Power conversion using zero current soft switching
First Claim
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1. A zero-current soft switching power converter, comprising:
- a link capacitor having a first and a second electrode, said link capacitor operable to store and discharge electric charge;
a source switch coupled to said first electrode and operable to switch when substantially zero current passes through said source switch; and
a load switch coupled to said second electrode and operable to switch when substantially zero current passes through said load switch,said source and load switches switched in a switching cycle such that voltage generated across said link capacitor reverses polarity each switching cycle to effect the substantially zero current switching conditions of said source switch and said load switch.
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Abstract
A zero current soft switching power converter (10) is provided in which a link capacitor (20) is coupled between a source switch S1 and a source switch S2. The reversal of voltage polarity across link capacitor (20) allows for zero current switching of switches S1 and S2.
184 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A zero-current soft switching power converter, comprising:
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a link capacitor having a first and a second electrode, said link capacitor operable to store and discharge electric charge; a source switch coupled to said first electrode and operable to switch when substantially zero current passes through said source switch; and a load switch coupled to said second electrode and operable to switch when substantially zero current passes through said load switch, said source and load switches switched in a switching cycle such that voltage generated across said link capacitor reverses polarity each switching cycle to effect the substantially zero current switching conditions of said source switch and said load switch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A zero-current soft switching DC to DC power converter, comprising:
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a link capacitor having a first and a second electrode, said link capacitor operable to store and discharge electric charge, said link capacitor characterized by voltages across said link capacitor; a source switch operable to switch when substantially zero current passes through said source switch; a load switch operable to switch when substantially zero current passes through said load switch; a source snubber inductor coupled between said first electrode and said source switch, said source snubber inductor operable to recirculate source snubber inductor energy when current through said source switch decreases due to current conduction through said load switch; and a load snubber inductor coupled between said second electrode and said load switch, said load snubber inductor operable to recirculate load snubber inductor energy when current through said load switch decreases due to current conduction through said source switch, said source and load switches switched in a switching cycle such that said voltage across said link capacitor reverses polarity each switching cycle.
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13. A zero-current soft switching DC to AC power converter, comprising:
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a link capacitor having a first and a second electrode, said link capacitor operable to store and discharge electric charge; a source switch coupled to said first electrode and operable to switch when substantially zero current passes through said source switch; a load switch coupled to said second electrode and operable to switch when substantially zero current passes through said load switch; said source and load switches switched in a switching cycle such that voltage generated across said link capacitor reverses polarity each switching cycle to effect the substantially zero current switching conditions of said source switch and said load switch; and a transformer coupled across said link capacitor, such that an AC wave form is output from said transformer. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A dual zero-current soft switching power converter, comprising:
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a first link capacitor having a first and a second electrode, said first link capacitor operable to store and discharge electric charge, said first link capacitor characterized by voltages across said first link capacitor; a second link capacitor having a third and a fourth electrode, said second link capacitor operable to store and discharge electric charge, said second link capacitor characterized by voltages across said second link capacitor; a first source switch coupled to said first electrode and operable to switch when substantially zero current passes through said first source switch; a second source switch coupled to said first source switch sand said third electrode and operable to switch when substantially zero current passes through said second source switch; a first load switch coupled to said second electrode and operable to switch when substantially zero current passes through said first load switch; and a second load switch coupled to said first load switch, said first source switch and said fourth electrode and operable to switch when substantially zero current passes through said second load switch, said source and load switches switched in a switching cycle such that said voltages across said link capacitors reverse polarity each switching cycle to effect the substantially zero current switching conditions of said source switches and said load switches. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of power conversion, comprising the steps of:
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providing a current source to a source side of a converter; periodically switching the source side current through a source switch when substantially zero current passes through the source switch; capacitively coupling the current to a load side of the converter through a link capacitor; periodically switching the load side current through a load switch when substantially zero current passes through the load switch; and synchronizing and timing the source side and load side switching in a switching cycle such that the voltage across the link capacitor reverses polarity each switching cycle to effect the substantially zero current switching conditions of said source switch and load switch. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification