Passive circuit and power converter

• US 10,608,521 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2018
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Chen, Yang-Lin
• Primary Examiner(s): Laxton, Gary L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tiku, Sisay G
• Application Number:
  US16/052,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20190181742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 323222, 323225
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 30/06 characterised by the structure
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0058 by employing soft switching techniques, i.e. commutation of transistors when applied voltage is zero or when current flow is zero using an auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuit connected to an intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches of an inverter bridge H02M7/4811; in resonant inverters H02M7/4815; in inverters operating from a resonant DC source H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/083 for the ignition at the zero crossing of the voltage or the current
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/219 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

A passive circuit includes a first inductance unit, a second inductance unit, a third inductance unit, and a fourth inductance unit which are coupled to each other, and a capacitance unit. A first end of the first inductance unit is coupled to a first end of the second inductance unit, and a second end of the first inductance unit is coupled to a first end of the third inductance unit. A second end of the second inductance unit is coupled to a first end of the fourth inductance unit. A second end of the third inductance unit and a second end of the fourth inductance unit are respectively coupled to the capacitance unit.

Claims

1. A passive circuit, comprising:

a first inductance unit, a second inductance unit, a third inductance unit, a fourth inductance unit and a capacitance unit, wherein the first inductance unit, the second inductance unit, the third inductance unit, and the fourth inductance unit are magnetically coupled to each other,

and wherein a first end of the first inductance unit is electrically coupled to a first end of the second inductance unit;

a second end of the first inductance unit is electrically coupled to a first end of the third inductance unit;

a second end of the second inductance unit is electrically coupled with a first end of the fourth inductance unit;

a second end of the third inductance unit and a second end of the fourth inductance unit are respectively electrically coupled with the capacitance unit; and

the first end of the third inductance unit is not electrically coupled to the first end of the fourth inductance unit,

wherein the passive circuit further comprising a first isolation transformer and a second isolation transformer, wherein a primary winding of the first isolation transformer comprises the first inductance unit, a secondary winding of the first isolation transformer comprises a fifth inductance unit, a primary winding of the second isolation transformer comprises the second inductance unit, a secondary winding of the second isolation transformer comprises a sixth inductance unit, and the fifth inductance unit and the sixth inductance unit are magnetically coupled to each other.

2. The passive circuit of claim 1, wherein the first inductance unit, the second inductance unit, the third inductance unit, and the fourth inductance unit are integrated on a magnetic core.

3. The passive circuit of claim 1, wherein the capacitance unit comprises a first capacitor and a second capacitor, and wherein a first end of the first capacitor is electrically coupled to the second end of the third inductance unit;

and a first end of the second capacitor is electrically coupled to the second end of the fourth inductance unit.

4. The passive circuit of claim 3, wherein the capacitance unit further comprises a third capacitor unit, and wherein a first end of the third capacitor unit is electrically coupled with the second end of the first capacitor and the second end of the second capacitor;

and a second end of the third capacitor unit is configured to receive a reference voltage.

5. The passive circuit of claim 1, wherein the capacitance unit comprises a first capacitor;

the second end of the third inductance unit and the second end of the fourth inductance unit are electrically coupled to each other;

the second end of the third inductance unit and the second end of the fourth inductance unit are commonly electrically coupled to a first end of the first capacitor; and

a second end of the first capacitor is configured to receive a reference voltage.

6. A power converter, comprising:

a passive circuit comprising a first inductance unit, a second inductance unit, a third inductance unit, a fourth inductance unit, and a capacitance unit, wherein the first inductance unit, the second inductance unit, the third inductance unit, and the fourth inductance unit are magnetically coupled to each other, wherein the capacitance unit is electrically coupled to the third inductance unit and the fourth inductance unit, wherein a first end of the first inductance unit is electrically coupled with a first end of the second inductance unit, a second end of the first inductance unit is electrically coupled with a first end of the third inductance unit, a second end of the second inductance unit is electrically coupled with a first end of the fourth inductance unit, the first end of the third inductance unit is not electrically coupled to the first end of the fourth inductance unit, a second end of the third inductance unit and a second end of the fourth inductance unit are respectively electrically coupled to the capacitance unit; and

a switching circuit electrically coupled to the passive circuit, wherein the switching circuit comprises a plurality of switches, configured to be on or off selectively to convert a first voltage to a second voltage,

wherein the switches comprise a first switch, and the first switch is electrically coupled to the second end of the first inductance unit and the first end of the third inductance unit, and wherein the power converter is configured to provide a passage for a current such that, before the first switch switches from off to on, the current which passes through the third inductance unit is greater than the current which passes the first inductance unit.

7. The power converter of claim 6, wherein the first end of the first inductance unit is configured to receive the first voltage, and the capacitance unit is configured to receive a reference voltage.

