Complex resonant DC-DC converter and high voltage generating circuit driven in a plurality of frequency regions

• US 6,418,038 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2001
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagahara, Kiyokazu, Takahama, Masanobu
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MATTHEW VAN
• Application Number:
  US09/878,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20020012257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 363/16, 363/17, 363/21.01, 363/21.02, 363/97, 363/98, 363/131, 363/132
• US Class Current: 363/17
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/01 Resonant DC/DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33571 Half-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 DC-DC converter includes a switching unit having a pair of switching devices or transistors, a resonant circuit comprising a capacitor, an inductor, and a primary coil of a converter transformer which serves as an inductor, a smoothing and rectifying circuit connected to a load in the secondary, an error amplifier for the output voltage, and a variable oscillator for varying the switching frequency according to the error voltage. The output of the variable oscillator circuit is supplied to the switching devices to provide a stabilized output voltage from the smoothing and rectifying circuit. The switching frequency during light loading is set at a frequency more than the resonant frequency which is mainly defined by the inductance and the interwinding capacitance of the secondary coil. The switching frequency to stabilize the output voltage during light loading is much higher than that during heavy loading, significantly reducing the exciting current component during light loading to enhance the energy conversion efficiency during light loading.

Claims

1. A DC—

DC converter comprising;

switching means having a pair of switching devices connected in series to form a bridge;

a converter transformer having a primary coil and a secondary coil which are wound with a predetermined turns ratio for transferring to the secondary coil the switching output provided for the primary coil by the switching operation of said switching means;

series resonant means having a capacitor, an inductor, and the primary coil serving as an inductor which are connected in series to a node between the pair of switching devices, said series resonant means being resonated at a first resonant frequency;

parallel resonant means at least having an equivalent capacitance in the primary equivalent to the interwinding capacitance of the secondary coil, and the inductance of the primary coil, said parallel resonant means being resonated at a second resonant frequency higher than the first resonant frequency;

voltage supply means connected to the secondary coil serving as a source for supplying an output voltage to a load; and

switching control means for varying the switching frequency of said switching means according to variations in the voltage output from said voltage supply means.

3. A DC—

DC converter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the turns ratio of the primary coil to the secondary coil is chosen so that the switching frequency is in a range of the first resonant frequency to the second resonant frequency during heavy loading, and exceeds the second resonant frequency during light loading, in order to stabilize the output voltage.

4. A DC—

DC converter according to claim 3, further comprising a capacitor connected in parallel to the secondary coil, wherein the switching frequency is defined by changing the capacitance of said capacitor and the turns ratio of the primary coil to the secondary coil.

2. A DC—

DC converter comprising;

switching means having a pair of switching devices connected in series to form a bridge;

a converter transformer having a primary coil and a secondary coil which are wound with a predetermined turns ratio for transferring to the secondary coil the switching output provided for the primary coil by the switching operation of said switching means;

series resonant means having a capacitor, an inductor, and the primary coil serving as an inductor which are connected in series to a node between the pair of switching devices, said series resonant means being resonated at a first resonant frequency;

parallel resonant means at least having an equivalent capacitance in the primary equivalent to the interwinding capacitance of the secondary coil, and the inductance of the primary coil, said parallel resonant means being resonated at a second resonant frequency higher than the first resonant frequency;

voltage supply means connected to the secondary coil serving as a source for supplying an output voltage to a load;

error detecting means for detecting variations in the output voltage from said voltage supply means;

variable oscillating means for varying the switching frequency of said switching means according to the detected variations; and

switching drive means for alternately turning on and off the pair of switching devices according to the switching frequency,

whereby the output voltage is stabilized.

5. A high voltage generating circuit comprising:

switching means having a pair of switching devices connected in series to form a bridge;

a converter transformer having a primary coil and a plurality of secondary coils which are wound with a predetermined turns ratio for transferring to the plurality of secondary coils the switching output provided for the primary coil by the switching operation of said switching means;

series resonant means having a capacitor, an inductor, and the primary coil serving as an inductor which are connected in series to a node between the pair of switching devices, said series resonant means being resonated at a first resonant frequency to provide current resonance for the switching operation;

parallel resonant means at least having an equivalent capacitance in the primary equivalent to a combination of the interwinding capacitances of the plurality of secondary coils, and the inductance of the primary coil, said parallel resonant means being resonated at a second resonant frequency higher than the first resonant frequency;

high voltage supply means for coupling a voltage multiplier rectifier circuit to each of the plurality of secondary coils so as to connect them in series so that a high voltage is supplied to a load; and

switching control means for varying the switching frequency of said switching means according to variations in the high voltage output from said high voltage supply means,

whereby the high voltage output is stabilized.

7. A high voltage generating circuit according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the turns ratio of the primary coil to the plurality of secondary coils is chosen so that the switching frequency is in a range of the first resonant frequency to the second resonant frequency during heavy loading, and exceeds the second resonant frequency during light loading, in order to stabilize the high voltage output.

6. A high voltage generating circuit comprising:

switching means having a pair of switching devices connected in series to form a bridge;

a converter transformer having a primary coil and a plurality of secondary coils which are wound with a predetermined turns ratio for transferring to the plurality of secondary coils the switching output provided for the primary coil by the switching operation of said switching means;

series resonant means having a capacitor, an inductor, and the primary coil serving as an inductor which are connected in series to a node between the pair of switching devices, said series resonant means being resonated at a first resonant frequency to provide current resonance for the switching operation;

parallel resonant means at least having an equivalent capacitance in the primary equivalent to a combination of the interwinding capacitances of the plurality of secondary coils, and the inductance of the primary coil, said parallel resonant means being resonated at a second resonant frequency higher than the first resonant frequency;

high voltage supply means for coupling a voltage multiplier rectifier circuit to each of the plurality of secondary coils so as to connect them in series so that a high voltage output is supplied to a load;

error detecting means for detecting variations in the high voltage output from said high voltage supply means;

variable oscillating means for varying the switching frequency of said switching means according to the detected variations; and

switching drive means for driving the pair of switching devices according to the switching frequency,

whereby the high voltage output is stabilized.