Power conversion

• US 7,499,290 B1
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mississippi State University
• Original Assignee: Mississippi State University
• Inventors: Mazzola, Michael S., Gafford, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Riley; Shawn
• Application Number:
  US11/132,205
• Time in Patent Office: 1,384 Days
• Field of Search: 363/17, 363/56.02, 363/58, 363/127, 363/89, 363/141
• US Class Current: 363/17
• 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: H02M 7/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• 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

Components, systems and methods for generating variable frequency AC voltage from a DC power supply are described. The components include a full-bridge (FB) parallel load resonant (PLR) converter which operates in discontinuous conduction mode. The PLR converter includes MOSFETs in an H-bridge configuration and employs a topology which minimizes inductance. The PLR converter can be coupled to a single or poly-phase bridge for use as an inverter. The inverter can be used to produce an AC sinusoidal waveform from a low voltage, high current DC power supply. Systems and techniques for modulating the output from the PLR converter to produce an AC sinusoidal waveform having desired characteristics, including frequency and voltage, are also provided. The PLR converter can also be coupled to a rectifier for use as a DC-DC converter.

Claims

1. A circuit comprising:

a primary section comprising input terminals adapted to receive a DC input;

a secondary section comprising a parallel capacitance resonance section and an inverting section comprising bi-directional switches; and

a transformer coupling the primary and secondary sections, the transformer having a primary side and a secondary side;

wherein the primary section comprises a plurality of transistors in an H-bridge configuration comprising a first group of transistors on a first side of the bridge and a second group of transistors on a second side of the bridge opposite the first side of the bridge;

wherein the DC input is applied to the drain terminals of the first group of transistors;

wherein the source terminals of the first group of transistors, the drain terminals of the second group of transistors and the primary side of the transformer are connected;

wherein the source terminals of the second group of transistors are connected to form a return path for the current; and

wherein the parallel capacitance resonance section is connected across the secondary side and is in resonance with a resonant inductance including a leakage inductance of the transformer and wherein a voltage across the parallel capacitance resonance section is discontinuous haversine waveform with alternating polarity.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the secondary section further comprises a filter section.

3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transistors are metal-oxide semi-conductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs).

4. The circuit of claim 3, wherein the drain terminals of the first group of MOSFETs are connected to one or more input bus bars.

5. The circuit of claim 3, wherein the drain terminals of a first portion of MOSFETs in the first group are connected to a first input bus bar and the drain terminals of a second portion of MOSFETs in the first group are connected to a second input bus bar.

6. The circuit of claim 3, wherein the source terminals of the first group of MOSFETs, the drain terminals of the second group of MOSFETs and the primary side of the transformer are connected to one or more transformer link bus bars.

7. The circuit of claim 3, wherein the source terminals of a first portion of MOSFETs in the first group and the drain terminals of a first portion of MOSFETs in the second group are connected to a first transformer link bus bar and the source terminals of a second portion of MOSFETs in the first group and the drain terminals of a second portion of MOSFETs in the second group are connected to a second transformer link bus bar and wherein the primary side of the transformer is connected to the first and second transformer link bus bars.

8. The circuit of claim 3, further comprising:

a heat sink, wherein the source terminals of the MOSFETs on the second side of the bridge are connected to the heat sink and wherein the heat sink provides a return path for the current.

9. The circuit of claim 8, wherein the MOSFETs have an isolated base and are mounted on the heat sink.

10. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the inverting section is connected to the secondary side of the transformer.

11. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the inverting section comprises a half-bridge inverter.

12. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the inverting section comprises a single-phase or poly-phase bridge.

13. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the bi-directional switches are MOSFETs or power insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs).

14. The circuit of claim 10, further comprising a filter, wherein output from the inverting section is fed into the filter.

15. The circuit of claim 14, wherein the filter is a two-pole L-C filter.

16. The circuit of claim 14, wherein the filter is a four-pole L-C filter.

17. The circuit of claim 6, wherein the MOSFETs are mounted on the one or more transformer link bus bars.

18. A converter comprising:

the circuit of claim 1; and

a central controller which is adapted to control the bi-directional switches in the inverting section of the circuit.

19. The converter of claim 18, wherein the controller is adapted to control the bi-directional switches using a discretized carrier wave modulation algorithm.

20. The converter of claim 18, wherein the inverting section comprises a single phase and poly phase bridge.