Systems and methods for protecting power conversion systems under open and/or short circuit conditions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9583935-B2
Application number	US-201414154973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2014
Priority date	Nov 8, 2011
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

System and method are provided for protecting a power converter. The system includes a first comparator, and an off-time component. The first comparator is configured to receive a sensing signal and a first threshold signal and generate a first comparison signal based on at least information associated with the sensing signal and the first threshold signal, the power converter being associated with a switching frequency and further including a switch configured to affect the primary current. The off-time component is configured to receive the first comparison signal and generate an off-time signal based on at least information associated with the first comparison signal. The off-time component is further configured to, if the first comparison signal indicates the sensing signal to be larger than the first threshold signal in magnitude, generate the off-time signal to keep the switch to be turned off for at least a predetermined period of time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for protecting a power converter, the system comprising:
a first comparator configured to receive a sensing signal and a first threshold signal and generate a first comparison signal based on at least information associated with the sensing signal and the first threshold signal, the sensing signal being associated with at least a primary current flowing through a primary winding and a switch of the power converter, the power converter being associated with a switching frequency; and
an off-time component configured to receive the first comparison signal and generate an off-time signal based on at least information associated with the first comparison signal;
wherein the off-time component is further configured to, if the first comparison signal indicates the sensing signal associated with at least the primary current flowing through the primary winding and the switch of the power converter is larger than the first threshold signal in magnitude, generate the off-time signal to keep the switch to be turned off for at least a predetermined period of time, the predetermined period of time extending beyond at least a beginning of a next switching period corresponding to the switching frequency.

2. The system of claim 1 , and further comprising:
a second comparator configured to receive the sensing signal and a second threshold signal and generate a second comparison signal based on at least information associated with the sensing signal and the second threshold signal;
wherein the second comparator is further configured to, if the sensing signal associated with at least the primary current flowing through the primary winding and the switch of the power converter is larger than the second threshold signal in magnitude, generate the second comparison signal to turn off the switch within a current switching period corresponding to the switching frequency, the current switching period immediately preceding the next switching period.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the second threshold signal is smaller than the first threshold signal in magnitude.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the second comparator is further configured, if the sensing signal associated with at least the primary current flowing through the primary winding and the switch of the power converter is smaller than the second threshold signal in magnitude, not to generate the second comparison signal to turn off the switch.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the off-time component is further configured to, if the first comparison signal indicates the sensing signal associated with at least the primary current flowing through the primary winding and the switch of the power converter is smaller than the first threshold signal in magnitude, allow the switch to be turned on at the beginning of the next switching period corresponding to the switching frequency.

6. A method for protecting a power converter, the method comprising:
receiving a sensing signal and a first threshold signal;
processing information associated with the sensing signal and the first threshold signal;
generating a first comparison signal based on at least information associated with the sensing signal and the first threshold signal, the sensing signal being associated with at least a primary current flowing through a primary winding and a switch of the power converter, the power converter being associated with a switching frequency;
processing information associated with the first comparison signal; and
outputting an off-time signal based on at least information associated with the first comparison signal;
wherein the process for outputting an off-time signal includes, if the first comparison signal indicates the sensing signal associated with at least the primary current flowing through the primary winding and the switch of the power converter is larger than the first threshold signal in magnitude, outputting the off-time signal to keep the switch to be turned off for at least a predetermined period of time, the predetermined period of time extending beyond at least a beginning of a next switching period corresponding to the switching frequency.

7. The method of claim 6 , and further comprising:
receiving the sensing signal and a second threshold signal;
generating a second comparison signal based on at least information associated with the sensing signal and the second threshold signal;
wherein the process for generating a second comparison signal includes, if the sensing signal associated with at least the primary current flowing through the primary winding and the switch of the power converter is larger than the second threshold signal in magnitude, generating the second comparison signal to turn off the switch within a current switching period corresponding to the switching frequency, the current switching period immediately preceding the next switching period.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second threshold signal is smaller than the first threshold signal in magnitude.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the process for generating a second comparison signal further includes, if the sensing signal associated with at least the primary current flowing through the primary winding and the switch of the power converter is smaller than the second threshold signal in magnitude, not generating the second comparison signal to turn off the switch.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the process for outputting an off-time signal includes, if the first comparison signal indicates the sensing signal associated with at least the primary current flowing through the primary winding and the switch of the power converter is smaller than the first threshold signal in magnitude, allowing the switch to be turned on at the beginning of the next switching period corresponding to the switching frequency.

Assignees

• On Bright Electronics Shanghai Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fang Lieyi

Classifications

• H02H3/06

  with automatic reconnection · CPC title

• H02M3/33507 Primary

  with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters (H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence) · CPC title

• H02M1/08

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

• H02M1/32

  Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection · CPC title

• H02H7/1222

  responsive to abnormalities in the input circuit, e.g. transients in the DC input · CPC title