SPARSE AND ULTRA-SPARSE PARTIAL RESONANT CONVERTERS

• US 20140286059A1
• Filed: 06/04/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas A&M University System
• Original Assignee: Texas A&M University System
• Inventors: Tollyat, Hamid A., Amirabadi, Mahshid
• Granted Patent: US 9,543,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/37
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/4585 having a rectifier with controlled elements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier

Abstract

The AC portion of the input of the ultra-sparse partial resonant power converter contains three pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches connected in a first direction, and two pairs of forward-conducting-forward-blocking devices connected in a second direction to the three pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches. The second direction is opposite to the first direction. The AC portion of the output of the ultra-sparse partial resonant power converter contains three pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches connected in a first direction, and two pairs of forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices connected in a second direction to the three pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches. The forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices can be switches or diodes.

Claims

1. An input or output switching circuit for a power converter comprising:

two or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches connected in a first direction;

two pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking devices connected in a second direction to the two or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches whenever the input or output switching circuit is a sparse input or output switching circuit;

two pairs of forward-conducting-forward-blocking devices connected in the second direction to the two or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches whenever the input or output switching circuit is an ultra-sparse input switching circuit;

two pairs of forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices connected in the second direction to the two or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches, whenever the input or output switching circuit is an ultra-sparse output switching circuit; and

wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction.

2. The switching circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein the two or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches comprise two pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches whenever the input or output switching circuit is a DC input or output switching circuit or a single-phase AC input or output switching circuit.

3. The switching circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein the two or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches comprise three or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches whenever the input or output switching circuit is a three or more phase AC input or output switching circuit.

4. The switching circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein each forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switch comprises a switch coupled with a reverse blocking diode, or a reverse blocking insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) module.

5. The switching circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein:

each forward-conducting-forward-blocking device comprises a switch or an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT); and

each forward-conducting-reverse-blocking device comprises a diode.

6. A input or output sparse switching circuit for a power converter comprising:

two or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches connected in a first direction; and

two pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking devices connected in a second direction to the two or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction.

7. The switching circuit as recited in claim 6, wherein the two or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches comprise two pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches whenever the sparse input or output switching circuit is a DC input or output sparse switching circuit or a single-phase AC input or output sparse switching circuit.

8. The switching circuit as recited in claim 6, wherein the two or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches comprise three or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches whenever the input or output sparse switching circuit is a three or more phase AC input or output sparse switching circuit.

9. The switching circuit as recited in claim 6, wherein each forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switch and each forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking device comprises a switch coupled with a reverse blocking diode, or a reverse blocking insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) module.

10. An input or output ultra-sparse switching circuit for a power converter comprising:

two or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches connected in a first direction;

two pairs of forward-conducting-forward-blocking devices connected in the second direction to the two or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches whenever the input or output switching circuit is an ultra-sparse input switching circuit;

two pairs of forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices connected in the second direction to the two or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches, whenever the input or output switching circuit is an ultra-sparse output switching circuit; and

wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction.

11. The switching circuit as recited in claim 10, wherein the two or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches comprise two pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches whenever the input or output ultra-sparse switching circuit is a DC input or output ultra-sparse switching circuit or a single-phase AC input or output ultra-sparse switching circuit.

12. The switching circuit as recited in claim 10 wherein the two or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches comprise three or more pairs of forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches whenever the input or output ultra-sparse switching circuit is a three or more phase AC input or output ultra-sparse switching circuit.

13. The switching circuit as recited in claim 10, wherein each forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switch comprises a switch coupled with a reverse blocking diode, or a reverse blocking insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) module.

14. The switching circuit as recited in claim 10, wherein:

each forward-conducting-forward-blocking device comprises a switch or an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT); and

each forward-conducting-reverse-blocking device comprises a diode.

15. A sparse partial resonant converter comprising:

a first switching circuit comprising at least two pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches connected in a first direction and two pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking devices connected in a second direction to the at least two pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches, wherein the second direction is opposite to the first direction;

a second switching circuit comprising at least two pairs of second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches connected in the first direction and two pairs of second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking devices connected in the second direction to the at least two pairs of second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches; and

a partial resonant link circuit connected between the first switching circuit and the second switching circuit.

