Control arrangement for a resonant mode power converter

• US 8,582,319 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2012
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Power Integrations Incorporated
• Inventors: Reinberger, Anthony, Demone, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Nguyen
• Application Number:
  US13/592,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20120314457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 363/16, 363/140, 363/41, 363/49, 363/21.02, 363/21.09, 363/21.17, 363/40, 363/84, 363/89, 363/90, 323/207
• US Class Current: 363/16
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0058 by employing soft switching techniques, i.e. commutation of transistors when applied voltage is zero or when current flow is zero using an auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuit connected to an intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches of an inverter bridge H02M7/4811; in resonant inverters H02M7/4815; in inverters operating from a resonant DC source H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3376 with automatic control of output voltage or current
• 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

A resonant mode converter includes a PFC power converter having an input coupled to receive an input voltage. An LLC power converter is cascaded with the PFC power converter. The LLC power converter includes a transformer coupled to generate an output of the resonant mode converter. A feedback circuit is coupled to generate a first current representative of the output of the resonant mode converter. A control unit includes a current limiting circuit coupled to receive the first current and a second current generated in response to a reference voltage. The current limiting circuit is coupled to limit the first current in response to the second current. The control unit further includes an oscillator coupled to generate a control signal having a control frequency in response to the first current. The resonant mode converter output is controlled in response to the control frequency.

Claims

1. A resonant mode converter, comprising:

a power factor correction (PFC) power converter having an input coupled to receive an input voltage;

an LLC power converter cascaded with an output of the PFC power converter, the LLC power converter including a transformer coupled to generate an output of the resonant mode converter;

a feedback circuit coupled to generate a first current representative of the output of the resonant mode converter; and

a control unit including a current limiting circuit coupled to receive the first current and a second current generated in response to a reference voltage, the current limiting circuit coupled to limit the first current in response to the second current, the control unit further including an oscillator coupled to receive the first current, the oscillator coupled to generate a control signal having a control frequency in response to the first current, wherein the resonant mode converter output is controlled in response to the control frequency.

2. The resonant mode converter of claim 1 wherein the current limiting circuit comprises a first current mirror coupled to receive the first current and the second current, wherein the first current mirror is coupled to limit the first current in response to the second current.

3. The resonant mode converter of claim 1 wherein the oscillator comprises:

a second current mirror coupled to generate a charging current in response to the first current;

a capacitor coupled to the second current mirror, the capacitor coupled to be charged in response to the charging current; and

a comparator coupled to the capacitor and coupled to receive a threshold voltage, wherein the capacitor is coupled to be discharged in response to the threshold voltage received by the comparator to generate a sawtooth control signal having the control frequency in response to the first current.

4. The resonant mode converter of claim 3 wherein the control unit further includes a pseudo-random signal source coupled to the second current mirror to dither the charging current such that the control frequency is dithered in response to the pseudo-random signal source to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI).

5. The resonant mode converter of claim 3 wherein the control unit further includes a switch control signal generator coupled to receive the control signal having the control frequency, the switch control signal generator coupled to generate first and second complementary switch control signals in response to the control signal having the control frequency.

6. The resonant mode converter of claim 5 wherein the control unit further includes two switches of the resonant mode converter coupled to receive the first and second complementary switch control signals, respectively, to control conduction of the two switches in alternate sawtooth control signal cycles to control the resonant converter output.

7. The resonant mode converter of claim 6 wherein the control unit further includes a delay timer coupled to generate dead times between the first and second complementary switch control signals in response to the second current.

8. The resonant mode converter of claim 1 wherein the control unit further includes a resistor coupled to a capacitor and coupled to the reference voltage to modify the first current to reduce gradually the control frequency from a maximum to a normal operating value during a soft start of the resonant mode converter.

9. The resonant mode converter of claim 1 wherein the PFC converter comprises a boost converter.