EFFICIENCY DYNAMIC POWER CONVERTER

• US 20150357932A1
• Filed: 08/20/2015
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volpe and Koenig PC
• Original Assignee: Strategic Patent Management, LLC
• Inventors: Ofek, Eran
• Granted Patent: US 9,729,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0035 using burst mode control
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0048 Circuits or arrangements for reducing losses using snubbers H02M1/34
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/12 Arrangements for reducing harmonics from ac input or output
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4233 using a bridge converter comprising active switches
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/07 using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode , e.g. charge pumps
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/219 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/4815 Resonant converters H02M7/4811 and H02M7/4826 take precedence
• 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 and a method of operation thereof is disclosed including an input, an output, a sensor unit, a switched power converter, and a processor module. The power converter may convert an input power into an output power. The power converter may sense real-time measurements of the input power and the output power to determine a real-time calculated efficiency. The power converter may chop the input power into sized and positioned portions of the input power based on a plurality of determined operating parameters. The power converter may determine the operating parameters based on the real-time calculated efficiency and on a plurality of other operating factors/conditions.

Claims

1. A power converter comprising:

an input stage configured to;

select at least one portion of an input waveform; and

output one or more portions of the at least one portion;

LLC circuitry operably coupled to the input stage, wherein the LLC circuitry is configured to receive the one or more portions and convert the one or more portions at a self-resonance frequency; and

and a controller operably coupled to the input stage and operably coupled to the LLC circuitry, the controller configured to instruct the input stage to output the one or more portions at an average frequency that is substantially the same as the self-resonance frequency.

2. The power converter of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the self-resonance frequency of the LLC circuitry.

3. The power converter of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the self-resonance frequency of the LLC circuitry by sending one or more pulses to a coil of the LLC circuitry and measuring a time taken for energy from the one or more pulses to return.

4. The power converter of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the LLC circuitry.

5. The power converter of claim 4 further comprising one or more switches, wherein the controller is operably coupled to the temperature sensor, and wherein the controller is further configured to adjust when at least one of the one or more switches open or close based on the sensed temperature of the LLC circuitry.

6. The power converter of claim 1, wherein the input waveform is an alternating current (AC) waveform, and the input stage is further configured to select narrower portions of the AC waveform near a peak of the AC waveform than selected portions of the AC waveform near a zero-crossing of the AC waveform.

7. The power converter of claim 1, wherein the input stage is further configured to delay outputting the one or more portions to synchronize the one or more portions with a resonance of the LLC circuitry.

8. The power converter of claim 7 further comprising a capacitor operable to delay the outputting of the one or more portions.

9. The power converter of claim 1, wherein the input stage is further configured to accumulate a plurality of portions of the input waveform.

10. The power converter of claim 1, wherein the self-resonance frequency of the LLC circuitry changes based on a temperature of the LLC circuitry, and the input stage is further configured to adjust outputting the one or more portions to synchronize with a change in the self-resonance frequency.

11. A method of power conversion comprising:

selecting at least one portion of an input waveform;

outputting one or more portions of the at least one portion; and

receiving, at LLC circuitry, the one or more portions and converting the one or more portions at a self-resonance frequency;

wherein the one or more portions are output at an average frequency that is substantially the same as the self-resonance frequency.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining the self-resonance frequency of the LLC circuitry.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining includes sending one or more pulses to a coil of the LLC circuitry and measuring a time taken for energy from the one or more pulses to return.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising sensing a temperature of LLC circuitry.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising adjusting when at least one switch opens or closes based on the sensed temperature of the LLC circuitry.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the input waveform is an alternating current (AC) waveform, and the method further comprising selecting narrower portions of the AC waveform near a peak of the AC waveform than selected portions of the AC waveform near a zero-crossing of the AC waveform.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising delaying outputting the one or more portions to synchronize the one or more portions with a resonance of the LLC circuitry.

18. The method of claim 17 further delaying the outputting of the one or more portions is performed by a capacitor.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising accumulating a plurality of portions of the input waveform.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the self-resonance frequency of the LLC circuitry changes based on a temperature of the LLC circuitry, and wherein the method further comprises adjusting outputting the one or more portions to synchronize with a change in the self-resonance frequency.