WAVEFORM INDEPENDENT HIGH FREQUENCY POWER SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A switch-mode generated DC powered computer system comprising:
- a. a utility power input which supplies AC utility power having a line frequency;
b. a line voltage rectifier element which converts said AC utility power to a DC signal;
c. a switch-mode inverter element having at least one switch responsive to said DC signal which establishes an alternating power output at at least an inherent capacitance- coordinated frequency having an inverter period;
d. a frequency driver which controls said switch-mode inverter element to establish a frequency at at least said inherent capacitance-coordinated frequency;
e. a supply transformer element which is responsive to said alternating power output and which establishes at least one distribution output at at least one distribution voltage;
f. a power distribution system responsive to said supply transformer element and which provides computer components power at locations electrically remote from said switch- mode inverter element;
g. at least one low voltage, high current computer component capable of a rapid energy demand within said inverter period and requiring a component DC supply voltage; and
h. at least one electrically remote voltage regulation module responsive to said power distribution system and located electrically near said low voltage, high current computer component comprising;
1) at least one voltage regulation module transformer element which establishes an alternating low voltage computer component output; and
2) at least one voltage regulation module rectifier element which converts said alternating low voltage computer component output to said a component DC supply voltage and to which said low voltage, high current computer component is responsive.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus are disclosed for providing a constant voltage, high frequency sinusoidal output across a varying load, using either a single or multiple switch topology operating at constant frequency while maintaining high efficiency over the entire load range. This embodiment is especially suited to applications which require the sinusoidal voltage be held very close to a desired value in the presence of rapid changes in the conductance of the load, even in the sub-microsecond time domain as is common in computer applications and the like and in powering electronics equipment, especially a distributed system and especially a system wherein low voltage at high current is required. Embodiments and sub elements provide energy storage for low voltage, high current electronic loads, an ability to supply current with rapid time variation, connection of the energy storage element to the electronic load through specially configured conductors designed to minimize the created magnetic field around said conductors, providing extremely low inductance connections, permitting larger energy storage elements to be utilized, permitting energy storage to be located relatively remotely from the powered electronic load, and a steady voltage from a transformer isolated, high frequency ac to dc converter under varying load without the necessity for feedback control, among other aspects. The addition of capacitors which interact with the leakage inductance of the transformer to produce a natural regulation condition is used and the relationship between the value of the leakage inductance of the transformer and that of the added capacitances is different from the condition of resonance at the operating frequency.
104 Citations
221 Claims
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1. A switch-mode generated DC powered computer system comprising:
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a. a utility power input which supplies AC utility power having a line frequency;
b. a line voltage rectifier element which converts said AC utility power to a DC signal;
c. a switch-mode inverter element having at least one switch responsive to said DC signal which establishes an alternating power output at at least an inherent capacitance- coordinated frequency having an inverter period;
d. a frequency driver which controls said switch-mode inverter element to establish a frequency at at least said inherent capacitance-coordinated frequency;
e. a supply transformer element which is responsive to said alternating power output and which establishes at least one distribution output at at least one distribution voltage;
f. a power distribution system responsive to said supply transformer element and which provides computer components power at locations electrically remote from said switch- mode inverter element;
g. at least one low voltage, high current computer component capable of a rapid energy demand within said inverter period and requiring a component DC supply voltage; and
h. at least one electrically remote voltage regulation module responsive to said power distribution system and located electrically near said low voltage, high current computer component comprising;
1) at least one voltage regulation module transformer element which establishes an alternating low voltage computer component output; and
2) at least one voltage regulation module rectifier element which converts said alternating low voltage computer component output to said a component DC supply voltage and to which said low voltage, high current computer component is responsive. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 115, 124, 125, 126)
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22. A method of switch-mode powering a DC computer system comprising the steps of:
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a. supplying an AC utility power having a line frequency;
b. rectifying said AC utility power to a DC signal;
c. inverting said DC signal utilizing at least one switch to establish an alternating power output at at least an inherent capacitance-coordinated frequency having an inverter period;
d. driving said switch to establish a frequency at at least said inherent capacitance- coordinated frequency;
e. transforming said alternating power output to establish at least one distribution output at at least one distribution voltage;
f. distributing said distribution voltage to a location near at least one low voltage, high current computer component capable of a rapid energy demand within said inverter period at a location electrically remote from said switch;
g. remotely transforming said distribution voltage at a location electrically near at least one low voltage, high current computer component to establish an alternating low voltage computer component output;
h. remotely rectifying said alternating low voltage computer component output at a location electrically near at least one low voltage, high current computer component to establish a component DC supply voltage; and
i. powering said low voltage, high current computer component responsive to said component DC supply voltage. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 161, 162)
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28. A switch-generated DC powered computer system comprising:
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a. a utility power input which supplies AC utility power having a line frequency;
b. a line voltage rectifier element which converts said AC utility power to a substantially constant DC signal;
c. a switch-mode inverter element having at least one switch responsive to said DC signal and which establishes at least one alternating power output;
d. a driver which controls said switch-mode inverter element;
e. a substantially sinusoidal alternating signal power distribution system which provides substantially sinusoidal alternating power at locations remote from said switch-mode inverter element; and
f. at least one voltage regulation module rectifier element responsive to said substantially sinusoidal alternating signal power distribution system and located near said computer component and which converts said substantially sinusoidal alternating power to a substantially constant DC output and to which at least one computer component is responsive. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 114, 120)
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40. A method of switch-mode powering a DC computer system comprising the steps of:
