DC-to-DC CONVERTER

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016268895-A1
Application number	US-201615162621-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 24, 2016
Priority date	Nov 28, 2013
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A DC-to-DC converter includes an input terminal connected to a DC power source. An output terminal is connected to a load. A reactor is disposed between the input terminal and the output terminal. A blocking diode is connected in series to the reactor. A switching element has one end connected between the reactor and the blocking diode. A boost chopper circuit boosts an input voltage to generate an output voltage. A first reactor is disposed between the input terminal and the one end. A first capacitor is disposed between the first reactor and the switching element and connected in series to the first reactor. A first diode includes an anode terminal and a cathode terminal. The anode terminal is connected to a connection portion of the first reactor and the first capacitor. The cathode terminal is connected to the output terminal.

First claim

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1 . A DC-to-DC converter comprising:
an input terminal connected to a DC power source; an output terminal connected to a load; a reactor disposed between the input terminal and the output terminal; a blocking diode connected in series to the reactor; a switching element comprising one end connected between the reactor and the blocking diode; a boost chopper circuit configured to boost an input voltage so as to generate an output voltage; a first reactor disposed between the input terminal and the one end of the switching element; a first capacitor disposed between the first reactor and the switching element and connected in series to the first reactor; and a first diode comprising: an anode terminal connected to a connection portion at which the first reactor and the first capacitor are connected to each other; and a cathode terminal connected to the output terminal.

2 . The DC-to-DC converter according to claim 1 , further comprising a second diode connected in series to the first reactor.

3 . The DC-to-DC converter according to claim 1 , further comprising a second reactor disposed between the blocking diode and the output terminal.

4 . The DC-to-DC converter according to claim 3 , further comprising a snubber circuit configured to absorb a surge voltage between the blocking diode and the second reactor.

5 . The DC-to-DC converter according to claim 4 , further comprising a controller configured to, when a value of a voltage across the snubber circuit becomes larger than a value of a voltage ripple that occurs in the second reactor when the switching element is off, control the snubber circuit to repeat cycles of absorption and release of the surge voltage, a period of each of the cycles being longer than an on-off period of the switching element.

6 . A DC-to-DC converter comprising:
a booster configured to turn on and off a switching element to switch between accumulating, in a reactor, energy supplied from a DC power source and releasing the energy from the reactor so as to boost a voltage output from the DC power source; and a voltage suppressor configured to, at a turn-off time of the switching element, suppress a voltage across the switching element based on energy supplied from the DC power source when the switching element is on.

7 . The DC-to-DC converter according to claim 2 , further comprising a second reactor disposed between the blocking diode and the output terminal.

8 . The DC-to-DC converter according to claim 7 , further comprising a snubber circuit configured to absorb a surge voltage between the blocking diode and the second reactor.

9 . The DC-to-DC converter according to claim 8 , further comprising a controller configured to, when a value of a voltage across the snubber circuit becomes larger than a value of a voltage ripple that occurs in the second reactor when the switching element is off, control the snubber circuit to repeat cycles of absorption and release of the surge voltage, a period of each of the cycles being longer than an on-off period of the switching element.

Assignees

• Yaskawa Electric Corp

Inventors

• Sadohara Tadashi
• Hashimoto Seiji

Classifications

• H02M1/34

  Snubber circuits · CPC title

• H02M3/156 Primary

  with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators · CPC title

• H02M1/08

  Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters · CPC title

• H02M3/158 Primary

  including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load · CPC title

• H02M1/342

  Active non-dissipative snubbers · CPC title