# US 10,312,810 B1 · Interleaved DC-DC converter having stacked output capacitors > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,312,810 B1 - Document ID: US10312810B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/013,380 - Filed: 2018-06-20 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-20 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Baoming Ge; Lihua Chen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312810B1 ## CPC - H02M 3/158: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load - H02M 1/14: Arrangements for reducing ripples from DC input or output - H02M 3/06: using resistors or capacitors, e.g. potential divider - H02M 3/155: using semiconductor devices only - H02M 3/1584: {with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel} - H02M 1/007: {Plural converter units in cascade (push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826)} - H02M 3/1586: {switched with a phase shift, i.e. interleaved} - H02M 7/48: using discharge tubes with control electrode or semiconductor devices with control electrode - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) ## Abstract A voltage converter includes a set of series connected capacitors collectively configured to provide voltage to an inverter. The voltage converter includes a switchgear including rails and switches configured to energize the capacitors with energy from the rails. The voltage converter includes interleaved inductors having respective half bridge switches configured to energize the rails. The voltage converter includes a controller configured to operate the switches of the switchgear to energize less than all of the set. The switch operation is responsive to a request to change the DC link voltage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A voltage converter comprising: a set of series connected capacitors collectively configured to provide voltage to an inverter; a switchgear including rails and switches configured to energize the capacitors with energy from the rails; interleaved inductors having respective half bridge switches configured to energize the rails; and a controller configured to, responsive to a request to change a DC link voltage, operate the switches of the switchgear to energize less than all of the set. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The voltage converter of claim 1, wherein the switchgear switches form a cascade that provides individual energization of discrete capacitors of the set. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The voltage converter of claim 1, wherein one of the capacitors is in parallel with two of the switchgear switches. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The voltage converter of claim 1, wherein a portion of the switchgear switches form a half bridge with a one of the rails. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The voltage converter of claim 1, wherein three of the interleaved inductors correspond with three of the capacitors. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The voltage converter of claim 1 further comprising, a controller configured to, responsive to a request to change the DC link voltage, energize at a same time selected pairs of the interleaved inductors and capacitors to alter a gain of the voltage converter. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The voltage converter of claim 6, wherein a duty cycle (D) of the switchgear switches is less than or equal to a mathematical reciprocal of a number of the interleaved inductors. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The voltage converter of claim 7, wherein each of the capacitors energize in sequence. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The voltage converter of claim 7, wherein each of the capacitors energize exclusive of the other capacitors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The voltage converter of claim 7, wherein a gain of the voltage converter is 3 3 - 7 ⁢ D . ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The voltage converter of claim 7, wherein a duty cycle (D) of energization of the interleaved inductors is less than or equal to a mathematical reciprocal of a number of the interleaved inductors. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The voltage converter of claim 1 further comprising, a controller configured to, responsive to a request to change the DC link voltage, operate the switchgear switches associated with the capacitors such that the respective capacitors energize on a falling edge of the corresponding interleaved inductors energization. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The voltage converter of claim 12, wherein the operation of the switchgear switches is such that the respective capacitors deenergize according to a duty cycle that is less than or equal to a mathematical reciprocal of a number of the interleaved inductors. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The voltage converter of claim 13, wherein a duty cycle (D) of at least one of the switchgear switches is one third of a carrier wave period of the switchgear switches. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The voltage converter of claim 13, wherein a duty cycle (D) of at least one of the switchgear switches is one third the period of a carrier wave of the half bridge switches. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The voltage converter of claim 15, wherein a gain of the voltage converter is 3 1 - D . ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The voltage converter of claim 13, wherein a duty cycle (D) of at least one of the interleaved inductors is one third the period of a carrier wave of the half bridge switches. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The voltage converter of claim 1 further comprising, a controller configured to, responsive to receiving a request to change the DC link voltage, operate the switchgear switches associated with the capacitors such that respective capacitors energize while corresponding interleaved inductors energize and a gain associated with the DC link voltage is less than an decision point value and to operate the switchgear switches associated with the capacitors such that the respective capacitors energize on a falling edge of the corresponding interleaved inductors energization while the gain is above the decision point value. ### Claim 19 A voltage converter comprising: series connected capacitors collectively configured to provide voltage to an inverter; a switchgear including rails and switches configured to energize the capacitors with energy from the rails; interleaved inductors having respective half bridge switches configured to energize the rails; and a controller configured to, responsive to a request to change the voltage, energize at a same time selected pairs of the interleaved inductors and capacitors to alter a gain of the voltage converter. ### Claim 20 A voltage converter comprising: series connected capacitors collectively configured to provide voltage to an inverter; a switchgear including rails and switches configured to energize the capacitors with energy from the rails; interleaved inductors having respective half bridge switches configured to energize the rails; and a controller configured to, responsive to a request to change the voltage, energize one after another selected pairs of the interleaved inductors and capacitors to alter a gain of the voltage converter.