Apparatuses and methods involving power conversion using multiple rectifier circuits

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022247322-A1
Application number	US-202117552233-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 15, 2021
Priority date	Mar 7, 2018
Publication date	Aug 4, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus including direct-current (DC)-alternating-current (AC) inverter circuitry, first and second circuits, and output circuitry. The DC-AC inverter circuitry inverts a DC input signal corresponding to an input voltage to an AC signal. The first circuit and second circuits respectively include inductive isolation circuits driven in response to power from the at least one AC signal, and rectifier circuits that responds to the inductive isolation circuits by outputting first and second rectified signals, where at least one of the first and second rectifier circuits characterized as being limited by a voltage breakdown rating. The output circuitry provides a DC output voltage signal and to cascade a plurality of signals, including the first and second rectified signals, to provide a voltage source that is dependent on the first and second rectified signals and greater than voltage breakdown rating.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
DC-AC inverter circuitry configured to invert at least one direct-current (DC) input signal corresponding to an input voltage to at least one alternating-current (AC) signal; a first circuit including a first inductive isolation circuit to be driven in response to power from the at least one AC signal, and including a first rectifier circuit to respond to the first inductive isolation circuit by outputting a first rectified signal at a first pair of output terminals; a second circuit including a second inductive isolation circuit to be driven in response to power from the at least one AC signal, and including a second rectifier circuit to respond to the second inductive isolation circuit by outputting a second rectified signal at a second pair of output terminals, and at least one of the first and second rectifier circuits characterized as being limited by a voltage breakdown rating; and output circuitry configured and arranged to provide a DC output voltage signal between voltage source terminals and to cascade a plurality of signals, including the first and second rectified signals, by one of the output terminals of one of the pairs of output terminals being a source of supply to one of the output terminals of the other of the pairs of output terminals, with the voltage source terminals to provide a voltage source that is dependent on the first and second rectified signals and greater than the voltage breakdown rating of the at least one of the first and second rectifier circuits.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the voltage breakdown rating is defined by a DC-blocking capacitor used in a signal path in one of the first and second circuits, between an output terminal of the inductive isolation circuit and a diode in the rectifier circuit.

3 . A method comprising:
providing from a direct-current (DC) voltage input signal, at least one alternating-current (AC) signal; using a first circuit and a second circuit in parallel, each providing inductive isolation and each driven in response to power from the at least one AC signal, and each rectifying in response to the inductive isolation by outputting a rectified signal at an associated pair of output terminals, wherein the rectifying associated with at least one of the first circuit and second circuits is associated with circuitry characterized as being limited by a voltage breakdown rating; and providing a DC output voltage signal between voltage source terminals by cascading a plurality of signals, including the rectified signals, with the DC output voltage signal being dependent on the second rectified signals and greater than the voltage breakdown rating.

Assignees

• Univ Leland Stanford Junior

Inventors

• Rivas-Davila Juan M
• Gu Lei
• Raymond Luke C
• Park Sanghyeon

Classifications

• H02M7/10

  arranged for operation in series, e.g. for multiplication of voltage · CPC title

• H02M1/0077 Primary

  Plural converter units whose outputs are connected in series · CPC title

• H02M3/22

  with intermediate conversion into AC · CPC title

• H02M3/003

  Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections · CPC title

• H02M7/05

  Capacitor coupled rectifiers · CPC title