DC-DC converter with modular stages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9882471-B2
Application number	US-201615068985-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2016
Priority date	May 5, 2011
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for processing electric power includes a power-converter having a path for power flow between first and second power-converter terminals. During operation the first and second power-converter terminals are maintained at respective first and second voltages. Two regulating-circuits and a switching network are disposed on the path. The first regulating-circuit includes a magnetic-storage element and a first-regulating-circuit terminal. The second regulating-circuit includes a second-regulating-circuit terminal. The first-regulating-circuit terminal is connected to the first switching-network-terminal and the second-regulating-circuit terminal is connected to the second switching-network-terminal. The switching network is transitions between a first switch-configuration and a second switch-configuration. In the first switch-configuration, charge accumulates in the first charge-storage-element at a first rate. Conversely, in the second switch-configuration, charge is depleted from the first charge-storage-element at a second rate. These rates are constrained by the magnetic-storage element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for processing electric power, said apparatus comprising a power-converter having a path for power flow between a first power-converter terminal and a second power-converter terminal, wherein, during operation of said power-converter, said first power-converter terminal is maintained at a first voltage and said second power-converter terminal is maintained at a second voltage that is lower than said first voltage, wherein said power-converter comprises first and second regulating-circuits, and a switching network, all of which are disposed on said path, wherein said switching network comprises and switches connected first and second switching-network terminals and to first and second charge-storage-elements, wherein said first regulating-circuit comprises a first magnetic-storage-element and a first-regulating-circuit terminal, wherein said second regulating-circuit comprises a second-regulating-circuit terminal, wherein said power path comprises said first-regulating-circuit terminal, said second-regulating-circuit terminal, said first switching-network-terminal, and said second switching-network-terminal, wherein said first-regulating-circuit terminal is connected to said first switching-network-terminal and said second-regulating-circuit terminal is connected to said second switching-network-terminal, wherein said switching network is configured to transition between a first switch-configuration and a second switch-configuration, wherein, when said switching network is in said first switch-configuration, charge accumulates in said first charge-storage-element at a first rate, wherein, when said switching network is in said second switch configuration charge is depleted from said first charge-storage-element at a second rate, and wherein said first rate and said second rate are constrained by said first magnetic-storage-element, wherein, when said switching network is in said first switch-configuration, charge is depleted from said second charge-storage-element at a first rate, and wherein, when said switching network is in said second configuration, charge accumulates in said second charge-storage-element at a second rate, wherein said first and second rates are both constrained by said first magnetic-storage-element.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said switching network comprises a switching network that receives charge at an input thereof and outputs said charge at an output thereof, wherein transport of charge from said input to said output is carried out in more than one switching cycle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second regulating-circuit comprises a second magnetic-storage-element, and a switch connected to said second magnetic-storage-element, said switch being controllable to switch between at least two switching configurations.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second regulating-circuit further comprises a feedback loop for controlling operation of said switch in response to a measured output of said power converter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first magnetic-storage-element comprises a filter.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said filter has a resonant frequency.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a third regulating-circuit, wherein said third regulating-circuit is connected to said switching network, wherein said third regulating-circuit comprises an inductor, and wherein said second regulating-circuit comprises an inductor that is coupled to said inductor of said third regulating-circuit.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an inductor core, and a third regulating-circuit, wherein said third regulating-circuit is connected to said switching network, wherein said inductor core is shared by an inductor in said third regulating-circuit and an inductor in said second regulating-circuit.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first rate and said second rate are equal.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said switching network comprises a reconfigurable switching network.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said switching network comprises a multi-phase series-parallel switching network.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said switching network comprises a multi-phase multiple stage switching network.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said switching network comprises a multiple stage switching network.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and second regulating-circuits comprises a bidirectional regulating-circuit.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and second regulating-circuits comprises a multi-phase regulating-circuit.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and second regulating-circuits comprises a switch-mode power converter.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , at least one of said first and second regulating-circuits comprises a resonant power converter.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , at least one of said first and second regulating-circuits comprises a magnetic filter.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said switching network is configured as an AC switching network.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising a power-factor correction circuit connected to said AC switching network.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said power-factor correction circuit is connected between said AC switching network and said first regulating-circuit.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said power-converter is configured to vary switch configurations of said switching network at a frequency that is different from a frequency at which switching configuration of at least one of said first and second regulating-circuits is varied.

23. An apparatus for processing electric power, said apparatus comprising a power-converter having a path for power flow between a first power-converter terminal and a second power-converter terminal, wherein, during operation of said power-converter, said first power-converter terminal is maintained at a first voltage and said second power-converter terminal is maintained at a second voltage that is lower than said first voltage, wherein said power-converter comprises first and second regulating-circuits, and a multi-phase switching-network, all of which are disposed on said path, wherein said multi-phase switching network comprises switches connected to a first charge-storage-element and first and second switching-network-terminals, wherein said first regulating-circuit comprises a first magnetic-storage-element and a first-regulating-circuit terminal, wherein said second regulating-circuit comprises a second-regulating-circuit terminal, wherein said power path comprises said first-regulating-circuit terminal, said second-regulating-circuit terminal, said first switching-network-terminal, and said second switching-network-terminal, wherein said first-regulating-circuit terminal is connected to said first switching-network-terminal and said second-regulating-circuit terminal is connected to said second switching-network-terminal, wherein said multi-phase switching network is configured to transition between a first switch-configuration and a second switch-configuration, wherein, when said multi-phase switching network is in said first switch-configuration, charge accumulates in said first charge-storage-element at a first rate, wherein, when said multi-phase switching network is in said second switch configuration charge is

Assignees

• Peregrine Semiconductor Corp

Inventors

• Giuliano David

Classifications

• H02M3/07 Primary

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

• H02M3/158

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

• H02M3/1582

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

• H02M7/25

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

• H02M2001/007

  Electricity · mapped topic