Electrical circuit for isolated voltage conversion

• US 10,263,526 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2017
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Prong Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Smart Prong Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Sandusky, Randall L., Farooqi, Neaz E., Harada, Kenson Tamotsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Behm, Harry R
• Application Number:
  US15/667,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20180041128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0009 Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/007 Plural converter units in cascade push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/24 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/285 Single converters with a plurality of output stages connected in parallel parallel operation of a plurality of converters in dc distribution networks H02J1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/44 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/48 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

A system includes a boost circuit, a capacitive circuit, and a converter circuit. The boost circuit receives a DC signal at a first DC voltage and generates an intermediate AC signal at a first AC voltage based on the DC signal. The capacitive circuit receives the intermediate AC signal at the first AC voltage and generates an isolated AC signal at the first AC voltage based on the intermediate AC signal at the first AC voltage. The converter circuit receives the isolated AC signal at the first AC voltage; generates a first isolated DC signal at a second DC voltage based on the isolated AC signal at the first AC voltage; and generates a second isolated DC signal at a third DC voltage based on the first isolated DC signal at the second DC voltage. The third DC voltage may be less than the second DC voltage.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a boost circuit configured to;

receive a direct current (DC) signal at a first DC voltage; and

generate an intermediate alternating current (AC) signal at a first AC voltage based on the DC signal at the first DC voltage;

a capacitive circuit electrically coupled to the boost circuit and configured to;

receive the intermediate AC signal at the first AC voltage; and

generate an isolated AC signal at the first AC voltage based on the intermediate AC signal at the first AC voltage;

a converter circuit electrically coupled to the capacitive circuit and configured to;

receive the isolated AC signal at the first AC voltage;

generate a first isolated DC signal at a second DC voltage based on the isolated AC signal at the first AC voltage; and

generate a second isolated DC signal at a third DC voltage based on the first isolated DC signal at the second DC voltage, wherein the third DC voltage is less than the second DC voltage; and

a current determination/regulator circuit electrically coupled to the converter circuit and configured to;

receive the second isolated DC signal at the third DC voltage;

generate an isolated power DC signal at a fourth DC voltage based on the second isolated DC signal;

determine a current of the isolated power DC signal; and

generate an isolated control signal based on the determined current of the isolated power DC signal, wherein the boost circuit is further configured to adjust the intermediate AC signal based on the isolated control signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the capacitive circuit comprises a first capacitive circuit and the isolated control signal comprises a first isolated control signal, the system further comprising:

a first control circuit electrically coupled to the current determination/regulator circuit and configured to;

receive the first isolated control signal; and

generate a second isolated control signal based on the first isolated control signal;

a second capacitive circuit electrically coupled to the first control circuit and configured to;

receive the second isolated control signal; and

generate a first non-isolated control signal based on the second isolated control signal; and

a second control circuit electrically coupled to the second capacitive circuit and the boost circuit and configured to;

receive the first non-isolated control signal;

generate a second non-isolated control signal based on the first non-isolated control signal; and

transmit the second non-isolated control signal to the boost circuit, wherein the boost circuit is further configured to adjust at least one of the first AC voltage or a frequency of the intermediate AC signal based on the second non-isolated control signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the capacitive circuit comprises an inductor electrically coupled in series with a capacitor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the capacitive circuit comprises a plurality of capacitors electrically coupled in parallel between the boost circuit and the converter circuit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the boost circuit is further configured to generate the intermediate AC signal between four hundred and substantially two thousands volts.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the converter circuit comprises:

an AC/DC converter electrically coupled to the capacitive circuit and configured to;

receive the isolated AC signal at the first AC voltage; and

generate the first isolated DC signal at the second DC voltage; and

a voltage conversion circuit electrically coupled to the AC/DC converter and configured to;

receive the first isolated DC signal at the second DC voltage; and

generate the second isolated DC signal at the third DC voltage, wherein the third DC voltage is less than the second DC voltage.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the boost circuit is electrically coupled to a first ground and the converter circuit is electrically coupled to a second ground, the system further comprising a third capacitive circuit electrically coupled to the first ground and the second ground.

8. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising a rectifier configured to:

receive an AC mains signal at a second AC voltage; and

generate the DC signal at the first DC voltage based on the AC mains signal at the second AC voltage.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving a DC signal at a first DC voltage;

generating an intermediate AC signal at a first AC voltage based on the DC signal at the first DC voltage;

generating an isolated AC signal at the first AC voltage;

generating a first isolated DC signal at a second DC voltage based on the isolated AC signal at the first AC voltage;

generating a second isolated DC signal at a third DC voltage based on the first isolated DC signal at the second DC voltage, wherein the third DC voltage is less than the second DC voltage;

generating an isolated power DC signal at a fourth DC voltage based on the second isolated DC signal;

determining a current of the isolated power DC signal; and

generating an isolated control signal based on the determined current of the isolated power DC signal, wherein the intermediate AC signal is adjusted based on the isolated control signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the isolated control signal comprises a first isolated control signal, the method further comprising:

generating a second isolated control signal based on the first isolated control signal;

generating a first non-isolated control signal based on the second isolated control signal;

generating a second non-isolated control signal based on the first non-isolated control signal; and

adjusting at least one of the first AC voltage or a frequency of the intermediate AC signal based on the second non-isolated control signal.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the intermediate AC signal at the first AC voltage based on the DC signal at the first DC voltage comprises generating the intermediate AC signal between substantially four hundred volts and substantially two thousands volts.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising isolating the first DC signal and the intermediate AC signal from the isolated AC, first isolated DC signal, and second isolated DC signal through a first ground and a second ground.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the second isolated DC signal at the third DC voltage based on the first isolated DC signal comprises:

generating a first isolated intermediate DC signal at a fifth DC voltage based on the first isolated DC signal at the second DC voltage, wherein the fifth DC voltage is less than the second DC voltage; and

generating the second isolated DC signal at the third DC voltage based on the first isolated intermediate DC signal at the fifth DC voltage.

14. The method of claim 9, the method further comprising:

receiving an AC mains signal at a second AC voltage; and

generating the DC signal at the first DC voltage based on the AC mains signal at the second AC voltage.

15. A system, comprising:

a boost circuit configured to;

receive a DC signal at a first DC voltage; and

generate an intermediate AC signal at a first AC voltage based on the DC signal at the first DC voltage;

a capacitive circuit electrically coupled to the boost circuit and configured to;

receive the intermediate AC signal at the first AC voltage; and

generate an isolated AC signal at the first AC voltage based on the intermediate AC signal at the first AC voltage;

a converter circuit electrically coupled to the capacitive circuit comprising;

an AC/DC converter electrically coupled to the capacitive circuit and configured to;

receive the isolated AC signal at the first AC voltage; and

generate a first isolated DC signal at a second DC voltage based on the isolated AC signal at the first AC voltage;

a voltage conversion circuit electrically coupled to the AC/DC converter and configured to;

receive the first isolated DC signal at the second DC voltage; and

generate a second isolated DC signal at a third DC voltage based on the first isolated DC signal at the second DC voltage, wherein the third DC voltage is less than the second DC voltage; and

a current determination/regulator circuit electrically coupled to the converter circuit and configured to;

receive the second isolated DC signal at the third DC voltage;

generate an isolated power DC signal at a fourth DC voltage based on the second isolated DC signal;

determine a current of the isolated power DC signal; and

generate an isolated control signal based on the determined current of the isolated power DC signal, wherein the boost circuit is further configured to adjust the intermediate AC signal based on the isolated control signal.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the capacitive circuit comprises a first capacitive circuit and the isolated control signal comprises a first isolated control signal, the system further comprising:

a first control circuit electrically coupled to the current determination/regulator circuit and configured to;

receive the first isolated control signal; and

generate a second isolated control signal based on the first isolated control signal;

a second capacitive circuit electrically coupled to the first control circuit and configured to;

receive the second isolated control signal; and

generate a first non-isolated control signal based on the second isolated control signal; and

a second control circuit electrically coupled to the second capacitive circuit and the boost circuit and configured to;

receive the first non-isolated control signal;

generate a second non-isolated control signal based on the first non-isolated control signal; and

transmit the second non-isolated control signal to the boost circuit, wherein the boost circuit is further configured to adjust at least one of the first AC voltage or a frequency of the intermediate AC signal based on the second non-isolated control signal.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the boost circuit is configured to generate the intermediate AC signal between four hundred volts and two thousands volts.