Universal high efficiency power converter

• US 6,538,909 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2001
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Enova Systems
• Original Assignee: Enova Systems
• Inventors: Kang, Don, Goodarzi, Abas
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane, Adolf Deneke
• Application Number:
  US10/013,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20020044468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 363/15, 363/17, 363/38, 363/78, 363/84, 363/89, 363/95, 363/98, 363/125, 363/131, 363/132, 323/255, 323/340
• US Class Current: 363/98
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/10 Arrangements incorporating converting means for enabling loads to be operated at will from different kinds of power supplies, e.g. from ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4225 using a non-isolated boost converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33573 Full-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/337 in push-pull configuration H02M3/33576 takes precedence; with self-oscillating arrangements H02M3/3382, H02M3/3385
• 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 universal power converter for generating a regulated voltage, current or power with a large input voltage range. The power converter has a voltage boost function configured to boost the rectified input voltage and provide power factor correction. The power converter also includes a voltage chop function to chop the boosted voltage to form an AC voltage. The power converter further includes at least one relay in electrical communication with the AC voltage and a transformer. The primary winding has at least two inputs operative to selectively vary the voltage generated on a secondary winding thereof selected by the relay. Accordingly, the power converter can generate different voltages at the output based upon the position of the relay and the boosted voltage. The power converter provides maximum power operation at a wide output voltage range, maximizing the charging energy.

Claims

1. A universal power converter for generating a regulated wide range output DC voltage from a variable input voltage, the power converter comprising:

a voltage boost function to boost the rectified input voltage;

a voltage chop function to electronically chop the boosted voltage;

at least one relay in electrical communication with the chopped boosted function, the relay having at least a first and second position;

a transformer in electrical communication with the relay, the transformer having a primary winding and at least one secondary winding, the primary winding having at least two inputs being operative to selectively vary the voltage generated on the secondary winding(s) from the position of the relay; and

a rectifier in electrical communication with the transformer, the rectifier being operative to generate the output voltage from the secondary winding(s) of the transformer.

2. The power converter of claim 1 further comprising a processor in electrical communication with the output voltage and the input voltage, the processor being operative to selectively position the relay in response to the output and input voltages.

3. The power converter of claim 2 wherein the power converter is configured with power factor correction conversion.

4. The power converter of claim 3 wherein the processor is in electrical communication with a rectified input voltage, the output voltage, and an input current transducer in order to control the power factor correction conversion.

5. The power converter of claim 4 wherein the boost voltage function comprises at least one inductor, at least one diode, and at least four switching devices in order to boost the rectified input voltage.

6. The power converter of claim 5 wherein the processor is in electrical communication with a charge command and is configured to position the relays in order to generate the output voltage to charge at least one battery pack.

7. The power converter of claim 6 wherein the at least two inputs of transformer are a primary input and a tap input of the transformer.

8. The power converter of claim 7 wherein the rectifier is a bridge rectifier network that rectifies the transformer secondary voltage.

9. The power converter of claim 1 wherein the at least two inputs are a primary input and a tap of the transformer.

10. The power converter of claim 7 further comprising at least four switching devices to provide power factor correction conversion and voltage chopping.

11. A method of converting a variable input voltage to a regulated output voltage different from the input voltage with a power converter having a single power processing stage, a relay, a transformer with multiple inputs, and an output rectifier, the method comprising the steps of:

a) applying a rectified input voltage to the input of the single power processing stage;

b) increasing the rectified input voltage with a boost voltage function of the single power processing stage to generate a boosted voltage;

c) applying the boosted voltage to a voltage chop function of the single power processing stage to produce an AC voltage to the relays;

d) selecting the inputs of the transformer with the relays;

e) apply the AC voltage from the output of the single power processing stage to the transformer; and

f) inducing the output voltage on the transformer from the AC voltage applied to the transformer.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein step (b) further comprises boosting the rectified input voltage with power factor correction.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the power converter further includes a processor in electrical communication with the relay, the rectified input voltage and the output voltage, and step (d) comprises the processor selecting the inputs of the transformer with the relays.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the processor controls the operation of current regulation, voltage regulation and power regulation.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the processor controls the operation over a wide input AC voltage and output DC voltage while delivering the full rated power.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the processor controls and tracks the maximum operation power to reduce the charge time.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the processor controls the operation of the power factor correction function, the voltage boost function, and the voltage chop function of the single power processing stage.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

g) rectifying the output voltage from the transformer with an output rectifier.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein step (g) comprises rectifying the transformer output voltage with a rectifier bridge network.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein step (f) comprises inducing an output voltage that is configured to charge a battery pack.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein step (a) comprises applying a rectified AC input voltage to the boost voltage function of the single power processing stage.

22. A method of converting an universal AC input voltage to a regulated DC output voltage, current, or power with an AC/DC power converter having an input rectifier, a single power processing stage consisting of a voltage boost function, a voltage chop function, at least one relay, a transformer with multiple inputs, an output rectifier, and a processor, the method comprising the steps of:

a) applying the AC input voltage to the input rectifier to generate a DC input voltage;

b) applying the DC input voltage to the voltage boost function of the single power processing stage;

c) increasing the DC input voltage with the voltage boost function of the single power processing stage to generate a boost voltage;

d) chopping the boost voltage with the voltage chop function of the single power processing stage to generate an AC voltage;

e) selecting an input of the transformer with the relay;

f) applying the AC voltage to the relay and the selected inputs of the transformer;

g) inducing the AC voltage on to the secondary winding of the transformer;

h) altering the amplitude of the AC voltage with the transformer in response to the input selected by the relays; and

i) applying the transformer secondary winding voltage to the output rectifier to generate the regulated DC output voltage.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein step (d) comprises increasing the DC input voltage with power factor correction.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of applying the regulated DC output voltage to a battery pack for charging thereof.