POWER CONVERTER AND POWER SUPPLYING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140354058A1
• Filed: 06/03/2014
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: GUO, Xing-Kuan, XIA, Li-Tao
• Granted Patent: US 9,627,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/52
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/14 Boost converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0093 wherein the output is created by adding a regulated voltage to or subtracting it from an unregulated input
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/00 Conversion of dc power input into dc power output
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/155 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

A power converter includes a DC/DC converting circuit and a first energy storage element. The DC/DC converting circuit includes a first output terminal and a second output terminal. The first energy storage element includes a first terminal and a second terminal. The first output terminal of the DC/DC converting circuit is electrically connected to one terminal of an external load. The first terminal of the first energy storage element is electrically connected to the second output terminal of the DC/DC converting circuit. The second terminal of the first energy storage element is electrically connected to the other terminal of the external load. The DC/DC converting circuit is configured to provide a variable electric power. The power converter provides the power supply according to the DC/DC converting circuit and the first energy storage element, and the variable electric power is less than the power required by the external load.

Claims

1. A power converter comprising:

a DC/DC converting circuit configured to provide a variable electric power, which comprises a first output terminal electrically connected to one terminal of an external load and a second output terminal; and

a first energy storage element comprising;

a first terminal electrically connected to the second output terminal of the DC/DC converting circuit, and

a second terminal electrically connected to the other terminal of the external load;

wherein the power converter provides a power supply for the external load according to the DC/DC converting circuit and the first energy storage element, and the variable electric power is less than the power required by the external load.

2. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the DC/DC converting circuit further comprises a first input terminal electrically connected to the first terminal of the first energy storage element and a second input terminal electrically connected to the second terminal of the first energy storage element.

3. The power converter according to claim 1, further comprising a second energy storage element, which has a first terminal electrically connected to the first input terminal of the DC/DC converting circuit;

and a second terminal electrically connected to the second input terminal of the DC/DC converting circuit.

4. The power converter according to claim 3, wherein the second energy storage element and the first energy storage element are electrically isolated.

5. The power converter according to claim 3, wherein the second terminal of the second energy storage element is electrically connected to the first terminal of the first energy storage element.

6. The power converter according to claim 3, wherein the voltage across the second energy storage element is greater than the voltage across the first energy storage element.

7. The power converter according to claim 3, wherein the second energy storage element is a rechargeable battery or a super capacitor.

8. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the first energy storage element is a rechargeable battery or a super capacitor.

9. A power converter comprising:

a DC/DC converting circuit configured to provide a variable electric power, which comprises a first output terminal electrically connected to one terminal of an external load and a second output terminal;

a first energy storage element comprising;

a first terminal electrically connected to the second output terminal of the DC/DC converting circuit; and

a second terminal, and

a switch comprising;

a first connecting terminal electrically connected to the second output terminal of the DC/DC converting circuit;

a second connecting terminal electrically connected to the second terminal of the first energy storage element; and

a third connecting terminal electrically connected to the other terminal of the external load,

wherein the power converter provides a two-stage continuous power supply to the external load by the switching operation of the switch.

10. The power converter according to claim 9, wherein when the third connecting terminal and the first connecting terminal of the switch are electrically connected, the power converter provides the power supply to the external load by use of the variable electric power;

and when the third connecting terminal and the second connecting terminal of the switch are electrically connected, the power converter provides the power supply for the external load according to the DC/DC converting circuit and the first energy storage element.

11. The power converter according to claim 10, further comprising a controller, the controller comprising:

a detection terminal electrically connected to the first output terminal of the DC/DC converting circuit, and configured to detect the voltage across the external load; and

a control terminal electrically connected to the switch, wherein when the voltage across the external load is equal to or greater than a predetermined voltage, the control terminal outputs a control signal to the switch, thereby allowing the second connecting terminal and the third connecting terminal of the switch to be electrically connected; and

when the voltage across the external load is less than the predetermined voltage, the control terminal outputs another control signal to the switch, thereby allowing the first connecting terminal and the third connecting terminal of the switch to be electrically connected.

12. The power converter according to claim 9, wherein the first terminal of the first energy storage element is electrically connected to the first input terminal of the DC/DC converting circuit, and the second terminal of the first energy storage element is electrically connected to the second input terminal of the DC/DC converting circuit.

13. The power converter according to claim 9, further comprising a second energy storage element, the second energy storage element comprising:

a first terminal electrically connected to the first input terminal of the DC/DC converting circuit; and

a second terminal electrically connected to the second input terminal of the DC/DC converting circuit.

14. The power converter according to claim 13, wherein the second energy storage element and the first energy storage element are electrically isolated.

15. The power converter according to claim 13, wherein the second terminal of the second energy storage element is electrically connected to the first terminal of the first energy storage element.

16. The power converter according to claim 15, wherein the DC/DC converting circuit is a buck circuit comprising:

a power switch, wherein one terminal thereof is electrically connected to the first terminal of the second energy storage element;

a first diode, wherein an anode thereof is electrically connected to the second terminal of the second energy storage element, and an cathode thereof is electrically connected to the other terminal of the power switch;

an inductor, wherein one terminal thereof is electrically connected to the cathode of the first diode;

a capacitor, wherein one terminal thereof is electrically connected to the other terminal of the inductor, and the other terminal thereof is electrically connected to the second terminal of the second energy storage element; and

a second diode, wherein an anode thereof is electrically connected to the other terminal of the inductor, and a cathode thereof is electrically connected to the external load.

17. The power converter according to claim 13, wherein the voltage across the second energy storage element is greater than the voltage across the first energy storage element.

18. The power converter according to claim 13, wherein the second energy storage element is a rechargeable battery or a super capacitor.

19. The power converter according to claim 9, wherein the first energy storage element is a rechargeable battery or a super capacitor.

20. A method for providing a power supply by a power converter, the power converter comprising a DC/DC converting circuit and a first energy storage element serially connected to the output terminal of the DC/DC converting circuit, comprising:

providing a variable electric power through the DC/DC converting circuit;

providing a switch, of which the first connecting terminal and the third connecting terminal is electrically connected, thereby allowing the DC/DC converting circuit solely to provide the power supply to the external load;

detecting the voltage across the external load; and

when the voltage across the external load is equal to or greater than a predetermined voltage, the third connecting terminal of the switch is switched to electrically connect with the second connecting terminal, thereby allowing the DC/DC converting circuit together with the first energy storage element to provide the power supply to the external load.

21. The method according to the claim 20, wherein the first energy storage element is a rechargeable battery or a super capacitor.