Charge-pump voltage converter

• US 7,612,541 B1
• Filed: 08/07/2007
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions Of Sandia LLC (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sandia Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Christenson, Todd R., Brainard, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ponomarenko; Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cuevas; Pedro J
• Application Number:
  US11/835,046
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 310/309, 322/2.A
• US Class Current: 322/2.00A
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/08 with conductive charge carrier, i.e. capacitor machines

Abstract

A charge-pump voltage converter for converting a low voltage provided by a low-voltage source to a higher voltage. Charge is inductively generated on a transfer rotor electrode during its transit past an inductor stator electrode and subsequently transferred by the rotating rotor to a collector stator electrode for storage or use. Repetition of the charge transfer process leads to a build-up of voltage on a charge-receiving device. Connection of multiple charge-pump voltage converters in series can generate higher voltages, and connection of multiple charge-pump voltage converters in parallel can generate higher currents. Microelectromechanical (MEMS) embodiments of this invention provide a small and compact high-voltage (several hundred V) voltage source starting with a few-V initial voltage source. The microscale size of many embodiments of this invention make it ideally suited for MEMS- and other micro-applications where integration of the voltage or charge source in a small package is highly desirable.

Claims

1. A charge-pump voltage converter comprising:

a stator comprising a rotor cavity, the rotor cavity having an insulating inner surface;

a rotor rotatably mounted in the rotor cavity, the rotor having an insulating circumferential surface and having means for connecting to a rotatable shaft;

at least one inductor electrode mounted on the insulating inner surface of the rotor cavity and having an inducing surface;

at least one transfer electrode mounted on the insulating circumferential surface of the rotor and having a transferring surface, a separation of the at least one inductor electrode and the at least one transfer electrode being suitable for induction of charge by the inductor electrode on the transfer electrode when a portion of the inducing surface is radially aligned with a portion of the transferring surface;

grounding means for connecting the at least one transfer electrode to a common for a portion of time while within an induction distance from the inductor electrode, wherein the transfer electrode has at least one contact-interruption means oriented out of a plane perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the rotor, the contact-interruption means serving to momentarily interrupt current flow between the transfer electrode and the grounding means as the transfer electrode rotates past the grounding means; and

charge-transfer means for transferring charge from the transfer electrode to a charge-receiving means.

2. The charge-pump voltage converter of claim 1, wherein the at least one contact-interruption means comprises at least one of a slot, an insulating material in a depression in the transfer electrode, and a raised textural element.

3. The charge-pump converter of claim 1, further comprising an inductor connected in series between the grounding means and the inductor electrode.