8. The power converter of claim 7, wherein the switches further comprise a second switch, a third switch and a fourth switch, wherein a first end of the first switch is electrically coupled to the second end of the first inductance unit, a second end of the first switch is electrically coupled to the reference voltage, a first end of the second switch is electrically coupled with the second end of the second inductance unit, a second end of the second switch is electrically coupled with the reference voltage, a first end of the third switch is electrically coupled with the first end of the first switch, a first end of the fourth switch is electrically coupled with the first end of the second switch, a second end of the third switch and a second end of the fourth switch are electrically coupled to each other, and configured to receive or provide the second voltage.

9. The power converter of claim 6, wherein the first inductance unit, the second inductance unit, the third inductance unit, and the fourth inductance unit are integrated on a magnetic core.

10. The power converter of claim 6, the passive circuit further comprises a first isolation transformer and a second isolation transformer, wherein a primary winding of the first isolation transformer comprises the first inductance unit, a secondary winding of the first isolation transformer comprises a fifth inductance unit, a primary winding of the second isolation transformer comprises the second inductance unit, a secondary winding of the second isolation transformer comprises a sixth inductance unit, a first end of the fifth inductance unit and a first end of the sixth inductance unit are electrically coupled to each other.

11. The power converter of claim 10, wherein the switches further comprise a first switch, a second switch, a third switch and a fourth switch, a first end of the first switch is electrically coupled to the second end of the first inductance unit, a second end of the first switch is electrically coupled to the capacitance unit, a first end of the second switch is electrically coupled with the second end of the second inductance unit, a second end of the second switch is electrically coupled with the second end of the first switch, a first end of the third switch is electrically coupled with a second end of the fifth inductance unit, a first end of the fourth switch is electrically coupled with a second end of the sixth inductance unit, a second end of the third switch and a second end of the fourth switch are electrically coupled with each other.

12. The power converter of claim 6, wherein the capacitance unit comprises a first capacitor and a second capacitor, a first end of the first capacitor is electrically coupled to the second end of the third inductance unit, a first end of the second capacitor is electrically coupled to the second end of the fourth inductance unit.

13. The power converter of claim 12, wherein the capacitance unit further comprises a third capacitor, a first end of the third capacitor is electrically coupled with the second end of the first capacitor and the second end of the second capacitor, a second end of the third capacitor is configured to receive a reference voltage.

14. The power converter of claim 6, wherein the capacitance unit comprises a first capacitor, the second end of the third inductance unit and the second end of the fourth inductance unit are electrically coupled with each other and commonly electrically coupled to a first end of the first capacitor, and a second end of the first capacitor is configured to receive a reference voltage.

15. The power converter of claim 6, wherein the switches comprise a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, a fourth switch, a fifth switch and a sixth switch, wherein a first end of the first switch, a first end of the third switch, a first end of the fifth switch are electrically coupled with each other, the second end of the first inductance unit is electrically coupled with a second end of the first switch and a first end of the second switch, the second end of the second inductance unit is electrically coupled with a second end of the third switch and a first end of the fourth switch, the second end of the third inductance unit and the second end of the fourth inductance unit are electrically coupled to each other and commonly electrically coupled to a first end of the capacitance unit, a second end of the capacitance unit is electrically coupled with a second end of the fifth switch and a first end of the sixth switch.

16. A power converter, comprising:

a plurality of passive circuits respectively configured to receive a corresponding one of a plurality of input ac phase voltages;

a plurality of switching circuits electrically coupled to a corresponding one of the passive circuits respectively; and

a plurality of DC output terminals of the switching circuits electrically coupled to each other,

wherein each of the passive circuits comprises a first inductance unit, a second inductance unit, a third inductance unit, a fourth inductance unit and a capacitance unit, wherein the first inductance unit, the second inductance unit, the third inductance unit, and the fourth inductance unit are magnetically coupled to each other, wherein the capacitance unit is electrically coupled to the third inductance unit and the fourth inductance unit, a first end of the first inductance unit electrically coupled with a first end of the second inductance unit, a second end of the first inductance unit electrically coupled with a first end of the third inductance unit, a second end of the second inductance unit electrically coupled with a first end of the fourth inductance unit, a second end of the third inductance unit and a second end of the fourth inductance unit respectively electrically coupled with the capacitance unit.

17. The power converter of claim 16, wherein the first inductance unit, the second inductance unit, the third inductance unit and the fourth inductance unit in the same passive circuit are integrated on a magnetic core.

18. The power converter of claim 16, wherein each of the switching circuits comprises a plurality of switches configured to be on or off selectively, and the switches comprise a first switch electrically coupled to the second end of the first inductance unit and the first end of the third inductance unit in the corresponding passive circuits, and wherein the power converter is configured to provide a passage for a current such that, before the first switch switches from off to on, the current which passes through the third inductance unit is greater than the current which passes the first inductance unit.