Soft switched single stage wireless power transfer

• US 9,276,413 B1
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navitas Semiconductor Limited (Navitas Semiconductor Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Navitas Semiconductor, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhang, Ju Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shiao, David
• Application Number:
  US14/588,102
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/01 Resonant DC/DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/335 using semiconductor devices only
• 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: 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 control scheme and architecture for a wireless electrical energy transmission circuit employs two solid-state switches and a zero voltage switching (ZVS) topology to power an antenna network. The switches drive the antenna network at its resonant frequency and simultaneously energize a separate resonant circuit that has a resonant frequency lower than the antenna circuit. The resonant circuit creates out of phase voltage and current waveforms that enable the switches to operate with (ZVS).

Claims

1. A wireless power transmission circuit comprising:

a voltage source having first and second output terminals;

a first solid-state switch having a pair of first power terminals and a first gate terminal, the pair of first power terminals connected between the first output terminal and a switch node;

a second solid-state switch having a pair of second power terminals and a second gate terminal, the pair of second power terminals connected between the switch node and the second output terminal;

an antenna network coupled to the switch node and configured to transmit electrical energy at a first frequency;

a resonant circuit coupled to the switch node and configured to resonate at a second frequency that is lower than the first frequency;

an AC voltage divider circuit coupled to the resonant circuit and configured to reduce an AC voltage supplied the antenna network; and

a controller coupled to the first and the second gate terminals configured to operate the first and the second solid-state switches such that they regulate power from the voltage source to drive the antenna network at the first frequency that interacts with the resonant circuit creating phase shifted voltage and current signals at the switch node, enabling the first and the second solid-state switches to operate with zero voltage switching.

2. The wireless power transmission circuit of claim 1 wherein the resonant circuit includes a capacitor and an inductor.

3. The wireless power transmission circuit of claim 2 wherein the first and the second solid-state switches are GaN-based field-effect transistors.

4. The wireless power transmission circuit of claim 3 wherein the voltage source supplies a voltage of 100 volts or greater at the first and the second output terminals.

5. The wireless power transmission circuit of claim 3 wherein the first frequency is 1 MHz or greater.

6. The wireless power transmission circuit of claim 1 wherein the first solid-state switch is turned on by the controller after the first pair of power terminals have approximately 0 volts across them.

7. The wireless power transmission circuit of claim 1 wherein the first solid-state switch is turned on by the controller after the first pair of power terminals have approximately 0 volts across them and an output capacitance (Coss) of the first solid-state switch is discharged.

8. The wireless power transmission circuit of claim 1 wherein the antenna network is configured to resonate at the first frequency.

9. The wireless power transmission circuit of claim 1 further comprising:

a third solid-state switch having a pair of third power terminals and a third gate terminal, the pair of third power terminals connected between the first output terminal and a second switch node; and

a fourth solid-state switch having a pair of fourth power terminals and a fourth gate terminal, the pair of fourth power terminals connected between the second switch node and the second output terminal;

wherein the antenna network and the resonant circuit are connected between the switch node and the second switch node; and

wherein the controller is coupled to the third and the fourth gate terminals.

10. The wireless power transmission circuit of claim 9 further comprising

a second resonant circuit disposed between the switch node and the second switch node and connected in parallel with the resonant circuit.

11. The wireless power transmission circuit of claim 9 further comprising:

a second resonant circuit coupled in parallel with the second switch and connected between the switch node and the second output terminal; and

a third resonant circuit coupled in parallel with the fourth switch and connected between the second switch node and the second output terminal.

12. A method of operating a wireless power transmission circuit, the method comprising:

supplying power to the circuit with a voltage source having a first and a second output terminal;

transmitting a first gate control signal to a first driver circuit, in response the first driver circuit transmitting a first gate drive signal to a gate of a first solid-state switch, the first solid-state switch having a pair of first power terminals connected between the first output terminal and a switch node;

transmitting a second gate control signal to a second driver circuit, in response the second driver circuit transmitting a second gate drive signal to a gate of a second solid-state switch, the second solid-state switch having a pair of second power terminals connected between the second output terminal and the switch node;

operating a controller that transmits the first and the second gate control signals such that the first and second solid-state switches turn on and off at a first frequency, regulating AC voltage delivered to the switch node;

energizing a resonant circuit coupled to the switch node such that the resonant circuit resonates at a second frequency creating phase shifted voltage and current signals at the switch node that enable the first and the second solid-state switches to operate with zero voltage switching;

dividing the AC voltage delivered to the switch node with an AC voltage divider circuit coupled to the resonant circuit, such that a reduced AC voltage is created; and

driving an antenna network coupled to the voltage divider, with the reduced AC voltage from the AC voltage divider circuit, at the first frequency such that electrical energy is radiated from the antenna.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the resonant circuit resonates at a second frequency that is lower than the first frequency.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein zero voltage switching includes reducing a voltage potential across the pair of first power terminals to approximately zero before turning the first switch on.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the first and second switches are GaN-based field-effect transistors.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first and second switches operate at frequencies at or above 1 MHz.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the first and second switches operate at voltages at or above 100 volts.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

transmitting a third gate control signal to a third driver circuit, in response the third driver circuit transmitting a third gate drive signal to a gate of a third solid-state switch, the third solid-state switch having a pair of third power terminals connected between the first output terminal and a second switch node;

transmitting a fourth gate control signal to a fourth driver circuit, in response the fourth driver circuit transmitting a fourth gate drive signal to a gate of a fourth solid-state switch, the fourth solid-state switch having a pair of fourth power terminals connected between the second output terminal and the second switch node.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising energizing a second resonant circuit disposed between the switch node and the second switch node, connected in parallel with the resonant circuit.