching transistor is configured to control the transformer to store energy by using the primary power switching transistor; and
an active clamp flyback circuit, wherein the active clamp flyback circuit is connected to the primary-side winding, the primary-side auxiliary winding, and the primary power switching transistor, and the active clamp flyback circuit is configured to absorb leakage inductance energy of the transformer, and
the active clamp flyback circuit comprises:
a clamp capacitor, wherein the clamp capacitor is connected to the primary-side winding and is configured to absorb leakage inductance energy of the primary-side winding;
an auxiliary switching transistor, wherein the auxiliary switching transistor is configured to control the clamp capacitor to perform reverse excitation power charging on the primary-side winding by using the auxiliary switching transistor;
a first diode, wherein the first diode is connected in series between the clamp capacitor and the auxiliary switching transistor; and
a second diode, wherein the second diode is connected between the first diode and the clamp capacitor, and the second diode is connected in series between the clamp capacitor and the primary-side auxiliary winding, and
the primary-side winding is connected between the primary power switching transistor and the auxiliary switching transistor, and an electrical connection exists between the primary power switching transistor and the auxiliary switching transistor to form a half-bridge structure.

2. The active clamp flyback converter according to claim 1 , wherein the primary power switching transistor and the auxiliary switching transistor are both switching transistors, the switching transistor comprises a control electrode, a first transmission electrode, and a second transmission electrode, the switching transistor is configured to controls, through controlling a forward voltage from the control electrode to the first transmission electrode, conduction and cut-off of a forward current flowing from the second transmission electrode to the first transmission electrode, and the first transmission electrode of the auxiliary switching transistor is electrically connected to the second transmission electrode of the primary power switching transistor to form the half-bridge structure.

3. The active clamp flyback converter according to claim 2 , wherein an anode of the first diode is connected to the clamp capacitor, a cathode of the first diode is connected to the second transmission electrode of the auxiliary switching transistor, and the first diode is configured to block flowing of a reverse current relative to the first diode from the auxiliary switching transistor to the clamp capacitor.

4. The active clamp flyback converter according to claim 3 , wherein an anode of the second diode is connected to the primary-side auxiliary winding, a cathode of the second diode is connected to the clamp capacitor, and the second diode is configured to block flowing of a reverse current relative to the second diode from the clamp capacitor to the primary-side auxiliary winding.

5. The active clamp flyback converter according to claim 4 , wherein,
when the primary power switching transistor and the auxiliary switching transistor are both in an off state, the clamp capacitor is configured to absorb leakage inductance energy of the primary-side winding and the primary-side auxiliary winding by using the second diode, and ends with the same name of the primary-side winding and the primary-side auxiliary winding are connected in series, so that a clamp voltage generated on the clamp capacitor by the primary-side winding is offset by a clamp voltage generated on the clamp capacitor by the primary-side auxiliary winding.

6. The active clamp flyback converter according to claim 5 , wherein,
when the primary power switching transistor is in the off state and the auxiliary switching transistor is in an on state, the clamp capacitor is configured to performs reverse excitation power charging on the primary-side winding by using the first diode and the auxiliary switching transistor, and the second diode is configured to blocks reverse excitation power charging performed on the primary-side auxiliary winding by the clamp capacitor by using the second diode.

7. The active clamp flyback converter according to claim 6 , wherein an amplitude of an excitation voltage applied to the primary-side winding by the clamp capacitor is adjusted through adjusting a turn quantity ratio of the primary-side auxiliary winding relative to the primary-side winding.

8. The active clamp flyback converter according to claim 4 , wherein the active clamp flyback converter further comprises a controller, the controller is connected to the primary power switching transistor and the secondary switching transistor, and the controller is configured to perform the following operations:
switching the primary power switching transistor to an on state to allow a current flow through a primary power loop, wherein the primary power loop comprises the primary-side winding and the primary power switching transistor;
switching the primary power switching transistor to an off state, and switching the auxiliary switching transistor to the off state, to allow a current flow through a clamp loop and allow the clamp capacitor to absorb leakage inductance energy of the transformer through the clamp loop, wherein the clamp loop comprises the primary-side winding, the primary-side auxiliary winding, the second diode, and the clamp capacitor;
switching the primary power switching transistor to the off state, and switching the auxiliary switching transistor to an on state, to allow a current flow through a reverse excitation loop and allow the clamp capacitor to perform reverse excitation power charging on the transformer through the reverse excitation loop, wherein the reverse excitation loop comprises the clamp capacitor, the first diode, the auxiliary switching transistor, and the primary-side winding; and
switching the primary power switching transistor to the on state based on a reverse excitation power charging degree of the clamp capacitor for the transformer, to implement zero voltage switching.

9. The active clamp flyback converter according to claim 2 , wherein a cathode of the first diode is connected to the clamp capacitor, an anode of the first diode is connected to the first transmission electrode of the auxiliary switching transistor and the second transmission electrode of the primary power switching transistor, and the first diode is configured to block flowing of a reverse current relative to the first diode from the clamp capacitor to the primary-side winding.

10. The active clamp flyback converter according to claim 9 , wherein a cathode of the second diode is connected to the primary-side auxiliary winding, an anode of the second diode is connected to the clamp capacitor and the cathode of the first diode, and the second diode is configured to block flowing of a reverse current relative to the second diode from the primary-side auxiliary winding to the clamp capacitor.

11. The active clamp flyback converter according to claim 10 , wherein,
when the primary power switching transistor and the auxiliary switching transistor are both in an off state, the clamp capacitor is configured to absorb leakage inductance energy

Assignees

• Huawei Digital Power Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ren Jie
• Zhang Xue
• Yao Jun

Classifications

• H02M7/5387

  in a bridge configuration · CPC title

• H02M1/0095

  Hybrid converter topologies, e.g. NPC mixed with flying capacitor, thyristor converter mixed with MMC or charge pump mixed with buck · CPC title

• H02M1/0058

  by employing soft switching techniques, i.e. commutation of transistors when applied voltage is zero or when current flow is zero (using an auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuit connected to an intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches of an inverter bridge H02M7/4811; in resonant inverters H02M7/4815; in inverters operating from a resonant DC source H02M7/4826) · CPC title

• H02M3/33571

  Half-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer · CPC title

• H02M1/342

  Active non-dissipative snubbers · CPC title