Bidirectional DC-DC converter

• US 8,213,188 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2008
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shindengen Electric Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Shindengen Electric Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Tada, Nobuhiro, Sato, Hisao
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, RAJNIKANT B
• Application Number:
  US12/664,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20100182814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 363 16- 20, 363/21.02, 363/21.06, 363/21.12, 363/21.17, 363/34, 363/65, 363/89, 363/98, 363/127, 363/131
• US Class Current: 363/16
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33584 Bidirectional converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

Provided is a bidirectional DC/DC converter which can control a boost voltage in a wide range. The DC/DC converter includes: three series circuits formed by a first to a sixth switch, each two of which are connected in series between a plus terminal and a minus terminal of a high voltage side; two transformers in which primary windings are connected in series and input terminals of the primary windings are connected to connection points of the switching elements; and a seventh to a tenth switch. The transformers have secondary windings, each of which is divided at the middle point. The middle points are connected to a minus terminal of a low voltage side. Respective terminals of the secondary windings are connected to a plus terminal of the low voltage side by the seventh to the tenth switches.

Claims

1. A bidirectional DC-DC converter which converts a voltage between a high voltage side and a low voltage side, the converter comprising:

a first transformer which includes a first primary side winding and a first secondary side winding, the first secondary side winding including a first winding and a second winding which are divided at a first midpoint;

a second transformer which includes a second primary side winding and a second secondary side winding, the second primary side winding being connected in series to the first primary side winding, and the second secondary side winding being connected in parallel to the first secondary winding and including a third winding and a fourth winding which are divided at a second midpoint;

a first switch which is inserted between a positive terminal at the high voltage side and a junction point of one end of the first primary side winding and one end of the second primary side winding;

a second switch which is inserted between the junction point and a negative terminal at the high voltage side;

a third switch which is inserted between an other end of the first primary side winding and the positive terminal at the high voltage side;

a fourth switch which is inserted between the other end of the first primary side winding and the negative terminal at the high voltage side;

a fifth switch which is inserted between an other end of the second primary side winding and the positive terminal at the high voltage side;

a sixth switch which is inserted between the other end of the second primary side winding and the negative terminal at the high voltage side;

a seventh switch which is inserted between a terminal of the first secondary winding at a side of the first winding and a positive terminal at the low voltage side;

an eighth switch which is inserted between a terminal of the first secondary winding at a side of the second winding and the positive terminal at the low voltage side;

a ninth switch which is inserted between a terminal of the second secondary winding at a side of the third winding and the positive terminal at the low voltage side; and

a tenth switch which is inserted between a terminal of the second secondary winding at a side of the fourth winding and the positive terminal at the low voltage side,

the first midpoint and the second midpoint being connected to the negative terminal at the low voltage side, and

the seventh switch, the eighth switch, the ninth switch and the tenth switch respectively connecting the first terminal, the second terminal, the third terminal and the fourth terminal of the secondary winding to the positive terminal at the low voltage side.

2. The bidirectional DC-DC converter according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second control circuit which controls the seventh to the tenth switches; and

a first rectifier circuit which is connected to the first primary side winding and the second primary side winding,

wherein in a voltage increase process,

the second control circuit controls the seventh and the eighth switches such that a connection between the terminal of the first secondary winding at the side of the first winding and the positive terminal at the low voltage side and a connection between the terminal of the first secondary winding at the side of the second winding and the positive terminal at the low voltage side are changed at every first cycle, and the second control circuit performs a push-pull operation in order to cause an electric current to flow through the first primary side winding in opposite directions at every first cycle, and

the second control circuit controls the ninth and the tenth switches such that a connection between the terminal of the second secondary winding at the side of the third winding and the positive terminal at the low voltage side and a connection between the terminal of the second secondary winding at the side of the fourth winding and the positive terminal at the low voltage side are changed at every second cycle, and the second control circuit performs a push-pull operation in order to cause an electric current to flow through the second primary side winding in opposite directions at every second cycle so that a direction of the electric current flowing through the second primary side winding is same as a direction of the electric current flowing through the first primary side winding, and

the first rectifier circuit smoothes sum of voltages induced in the first primary side winding and the second primary side winding which are outputted from the first rectifier circuit and outputs it as a boost voltage.

3. The bidirectional DC-DC converter according to claim 2, wherein the second control circuit phase-controls timings to turn the seventh and the eighth switches on and off, and timings to turn the ninth and the tenth switches on and off so as to set the boost voltage as a predetermined voltage.

4. The bidirectional DC-DC converter according to claim 2, wherein the second control circuit phase-controls timings to turn the seventh and the eighth switches on and off, and timings to turn the ninth and the tenth switches on and off through phase control, and pulse-width controls a time period in which each of the seventh to the tenth switches is turned on, so as to set as a predetermined voltage.

5. The bidirectional DC-DC converter according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first control circuit which controls the first to the sixth switches so as to establish connections between each of the junction point, the second end of the first primary side winding and the second end of the second primary side winding and either of the positive terminal or the negative terminal at the high voltage side;

a second rectifier circuit which is connected to the first winding and the second winding; and

a third rectifier circuit which is connected to the third winding and the fourth winding, an output of the third rectifier being connected in parallel to an output of the second rectifier circuit,

wherein in a voltage reduction process,

the first control circuit controls the first to the sixth switches to turn on and off at every third cycle and causes electric currents to flow through first primary side winding and the second primary side winding in opposite directions at every third cycle,

the second rectifier circuit rectifies voltages generated in the first winding and the second winding,

the third rectifier circuit rectifies voltages generated in the third winding and the fourth winding, and

the DC-DC converter smoothes and outputs a voltage output from the second rectifier circuit and the third rectifier circuit.

6. The bidirectional DC-DC converter according to claim 5, wherein in the voltage reduction process, the first control circuit phase-controls timings to turn each of the first to the sixth switches on and off in accordance with an output voltage having a decreased voltage so as to set the output voltage as a predetermined low voltage.

7. The bidirectional DC-DC converter according to claim 5, wherein in the voltage reduction process, the first control circuit pulse-width controls a time period in which each of the first to the sixth switches is turned on in accordance with an output voltage having a decreased voltage so as to set the output voltage as a predetermined low voltage.