DC/DC converter

• US 7,800,921 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2008
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitesco Technologies USA, LLC (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems US Incorporated (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Van Dyke, John M., Zhu, Lizhi, Flett, Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): Sterrett; Jeffrey L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Finch, III; Fred E
• Application Number:
  US11/970,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20080205089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 336/182, 336/183, 363/15, 363/17, 363/21.02, 363/98, 363/127, 363/132, 363/141, 363/144, 363/147, 361/729, 361/730
• US Class Current: 363/17
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2038/026 non-linear inductive arrangements for converters, e.g. with additional windings
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33507 with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33592 having a synchronous rectifier circuit or a synchronous freewheeling circuit at the secondary 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

Power converter system topologies comprise a DC/DC converter. The DC/DC converter includes a transformer coupling a high side to a low side. The high side may include an inverter bridge in the form of an inverter module and an inductor. The low side may include a rectifier in the form of a rectifier module and a pair of inductors. The transformer may take the form of a planar transformer.

Claims

1. A DC/DC power converter, comprising:

a transformer for transforming power;

an inverter for inverting DC power supplied from a power source and supplying the inverted power to a primary side of the transformer, the inverter supported with a first housing;

a rectifier for rectifying power from a secondary side of the transformer to be supplied to a load, the rectifier supported within a second housing separate from the first housing; and

a base plate supporting the transformer, the first housing and the second housing, wherein the transformer, the first housing and the second housing are all removably mounted to the base plate independent of each other.

2. The DC/DC power converter of claim 1 wherein the inverter includes an inverter bridge operable to invert power and a high voltage inductor.

3. The DC/DC power converter of claim 2 wherein the inverter bridge includes a first leg including at least one upper switch and one lower switch and a second leg including at least one upper switch and one lower switch.

4. The DC/DC power converter of claim 3 wherein the upper and lower switches are metal oxide semiconductor switches with diodes coupled across in anti-parallel.

5. The DC/DC power converter of claim 1 wherein the rectifier includes a first inductor and a first switch selectively coupling the first inductor to the secondary side of the transformer, and a second inductor and a second switch selectively coupling the second inductor to the second side of the transformer.

6. The DC/DC power converter of claim 1, further comprising:

a first gate drive control and gate power supply coupled to control the inverter; and

a second gate drive control and gate power supply coupled to control the rectifier.

7. The DC/DC power converter of claim 6, further comprising:

a control circuit coupled to control the first and the second gate drive control and gate power supplies.

8. The DC/DC power converter of claim 7, further comprising:

a control interface coupled to provide signals between the control circuit and at least one external component.

9. The DC/DC power converter of claim 1 wherein the transformer is a planar transformer.

10. The DC/DC power converter of claim 1 wherein the base plate includes at least one of fins or pins.

11. The DC/DC power converter of claim 10, further comprising:

at least one temperature sensor positioned to sense a temperature at least proximate the base plate.

12. The DC/DC power converter of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one temperature sensor positioned to sense an ambient temperature at least proximate the transformer.

13. The DC/DC power converter of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one sensor coupled to detect at least one of a current or a voltage supplied by the rectifier.

14. The DC/DC power converter of claim 1, wherein the inverter is formed as an inverter module including a substrate and a lead frame disposed within the first housing, and wherein the rectifier is formed as a rectifier module including a substrate and a lead frame disposed within the second housing.

15. The DC/DC power converter as recited in claim 14, wherein each of the inverter module and the rectifier module include a substrate that is attached to the base plate by a solder bond.

16. The DC/DC power converter as recited in claim 15, wherein the substrate for the inverter module carries four sets of dice that are electrically coupled in parallel to form respective ones of four switches of the inverter module, and an anti-parallel diode disposed across each of the four switches.

17. The DC/DC power converter as recited in claim 15, wherein the substrate for the rectifier module carries two sets of dice that are electrically coupled in parallel to form respective ones of two switches.

18. The DC/DC power converter as recited in claim 1, wherein the transformer is a planar transformer that is recessed into an opening of the base plate.