Bidirectional power conversion with multiple control loops

• US 20050194942A1
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analog Devices International Unlimited Company (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Linear Technology Corporation (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hack, Thomas P., Dobkin, Robert C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,348,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/205
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/70 Regulating power factor; Regulating reactive current or power
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1582 Buck-boost converters H02M3/1584 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33584 Bidirectional converters

Abstract

Bidirectional power conversion systems provide the ability to change power attributes to and from a component. Current bidirectional power conversion systems use a unidirectional power converter for each direction. The integration of the two normally independent power converters results in a bidirectional power converter with nearly half the size, weight, volume, cost and complexity. Described are embodiments of bidirectional power conversion systems that allow power transfer between two or more components without requiring the use of separate unidirectional power converters.

Claims

1-37. -37. (canceled)

38. A driver circuit that controls the switching of at least two power switches in a bidirectional power converter, said at least two power switches that intermittently connect at least two power buses to a reactive element.

41. An adaptive slope compensation circuit, said adaptive slope compensation signal that is amplitude controlled in order to provide an adjustable slope compensation signal to a bidirectional power converter, said bidirectional power converter comprising at least two power buses.

42. The adaptive slope compensation circuit of claim 41, said adaptive slope compensation circuit comprising:

a transistor core that is biased with a bias voltage;

a first reference voltage that is dependent on the available power from one of said power buses;

a first reference voltage that is dependent on the available power from one of said power buses;

a second reference voltage that is dependent on the available power from one other of said power buses;

means for selecting one of said reference voltages to control the amplitude of said adjustable slope compensation signal; and

means for controlling the amplitude of said adjustable slope compensation signal based on one of said reference voltages.

43-45. -45. (canceled)