Method and apparatus for power conversion with wide input voltage range

• US 8,106,636 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2009
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Power Solutions Incorporated (Murata Manufacturing Co Limited)
• Original Assignee: Murata Power Solutions Incorporated (Murata Manufacturing Co Limited)
• Inventors: Asinovski, Alexander, Wanes, John, Ozkaynak, Isaac, Dragojevic, Milan
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MATTHEW VAN
• Application Number:
  US12/390,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20090212758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 363/16, 363/17, 363/20, 363/21.01, 363/21.04, 363/21.1, 363/21.12, 363/21.18, 323/255, 323/258
• US Class Current: 323/258
• 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 3/33569 having several active switching elements H02M3/3353 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33571 Half-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33573 Full-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33576 having at least one active switching element at the secondary side of an isolation transformer

Abstract

A power conversion system includes an input terminal that is arranged to be connected to a voltage source; a transformer having a first winding connected to the input terminal and a second winding connected to an output terminal of the power conversion system, either the first winding or the second winding is provided with at least three taps that are arranged to divide the first winding or the second winding into at least two sub-windings; at least one tap switch connected to the at least two sub-windings; a control circuit connected to the at least one tap switch; and at least one switch connected to the at least one tap switch. The control circuit is arranged to control the at least one tap switch to control the turn ratio of the transformer.

Claims

1. A power conversion system comprising:

an input terminal that is arranged to be connected to a voltage source;

a transformer having a first winding connected to the input terminal and a second winding connected to an output terminal of the power conversion system, either the first winding or the second winding is provided with at least three taps that are arranged to divide the first winding or the second winding into at least two sub-windings;

at least one tap switch connected to the at least two sub-windings;

a control circuit connected to the at least one tap switch; and

at least one switch connected to the at least one tap switch;

wherein

the control circuit is arranged to control the at least one tap switch to control a turn ratio of the transformer based on a voltage level provided by the voltage source.

2. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one switch is connected to each of the at least one tap switch.

3. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one tap switch includes a plurality of tap switches, and the at least one switch includes a plurality of switches that are each connected to a corresponding one or corresponding ones of the plurality of tap switches.

4. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one tap switch is connected between the transformer and the at least one switch.

5. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one switch is connected between the transformer and the at least one tap switch.

6. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one tap switch is connected to the second winding, and one of the at least one switches is connected to the first winding.

7. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is arranged to receive an input signal that is based on the voltage level provided by the voltage source and to receive a synchronization signal that is synchronized with an output signal of a pulse modulator.

8. A power conversion system according to claim 7, further comprising a signal secondary winding that provides the input signal that is based on an input voltage.

9. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one tap switch includes at least two tap switches, and when the current through the at least two windings is zero or near zero, the control circuit is arranged to first turn off one of the at least two tap switches and then to later turn on another of the at least two tap switches to control the turn ratio of the transformer.

10. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one switch is a MOSFET.

11. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one tap switch is a MOSFET.

12. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one tap switch is a series combination of two MOSFETs with common sources and gates.

13. A power conversion system according to claim 1, further comprising a diode connected to a center tap of the second winding.

14. A power conversion system according to claim 1, further comprising a switch connected between the input terminal and the transformer.

15. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the input terminal is connected to a center tap of the first winding.

16. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the output terminal is connected to a center tap of the second winding.

17. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit includes at least one window comparator that determines which voltage sub-range that an input voltage is in.

18. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit includes a tap winding zero current detector.

19. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one switch includes four switches arranged in a full-bridge arrangement.

20. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one switch includes two switches arranged in a half-bridge arrangement.

21. A power conversion system according to claim 1, further comprising a pulse modulator connected to the at least one switch.

22. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the power conversion system supplies DC power.

23. A power conversion system according to claim 1, wherein the power conversion system supplies AC power.