Energy conversion apparatus

• US 9,419,459 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2013
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kim, Sung Eun, Kang, Tae Wook, Park, Kyung Hwan, Kang, Sung Weon, Chung, Myung Ae
• Primary Examiner(s): Pelton, Nathaniel
• Application Number:
  US14/101,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20140159667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 320/128
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/32 for charging batteries from a charging set comprising a non-electric prime mover rotating at constant speed
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load

Abstract

Disclosed is an energy conversion apparatus. An energy conversion apparatus may comprise a control part controlling a length of a first time duration in which input current is inputted and accumulated, a length of a second time duration in which the accumulated current is provided to a load, and a length of a third time duration in which inverse current flows; and a DC-to-DC converter including an inductor, a output capacitor, and at least one switching element, wherein the input current is accumulated during the first time duration by switching the at least one switching element according to a control of the control part so as to perform input impedance matching, and the DC-to-DC convert provides a current corresponding to a difference between the accumulated current provided during the second time duration and the inverse current flowing from the output capacitor during the third time duration to the load.

Claims

1. An energy conversion apparatus comprising:

a control part controlling a length of a first time duration in which input current is inputted and accumulated, a length of a second time duration in which the accumulated current is provided to a load, and a length of a third time duration in which inverse current flows; and

a direct current to direct current (DC-to-DC) converter including an inductor, an output capacitor, and at least one switching element,

wherein the input current is accumulated during the first time duration by switching the at least one switching element according to a control of the control part so as to perform input impedance matching, and the DC-to-DC converter provides to the load an output current corresponding to a difference between the accumulated current provided during the second time duration and the inverse current flowing from the output capacitor during the third time duration,

wherein the control part monitors the input current of the DC-to-DC converter, determines the length of the first time duration for impedance matching according to the input current, and determines the length of the second time duration and the length of the third time duration based on the determined length of the first time duration.

2. The energy conversion apparatus of the claim 1, wherein the DC-to-DC converter includes:

a first switching element connected between an input terminal and a first node;

a second switching element connected between the first node and a ground terminal;

the inductor connected between the first node and a second node;

a third switching element connected between the second node and the ground terminal;

a fourth switching element connected between the second node and an output terminal; and

the output capacitor connected between the output terminal and the ground terminal.

3. The energy conversion apparatus of the claim 2, wherein the control part controls the first switching element and the third switching element to turn-on state during the first time duration in order for the input current to flow in the inductor.

4. The energy conversion apparatus of the claim 2, wherein the control part controls the first switching element and the fourth switching element to turn-on state during the second time duration, and controls the second switching element and the third switching element to turn-off state, in order for the accumulated current in the inductor to be provided to the load.

5. The energy conversion apparatus of the claim 2, wherein the control part controls the first switching element and the third switching element to turn-off state during the third time duration, and controls the second switching element and the fourth switching element to turn-on state, in order for the inverse current to flow through the inductor and the second switching element.

6. The energy conversion apparatus of the claim 1, further comprising:

a battery being charged by the inverse current flowing during the third time duration; and

a power management part providing one of an output voltage corresponding to the current provided from the DC-to-DC converter and a voltage provided from the battery to the load.