Lossless gate drivers for high-frequency PWM switching cells

• US 5,514,921 A
• Filed: 06/27/1994
• Issued: 05/07/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Steigerwald, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US08/265,868
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 307/125, 363/98, 363/20, 363/98, 327/440, 327/441, 327/442, 327/443, 327/108, 327/427, 327/432, 327/434
• US Class Current: 307/125
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/08 Circuits specially adapted for the generation of control voltages for semiconductor devices incorporated in static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33584 Bidirectional converters
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/691 using transformer coupling
• 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 gate driver circuit, including either a full-bridge or a half-bridge configuration of gate drive switching devices, is capable of applying gate drive signals of variable pulse widths in a substantially loss,less manner to power switching devices of a high-frequency resonant switching converter, while providing transformer isolation between the gate drive electronics and the power switching devices.

Claims

1. A gate driver circuit for a switching converter having at least one power switching device, comprising:

at least one pair of gate drive switching devices connected in series in a half-bridge configuration;

a gate drive transformer comprising a primary winding and at least one secondary winding, said primary winding being connected to said gate drive switching devices, said secondary winding being connected to the gate of said power switching device of said switching converter; and

a dc blocking capacitance connected to the primary winding of said gate drive transformer;

said gate drive transformer having a magnetizing inductance designed to store sufficient energy to allow zero-voltage switching of said gate drive switching devices at variable pulse widths, said dc blocking capacitance substantially maintaining a net zero volt-seconds on said primary winding of said gate drive transformer.

2. The gate driver circuit of claim 1, comprising two pairs of gate drive switching devices forming a full-bridge configuration, said gate drive transformer having two secondary windings, each of said secondary windings being connected to the gate of one power switching device of said switching converter.

3. The gate driver circuit of claim 1, comprising one pair of gate drive switching devices in a half-bridge configuration, said gate drive transformer having two secondary windings, each of said secondary windings being connected to the gate of one power switching device of said switching converter.

4. The gate driver circuit of claim 1, wherein said gate driver circuit drives said power switching device with an approximately 50% duty cycle.

5. The gate driver circuit of claim 1 wherein said at least one pair of gate drive switching devices operates at a constant frequency.

6. The gate driver circuit of claim 1 wherein said at least one pair of gate drive switching devices operates at a variable frequency.