Stacked power converter assembly

• US 9,520,793 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2014
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Jacobson, Boris S., Bernstein, Steven D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane, Adolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): NASH, GARY A
• Application Number:
  US14/492,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20160087536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 323/271, 323/272, 363/65, 363/69, 363/70, 363/71, 363/72
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0074 Plural converter units whose inputs are connected in series
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0077 Plural converter units whose outputs are connected in series
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/327 against abnormal temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/44 Circuits or arrangements for compensating for electromagnetic interference in converters or inverters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/003 Constructional details, e.g. physical layout, assembly, wiring or busbar connections
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/28 using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode to produce the intermediate ac
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/285 Single converters with a plurality of output stages connected in parallel parallel operation of a plurality of converters in dc distribution networks H02J1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33507 with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence

Abstract

A stacked magnetic power converter assembly includes a plurality of converter modules disposed in a stacked arrangement with respect to one another to define a thickness of stacked magnetic power converter assembly. Each converter module includes a primary switching unit, a secondary switching unit, and a converter unit. The converter unit includes a primary terminal in signal communication with the primary switching unit and a secondary terminal in signal communication with the secondary switching unit. Each primary switching unit, each secondary switching unit, and each converter unit is shared among the plurality of converter modules.

Claims

1. A stacked power converter assembly including magnetics, the stacked power converter comprising:

a plurality of converter modules disposed in a stacked arrangement with respect to one another to define a thickness of stacked magnetic power converter assembly, each converter module including a primary switching unit, a secondary switching unit, and a converter unit having a primary terminal in signal communication with the primary switching unit and a secondary terminal in signal communication with the secondary switching unit,

wherein each primary switching unit, each secondary switching unit, and each converter unit is shared among the plurality of converter modules, and

wherein the primary switching unit of each converter module are connected in parallel with one another, and the secondary switching unit of each converter module are connected in parallel with one another.

2. The stacked power converter assembly of claim 1, wherein the primary terminal receives a first direct current (DC) signal and the converter unit converts the first DC signal into a second DC signal that is output at the second secondary terminal.

3. The stacked power converter assembly of claim 1, wherein each converter unit includes a magnetic assembly including a primary winding and a secondary winding, the primary winding of each converter module connected in series with one another, and the secondary winding of each converter module connected in a parallel with one another across the thickness of the stacked power converter assembly.

4. The stacked power converter assembly of claim 3, wherein each power converter module comprises:

a metal core board including an insulating layer that supports the primary and secondary switching units; and

a printed circuit board that supports the converter unit in electrical isolation from the metal core board.

5. The stacked magnetic power converter assembly of claim 4, wherein the metal core board has a core board surface, the metal core board including an insulating layer formed on an upper surface of the metal base layer, the insulating layer having a core board hole formed therethrough, and

wherein the printed circuit has a circuit board surface that is less than the core board surface, the printed circuit board having a circuit board hole formed therethrough that is aligned with the core board hole.

6. The stacked magnetic power converter assembly of claim 5, wherein each converter unit includes a magnetic core having at least one portion that extends into at least one of the core board hole and the circuit board hole, wherein the first and second windings wrap around the winding core to form the magnet assembly configured to convert the first DC signal into the second DC signal.

7. The stacked power converter assembly of claim 6, further comprising at least one shielding assembly that surrounds the primary and secondary windings and at least one cooling path that extends in a direction opposite the thickness of the stacked power converter assembly.

8. The stacked power converter assembly of claim 7, wherein the at least one shielding assembly comprises:

at least one PCB shielding layer formed in the printed circuit board;

at least one MCB shielding layer formed in the metal core board and interleaved with respect to the PCB shielding layer,

wherein the at least one PCB shielding layer has a first electrical orientation and the at least one MCB shielding layer has a second electrical orientation opposite from the first orientation.

9. The stacked magnetic power converter assembly of claim 8, wherein each converter module includes outer surface defined by the metal core board and an inner surface opposite the outer surface, and

wherein a first converter module and a second converter module are stacked together such that the inner surface of the first converter module faces the inner surface of the second converter module.

10. The stacked magnetic power converter assembly of claim 9, wherein the metal core board defining the inner surface of the first converter module and the metal core board defining the inner surface of the second converter module form shield barriers configured to reduce electromagnetic field interference emitted from the stacked magnetic power converter assembly.

11. A converter module configured to convert a first power level into a second power level, the converter module comprising:

a metal core board extending along a first core board direction and a second core board direction to define a core board surface, the metal core board including an insulating layer that supports a primary switching unit and a secondary switching unit, and a metal base layer having the insulating layer formed thereon, the metal core board having a core board hole formed therethrough; and

a printed circuit board that supports a converter unit in electrical isolation from the metal core board, the printed circuit board extending along a first circuit board direction and a second circuit board direction to define a circuit board surface that is less than the core board surface, and having a circuit board hole formed therethrough that is aligned with the core board hole.

12. The converter module of claim 11, wherein each converter unit includes a magnetic core having at least one portion that extends into at least one of the core board hole and the circuit board hole, wherein the first and second windings wrap around the magnetic core to form the magnetic assembly configured to convert the first DC signal into the second DC signal.

13. The converter module of claim 12, further comprising at least one shielding assembly that surrounds the primary and secondary windings.

14. The converter module of claim 13, wherein the at least one shielding assembly comprises:

at least one PCB shielding layer formed in the printed circuit board;

at least one MCB shielding layer formed in the metal core board and interleaved with respect to the PCB shielding layer.

15. The converter module of claim 14, wherein the at least one PCB shielding layer has a first electrical polarity and the at least one MCB shielding layer has a second electrical polarity opposite from the first orientation.

16. A method of converting a first power into a second power, the method comprising:

generating at least one first electromagnetic field in a first direction using a first converter module; and

generating at least one second electromagnetic field in a second direction using a second converter module disposed in a stacked arrangement with the first converter module to define a thickness, wherein the first and second electromagnetic fields travel in opposite directions with respect one another to reduce electromagnetic interference; and

cooling the stacked arrangement in response to transferring heat via a plurality of three-dimensional cooling paths, the cooling paths including a first cooling path formed on a first thermally conductive surface of the first converter module and extending in directions opposite the thickness and a second cooling path formed on a second thermally conductive surface of the second converter module and extending in a directions opposite the thickness.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising cooling the stacked arrangement in response to conveying heat through at least one vent formed between the first and second converter modules, the vent extending in a direction opposite the thickness.