Laser diode driver with variable input voltage and variable diode string voltage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9923334-B2
Application number	US-201715408599-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2017
Priority date	Dec 7, 2015
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A high-power laser system includes a plurality of cascaded diode drivers, a pump source, and a laser element. The diode drivers are configured to generate a continuous driver signal. The pump source is configured to generate radiated energy in response to the continuous driver signal. The laser element is disposed downstream from the pump source and is configured to generate a laser beam in response to stimulation via the radiated energy. The high-power laser system further includes an electronic controller configured to output at least one driver signal that operates the plurality of diode drivers at a fixed frequency. The at least one driver signal operates a first cascade diode driver among the plurality of diode drivers 90 degrees out of phase with respect to a second cascade diode driver among the plurality of diode drivers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A buck regulator circuit configured to convert an input voltage into a regulated output signal drive that drives at least one diode driver included in a high-power laser system, the buck regulator circuit comprising:
a switching unit including a plurality of switches in signal communication with an input power supply and configured to convert the input voltage having a first voltage into the regulated output signal supplied to each isolated resonant series DC to DC converter; and
an energy recycling unit configured to absorb energy from the switching unit so as to reduce switching losses of the switching unit while driving at least one diode driver among a plurality of diode drivers of the high-power laser system,
an electronic controller that is configured to output at least one driver signal that operates the plurality of diode drivers at a fixed frequency,
wherein the at least one driver signal operates a first cascade diode driver among the plurality of diode drivers 90 degrees out of phase with respect to a second cascade diode driver among the plurality of diode drivers.

2. The buck regulator circuit of claim 1 , wherein the energy recycling unit is configured to absorb energy from the switching unit so as to reduce switching losses of the switching unit.

3. The buck regulator circuit of claim 2 , wherein the energy recycling unit further comprises:
a turn-on snubber circuit configured to absorb a full voltage applied to the switching unit so as to control the rise in current through the switching unit in response to a switch activation event; and
a turn-off snubber circuit configured to receive current from the switching unit and the turn-on snubber circuit in response to a switch de-activation event.

4. The buck regulator circuit of claim 3 , wherein the controller generates regulator switch control signals that activate the regulator switches in the switching unit in an alternating manner at a fixed frequency.

5. The buck regulator circuit of claim 3 , wherein the switching unit generates a square wave voltage that is approximately equal in amplitude to the input voltage based on the regulated output signal.

6. The buck regulator circuit of claim 5 , further comprising a rectifier circuit that is connected to the switching unit via the series resonant DC to DC converter, and converts the square wave into a rectified square wave.

7. The buck regulator circuit of claim 6 , wherein a resonant tank circuit is connected between the switching unit and the rectifier circuit so as to operate the switching unit at a resonance frequency defined by the resonant tank circuit.

8. The buck regulator circuit of claim 7 , wherein the resonant tank circuit is an LC resonant tank circuit including a resonating capacitor connected in series with a resonating inductor to define the resonance frequency.

9. The buck regulator circuit of claim 7 , wherein the switching unit includes a plurality of semiconductor switches connected to define a full-bridge switching unit.

10. The buck regulator circuit of claim 7 , wherein the rectifier circuit includes a plurality of diodes connected to form a full-wave rectifier.

11. A buck regulator circuit configured to convert an input voltage into a regulated output signal drive that drives at least one diode driver included in a high-power laser system, the buck regulator circuit comprising:
a switching unit including a plurality of switches in signal communication with an input power supply and configured to convert the input voltage having a first voltage into the regulated output signal supplied to a plurality of isolated resonant series DC to DC converters; and
an energy recycling unit configured to absorb energy from the switching unit so as to reduce switching losses of the switching unit while driving the at least one diode driver among a plurality of diode drivers of the high-power laser system;
a rectifier circuit that is connected to the switching unit via a series resonant DC to DC converter among the plurality of isolated resonant series DC to DC converters, and converts a square wave into a rectified square wave; and
a resonant tank circuit connected between the switching unit and the rectifier circuit so as to operate the switching unit at a resonance frequency defined by the resonant tank circuit.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Stiffler Robert F
• Ortiz Joe A
• Todd Philip C
• Lazar James

Classifications

• H01S3/0941

  of a laser diode · CPC title

• H02M1/34

  Snubber circuits · CPC title

• H02M1/14

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

• H01S5/042 Primary

  Electrical excitation {; Circuits therefor (monolithically integrated laser drive components H01S5/0261)} · CPC title

• H01S5/4025

  Array arrangements, e.g. constituted by discrete laser diodes or laser bar (H01S5/42 takes precedence) · CPC title