Trans-inductor voltage regulator with nonlinear compensation inductor
AssigneeMonolithic Power Systems, Inc.
InventorsHang Shao, Dianbo Fu, Daocheng Huang, Tao Zhao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A trans-inductor voltage regulator (TLVR) circuit has multiple phases and a regulator block for each phase. Each regulator block has a winding of a transformer as an output inductor. The other windings of the transformers are connected in series with a nonlinear compensation inductor. The compensation inductor has a large inductance when the compensation inductor current is responsive to a steady state load current and has a small inductance when the compensation inductor current is responsive to a transient load current.
Claims11
A trans-inductor voltage regulator (TLVR) circuit comprising:
- a plurality of transformers, each of the plurality of transformers comprising a first winding and a second winding, the second windings of the plurality of transformers being connected in series;
- a plurality of regulator blocks that each provides a phase of the TLVR circuit, each of the regulator blocks being connected to an output capacitor of the TLVR circuit by way of an output inductor, the output inductor being a first winding of a transformer of the plurality of transformers;
- and
- a nonlinear compensation inductor that is connected in series with the second windings of the plurality of transformers, the nonlinear compensation inductor having a first inductance when a compensation inductor current flowing through the compensation inductor is responsive to a steady state condition of a load current provided by the TLVR circuit to a load and having a second inductance when the compensation inductor current is responsive to a transient condition of the load current, wherein the first inductance is larger than the second inductance.
A trans-inductor voltage regulator (TLVR) circuit comprising:
- a first regulator block of a first phase of the TLVR circuit, the first regulator block comprising a high-side switch that is connected to an input voltage, a low-side switch that forms a switch node with the high-side switch of the first regulator block, wherein the switch node of the first regulator block is connected to an output voltage of the TLVR circuit by way of a first winding of a first transformer;
- a second regulator block of a second phase of the TLVR circuit, the second regulator block comprising a high-side switch that is connected to the input voltage, a low-side switch that forms a switch node with the high-side switch of the second regulator block, wherein the switch node of the second regulator block is connected to the output voltage of the TLVR circuit by way of a first winding of a second transformer;
- and
- a nonlinear compensation inductor that is connected in series with a second winding of the first transformer and a second winding of the second transformer, the nonlinear compensation inductor having a first inductance when a compensation inductor current flowing through the compensation inductor is responsive to a steady state condition load current and having a second inductance when the compensation inductor current is responsive to a transient load current, wherein the first inductance is at least three times larger than the second inductance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.