Interleaved power converter
First Claim
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1. A power converter, comprising:
- an inverter circuit comprising a first phase leg comprising a first node, a second phase leg comprising a second node, and a third phase leg comprising a third node;
a first transformer comprising a first side and a second side, the first side of the first transformer electrically coupled between the first node of the first phase leg and the second node of the second phase leg of the inverter circuit; and
a second transformer comprising a first side and a second side, the first side of the second transformer electrically coupled between the second node of the second phase leg and the third node of the third phase leg of the inverter circuit.
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Abstract
A power converter architecture interleaves full bridge converters to alleviate thermal management problems in high current applications, and may, for example, double the output power capability while reducing parts count and costs. For example, one phase of a three phase inverter is shared between two transformers, which provide power to a rectifier such as a current doubler rectifier to provide two full bridge DC/DC converters with three rather than four high voltage inverter legs.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A power converter, comprising:
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an inverter circuit comprising a first phase leg comprising a first node, a second phase leg comprising a second node, and a third phase leg comprising a third node; a first transformer comprising a first side and a second side, the first side of the first transformer electrically coupled between the first node of the first phase leg and the second node of the second phase leg of the inverter circuit; and a second transformer comprising a first side and a second side, the first side of the second transformer electrically coupled between the second node of the second phase leg and the third node of the third phase leg of the inverter circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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4. A power converter, comprising:
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an inverter circuit comprising a first phase leg comprising a first node, a second phase leg comprising a second node, and a third phase leg comprising a third node; a first transformer comprising a first side and a second side, the first side of the first transformer electrically coupled between the first node of the first phase leg and the second node of the second phase leg of the inverter circuit; a second transformer comprising a first side and a second side, the first side of the second transformer electrically coupled between the second node of the second phase leg and the third node of the third phase leg of the inverter circuit, wherein each of the first, the second and the third phase legs comprise a respective pair of power switching elements, one of the power switching elements in the pair electrically coupled between a first rail of a power bus and the respective one of the first, the second, or the third nodes, and the other one of the power switching elements in the pair electrically coupled between a second rail of the power bus and the respective one of the first, the second, or the third nodes; and a current doubler rectifier electrically coupled to the second sides of the first and the second transformers, the current doubler rectifier including; a first pair of switches electrically coupled in series between a first pole of the second side of the first transformer and a first pole of the second side of the second transformer, a first rectifier node formed between the switches of the first pair of switches, and a second pair of switches electrically coupled in series between a second pole of the second side of the first transformer and a second pole of the second side of the second transformer, a second rectifier node formed between the switches of the second pair of switches, the second rectifier node electrically coupled to the first rectifier node.
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5. A power converter, comprising:
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an inverter circuit comprising a first phase leg comprising a first node, a second phase leg comprising a second node, and a third phase leg comprising a third node; a first transformer comprising a first side and a second side, the first side of the first transformer electrically coupled between the first node of the first phase leg and the second node of the second phase leg of the inverter circuit; a second transformer comprising a first side and a second side, the first side of the second transformer electrically coupled between the second node of the second phase leg and the third node of the third phase leg of the inverter circuit, wherein each of the first, the second and the third phase legs comprise a respective pair of power switching elements, one of the power switching elements in the pair electrically coupled between a first rail of a power bus and the respective one of the first, the second, or the third nodes, and the other one of the power switching elements in the pair electrically coupled between a second rail of the power bus and the respective one of the first, the second, or the third nodes; a current doubler rectifier electrically coupled to the second sides of the first and the second transformers, the current doubler rectifier including; a first pair of switches electrically coupled in series between a first pole of the second side of the first transformer and a first pole of the second side of the second transformer, a first rectifier node formed between the switches of the first pair of switches, and a second pair of switches electrically coupled in series between a second pole of the second side of the first transformer and a second pole of the second side of the second transformer, a second rectifier node formed between the switches of the second pair of switches, the second rectifier node electrically coupled to the first rectifier node; and a controller communicatingly coupled to control operation of the power switching elements of the first, the second and the third phase legs of the inverter circuit, and to control operation of the first and the second pairs of switches of the current doubler rectifier.
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15. A method of converting power, comprising:
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inverting a direct current to produce at least three phases of alternating current; supplying a first and a second of the three phases of alternating current to a first side of a first transformer to induce an alternating current on a second side of the first transformer; supplying the second and a third of the three phases of alternating current to a first side of a second transformer to induce an alternating current on a second side of the second transformer; supplying the alternating current from the second side of the first transformer to a rectifier; supplying the alternating current from the second side of the second transformer to the rectifier; and rectifying the first and the second alternating currents supplied to the rectifier from the second sides of the first and the second transformers, respectively, to produce a first voltage across a first potential node and a second potential node and to produce a second voltage across the second potential node and a third potential node. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A power converter, comprising:
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a first transformer comprising a first side including at least a first pole and a second pole, and a second side including at least a first pole and a second pole; a second transformer comprising a first side including at least a first pole and a second pole, and a second side including at least a first pole and a second pole; means for supplying a first phase of alternating current to the first pole of the first side of the first transformer, a second phase of alternating current to the second pole of the first side of the first transformer and to the first pole of the first side of the second transformer, and a third phase of alternating current to the second pole of the first side of the second transformer; and means for current double rectifying alternating currents supplied from the second sides of the first and the second transformers. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification