Constant frequency resonant inverters with a pair of resonant inductors

• US 6,246,599 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2000
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Jang, Yungtaek, Jovanovic, Milan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Bao Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/645,342
• Time in Patent Office: 291 Days
• Field of Search: 363/17, 363/132, 363/98, 363/131, 363/56
• US Class Current: 363/132
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0058 by employing soft switching techniques, i.e. commutation of transistors when applied voltage is zero or when current flow is zero using an auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuit connected to an intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches of an inverter bridge H02M7/4811; in resonant inverters H02M7/4815; in inverters operating from a resonant DC source H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/01 Resonant DC/DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33573 Full-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer
• 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 constant frequency, DC/AC inverters that employs a coupled inductor to achieve ZVS in a wide range of load current and input voltage with a reduced circulating energy. In the circuits of the invention, the two windings of the coupled inductors are connected in series and their common terminal is connected to one end of the primary winding of the isolation transformer, which has the other end of the primary winding connected to ground. Each of the other two terminals of the coupled inductors is coupled to the midpoint of the corresponding bridge leg through a series connection of the resonant inductor and a resonant or blocking capacitor. For non-isolated inverter implementations, the common terminal of the coupled inductor is connected directly to the load. The output voltage regulation in the inverters is achieved by a constant-frequency phase shifted control.

Claims

1. A full bridge, resonant, constant-frequency, phase-shift-controlled, dc to ac inverter comprising in combination:

a coupled inductor having first and second winding, said first winding and said second winding connected in series forming a common terminal of said coupled inductor;

two pairs of series connected controllable switching devices connected across a dc power source, each of said controllable switching devices including antiparallel diode, and each of said controllable switching devices further including a capacitance in parallel therewith;

a first junction between a first pair of said controllable switching devices;

a second junction between a second pair of said controllable devices;

a transformer with primary and secondary windings;

a pair of resonant inductors, each of said resonant inductors connected in series with a series capacitor, a first of said pair of resonant inductors and its series capacitor connected between said first junction and a non-common terminal of said first winding of said coupled inductor;

a second of said pair of resonant inductors and its series capacitor connected between said second junction and a non-common terminal of said second winding of said coupled inductor;

said primary winding of said transformer connected between the common terminal of said first and second windings of said coupled inductor and a terminal of said dc power source;

said secondary winding of said transformer connected across a load;

control means which periodically opens and closes said controllable switching devices to maintain a regulated ac voltage across said load;

said control means providing a dead time in each of said pairs of said controllable switching devices between the opening of one said controllable switching device and the closing of the other said controllable switching device, said switching means further providing a delay time between the moment a switch in one of said pairs of said controllable switching devices and a switch in the other said pair of said controllable switches is closed.

2. An inverter as in claim 1, further comprising a parallel resonant capacitor connected across said secondary winding of said transformer.

3. An inverter as in claim 1, further comprising a parallel resonant capacitor connected across said primary winding of said transformer.

4. An inverter as in claim 1 wherein the turns ratio of said first and second winding of said coupled inductor is unity.

5. An inverter as in claim 2 wherein the turns ratio of said first and second winding of said coupled inductor is unity.

6. An inverter as in claim 3 wherein the turns ratio of said first and second winding of said coupled inductor is unity.

7. An improved, resonant, constant-frequency phase-shift-controlled dc to ac inverter as in claim 1 wherein the energy stored in said resonant inductors and the magnetizing inductance of said coupled inductor is sufficient to discharge said capacitances across said controllable switching devices prior to the instant said controllable switching devices are closed so that there is substantially zero voltage across said controllable switching devices when they switch from a non-conducting to a conducting state.

23. An inverter as in claim 1 wherein each of said controllable switching devices is comprised of a mosfet.

8. A full bridge, resonant, constant-frequency, phase-shift-controlled, dc to ac inverter comprising in combination:

a coupled inductor having first and second winding, said first winding and said second winding connected in series forming a common terminal of said coupled inductor;

two pairs of series connected controllable switching devices connected across a dc power source, each of said controllable switching devices including antiparallel diode, and each of said controllable switching devices further including a capacitance in parallel therewith;

a first junction between a first pair of said controllable switching devices;

a second junction between a second pair of said controllable devices;

a transformer with primary and secondary windings;

a pair of series resonant circuits, each of said resonant circuits consisting of a series connection of a resonant capacitor and resonant inductor, a first of said pair of series resonant circuits connected between said first junction and a non-common terminal of said first winding of said coupled inductor;

a second of said pair of series resonant circuits connected between said second junction and a non-common terminal of said second winding of said coupled inductor;

said primary winding of said transformer connected between the common terminal of said first and second windings of said coupled inductor and a terminal of said dc power source;

said secondary winding of said transformer connected across a load;

control means which periodically opens and closes said controllable switching devices to maintain regulated ac voltage across said load;

said control means providing a dead time in each of said pairs of said controllable switching devices between the opening of one said controllable switching device and the closing of the other said controllable switching device, said switching means further providing a delay time between the moment a switch in one of said pairs of said controllable switching devices and a switch in the other said pair of said controllable switches is closed.

