BRIDGE SYNCHRONOUS RECTIFIER

• US 20090257259A1
• Filed: 04/14/2009
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powermat Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Powermat Ltd.
• Inventors: LEIBOVITZ, Alfred
• Granted Patent: US 8,320,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/89
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/217 using semiconductor devices only

Abstract

A current-triggered synchro-rectifier comprising an electronic switch configured to be in its ON setting when the current flowing through its cathode exceeds a predetermined threshold. The electronic switch may include a half-wave rectifier wired to the source terminal and the drain terminal of a MOSFET device, and a current monitor configured to monitor the drain-current flowing through the drain terminal. The current monitor sends a gate signal to the gate terminal such that the MOSFET is switched to its ON state when the drain-current exceeds a first threshold current and the MOSFET is switched to its OFF state when the drain-current falls below a second threshold current. Usefully, the synchro-rectifier may be incorporated into a full-wave rectifier.

Claims

1. A current-triggered synchro-rectifier comprising an electronic switch having an anode and a cathode, said electronic switch configured to be in its ON setting when current flowing through said cathode exceeds a predetermined threshold.

2. The current-triggered synchro-rectifier of claim 1, wherein said electronic switch comprises:

a MOSFET device that comprises a source terminal, a drain terminal and a gate terminal;

a half-wave rectifier in parallel with said MOSFET device, wired to the source terminal and the drain terminal of the MOSFET device,

a current monitor configured to monitor a drain-current flowing through the drain terminal and to send a gate signal to said gate terminal,

such that said MOSFET is switched to its ON state when said drain-current exceeds a first threshold current and said MOSFET is switched to its OFF state when said drain-current falls below a second threshold current.

3. The current-triggered synchro-rectifier of claim 2, wherein said current monitor comprises a current transformer.

4. A full-wave rectifier, comprising:

first half-wave rectifier having one anode wired to a first output terminal and one cathode wired to a first input terminal;

second half-wave rectifier having one anode wired to said first output terminal and one cathode wired to a second input terminal;

third half-wave rectifier having one anode wired to said first input terminal and one cathode wired to a second output terminal; and

fourth half-wave rectifier having one anode wired to said second input terminal and one cathode wired to said second output terminal;

full-wave rectifier for providing an output of constant polarity from an input of variable polarity, wherein at least one half-wave rectifier comprises the current-triggered synchro-rectifier of claim 1.

15. The current-triggered sychro-rectifier of claim 1 incorporated into an LLC resonant converter.

16. The current-triggered sychro-rectifier of claim 1 incorporated into an implanted medical device.

17. The current-triggered synchro-rectifier of claim 1 incorporated into an inductive power receiver comprising a secondary inductor configured to inductively couple with a remote primary inductor.

18. The current-triggered sychro-rectifier of claim 1 incorporated into a power harvesting device.

19. The current-triggered sychro-rectifier of claim 1 incorporated into a device comprising at least power generator.

20. The current-triggered sychro-rectifier of claim 19, wherein said power generator is selected from the group consisting of:

at least one solar cell, at least one turbogenerator and at least one fuel-cell.

5. A full-wave rectifier comprising

a first half-wave rectifier having one anode wired to a first output terminal and one cathode wired to a first input terminal;

a second half-wave rectifier having one anode wired to said first output terminal and one cathode wired to a second input terminal;

a third half-wave rectifier having one anode wired to said first input terminal and one cathode wired to a second output terminal; and

a fourth half-wave rectifier having one anode wired to said second input terminal and one cathode wired to said second output terminal;

the full wave rectifier for providing an output of constant polarity from an input of variable polarity, wherein at least one half-wave rectifier comprises an electronic switch configured to be in its ON state when the current flowing through the cathode of said switch exceeds a predetermined threshold.

6. The full-wave rectifier of claim 5, wherein:

said first half-wave rectifiers comprises a first electronic switch configured to be in its ON setting when the current flowing through its cathode exceeds a first predetermined threshold, and

said second half-wave rectifiers comprises a second electronic switch configured to be in its ON setting when the current flowing through its cathode exceeds a second predetermined threshold.

7. The full-wave rectifier of claim 5, wherein at least one half-wave rectifier comprises an electronic switch configured to be switched between its ON and OFF states in synchrony with the frequency of the input signal.

8. The full-wave rectifier of claim 5, wherein:

said first half-wave rectifier comprises a first electronic switch configured to be in its ON state when the current flowing through its cathode exceeds a predetermined threshold;

said second half-wave rectifiers comprises a second electronic switch configured to be in its ON state when the current flowing through its cathode exceeds a predetermined threshold;

said third half-wave rectifiers comprises a third electronic switch configured to be switched between its ON and OFF states in phase with the voltage signal at said second input terminal, and

said fourth half-wave rectifiers comprises a third electronic switch configured to be switched between its ON and OFF states in phase with the voltage signal at said first input terminal.

9. The full-wave rectifier of claim 5, wherein said electronic switch comprises a transistor.

10. The full-wave rectifier of claim 5, wherein said electronic switch comprises a MOSFET device.

11. The full-wave rectifier of claim 5, wherein said electronic switch comprises:

a MOSFET device comprising a source terminal, a drain terminal and a gate terminal;

a half-wave rectifier wired to said source terminal and said drain terminal in parallel with said MOSFET device, and

a current monitor configured to monitor a drain-current flowing through said drain terminal and to send a gate signal to said gate terminal such that said MOSFET is switched to its ON state when said drain-current exceeds a first threshold current and said MOSFET is switched to its OFF state when said drain-current falls below a second threshold current.

12. The full-wave rectifier of claim 11, wherein said current monitor comprises a current transformer.

13. The full-wave rectifier of claim 5, incorporated into a power converter.

14. A power converter comprising a full-wave rectifier of claim 5.