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a. supplying an AC utility power having a line frequency;
b. rectifying said AC utility power to a DC signal;
c. inverting said DC signal utilizing at least one switch to establish an alternating power output;
d. driving said switch to establish a frequency;
e. distributing a substantially sinusoidal signal to a location electrically remote from said switch;
f. remotely rectifying said substantially sinusoidal signal at a location electrically near at least one computer component to establish a component DC supply voltage; and
g. powering said computer component responsive to said component DC supply voltage. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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44. A high frequency power generator to provide power to a load comprising:
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a. a supply of power;
b. a high frequency driver;
c. at least one switch responsive to said high frequency driver and said supply of power wherein said high frequency driver causes said switch to have on-off transition events, and wherein said at least one switch establishes a high frequency alternating power output;
d. a variable load which is responsive to said high frequency alternating power output; and
e. a substantially load-independent, substantially trajectory-fixed passive response network which is responsive to said high frequency alternating power output of said switch. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 116, 117, 118, 119, 122, 123, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134)
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55. A method of generating high frequency power to provide power to a load comprising the steps of:
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a. supplying power;
b. inverting said power by causing at least one switch to have on-offtransition events which create a trajectory after a conduction period to establish a high frequency alternating power output;
c. high frequency driving said switch;
d. powering a variable load responsive to said high frequency alternating power output; and
e. passively responding to said variable load to establish said trajectory as substantially- fixed irrespective of said variable load. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58)
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59. A high frequency power generator to provide power to a variable load comprising:
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a. a supply of power;
b. a high frequency driver;
C. at least one switch responsive to said high frequency driver and said supply of power wherein said at least one switch establishes a high frequency alternating power output;
d. a variable load which is responsive to said high frequency alternating power output; and
e. a passive, high efficiency, constant output response network which is responsive to said high frequency alternating power output of said switch and which provides a substantially constant output regardless of said variable load. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
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70. A method of generating high frequency power to provide power to a load comprising the steps of:
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a. supplying power;
b. inverting said power through at least one switch to establish a high frequency alternating power output;
c. high frequency driving said switch;
d. powering a variable load responsive to said high frequency alternating power output; and
e. passively responding to said variable load to establish a high efficiency constant output irrespective of said variable load. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72)
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73. A radio frequency power generator to provide power to a variable load comprising:
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a. a supply of power;
b. a frequency driver;
C. a switch-mode inverter having at least one switch responsive to said frequency driver and said supply ofpower wherein said switch-mode inverter establishes an alternating power output at a frequency;
d. a variable load which is responsive to said alternating power output; and
e. a passive, constant end point response network which is responsive to said alternating power output of said switch and which provides substantially constant end points regardless of said variable load. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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81. A method of generating high frequency power to provide power to a load comprising the steps of:
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a. supplying power;
b. inverting said power through at least one switch to establish an alternating power output at a frequency;
c. driving said switch so as to establish a response period during which said switch is not conducting, said response period having an end point;
d. powering a variable load responsive to said alternating power output; and
e. passively responding to said variable load to constantly maintain said end point irrespective of said variable load. - View Dependent Claims (82)
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83. A high frequency power generator to provide power to a load comprising:
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a. a supply of power;
b. a high frequency driver;
c. at least one switch responsive to said high frequency driver and said supply of power, having a body diode feature, wherein said at least one switch establishes a high frequency alternating power output;
d. a variable load which is responsive to said high frequency alternating power output; and
e. a passive conduction prevention response network which is responsive to said high frequency alternating power output of said switch and which prevents said body diode feature from transitioning to a conduction state. - View Dependent Claims (84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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89. A method of generating high frequency power to provide power to a load comprising the steps of:
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a. supplying power;
b. inverting said power through at least one switch, having a body diode feature, to establish a high frequency alternating power output;
c. high frequency driving said switch;
d. powering a variable load responsive to said high frequency alternating power output; and
e. passively responding to said variable load in a manner which prevents said body diode feature from transitioning to a conduction state. - View Dependent Claims (90, 91, 92, 93)
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94. A radio frequency power generator to provide power to a load comprising:
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a. a supply of power;
b. a substantially sinusoidal AC drive element with a drive amplitude;
c. multiple switches responsive to said AC drive element and said supply of power wherein said multiple switches establish a alternating power output at a frequency;
d. direct drive bias alteration circuitry to which said AC drive element is responsive and which is responsive to said drive amplitude; and
e. a load which is responsive to said alternating power output. - View Dependent Claims (95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107)
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108. A method of generating radio frequency power to provide power to a load comprising the steps of:
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a. supplying power;
b. inverting said power through multiple switches to establish an alternating power output;
c. substantially sinusoidally driving said switches with a drive amplitude and utilizing a drive bias to create an alternating power output;
d. directly altering said drive bias through circuitry which is responsive to said drive amplitude; and
e. powering a variable load responsive to said alternating power output;
- View Dependent Claims (109, 110, 111, 112, 113)
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121. A system as described in claiml20 wherein said load comprises a load operating at a maximum current selected from a group consisting of:
- more than about 15 amperes, more than about 20 amperes, and more than about 50 amperes.
