Resonance circuit for DC-link voltage control in DC-to-AC inverter

• US 8,149,603 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2010
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Huang, Yung-Fu, Konishi, Yoshihiro, Hsieh, Min-Ju
• Primary Examiner(s): Laxton, Gary L
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE III, HENRY E
• Application Number:
  US12/779,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20110103107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 363/109, 363/131, 363135-136, 363 2101- 2103, 363/21.1, 363 2112- 2114, 363/21.18, 363/27, 363/28, 363/97
• US Class Current: 363/97
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/458 using semiconductor devices only

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a resonance circuit for DC-link voltage control in a DC-to-AC inverter. The resonance circuit comprises two active switches. Before the active switches of the DC-to-AC inverter are turned on, a DC-link voltage is isolated by the active switches and the active switches of the DC-to-AC inverter are discharged by the resonance circuit to zero voltage at both ends. Then, the active switches of the DC-to-AC inverter are turned on again after the DC-link voltage is charged by the resonance circuit until the DC-link voltage restores to a normal voltage value. Hence, the active switches of the DC-to-AC inverter achieve zero-voltage switching. Not only the switching loss can be reduced to enhance the conversion efficiency, but also the electro-magnetic interference as well as the RF interference due to dynamic transient changes of the voltage (dv/dt) and of the current (di/dt) can be lowered.

Claims

1. A resonance circuit for DC-link voltage control in a DC-to-AC inverter, comprising:

two active switches;

a coupled inductor comprising two windings;

an inductor;

five passive switches; and

three capacitors;

wherein,

a first active switch of the two active switches has a positive terminal connected in series with a positive terminal of a first capacitor of the three capacitors and a negative terminal connected in parallel with a negative terminal of a first passive switch of the five passive switches,

a positive terminal of the first passive switch is connected with a negative terminal of a second passive switch of the five passive switches and one terminal of the second capacitor,

a positive terminal of the second passive switch is connected with one terminal of the inductor, while the other terminal of the inductor is connected in parallel with a negative terminal of the first capacitor,

a positive terminal of a third passive switch of the five passive switches is connected with the positive terminal of the first passive switch, the negative terminal of the second passive switch and one terminal of the second capacitor, while a negative terminal of the third passive switch is connected in parallel with the other terminal of the second capacitor, a negative terminal of a primary side of the coupled inductor and one terminal of a second active switch of the two active switches,

the other terminal of the second active switch is connected with a negative terminal of the first capacitor,

the negative terminal of the first active switch is connected with a positive terminal of the primary side and a negative terminal of a secondary side of the coupled inductor,

a positive terminal of a fourth passive switch of the five passive switches is connected with the negative terminal of the first capacitor after a positive terminal of the secondary side of the coupled inductor is connected with a negative terminal of a fourth passive switch of the five passive switches,

a positive terminal of a fifth passive switch of the passive switches is connected with the negative terminal of the first capacitor after a third capacitor of the three capacitors is connected in parallel with the fifth passive switch, and

a negative terminal of the fifth passive switch is connected with the negative terminal of the first active switch.

2. The resonance circuit for DC-link voltage control in a DC-to-AC inverter as recited in claim 1, wherein the active switches are bipolar transistors.

3. The resonance circuit for DC-link voltage control in a DC-to-AC inverter as recited in claim 1, wherein the passive switches are diodes.

4. The resonance circuit for DC-link voltage control in a DC-to-AC inverter as recited in claim 1, further comprising a diode between a source electrode and a drain electrode of each of the two active switches.

5. A method for DC-link voltage control in a DC-to-AC inverter using the resonance circuit as recited in claim 1, comprising steps of:

discharging the second capacitor to zero voltage by the second active switch when the first active switch is turned off and the second active switch is turned on so that a current from the inductor flows through the second passive switch to cause the inductor to resonate with the second capacitor;

discharging the third capacitor to zero voltage by the second active switch when the third capacitor resonates with the coupled inductor;

continuing discharging the third capacitor by the second active switch after the second capacitor is discharged to zero voltage by the second active switch so that the current from the inductor flows through the third passive switch and the second active switch to cause the third capacitor to resonate with the coupled inductor;

conducting the current from the coupled inductor to flow through the fifth passive switch and the second active switch after the third capacitor is discharged to zero voltage by the second active switch;

charging the third capacitor by conducting the current from the coupled inductor to flow through the fourth passive switch and the winding on the secondary side, and charging the second capacitor by conducting a current from the primary side of the coupled inductor when the second active switch is turned off; and

charging the first capacitor by turning on the first active switch to conduct the current from the inductor and the current from the coupled inductor when the second capacitor and the third capacitor are charged to predetermined voltage values.