High power converter architecture
First Claim
1. A power converter circuit comprising:
- a transformer having a primary winding coupled to an input power supply and a secondary winding;
an output circuit coupled to the secondary winding, wherein the output circuit comprises a first diode, a second diode, an inductor, and a capacitor, further wherein the first diode and the second diode are coupled to the secondary winding of the transformer such that when the first diode is forward biased, the second diode is reverse biased, and when the first diode is reverse biased, the second diode is forward biased;
a primary switch coupled in series to the primary winding;
a sense resistor coupled in series with the primary switch on the opposite side as the primary winding;
a resonant circuit including an auxiliary switch serially coupled to a tank capacitor that are together coupled in parallel to the primary winding, wherein when the primary switch is OFF the tank capacitor and the primary winding form a resonant tank; and
a controller coupled to the primary switch and coupled to a node between the primary switch and the sense resistor such that the controller is able to sense voltage or current conditions within the power converter circuit;
wherein the power converter circuit is configured to;
forward energy from the input power supply to the output circuit;
store energy from leakage inductance, magnetizing inductance, and parasitic capacitances as resonant energy in the resonant tank; and
deliver stored resonant energy to the output circuit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The power converter is an integration of three topologies which include a forward converter topology, a flyback converter topology, and a resonant circuit topology. The combination of these three topologies functions to transfer energy using three different modes. A first mode, or forward mode, is a forward energy transfer that forwards energy from the input supply to the output load in a manner similar to a forward converter. A second mode, or flyback mode, stores and releases energy in a manner similar to a flyback converter. A third mode, or resonant mode, stores and releases energy from the resonant tank using a resonant circuit and a secondary side forward-type converter topologies. An output circuit of the power converter is configured as a forward-type converter including two diodes and an inductor. The output circuit is coupled to a secondary winding of a converter transformer.
138 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A power converter circuit comprising:
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a transformer having a primary winding coupled to an input power supply and a secondary winding; an output circuit coupled to the secondary winding, wherein the output circuit comprises a first diode, a second diode, an inductor, and a capacitor, further wherein the first diode and the second diode are coupled to the secondary winding of the transformer such that when the first diode is forward biased, the second diode is reverse biased, and when the first diode is reverse biased, the second diode is forward biased; a primary switch coupled in series to the primary winding; a sense resistor coupled in series with the primary switch on the opposite side as the primary winding; a resonant circuit including an auxiliary switch serially coupled to a tank capacitor that are together coupled in parallel to the primary winding, wherein when the primary switch is OFF the tank capacitor and the primary winding form a resonant tank; and a controller coupled to the primary switch and coupled to a node between the primary switch and the sense resistor such that the controller is able to sense voltage or current conditions within the power converter circuit; wherein the power converter circuit is configured to; forward energy from the input power supply to the output circuit; store energy from leakage inductance, magnetizing inductance, and parasitic capacitances as resonant energy in the resonant tank; and deliver stored resonant energy to the output circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A power converter circuit comprising:
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a transformer having a primary winding coupled to an input power supply and a secondary winding; an output circuit coupled to the secondary winding, wherein the output circuit comprises a first diode, a second diode, an inductor, and a capacitor, further wherein the first diode and the second diode are coupled to the secondary winding of the transformer such that when the first diode is forward biased, the second diode is reverse biased, and when the first diode is reverse biased, the second diode is forward biased; a primary switch coupled in series to the primary winding; a sense resistor coupled in series with the primary switch on the opposite side as the primary winding; a resonant circuit including an auxiliary switch serially coupled to a tank capacitor that are together coupled in parallel to the primary winding, wherein when the primary switch is OFF the tank capacitor and primary winding form a resonant tank; driving circuitry coupled to the auxiliary switch and to the primary switch, wherein the driving circuitry is configured to parametrically control the auxiliary switch according to a voltage condition of the primary switch; and a controller coupled to the primary switch and coupled to a node between the primary switch and the sense resistor such that the controller is able to sense voltage or current conditions within the power converter circuit; wherein the power converter circuit is configured to; forward energy from the input power supply to the output circuit; store energy from leakage inductance, magnetizing inductance, and parasitic capacitances as resonant energy in the resonant tank; and deliver stored resonant energy to the output circuit. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method of transferring energy using a power converter, the method comprising:
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configuring the power converter comprising a transformer having a primary winding coupled to an input power supply and a secondary winding, an output circuit having an inductor coupled to the secondary winding, and a primary switch coupled in series between the primary winding and a sense resistor; controlling operation of the primary switch with a controller coupled to the primary switch based on a sensed voltage or current at a node between the primary switch and the sense resistor to which the controller is coupled; forwarding energy from the input power supply to the output circuit while the primary switch is ON; forming a resonant tank including an auxiliary switch serially coupled to a tank capacitor that are together coupled in parallel to the primary winding when the primary switch is OFF, wherein the resonant tank includes resonant energy derived from stored magnetizing inductance, stored leakage inductance and parasitic capacitances; and delivering the resonant energy in the resonant tank to the output circuit while the primary switch is OFF. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification