BI-DIRECTIONAL POWER CONVERTER WITH REGULATED OUTPUT AND SOFT SWITCHING

• US 20110317452A1
• Filed: 06/25/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Greecon Technologies Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Greecon Technologies Ltd.
• Inventors: Anguelov, Gueorgui Iordanov, Petkov, Roumen Dimitrov
• Granted Patent: US 8,363,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/21.02
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33584 Bidirectional converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33592 having a synchronous rectifier circuit or a synchronous freewheeling circuit at the secondary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3376 with automatic control of output voltage or current
• 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 resonant, bi-directional, DC to DC voltage converter with loss-less (soft) switching having regulated output and capable of converting power between two, high-potential and low-potential DC voltage sources. The converter'"'"'s semiconductor and magnetic components provide both, output regulation and soft switching in both (step-down and step-up) directions of power conversion which reduces total component count, cost and volume and enhances power conversion efficiency.

Claims

1. A bi-directional DC to DC converter comprising:

first resonant tank circuit employed during power transfer along a first direction through the bi-directional DC to DC converter; and

a second resonant tank circuit employed during power transfer along a second direction through the bi-directional DC to DC converter, wherein the second direction opposes the first direction.

2. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 1, wherein the first resonant tank circuit shares at least two common resonant components with the second resonant tank circuit and the first resonant tank circuit further comprises a first resonant component that is different from a second resonant component comprised by the second resonant tank circuit.

3. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 2, wherein the at least two common resonant components comprise a capacitor connected in series with an inductor.

4. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 3, wherein the first resonant component comprises a first inductor connected in series with the at least two common resonant components and the second resonant component comprises a second inductor connected in series with the at least two common resonant components.

5. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 4, wherein the at least two common resonant components are connected in series with a first load circuit and the first inductor is connected in parallel with the first load circuit during the power transfer along the first direction, and the at least two common resonant components are connected in series with a second load circuit and the second inductor is connected in parallel with the second load circuit during the power transfer along the second direction.

6. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 4, comprising a transformer, the transformer comprising a primary side connected in series with the at least two common resonant components and connected in parallel with the first inductor.

7. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 6, wherein the at least two common resonant components are connected in series with a full-bridge switcher circuit and the second inductor is connected in parallel with the full-bridge switcher circuit.

8. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 7, wherein the transformer comprises a secondary side connected to one of a full-bridge synchronous rectifier circuit, a half-bridge synchronous rectifier circuit and a push-pull synchronous rectifier circuit.

9. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 6, wherein the at least two common resonant components are connected in series with a half-bridge switcher circuit and the second inductor is connected in parallel with the half-bridge switcher circuit.

10. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 9, wherein the transformer comprises a secondary side connected to one of a full-bridge synchronous rectifier circuit, a half-bridge synchronous rectifier circuit and a push-pull synchronous rectifier circuit.

11. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 6, wherein the at least two common resonant components are connected in series with a push-pull switcher circuit and the second inductor is connected in parallel with the push-pull switcher circuit.

12. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 11, wherein the transformer comprises a secondary side connected to one of a full-bridge synchronous rectifier circuit, a half-bridge synchronous rectifier circuit and a push-pull synchronous rectifier circuit.

13. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 1, wherein the first resonant tank circuit and the second resonant tank circuit comprise the same resonant configuration.

14. A bi-directional DC to DC converter comprising:

an electronic circuit adapted to provide a first resonant tank circuit during a first power transfer mode through the bi-directional DC to DC converter and a second resonant tank circuit during a second power transfer mode through the bi-directional DC to DC converter, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a first terminal set, a second terminal set, at least one capacitor and a plurality of inductors, the plurality of inductors comprising a first inductor positioned between at least two terminals in the first terminal set and a second inductor positioned between at least two terminals in the second terminal set.

15. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 14, wherein a first load circuit is connected to the first terminal set during the first power transfer mode and a second load circuit is connected to the second terminal set during the second power transfer mode, and wherein the at least one capacitor and at least one inductor of the plurality of inductors is connected in series with the first load circuit and the first inductor is connected in parallel with the first load circuit during the first power transfer mode, and the at least one capacitor and the at least one inductor of the plurality of inductors is connected in series with the second load circuit and the second inductor is connected in parallel with the second load circuit during the second power transfer mode.

16. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 14, comprising a transformer, the transformer comprising a primary side connected to the first terminal set, wherein the at least one capacitor and at least one inductor of the plurality of inductors is connected in series with the transformer.

17. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 16, comprising a full-bridge switcher circuit connected to the second terminal set, wherein the at least one capacitor and the at least one inductor of the plurality of inductors are connected in series with the full-bridge switcher circuit.

18. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 17, wherein the transformer comprises a secondary side connected to one of a full-bridge synchronous rectifier circuit, a half-bridge synchronous rectifier circuit and a push-pull synchronous rectifier circuit.

19. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 16, comprising a half-bridge switcher circuit connected to the second terminal set, wherein the at least one capacitor and the at least one inductor of the plurality of inductors are connected in series with the half-bridge switcher circuit.

20. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 19, wherein the transformer comprises a secondary side connected to one of a full-bridge synchronous rectifier circuit, a half-bridge synchronous rectifier circuit and a push-pull synchronous rectifier circuit.

21. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 16, comprising a push-pull switcher circuit connected to the second terminal set, wherein the at least one capacitor and the at least one inductor of the plurality of inductors are connected in series with the push-pull switcher circuit.

22. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 21, wherein the transformer comprises a secondary side connected to one of a full-bridge rectifier circuit, a full-bridge synchronous rectifier circuit, a half-bridge rectifier circuit, a half bridge synchronous rectifier circuit, a push-pull rectifier circuit and a push-pull synchronous rectifier circuit.

23. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 16, wherein the first inductor is implemented as a magnetizing inductor of the transformer and the second inductor is implemented as an external inductor.

24. A bi-directional DC to DC converter comprising:

a switcher circuit adapted for generating a square-wave voltage waveform;

a transformer comprising a primary side and secondary side;

a first resonant tank circuit connected between the switcher circuit and the transformer, the first resonant tank circuit comprising a first inductor connected in parallel with the primary side of the transformer;

a second resonant tank circuit connected between the switcher circuit and the transformer, the second resonant tank circuit comprising a second inductor connected in parallel with the switcher circuit; and

a synchronous rectifier circuit connected to the secondary side of the transformer.

25. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 24, wherein each of the first resonant tank circuit and the second resonant tank circuit comprise at least one capacitor and at least one inductor that are connected in series with the switcher circuit and the primary side of the transformer.

26. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 24, wherein each of the first resonant tank circuit and the second resonant tank circuit share at least one capacitor and at least one inductor that are connected in series with the switcher circuit and the primary side of the transformer.

27. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 24, wherein the switcher circuit comprises one of a full-bridge switcher circuit, a half-bridge switcher circuit and a push-pull switcher circuit.

28. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 27, wherein the synchronous rectifier circuit comprises one of a full-bridge synchronous rectifier circuit, a half-bridge synchronous rectifier circuit and a push-pull synchronous rectifier circuit.

29. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 27, wherein the synchronous rectifier circuit comprises one of a dissipative snubber and a non-dissipative snubber.

30. The bi-directional DC to DC converter of claim 24, wherein the first resonant tank circuit and the second resonant tank circuit comprise the same resonant configuration.