Back to results
US 11,699,960 B2Granted
Switched capacitor converter and method thereof
AssigneeNuVolta Technologies (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
InventorsFuchun Zhan, Cheng Liu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power converter includes a plurality of switches coupled between an input bus and an output bus, a full bridge coupled between the output bus and ground, and a plurality of capacitors coupled between the plurality of switches and the full bridge, wherein one capacitor of the plurality of capacitors is connected to a midpoint of one leg of the full bridge through a switch.
Claims18
A power converter comprising:
- a plurality of switches coupled between an input bus and an output bus;
- a full bridge coupled between the output bus and a ground;
- and
- a plurality of capacitors coupled between the plurality of switches and the full bridge, wherein one capacitor of the plurality of capacitors is connected to a midpoint of one leg of the full bridge through a switch, wherein a drain of the switch is connected to the one capacitor, and a source of the switch is directly connected to the midpoint of the one leg of the full bridge, wherein:
- a first switch, a second switch, a third switch and a fourth switch of the plurality of switches are coupled between the input bus and the output bus;
- the full bridge comprises a fifth switch and a sixth switch connected in series between the output bus and the ground, and a seventh switch and an eighth switch connected in series between the output bus and the ground, and wherein a common node of the fifth switch and the sixth switch is the midpoint of the one leg of the full bridge;
- a first capacitor of the plurality of capacitors is connected between a common node of the first switch and the second switch, and the common node of the fifth switch and the sixth switch through the switch, and wherein the first capacitor of the plurality of capacitors is the one capacitor of the plurality of capacitors;
- a second capacitor of the plurality of capacitors is connected between a common node of the second switch and the third switch, and a common node of the seventh switch and the eighth switch;
- and
- a third capacitor of the plurality of capacitors is connected between a common node of the third switch and the fourth switch, and the common node of the fifth switch and the sixth switch, and wherein the switch has the drain directly connected to the first capacitor of the plurality of capacitors and the source directly connected to the third capacitor of the plurality of capacitors, and wherein the switch is configured such that the power converter is configured to operate in different modes including a 1:1 power conversion operating mode, a 2:1 power conversion operating mode, a 3:1 power conversion operating mode and a 4:1 power conversion operating mode.
7 more elements
A method comprising:
- coupling a power converter to a multi-cell battery, wherein the power converter comprising:
- a plurality of switches connected in series between an input bus coupled to a power source and an output bus coupled to the multi-cell battery, wherein a first switch, a second switch, a third switch and a fourth switch of the plurality of switches are coupled between the input bus and the output bus;
- a full bridge coupled between the output bus and a ground, the full bridge comprising a fifth switch and a sixth switch connected in series between the output bus and the ground, and a seventh switch and an eighth switch connected in series between the output bus and the ground;
- and
- a plurality of capacitors coupled between the plurality of switches and the full bridge, wherein:
- a first capacitor of the plurality of capacitors is connected between a common node of the first switch and the second switch, and a common node of the fifth switch and the sixth switch through a switch, and wherein a drain of the switch is directly connected to the first capacitor, and a source of the switch is directly connected to the common node of the fifth switch and the sixth switch;
- a second capacitor of the plurality of capacitors is connected between a common node of the second switch and the third switch, and a common node of the seventh switch and the eighth switch;
- and
- a third capacitor of the plurality of capacitors is connected between a common node of the third switch and the fourth switch, and the common node of the fifth switch and the sixth switch, and wherein the source of the switch is directly connected to the third capacitor;
- and
- configuring the power converter as an N:1 converter in response to a plurality of operating conditions, wherein N is an integer, and wherein the switch is configured such that the power converter is configured to operate in different modes including a 1:1 power conversion operating mode, a 2:1 power conversion operating mode, a 3:1 power conversion operating mode and a 4:1 power conversion operating mode.
8 more elements
A controller comprising:
- a plurality of gate drivers configured to generate a plurality of gate drive signals for configuring a power converter as an N:1 converter, wherein N is an integer, the power converter comprising:
- a plurality of switches coupled between an input bus and an output bus, wherein a first switch, a second switch, a third switch and a fourth switch of the plurality of switches are coupled between the input bus and the output bus;
- a full bridge coupled between the output bus and a ground, the full bridge comprising a fifth switch and a sixth switch connected in series between the output bus and the ground, and a seventh switch and an eighth switch connected in series between the output bus and the ground;
- and
- a plurality of capacitors coupled between the plurality of switches and the full bridge, wherein:
- a first capacitor of the plurality of capacitors is connected between a common node of the first switch and the second switch, and a common node of the fifth switch and the sixth switch through a switch, and wherein a drain of the switch is directly connected to the first capacitor, and a source of the switch is directly connected to the common node of the fifth switch and the sixth switch;
- a second capacitor of the plurality of capacitors is connected between a common node of the second switch and the third switch, and a common node of the seventh switch and the eighth switch;
- and
- a third capacitor of the plurality of capacitors is connected between a common node of the third switch and the fourth switch, and the common node of the fifth switch and the sixth switch, and wherein the source of the switch is directly connected to the third capacitor and wherein the switch is configured such that the power converter is configured to operate in different modes including a 1:1 power conversion operating mode, a 2:1 power conversion operating mode, a 3:1 power conversion operating mode and a 4:1 power conversion operating mode.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.