POWER CONVERTER WITH MODULAR STAGES CONNECTED BY FLOATING TERMINALS
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Abstract
An apparatus for electric power conversion includes a converter having a regulating circuit and switching network. The regulating circuit has magnetic storage elements, and switches connected to the magnetic storage elements and controllable to switch between switching configurations. The regulating circuit maintains an average DC current through a magnetic storage element. The switching network includes charge storage elements connected to switches that are controllable to switch between plural switch configurations. In one configuration, the switches forms an arrangement of charge storage elements in which at least one charge storage element is charged using the magnetic storage element through the network input or output port. In another, the switches form an arrangement of charge storage elements in which an element discharges using the magnetic storage element through one of the input port and output port of the switching network.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1-16. -16. (canceled)
- 17. An apparatus for electric power conversion, said apparatus comprising a converter, said converter comprising a switching network having a high-voltage terminal, a low-voltage terminal, and switching elements that control current flow between said high-voltage terminal and an inductor connected to said low-voltage terminal through which a non-zero average DC current flows during operation of said converter, and a controller configured for causing said switching network to be in one of first, second, and third states, wherein, in said first state, said controller causes said switching elements and a first charge-storage element to assume a first arrangement that defines a first path along which first current flows through said switching network between said high-voltage terminal and said low-voltage terminal, wherein, in said second state said controller causes said switching elements and a second charge-storage element to assume a second arrangement that defines a second path along which second current flows through said switching network between said high-voltage terminal and said low-voltage terminal, wherein, in said third state, said controller configures said switching elements to suppress current between said high-voltage terminal and said low-voltage terminal to a level that is below an absolute value of an average of said first and second currents, wherein during said first state there is a non-zero average change in charge stored in said first charge-storage element, and wherein during said second state there is a non-zero average change in charge stored in said second charge-storage element.
- 31. An apparatus for electric power conversion, said apparatus comprising a converter, said converter comprising a switching network having a high-voltage terminal, a low-voltage terminal, and switching elements that control current flow between said high-voltage terminal and a plurality of regulating circuits connected to said low-voltage terminal through which a non-zero average DC current flows during operation of said converter, and a controller configured for causing said switching network to be in one of first, second, and third states, wherein, in said first state, said controller causes said switching elements and a first charge-storage element to assume a first arrangement that defines a first path along which first current flows through said switching network between said high-voltage terminal and said low-voltage terminal, wherein, in said second state said controller causes said switching elements and a second charge-storage element to assume a second arrangement that defines a second path along which second current flows through said switching network between said high-voltage terminal and said low-voltage terminal, wherein, in said third state, said controller configures said switching elements to suppress current between said high-voltage terminal and said low-voltage terminal to a level that is below an absolute value of an average of said first and second currents, wherein during said first state there is a non-zero average change in charge stored in said first charge-storage element, and wherein during said second state there is a non-zero average change in charge stored in said second charge-storage element.
- 41. An apparatus for electric power conversion, said apparatus comprising a converter, said converter comprising a semiconductor die into which is integrated an integrated circuit comprising a switching network having a high-voltage terminal, a low-voltage terminal, and switching elements that control current flow between said high-voltage terminal and said low-voltage terminal through which a non-zero average DC current flows during operation of said converter, and a controller configured for causing said switching network to be in one of first, second, and third states, wherein, in said first state, said controller causes said switching elements and a first charge-storage element to assume a first arrangement that defines a first path along which first current flows through said switching network between said high-voltage terminal and said low-voltage terminal, wherein, in said second state said controller causes said switching elements and a second charge-storage element to assume a second arrangement that defines a second path along which second current flows through said switching network between said high-voltage terminal and said low-voltage terminal, wherein, in said third state, said controller configures said switching elements to suppress current between said high-voltage terminal and said low-voltage terminal to a level that is below an absolute value of an average of said first and second currents, wherein during said first state there is a non-zero average change in charge stored in said first charge-storage element, and wherein during said second state there is a non-zero average change in charge stored in said second charge-storage element.
Specification