High Efficiency Switching Boost Converter with Reduced Inductor Current Ripple

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017149337-A1
Application number	US-201615381150-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2016
Priority date	Jul 1, 2015
Publication date	May 25, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A voltage or current regulated power converter is presented. The power converter is configured to derive electrical power at an output voltage V out at an output of the power converter from electrical power at an input voltage V in at an input of the power converter, wherein the output voltage V out is greater than or equal to the input voltage V in . The power converter comprises an inductor, a plurality of capacitors and a plurality of switches. The input and output unit are coupled via an intermediate point, wherein the output unit comprises a first output or second output arrangement, and wherein the input unit comprises a first input or a second input arrangement. The power converter comprises a controller configured to control the plurality of switches such that a commutation cycle of the power converter comprises a plurality of different operation phases.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for deriving electrical power at an output voltage V out at an output of a power converter from electrical power at an input voltage V in at an input of the power converter, wherein the output voltage V out is greater than or equal to the input voltage V in ; the method comprising
providing an inductor (L), a plurality of capacitors (C 1 , C 2 , C 3 , C out ) and a plurality of switches (S 1 , S 2 , S 3 , S 4 , S 5 , S 6 , S 7 ), which are arranged within an input unit and an output unit; wherein the output unit comprises a first output arrangement or a second output arrangement; and wherein the input unit comprises a first input arrangement or a second input arrangement; coupling the input unit and the output unit via an intermediate point; controlling the plurality of switches such that a commutation cycle of the power converter comprises a plurality of different operation phases;
wherein
the first output arrangement comprises
a second capacitor (C 2 ) and a third capacitor (C 3 ) which are arranged in series, wherein the serial arrangement of the second and third capacitor are arranged in parallel to a positive and a negative contact of the output of the power converter;
a fifth switch (S 5 ) couples the intermediate point to the positive contact of the output;
a fourth switch (S 4 ) couples the intermediate point to a midpoint between the second capacitor and the third capacitor;
a seventh switch (S 7 ) couples the midpoint to ground; and
a sixth switch (S 6 ) couples the negative contact of the output to ground;

the second output arrangement comprises
an output capacitor (C out ) which is arranged in parallel between a positive contact and a negative contact of the output of the power converter;
a second capacitor (C 2 );
a sixth switch (S 6 ) couples a positive contact of the output of the power converter to a first end of the second capacitor;
a seventh switch (S 7 ) couples a second end of the second capacitor to ground; wherein a negative contact of the output of the power converter is coupled to ground;
a fifth switch (S 5 ) couples the intermediate point to the first end of the second capacitor; and
a fourth switch (S 4 ) couples the intermediate point to the second end of the second capacitor;

the first input arrangement comprises
a first capacitor (C 1 ) and the inductor (L);
a first switch (S 1 ) couples a second end of the inductor to the intermediate point; wherein a first end of the inductor is coupled to a positive contact of the input of the power converter; wherein a first end of the first capacitor is coupled to the intermediate point;
a second switch (S 2 ) couples the second end of the inductor to the second end of the first capacitor; and
a third switch (S 3 ) couples a second end of the first capacitor to ground; wherein a negative contact of the input of the power converter is coupled to ground; and

the second input arrangement comprises
a first capacitor (C 1 ) and the inductor (L);
a first switch (S 1 ) couples a first end of the inductor to a positive contact of the input of the power converter; wherein a second end of the inductor is coupled to the intermediate point; wherein a first end of the first capacitor is coupled to a first end of the inductor;
a second switch (S 2 ) couples the second end of the first capacitor to the positive contact of the input of the power converter; and
a third switch (S 3 ) couples a second end of the first capacitor to ground; wherein a negative contact of the input of the power converter is coupled to ground.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of operation phases comprise
a first phase during which the inductor is arranged in parallel between the positive contact and the negative contact of the input; and a second phase during which a serial arrangement of the inductor and the first capacitor is arranged in parallel between the positive contact and the negative contact of the input.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of operation phases comprise a third phase during which one or more capacitors of the output unit are arranged in parallel to a serial arrangement of the inductor and the first capacitor.

4 . The method of claim 3 referring back to claim 2 , wherein during the second phase the first capacitor has an orientation with respect to the inductor which is reversed compared to an orientation during the third phase.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of operation phases comprise a fourth phase during which
the one or more capacitors of the output unit are arranged in series with the inductor; and the first capacitor is decoupled from the input and the output of the power converter.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of operation phases is such that prior to an operation phase during which the inductor is coupled to the output unit, the power converter is operated in an operation phase during which the inductor is magnetized or de-magnetized, depending on the ratio of the output voltage Vout to the input voltage Vin.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of operation phases is such that prior to an operation phase during which the inductor is arranged in series to the first capacitor, the power converter is operated in an operation phase during which the inductor is magnetized or de-magnetized, depending on the ratio of the output voltage Vout to the input voltage Vin.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the input unit comprises a plurality of first input arrangements or a plurality of second input arrangements; and the controller operates the plurality of first and/or second input arrangements in an interleaved manner.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the input unit comprises a plurality of first input arrangements or a plurality of second input arrangements; and the plurality of first input arrangements and/or the plurality of second input arrangements each comprise a joint single inductor.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the output unit comprises the second output arrangement; the second output arrangement comprises a third capacitor and an eighth switch; the eighth switch couples a first end of the third capacitor to the second end of the second capacitor; a second end of the third capacitor is coupled to ground; and the controller operates the power converter in
a phase during which the second capacitor and the third capacitor are arranged in series, and parallel to the output capacitor; and
a phase during which the second capacitor and the third capacitor are arranged in parallel to one another and each in series to a serial arrangement of the inductor and the first capacitor.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein
the input unit comprises a plurality of second input arrangements; the output unit comprises a plurality of second output arrangements; the controller operates the plurality of second input arrangements and/or the plurality of second output arrangements in an interleaved manner.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a switch comprises a metaloxide semiconductor transistor.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the controller sets the duration of each of the plurality of operation phases such that the output voltage is regulated to a pre-determined reference voltage; wherein the pre-determined reference voltage is an integer multiple of the input voltage.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the output of the power converter is coupled to a serial arrangement of a plurality of solid state lighting, referred to as SSL, devices.

Assignees

• Dialog Semiconductor Uk Ltd

Inventors

• Petersen Holger

Classifications

• H02M1/14

  Arrangements for reducing ripples from DC input or output · CPC title

• H02M3/07

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

• H02M3/158 Primary

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

• H05B33/083

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B33/0815

  Electricity · mapped topic