High efficiency switching charger with reduced input voltage ripple
First Claim
1. A voltage or current regulated power converter for charging a battery, wherein the power converter is configured to derive electrical power at an output voltage Vout at an output of the power converter for charging the battery from electrical power at an input voltage Vin at an input of the power converter, wherein the power converter comprises an inductor (L), a capacitor cell, a plurality of switches (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8) and a controller;
- wherein the capacitor cell comprises a single capacitor or a capacitive voltage divider;
wherein the controller is configured to control the plurality of switches such that a commutation cycle of the power converter comprisesa first phase, during which the capacitor cell and the inductor are arranged in series between the input and the output of the power converter;
a second phase, during which the capacitor cell and the inductor are arranged in series parallel to the output of the power converter; and
a third phase, during which the capacitor cell is decoupled from the output of the power converter;
during which a charge of the capacitor remains unaffected and during which the inductor is arranged between the input and the output of the power converter or parallel to the output of the power converter.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A voltage or current regulated power converter for charging batteries, is described. The power converter comprises an inductor (L), a capacitor cell (C1, C2), switches (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8) and a controller. The controller controls the switches such that a commutation cycle of the power converter comprises a first phase, during which the capacitor cell and the inductor are arranged in series and during which a voltage across the serial arrangement of the capacitor cell and the inductor corresponds to Vin−Vout; a second phase, during which the capacitor cell and the inductor are arranged in series and during which the voltage across the serial arrangement of the capacitor cell and the inductor corresponds to −Vout; and a third phase, during which the capacitor cell is floating and during which the voltage across the inductor corresponds to Vin−Vout or to −Vout.
27 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A voltage or current regulated power converter for charging a battery, wherein the power converter is configured to derive electrical power at an output voltage Vout at an output of the power converter for charging the battery from electrical power at an input voltage Vin at an input of the power converter, wherein the power converter comprises an inductor (L), a capacitor cell, a plurality of switches (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8) and a controller;
- wherein the capacitor cell comprises a single capacitor or a capacitive voltage divider;
wherein the controller is configured to control the plurality of switches such that a commutation cycle of the power converter comprisesa first phase, during which the capacitor cell and the inductor are arranged in series between the input and the output of the power converter; a second phase, during which the capacitor cell and the inductor are arranged in series parallel to the output of the power converter; and a third phase, during which the capacitor cell is decoupled from the output of the power converter;
during which a charge of the capacitor remains unaffected and during which the inductor is arranged between the input and the output of the power converter or parallel to the output of the power converter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
- wherein the capacitor cell comprises a single capacitor or a capacitive voltage divider;
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14. A cascaded power converter comprising
a voltage or current regulated power converter for charging a battery, wherein the power converter is configured to derive electrical power at an output voltage Vout at an output of the power converter for charging the battery from electrical power at an input voltage Vin at an input of the power converter, wherein the power converter comprises an inductor (L), a capacitor cell, a plurality of switches (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8) and a controller; - wherein the capacitor cell comprises a single capacitor or a capacitive voltage divider;
wherein the controller is configured to control the plurality of switches such that a commutation cycle of the power converter comprisesa first phase, during which the capacitor cell and the inductor are arranged in series between the input and the output of the power converter; a second phase, during which the capacitor cell and the inductor are arranged in series parallel to the output of the power converter; and a third phase, during which the capacitor cell is decoupled from the output of the power converter;
during which a charge of the capacitor cell remains unaffected and during which the inductor is arranged between the input and the output of the power converter or parallel to the output of the power converter;a capacitive voltage divider stage configured to derive the input voltage for the power converter from a global input voltage; the global input voltage is greater than the input voltage; a commutation cycle of the capacitive voltage divider stage is synchronized with a commutation cycle of the power converter; and a frequency of the commutation cycle of the capacitive voltage divider stage is k times smaller than a frequency of the commutation cycle of the power converter, with k being an integer.
- wherein the capacitor cell comprises a single capacitor or a capacitive voltage divider;
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15. A method for controlling a power converter, wherein the power converter is configured to derive electrical power at an output voltage Vout for charging a battery from electrical power at an input voltage Vin, wherein the power converter comprises an inductor (L), a capacitor cell and a plurality of switches (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8), wherein the capacitor cell comprises a single capacitor or a capacitive voltage divider;
- wherein the method comprises
controlling the plurality of switches such that a commutation cycle of the power converter comprises a first phase, during which the capacitor cell and the inductor are arranged in series and during which a voltage across the serial arrangement of the capacitor cell and the inductor corresponds to Vin−
Vout;controlling the plurality of switches such that the commutation cycle of the power converter comprises a second phase, during which the capacitor cell and the inductor are arranged in series and during which the voltage across the serial arrangement of the capacitor cell and the inductor corresponds to −
Vout; andcontrolling the plurality of switches such that the commutation cycle of the power converter comprises a third phase, during which the capacitor cell is decoupled from the output voltage Vout, during which a charge of the capacitor cell remains unaffected and during which the voltage across the inductor corresponds to Vin−
Vout or to −
Vout. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
- wherein the method comprises
Specification