Parallel Hybrid Converter Apparatus and Method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016149501-A1
Application number	US-201414548567-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 20, 2014
Priority date	Nov 20, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus comprises an isolated power converter coupled between an input dc power source, wherein the isolated power converter comprises a first switch network coupled to a first transformer winding through a first resonant tank and a second switch network coupled to a second transformer winding through a second resonant tank and a dc/dc converter coupled to the second switch network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
an isolated power converter coupled between an input dc power source, wherein the isolated power converter comprises:
a first switch network coupled to a first transformer winding through a first resonant tank; and
a second switch network coupled to a second transformer winding through a second resonant tank; and
a dc/dc converter coupled to the second switch network.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the dc/dc converter is a four-switch buck-boost converter; and the isolated power converter is an inductor-inductor-capacitor (LLC) resonant converter.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first resonant tank is coupled between the first switch network and a first primary side winding; the second resonant tank is coupled between the second switch network and a second primary side winding; and the dc/dc converter is coupled between a second input capacitor and the second switch network.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:
the first switch network is a first primary-side full bridge switch network coupled to a first input capacitor; the second switch network is a second primary-side full bridge switch network; and the first input capacitor and the second input capacitor are connected in series and further coupled between a positive terminal and a negative terminal of the input dc power source.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first resonant tank is coupled between the first switch network and a first secondary side winding; the second resonant tank is coupled between the second switch network and a second secondary side winding; and the dc/dc converter is coupled between a second output capacitor and the second switch network.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein:
the first switch network is a first secondary-side full bridge rectifier coupled to a first output capacitor; the second switch network is a second secondary-side full bridge rectifier; and the first output capacitor and the second output capacitor are connected in series and further coupled between a positive terminal and a negative terminal of a load.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:
the dc/dc converter comprises, an input capacitor, a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, a fourth switch and an inductor.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:
the input capacitor is coupled between a first output terminal and a second output terminal of the second secondary-side full bridge rectifier; the first switch and the second switch are connected in series and further coupled between two terminals of the input capacitor of the dc/dc converter; the third switch and the fourth switch are connected in series and further coupled between two terminals of the second output capacitor; and the inductor is between a common node of the first switch and the second switch, and a common node of the third switch and the fourth switch.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the dc/dc converter is configured to operate at a buck converter mode in response to a first input voltage and operate at a boost converter mode in response to a second input voltage, wherein the first input voltage is higher than the second input voltage.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
a power delivered by the first switch network is greater than a power delivered by the second switch network.

11 . A system comprising:
an unregulated inductor-inductor-capacitor (LLC) resonant converter comprising:
a first resonant tank comprising a first series resonant inductor and a first series resonant capacitor, wherein the first resonant tank is coupled between a first transformer winding and a first switch network; and
a second resonant tank comprising a second series resonant inductor and a second series resonant capacitor, wherein the second resonant tank is coupled between a second transformer winding and a second switch network; and
a dc/dc converter coupled to the second switch network, wherein:
the dc/dc converter is configured to operate at a buck converter mode in response to a first input voltage; and
the dc/dc converter is configured to operate at a boost converter mode in response to a second input voltage.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein:
the first resonant tank is coupled between the first switch network and a first primary side winding; and the second resonant tank is coupled between the second switch network and a second primary side winding.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein:
the dc/dc converter is configured to operate at the buck converter mode when an input voltage from an input dc power source is lower than a voltage threshold; and the dc/dc converter is configured to operate at the boost converter mode when the input voltage from the input dc power source is higher than the voltage threshold.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein:
the first resonant tank is coupled between the first switch network and a first secondary side winding; and the second resonant tank is coupled between the second switch network and a second secondary side winding.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein:
the dc/dc converter is configured to operate at the buck converter mode when an input voltage from an input dc power source is higher than a voltage threshold; and the dc/dc converter is configured to operate at the boost converter mode when the input voltage from the input dc power source is lower than the voltage threshold.

16 . A method comprising:
providing a parallel hybrid converter comprising:
an isolated power converter coupled between an input dc power source, wherein the isolated power converter comprises:
a first switch network coupled to a first transformer winding through a first resonant tank; and
a second switch network coupled to a second transformer winding through a second resonant tank; and
a dc/dc converter coupled to the second switch network;
configuring the dc/dc converter to operate at a buck converter mode in response to a first input voltage; and configuring the dc/dc converter to operate at a boost converter mode in response to a second input voltage.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the isolated power converter is an unregulated inductor-inductor-capacitor (LLC) resonant converter; the first switch network is coupled to a first secondary winding through the first resonant tank; and the second switch network is coupled to a second secondary winding through the second resonant tank.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
configuring the dc/dc converter to operate at the buck converter mode when the input voltage is higher than a threshold; and configuring the dc/dc converter to operate at the boost converter mode when the input voltage is lower than the threshold.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein:
the isolated power converter is an unregulated inductor-inductor-capacitor (LLC) resonant converter; the first switch network is coupled to a first primary winding through the first resonant tank; and the second switch network is coupled to a second primary winding through the second resonant tank.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
configuring the dc/dc converter to operate at the buck converter mode when the input voltage is lower than a threshold; and configuring the dc/dc converter to operate at the boost converter mode when the input voltage is higher than the threshold.

Assignees

• Futurewei Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Dai Heping
• Ye Liming
• Fu Dianbo
• Chen Daoshen

Classifications

• H02M3/18

  using capacitors or batteries which are alternately charged and discharged, e.g. charged in parallel and discharged in series · CPC title

• H02M3/1582

  Buck-boost converters (H02M3/1584 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02M3/07

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

• H02M3/33576

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

• H02M3/3372 Primary

  of the parallel type · CPC title