Current sharing for multiphase power conversion

• US 20080129260A1
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Allan Hallberg, Doug Huard, Jaber Abu Qahouq, Lilly Huang
• Original Assignee: Allan Hallberg, Doug Huard, Jaber Abu Qahouq, Lilly Huang
• Inventors: Hallberg, Allan, Huang, Lilly, Abu Qahouq, Jaber, Huard, Doug
• Application Number:
  US11/633,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20080129260A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/272
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1584 with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel

Abstract

In some embodiments a difference between duty cycles of at least two different phases in a power conversion device is tracked, and current is shared between the at least two different phases in response to the dynamic tracking. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

dynamically tracking a difference between duty cycles of at least two different phases in a power stage; and

sharing current between the at least two different phases in response to the dynamic tracking.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising dynamically tracking a maximum duty cycle value.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising dynamically tracking a minimum duty cycle value.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, the current sharing including adjusting a current sharing ratio between the at least two different phases.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising adjusting a duty cycle multiplier of at least one of the duty cycles.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising dynamically tracking and optimizing power stage efficiency.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising calibrating the current sharing among different phases in a multiple phase power stage without using current sensors or current sensing circuitry.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power stage is a power converter.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power stage is a power inverter.

10. A current sharing apparatus comprising:

a power stage used to supply power;

a controller to share current between at least two phases, the controller to dynamically track a difference between duty cycles of at least two different phases in the power stage, and to cause the power stage to share current between the at least two different phases in response to the dynamic tracking.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, the controller to dynamically track a maximum duty cycle value.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, the controller to dynamically track a minimum duty cycle value.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, the controller to adjust a current sharing ratio between the at least two different phases.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, the controller to adjust a duty cycle multiplier of at least one of the duty cycles.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, the controller to dynamically track and optimize power stage efficiency.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, the controller to calibrate the current sharing among different phases in a multiple phase power stage without using current sensors or current sensing circuitry.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the power stage is a power converter.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the power stage is a power inverter.

19. An article comprising:

a computer readable medium having instructions thereon which when executed cause a computer to;

dynamically track a difference between duty cycles of at least two different phases in a power stage; and

share current between the at least two different phases in response to the dynamic tracking.

20. The article of claim 19, the computer readable medium having instructions thereon which when executed further cause a computer to

dynamically track a maximum duty cycle value.

21. The article of claim 19, the computer readable medium having instructions thereon which when executed further cause a computer to

dynamically track a minimum duty cycle value.

22. The article of claim 19, the computer readable medium having instructions thereon which when executed further cause a computer to

adjust a current sharing ratio between the at least two different phases.

23. The article of claim 19, the computer readable medium having instructions thereon which when executed further cause a computer to

adjust a duty cycle multiplier of at least one of the duty cycles.

24. The article as claimed in claim 19, the computer readable medium having instructions thereon which when executed further cause a computer to dynamically track and optimize power stage efficiency.

25. The article as claimed in claim 19, the computer readable medium having instructions thereon which when executed further cause a computer to calibrate the current sharing among different phases in a multiple phase power stage without using current sensors or current sensing circuitry.