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135. A power conversion circuit comprising:
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a. a source of dc input voltage;
b. at least one switch operating at a frequency, and having an on time, during which the voltage across said switch is substantially zero, an off time, during which the current through said switch is substantially zero, and transition times between said on time and said off time which are short compared to either said on time or said off time;
c. a network connected to said switch which responds to the operation of said switch to produce a switch voltage waveform and an ac output voltage waveform across a load conductance which can vary from zero to a nominal maximum;
wherein said on and off times are substantially constant and wherein the value of said switch voltage waveform at the commencement of said on said time is substantially independent of the value of said load conductance. - View Dependent Claims (136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153)
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154. A method of powering electronic circuitry comprising the steps of:
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a. providing a dc input voltage;
b. switching said input voltage with an electronic switch operating at a frequency, and having an on time, during which the voltage across said switch is substantially zero, an off time, during which the current through said switch is substantially zero, and transition times between said on time and said off time to produce a switched waveform;
c. processing said switched waveform with a network to produce an output waveform to which a load conductance is responsive, which conductance can vary from a nominal minimum to a nominal maximum;
d. maintaining said on and off times substantially constant;
whilee. maintaining the value of said voltage waveform at the commencement of said on time substantially independent of the value of said load conductance. - View Dependent Claims (155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172)
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173. A power conversion circuit comprising:
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a. a source of dc input voltage;
b. a first inductor and at least one semiconductor switch having adjunct capacitance connected in series across said source, said switch operating at a frequency, and having an on time, during which the voltage across said switch is substantially zero, an off time, during which the current through said switch is substantially zero, and transition times between said on time and said off time which are short compared to either said on time or said off time;
c. a first capacitor connected in parallel across said switch chosen such that said first inductor and the adjunct capacitance of said switch together with said first capacitor form a first resonant circuit at said frequency;
d. a load conductance which can vary from a nominal minimum to a nominal maximum;
e. a network comprising a second inductor and a second capacitor in series forming a second resonant circuit at said frequency, said network connected in series with said load, the series combination of said network and said load connected in parallel with said switch;
wherein said on and off times are substantially constant and wherein the voltage across said switch at the commencement of said on time is substantially independent ofthe value of said load conductance. - View Dependent Claims (174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188)
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189. A power conversion circuit comprising:
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a. a source of dc input voltage;
b. a transformer having a primary winding and at least one secondary winding, and having a magnetizing inductance and a leakage inductance;
c. at least one semiconductor switch having adjunct capacitance and connected in series with said primary winding across said source, said switch operating at a frequency, and having an on time, during which the voltage across said switch is substantially zero, an off time, during which the current through said switch is substantially zero, and transition times between said on time and said off time;
d. a first inductor connected in parallel with said primary winding;
e. a first capacitor connected in parallel across said switch, chosen such that the inductance of said first inductor together with said magnetizing inductance of said transformer, and the adjunct capacitance of said switch together with the capacitance of said first capacitor, form a first resonant circuit at said frequency;
f. a load conductance which can vary from a nominal minimum to a nominal maximum;
g. a network connected in series with said secondary winding of said transformer and I0 said load conductance, comprising a second capacitor and a second inductor, said second inductor together with the leakage inductance of said transformer and the capacitance of said second capacitor forming a second resonant circuit at said frequency;
wherein said on and off times are substantially constant and wherein the voltage across said switch at the commencement of said on time is substantially independent ofthe value of said load conductance. - View Dependent Claims (190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206)
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207. A power conversion circuit comprising:
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a. a source of dc input voltage;
b. a first inductor and at least one semiconductor switch having an input capacitance and 1 5 connected in series across said source, said switch operating at a frequency, and having an on time, during which the voltage across said switch is substantially zero, an off time, during which the current through said switch is substantially zero, and transition times between said on time and said off time;
c. a first capacitor connected in parallel across said switch and forming ajunction with 20 said first induction;
d. a load conductance which can vary from a nominal minimum to a nominal maximum;
e. a second inductor and second capacitor connected in series across said load conductance, said second capacitor sharing a common connection with said first capacitor and said source and said second inductor;
f. a third inductor and third capacitor connected in series from the junction of said first capacitor and said first inductor to the common point of connection of said second capacitor and said second inductor;
wherein said on and off times are substantially constant and wherein the voltage across said switch at the commencement of said on time is substantially independent of the value of said load conductance. - View Dependent Claims (208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220, 221)
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Specification