Power supply with multiple modes of operation

• US 20060132111A1
• Filed: 08/01/2005
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electrovaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electrovaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Vandermeer, David, Jacobs, James K., DasGupta, Sankar
• Application Number:
  US11/193,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20060132111A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/282
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/618 using semiconductor devices in series and in parallel with the load as final control devices G05F1/461 takes precedence

Abstract

A high efficiency switching power supply including an analog front end, a battery control circuitry portion, a display and equalization circuitry portion, field effect transistor (FET) drivers, an isolated power supply transformer circuitry (and three associated sets of tap circuitry), microcontroller circuitry, oscillator circuitry, overcharge protection circuitry, programmable logic circuitry portion, and a zero current predictor. Overbiasing of the FET power supply switches, and/or other various circuitry features disclosed herein, helps achieve electrical power efficiencies of preferably greater than 95%, even more preferably greater than 98% and even more preferably greater than 99%. Preferably, the switching power supply has one or more of the following: (1) high electrical power efficiency (>95%. >98%, >99%); (2) overbiasing of a gate of a power supply switch; (3) a power supply switch with a low gate capacitance ratio; (4) multiple modes of operation; and (5) current prediction wherein an inductor voltage is used to control a constant current capacitor whose voltage indicates the level of current in the inductor.

Claims

1. A switching power supply comprising:

at least one power signal input structured as circuitry for providing an input electrical power signal to the switching power supply;

at least one power signal output structured as circuitry for providing an output electrical power signal from the switching power supply;

a passive component set comprising at least one passive component;

an active component set comprising at least one power supply switch, with the active component set being electrically interconnected to the passive component set so that a switch position of the at least one power supply switch at least partially controls the flow of electrical power through the passive component set; and

driver/controller circuitry structured and electrically connected to control at least the opening and closing of the at least one switch of the active component set, with the driver/controller circuitry, the active component set and the passive component set being structured, programmed and/or electrically interconnected to convert the input electrical power signal into a desired output electrical power signal;

wherein the driver/controller is structured and electrically connected to operate the power supply in at least the following two modes;

input-to-output direction buck mode and input-to-output direction boost mode.

2. The supply of claim 1 wherein the driver/controller is structured and electrically connected to operate the power supply in at least the additional two modes:

output-to-input direction buck mode and output to input direction boost mode.

3. The supply of claim 2 wherein the driver/controller is structured and electrically connected to operate the power supply in at least the additional two modes:

off and pass through.

4. The supply of claim 1 wherein:

the active component set further comprises a second power supply switch, a third power supply switch, and a fourth power supply switch; and

the first power supply switch, the second power supply switch, the third power supply switch, and the fourth power supply switch.

5. The supply of claim 1 wherein the passive component set comprises an inductor that is used in both input-to-output direction buck mode and input-to-output direction boost mode.

6. The supply of claim 1 wherein the driver/controller circuitry comprises:

a microcontroller chip that determines the mode of operation; and

a programmable logic chip comprising truth tables for driving the active component set depending upon the mode of operation determined by the microcontroller chip.

7. A switching power supply comprising:

at least one power signal input structured as circuitry for providing an input electrical power signal to the switching power supply;

at least one power signal output structured as circuitry for providing an output electrical power signal from the switching power supply;

a passive component set comprising at least one inductor;

an active component set comprising at least four power supply switches, with the active component set being electrically interconnected to the passive component set so two power supply switches are connected in parallel to each other at opposite sides of the inductor; and

driver/controller circuitry structured to control at least the opening and closing of the at least one switch of the active component set, with the driver/controller circuitry, the active component set and the passive component set being structured, programmed and/or electrically interconnected to convert the input electrical power signal into a desired output electrical power signal.

8. The supply of claim 7 wherein the driver/controller is structured and electrically connected to operate the power supply in at least the following two modes:

input-to-output direction buck mode and input-to-output direction boost mode.

9. The supply of claim 8 wherein the driver/controller is structured and electrically connected to operate the power supply in at least the additional two modes:

output-to-input direction buck mode and output to input direction boost mode.

10. The supply of claim 7 wherein the four power supply switches are all constructed as FETs.

11. The supply of claim 10 wherein the power supply switches operate in a synchronous manner during at least one mode of operation.

12. The supply of claim 7 wherein at least one capacitor is connected between each pair of power supply switches on each side opposite of the inductor.

13. A power storage appliance comprising a housing;

an electrochemical cell set comprising at least one electrochemical cell located in the housing, and a switching power supply located in the housing and electrically connected to the electrochemical cell set to control charging and discharging of the chemical cell set to and from external sources and loads, the switching power supply comprising;

at least one power signal input structured as circuitry for providing an input electrical power signal to the switching power supply;

at least one power signal output structured as circuitry for providing an output electrical power signal from the switching power supply;

a passive component set comprising at least one passive component;

an active component set comprising at least one power supply switch, with the active component set being electrically interconnected to the passive component set so that a switch position of the at least one power supply switch at least partially controls the flow of electrical power through the passive component set; and

driver/controller circuitry structured and electrically connected to control at least the opening and closing of the at least one switch of the active component set, with the driver/controller circuitry, the active component set and the passive component set being structured, programmed and/or electrically interconnected to convert the input electrical power signal into a desired output electrical power signal;

wherein the driver/controller is structured and electrically connected to operate the power supply in at least the following four modes;

charge direction buck mode, charge direction boost mode, discharge direction boost mode and discharge direction buck mode.

14. The appliance of claim 13 wherein the electrochemical cell set comprises lithium ion polymer electrochemical cells.