EFFICIENT POWER REGULATION FOR CLASS-E AMPLIFIERS

• US 20100253310A1
• Filed: 04/07/2009
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fonderie, Maarten Jeroen
• Granted Patent: US 8,000,113 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/311
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/537 using semiconductor devices only, e.g. single switched pulse inverters
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 1/0211 with control of the supply voltage or current
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/2176 Class E amplifiers
• 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 power converter device and method are provided. The power converter device includes an input power source and an input inductor configured for coupling a power of the input power source to the device. A switch is configured to regulate a power of the input power source through the input inductor. A shunting diode is coupled between the switch and the input inductor. A resonant load is coupled with the input inductor. A switching element is coupled with the input inductor and the resonant load and configured to operate at a fixed frequency. The power converter device also includes a control circuit for modulating a frequency of the switch and a driving module for driving the switching element at the fixed frequency. In an exemplary embodiment, the power converter device is a Class-E amplifier. The fixed frequency is a frequency equal to a resonant frequency of the resonant load. In one embodiment, the power converter device is configured as an integrated circuit device.

Claims

1. A power converter device comprising:

an input power source;

an input inductor configured for coupling a power of the input power source;

a switch configured to regulate a power of the input power source through the input inductor;

a shunting diode coupled between the switch and the input inductor;

a resonant load coupled with the input inductor comprising a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a series inductor and a load circuit; and

a switching element coupled with the input inductor and the resonant load and configured to operate at a fixed frequency.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a control circuit for modulating a frequency of the switch.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a driving module for driving the switching element at the fixed frequency.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the power converter device comprises a Class-E amplifier.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the input power source comprises a DC voltage signal.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the DC voltage signal comprises a value approximately equal to 20 VDC.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the shunting diode is configured for shunting the power of the input inductor when the switch is open.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the fixed frequency comprises a frequency equal to a resonant frequency of the resonant load.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and the second capacitors comprise shunting and series capacitors, respectively, wherein the series capacitor and the series inductor are coupled between the shunting capacitor and the load circuit.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured as an integrated circuit device.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a MOSFET device.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the shunting diode comprises instead a MOSFET device and the switch comprises a complimentary MOSFET device.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the switch is continuously closed and operated as a fuse-link.

14. A method of converting power in a power converter device comprising:

providing an input power source;

coupling a power of the input power source through an input inductor;

regulating a power of the input power source through the input inductor using a switch coupled between the input power source and the input inductor;

shunting the power of the input inductor when the switch is open using a shunting diode coupled between the switch and the input inductor; and

operating a switching element at a fixed frequency, the switching element coupled with the input inductor and a resonant load.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising modulating a frequency of the switch using a control circuit.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the operating the switching element comprises driving the switching element at the fixed frequency using a driving module.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the power converter device comprises a Class-E amplifier.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the input power source comprises a DC voltage signal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the DC voltage signal comprises a value approximately equal to 20 VDC.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the resonant load is coupled with the input inductor and the switching element and comprises a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a series inductor and a load circuit.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the fixed frequency comprises a frequency equal to a resonant frequency of the resonant load.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the first and the second capacitors comprise shunting and series capacitors respectively, wherein the series capacitor and the series inductor are coupled between the shunting capacitor and the load circuit.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the device is configured as an integrated circuit device.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the switch comprises a MOSFET device.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the shunting diode comprises instead a first MOSFET device and the switch comprises a complimentary second MOSFET device, wherein the first and the second MOSFET devices are operated 180 degrees out of phase with each other.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein the switch is continuously closed and operated as a fuse-link.

27. A differential power converter device comprising:

an input power source;

a first and a second input inductor configured for coupling a power of the input power source;

a switch configured to regulate a power of the input power source through the first and the second input inductor;

a shunting diode configured for shunting the power of the first and the second input inductor when the switch is open;

a resonant load coupled with the first and the second input inductor comprising a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a third capacitor, a series inductor and a load circuit; and

a first and a second switching element coupled with the first and the second input inductor, respectively, and coupled with the resonant load, the first and the second switching element configured to operate at a fixed frequency.

28. The device of claim 27, further comprising a control circuit for modulating a frequency of the switch.

29. The device of claim 27, further comprising a driving module for driving the first and the second switching element at the fixed frequency.

30. The device of claim 27, wherein the differential power converter device comprises a Class-E amplifier.

31. The device of claim 27, wherein the input power source comprises a DC voltage signal.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the DC voltage signal comprises a value approximately equal to 20 VDC.

33. The device of claim 27, wherein the shunting diode is coupled between the switch and the first and the second input inductor.

34. The device of claim 27, wherein the fixed frequency comprises a frequency equal to a resonant frequency of the resonant load.

35. The device of claim 27, wherein the device is configured as an integrated circuit device.

36. The device of claim 27, wherein the switch comprises a MOSFET device.

37. The device of claim 27, wherein the shunting diode comprises instead a MOSFET device and the switch comprises a complimentary MOSFET device.

38. The device of claim 27, wherein the switch is continuously closed and operated as a fuse-link.