9. An inverter as in claim 8, further comprising a parallel resonant capacitor connected across said secondary winding of said transformer.

10. An inverter as in claim 8, further comprising a parallel resonant capacitor connected across said primary winding of said transformer.

11. An inverter as in claim 8 wherein the turns ratio of said first and second winding of said coupled inductor is unity.

12. An inverter as in claim 11 wherein the turns ratio of said first and second winding of said coupled inductor is unity.

13. An inverter as in claim 12 wherein the turns ratio of said first and second winding of said coupled inductor is unity.

14. An improved, resonant, constant-frequency phase-shift-controlled dc to ac inverter as in claim 8 wherein the energy stored in said resonant inductors and the magnetizing inductance of said coupled inductor is sufficient to discharge said capacitances across said controllable switching devices prior to the instant said controllable switching devices are closed so that there is substantially zero voltage across said controllable switching devices when they switch from a non-conducting to a conducting state.

24. An inverter as in claim 8 wherein each of said controllable switching devices is comprised of a mosfet.

15. A full bridge, resonant, constant-frequency, phase-shift-controlled, dc to ac inverter comprising in combination:

a coupled inductor having first and second winding, said first winding and said second winding connected in series forming a common terminal of said coupled inductor;

two pairs of series connected controllable switching devices connected across a dc power source, each of said controllable switching devices including antiparallel diode, and each of said controllable switching devices further including a capacitance in parallel therewith;

a first junction between a first pair of said controllable switching devices;

a second junction between a second pair of said controllable devices;

a pair of resonant inductors, each of said resonant inductors connected in series with a series capacitor, a first of said pair of resonant inductors and its series capacitor connected between said first junction and a non-common terminal of said first winding of said coupled inductor;

a second of said pair of resonant inductors and its series capacitor connected between said second junction and a non-common terminal of said second winding of said coupled inductor;

a load, said load connected across said parallel resonant capacitor;

control means which periodically opens and closes said controllable switching devices to maintain a regulated ac voltage across said load;

said control means providing a dead time in each of said pairs of said controllable switching devices between the opening of one said controllable switching device and the closing of the other said controllable switching device, said switching means further providing a delay time between the moment a switch in one of said pairs of said controllable switching devices and a switch in the other said pair of said controllable switches is closed.

16. An inverter as in claim 15, further comprising a parallel resonant capacitor connected across said load.

17. An inverter as in claim 15 wherein the turns ratio of said first and second winding of said coupled inductor is unity.

18. A full bridge, resonant, constant-frequency phase-shift-controlled dc to ac inverter as in claim 15 wherein the energy stored in said resonant inductors and the magnetizing inductance of said coupled inductor is sufficient to discharge said capacitances across said controllable switching devices prior to the instant said controllable switching devices are closed so that there is substantially zero voltage across said controllable switching devices when they switch from a non-conducting to a conducting state.

25. An inverter as in claim 15 wherein each of said controllable switching devices is comprised of a mosfet.

19. A full bridge, resonant, constant-frequency, phase-shift-controlled, dc to ac inverter comprising in combination:

a coupled inductor having first and second winding, said first winding and said second winding connected in series forming a common terminal of said coupled inductor;

two pairs of series connected controllable switching devices connected across a dc power source, each of said controllable switching devices including antiparallel diode, and each of said controllable switching devices further including a capacitance in parallel therewith;

a first junction between a first pair of said controllable switching devices;

a second junction between a second pair of said controllable devices;

a pair of series resonant circuits, each of said resonant circuits consisting of a series connection of a resonant capacitor and resonant inductor, a first of said pair of series resonant circuits connected between said first junction and a non-common terminal of said first winding of said coupled inductor;

a second of said pair of series resonant circuits connected between said second junction and a non-common terminal of said second winding of said coupled inductor;

a load, said load connected across said parallel capacitor;

control means which periodically opens and closes said controllable switching devices to maintain regulated ac voltage across said load;

said control means providing a dead time in each of said pairs of said controllable switching devices between the opening of one said controllable switching device and the closing of the other said controllable switching device, said switching means further providing a delay time between the moment a switch in one of said pairs of said controllable switching devices and a switch in the other said pair of said controllable switches is closed.

20. An inverter as in claim 19, further comprising a parallel resonant capacitor connected across said load.

21. An inverter as in claim 19 wherein the turns ratio of said first and second winding of said coupled inductor is unity.

22. A full bridge, resonant, constant-frequency phase-shift-controlled dc to ac inverter as in claim 19 wherein the energy stored in said resonant inductors and the magnetizing inductance of said coupled inductor is sufficient to discharge said capacitances across said controllable switching devices prior to the instant said controllable switching devices are closed so that there is substantially zero voltage across said controllable switching devices when they switch from a non-conducting to a conducting state.

26. An inverter as in claim 19 wherein each of said controllable switching devices is comprised of a mosfet.