16. The sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 15, wherein:

the first switching circuit comprises a DC input or output sparse switching circuit or a single-phase AC input or output sparse switching circuit; and

the at least two pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches comprise two pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches.

17. The sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 15, wherein:

the second switching circuit comprises a DC input or output sparse switching circuit or a single-phase AC input or output sparse switching circuit; and

the at least two pairs of second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches comprise two pairs of second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches.

18. The sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 15, wherein:

the first switching circuit comprises a three or more phase AC input or output sparse switching circuit; and

the two or more pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches comprise three or more pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches.

19. The sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 15, wherein:

the second switching circuit comprises a three or more phase AC input or output sparse switching circuit; and

the two or more pairs of second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches comprise three or more pairs of second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches.

20. The sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 15, wherein each first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switch, each first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking device, each second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switch, and each second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking device comprises a switch coupled with a reverse blocking diode, or a reverse blocking insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) module.

21. The sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 15, wherein:

each pair of the at least two pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches is connected such that one of the first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches is series connected between an input or output and a first port, and the other first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switch is series connected between the input or output and a second port;

a first pair of the two pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking devices is connected such that one of the first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking devices is connected between the first port and a top port of the partial resonant link circuit, and the other first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking device is series connected between the second port and the top port of the partial resonant circuit; and

a second pair of the two pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking devices is connected such that one of the first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking devices is connected between the first port and a bottom port of the partial resonant link circuit, and the other first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking device is series connected between the second port and the bottom port of the partial resonant circuit.

22. The sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 15, wherein:

each pair of the at least two pairs of second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches is connected such that one of the second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches is series connected between an input or output and a third port, and the other second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switch is series connected between the input or output and a fourth port;

a first pair of the two pairs second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking devices is connected such that one of the second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking devices is connected between the third port and a top port of the partial resonant link circuit, and the other second forward-conducting-reverse-blocking device is series connected between the fourth port and the top port of the partial resonant circuit; and

a second pair of the two pairs second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking devices is connected such that one of the second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking devices is connected between the third port and a bottom port of the partial resonant link circuit, and the other second forward-conducting-reverse-blocking device is series connected between the fourth port and the bottom port of the partial resonant circuit.

23. The sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 15, wherein the link circuit comprises an inductor, or a single-phase transformer, or the inductor parallel connected to a capacitor, or the single-phase transformer parallel connected to the capacitor.

24. The sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 15, further comprising a filter capacitor circuit connected to the first switching circuit or the second switching circuit.

25. The sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 24, further comprising a line reactor circuit connected to the filter capacitor circuit.

26. The sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 15, further comprising a controller connected to the first switching circuit and the second switching circuit.

27. The sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 15, further comprising a third switching circuit connected to the first switching circuit or the second switching circuit, the third switching circuit comprising at least two pairs of third forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches connected in the first direction.

28. The sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 27, wherein each pair of the at least two pairs of third forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches is connected such that one of the third forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches is series connected between either a second input and a first port or a second output and a third port, and the other third forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switch is series connected between either the second input and a second port or the second output and a fourth port.

29. An ultra-sparse partial resonant converter comprising:

a first switching circuit comprising two or more pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches connected in a first direction, and either two pairs of first forward-conducting-forward-blocking devices connected in a second direction to the two or more pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches whenever the first switching circuit is an input switching circuit or two pairs of first forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices connected in the second direction to the two or more pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches whenever the first switching circuit is an output switching circuit;

a second switching circuit comprising two or more pairs of second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches connected in the first direction, and either two pairs of second forward-conducting-forward-blocking devices connected in the second direction to the two or more pairs of second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches whenever the second switching circuit is the input switching circuit or two pairs of second forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices connected in the second direction to the two or more pairs of second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches whenever the second switching circuit is the output switching circuit;

the second direction is opposite to the first direction; and

a partial resonant link circuit connected between the first switching circuit and the second switching circuit.

30. The ultra-sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 29, wherein:

the first switching circuit comprises a DC input or output ultra-sparse switching circuit or a single-phase AC input or output ultra-sparse switching circuit; and

the two or more pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches comprise two pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches.

31. The ultra-sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 29, wherein:

the second switching circuit comprises a DC input or output ultra-sparse switching circuit or a single-phase AC input or output ultra-sparse switching circuit; and

the two or more pairs of second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches comprise two pairs of second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches.

32. The ultra-sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 29, wherein:

the first switching circuit comprises a three or more phase AC input or output ultra-sparse switching circuit; and

the two or more pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches comprise three or more pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches.

33. The ultra-sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 29, wherein:

the second switching circuit comprises a three or more phase AC input or output ultra-sparse switching circuit; and

the two or more pairs of second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches comprise three or more pairs of second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches.

34. The ultra-sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 29, wherein each first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switch and each second forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switch comprises a switch coupled with a reverse blocking diode, or a reverse blocking insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) module.

35. The ultra-sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 29, wherein:

each first forward-conducting-forward-blocking device and each second forward-conducting-forward-blocking device comprises a switch or an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT); and

each first forward-conducting-reverse-blocking device and each second forward-conducting-reverse-blocking device comprises a diode.

36. The ultra-sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 29, wherein:

each pair of the two or more pairs of first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches is connected such that one of the first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches is series connected between an input or output and a first port, and the other first forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switch is series connected between the input or output and a second port;

a first pair of the two pairs of first forward-conducting-forward-blocking devices or first forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices is connected such that one of the first forward-conducting-forward-blocking devices or first forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices is connected between the first port and a top port of the partial resonant link circuit, and the other first forward-conducting-forward-blocking device or first forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices is series connected between the second port and the top port of the partial resonant circuit; and

a second pair of the two pairs of first forward-conducting-forward-blocking devices or first forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices is connected such that one of the first forward-conducting-forward-blocking devices or first forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices is connected between the first port and a bottom port of the partial resonant link circuit, and the other first forward-conducting-forward-blocking device or first forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices is series connected between the second port and the bottom port of the partial resonant circuit.

37. The ultra-sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 29, wherein:

each pair of the two or more pairs of second forward-conducting-forward-blocking switches is connected such that one of the second forward-conducting-forward-blocking switches is series connected between an input or output and a third port, and the other second forward-conducting-forward-blocking switch is series connected between the input or output and a fourth port;

a first pair of the two pairs second forward-conducting-forward-blocking devices or second forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices is connected such that one of the second forward-conducting-forward-blocking devices or second forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices is connected between the third port and a top port of the partial resonant link circuit, and the other second forward-conducting-forward-blocking device or second forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices is series connected between the fourth port and the top port of the partial resonant circuit; and

a second pair of the two pairs second forward-conducting-forward-blocking devices or second forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices is connected such that one of the second forward-conducting-forward-blocking devices or second forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices is connected between the third port and a bottom port of the partial resonant link circuit, and the other second forward-conducting-forward-blocking device or second forward-conducting-reverse-blocking devices is series connected between the fourth port and the bottom port of the partial resonant circuit.

38. The ultra-sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 29, wherein the link circuit comprises an inductor, or a single-phase transformer, or the inductor parallel connected to a capacitor, or the single-phase transformer parallel connected to the capacitor.

39. The ultra-sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 29, further comprising a filter capacitor circuit connected to the first switching circuit or the second switching circuit.

40. The ultra-sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 39, further comprising a line reactor circuit connected to the filter capacitor circuit.

41. The ultra-sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 29, further comprising a controller connected to the first switching circuit and the second switching circuit.

42. The ultra-sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 29, further comprising a third switching circuit connected to the first switching circuit or the second switching circuit, the third switching circuit comprising at least two pairs of third forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches connected in the first direction.

43. The ultra-sparse partial resonant converter as recited in claim 43, wherein each pair of the at least two pairs of third forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches is connected such that one of the third forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switches is series connected between either a second input and a first port or a second output and a third port, and the other third forward-conducting-bidirectional-blocking switch is series connected between either the second input and a second port or the second output and a fourth port.