Power converters and methods for protecting power converters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12525816-B2
Application number	US-202217651572-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2022
Priority date	Mar 24, 2021
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments may include a power converter having a first and a second terminal, a charge pump power conversion circuit, and a protection circuit. The first terminal may be to receive an input voltage. The second terminal may be to output an output voltage. The charge pump power conversion circuit may be electrically coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal, and to convert the input voltage to the output voltage. The protection circuit may be electrically coupled to the charge pump power conversion circuit. The protection circuit may include a first switching device to, in response to a control signal, block a power flow from the first terminal to the second terminal, and from the second terminal to the first terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A power converter, comprising:
a first terminal configured to receive a first voltage; a second terminal configured to output a second voltage, wherein the first and second voltages are DC voltages; a charge pump power conversion circuit configured to be electrically coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal, and configured to convert the first voltage to the second voltage, wherein the charge pump power conversion circuit comprises:
a first switching device; and
a plurality of switches configured to:
switch between a first configuration and a second configuration in response to a first set of control signals associated with a normal operation of the charge pump power conversion circuit; and
connect a plurality of capacitors to form a first capacitor network in the first configuration and to form a second capacitor network in the second configuration, wherein the plurality of switches comprise a second switching device coupled to the first switching device to collectively form a protection circuit configured to, in response to a second control signal associated with a detection of a fault, block a power flow from the first terminal to the second terminal and from the second terminal to the first terminal;

a second protection circuit comprising a third switching device configured to, in response to the second control signal, block the power flow from the first terminal to the second terminal and from the second terminal to the first terminal; and a controller configured to determine whether to direct, based on a type associated with the fault, the second control signal to the second protection circuit, wherein the first switching device and the second switching device are configured to be electrically coupled between the first terminal and the charge pump power conversion circuit, and wherein the third switching device is configured to be electrically coupled between the second terminal and the charge pump power conversion circuit.

2 . The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the first switching device comprises a first power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) device, wherein the second switching device comprises a second power MOSFET device, and wherein a body diode of the first power MOSFET device and a body diode of the second power MOSFET device are coupled in an anti-series connection.

3 . The power converter of claim 2 , wherein the first power MOSFET device and the second power MOSFET device are MOSFET devices with different power ratings.

4 . The power converter of claim 2 , wherein the first power MOSFET device and the second power MOSFET device are both n-type MOSFET devices or both p-type MOSFET devices.

5 . The power converter of claim 2 , wherein the first power MOSFET device and the second power MOSFET device are back-to-back connected in a common source configuration or in a common drain configuration.

6 . The power converter of claim 2 , wherein the first power MOSFET device is an n-type MOSFET device and the second power MOSFET device is a p-type MOSFET device.

7 . The power converter of claim 6 , wherein a drain terminal of the p-type MOSFET device is coupled to a source terminal of the n-type MOSFET device.

8 . The power converter of claim 6 , wherein a drain terminal of the n-type MOSFET device is coupled to a source terminal of the p-type MOSFET device.

9 . The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the third switching device comprises a power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) device with a body bias selecting circuit configured to bias a body terminal of the power MOSFET device.

10 . The power converter of claim 9 , wherein the power MOSFET device is a p-type MOSFET device, and wherein the body bias selecting circuit is configured to selectively connect the body terminal to a source or drain terminal having a higher voltage.

11 . The power converter of claim 9 , wherein the power MOSFET device is a n-type MOSFET device, and wherein the body bias selecting circuit is configured to selectively connect the body terminal to a source or drain terminal having a lower voltage.

12 . The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the third switching device comprises:
a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) switch configured to be switched from a first state to a second state in response to the second control signal, the MEMS switch comprising:
a first contact coupled to a first end of the third switching device; and
a second contact coupled to a second end of the third switching device,
wherein the second contact is configured to be electrically coupled to the first contact in the first state, and is configured to be electrically isolated from the first contact in the second state.

13 . The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the third switching device comprises one or more of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) power device, a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) device, a GaN device, a junction gate field-effect transistor (JFET) device, or a metal semiconductor field effect transistor (MESFET) device.

14 . The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the first switching device is configured to be electrically coupled between the first terminal and the charge pump power conversion circuit or configured to be electrically coupled between the second terminal and the charge pump power conversion circuit.

15 . The power converter of claim 1 , further comprising a third protection circuit comprising:
a fourth switching device configured to be electrically coupled between the charge pump power conversion circuit and a ground terminal and configured to, in response to the second control signal, block a power flow between the charge pump power conversion circuit and the ground terminal.

16 . The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
provide the first set of control signals to the plurality of switches; and provide the second control signal to the protection circuit in response to a fault signal, wherein the fault signal comprises an input under-voltage signal, an input over-voltage signal, an output under-voltage signal, an output over-voltage signal, a thermal shutdown signal, an input or output over-current signal, a timeout signal, or a charge pump capacitor under-voltage or over-voltage signal.

17 . The power converter of claim 16 , where the fault signal comprises a combination of two or more of: the input under-voltage signal, the input over-voltage signal, the output under-voltage signal, the output over-voltage signal, the thermal shutdown signal, the input or output over-current signal, the timeout signal, or the charge pump capacitor under-voltage or over-voltage signal.

18 . The power converter of claim 16 , further comprising:
one or more detecting circuits configured to be electrically coupled to the controller and configured to output the fault signal according to a detection of the first voltage, the second voltage, a charge pump capacitor voltage, an input current, an output current, a thermal value, or a soft-start timeout.

19 . The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the power converter is configurable to selectively operate in a 5:1 configuration, 2:1 configuration, 1:5 configuration, or 1:2 configuration.

20 . The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the first switching device and the second switching device are each configured to receive the second control signal and open in response to the second control signa

Assignees

• Psemi Corp

Inventors

• Szczeszynski Gregory
• Giuliano David
• Low Aichen

Classifications

• H02J7/06

  using discharge tubes or semiconductor devices · CPC title

• H02J2207/20

  Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter · CPC title

• H02J2207/30

  Charge provided using DC bus or data bus of a computer · CPC title

• H02J2207/40

  adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage · CPC title

• H02M3/07

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