# US 12,113,430 B2 · Converter using active clamp and solar cell system having the same

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- Number: US 12,113,430 B2
- Document ID: US12113430B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/804,681
- Filed: 2022-05-31
- Published: 2023-02-09
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2021-08-09
- Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Corporation; Incheon National University Research & Business Foundation
- Applicants: Hyundai Motor Company; Kia Corporation; Incheon National University Research and Business Foundation
- Inventors: Jae Hyuk Choi; Han Shin Youn; Ji Hoon Lim; Dong In Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12113430B2

## CPC

- H02J 7/35: with light sensitive cells
- H02M 1/0064: {Magnetic structures combining different functions, e.g. storage, filtering or transformation}
- H02J 3/381: {Dispersed generators}
- H02M 1/0058: {by employing soft switching techniques, i.e. commutation of transistors when applied voltage is zero or when current flow is zero (using an auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuit connected to an intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches of an inverter bridge H02M7/4811; in resonant inverters H02M7/4815; in inverters operating from a resonant DC source H02M7/4826)}
- H02M 1/348: {Passive dissipative snubbers}
- H02M 3/1563: {without using an external clock (H02M3/158 takes precedence)}
- H02M 3/33584: {Bidirectional converters}
- H02S 40/32: comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules
- H02S 40/36: characterised by special electrical interconnection means between two or more PV modules, e.g. electrical module-to-module connection
- H02J 2101/25: {involving maximum power point tracking control for photovoltaic sources}
- H02M 1/342: {Active non-dissipative snubbers}
- Y02B 70/10: Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
- Y02E 10/56: Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- 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)
- H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

An embodiment converter includes a magnetic material, a first circuit including a first winding surrounding the magnetic material and a clamp circuit configured to reset a power conversion operation, the first circuit being configured to convert power received from a first input voltage source to provide the converted power to a load, and a second circuit including a second winding surrounding the magnetic material, the second circuit being configured to convert power received from a second input voltage source to provide the converted power to the load and to perform the power conversion operation being reset by the clamp circuit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A converter comprising:
a magnetic material;
a first circuit configured to convert power received from a first input voltage source to provide the converted power to a load, and to reset an operation of the power converter using a clamp circuit, the first circuit comprising:
a first winding surrounding the magnetic material,
a first main switch connected to the first input voltage source,
a first inductor connected to the first winding, and
the clamp circuit; and
a second circuit configured to convert power received from a second input voltage source to provide the converted power to the load and to perform a power conversion operation being reset by the clamp circuit, wherein the second circuit is a primary side circuit structure of a flyback converter, the second circuit comprising:
a second winding surrounding the magnetic material,
a second main switch connected to the second input voltage source, and
a second inductor connected to the second winding;
wherein the clamp circuit comprises:
a clamp switch connected to the first main switch, and
a clamp capacitor between the clamp switch and the first inductor and connected in series with the clamp switch and the first inductor, wherein the first main switch and the second main switch are configured to be turned on or turned off at a same time, and the clamp switch is configured to operate complementary to the first main switch.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The converter of claim 1, wherein, during a first period, the first main switch and the second main switch are turned on, the first circuit and the second circuit each generate a current flow in a closed circuit, and a current flow between the first winding and the second winding coupled to each other is induced.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The converter of claim 2, wherein, during a second period and a third period subsequent to the first period, the first main switch and the second main switch are turned off to discharge electrical energy stored in the first inductor and the second inductor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The converter of claim 3, wherein, during a fourth period subsequent to the third period, the clamp switch is turned on to decrease a magnetizing current of the first circuit to a negative value until an offset of the magnetizing current is removed.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The converter of claim 4, wherein, during a fifth period subsequent to the fourth period, the first main switch and the second main switch are conducted through a parasitic capacitor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The converter of claim 5, wherein, in a sixth period subsequent to the fifth period, the first main switch and the second main switch are turned on to allow the first circuit and the second circuit to be a zero voltage switching.

### Claim 7

A solar cell system comprising:
a first photovoltaic (PV) module and a second PV module connected in series with each other;
a first circuit configured to convert power from the first PV module and to reset an operation of the converter using a clamp circuit, wherein the first circuit comprises:
a first winding surrounding a first region of a magnetic material,
a first main switch connected between the first PV module and the clamp circuit, and
a first inductor connected between the first winding and the clamp circuit; and
a second circuit configured to convert the power from the second PV module, wherein:
the clamp circuit comprises:
a clamp switch connected to the first main switch, and
a clamp capacitor between the clamp switch and the first inductor and connected in series with the clamp switch and the first inductor;
the converter is a primary side circuit structure of a flyback converter and comprises:
a second winding surrounding a second region of the magnetic material,
a second main switch connected to the second PV module, and
a second inductor connected to the second winding, and
the first main switch and the second main switch are configured to be turned on or turned off at a same time, and
the clamp switch is configured to operate complementary to the first main switch.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The solar cell system of claim 7, wherein the first winding and the second winding are in a coupling state.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The solar cell system of claim 7, wherein, during an unbalance compensation period, the first main switch and the second main switch are turned on, the first circuit and the second circuit each generate a current flow in a closed circuit, and a current flow between the first winding and the second winding coupled to each other is induced.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The solar cell system of claim 9, wherein, after the unbalance compensation period, the clamp switch is turned on to decrease a magnetizing current of the first circuit to a negative value until an offset of the magnetizing current is removed.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The solar cell system of claim 7, further comprising a controller configured to charge a battery with a power generated from the first PV module and the second PV module based on a maximum power point tracking control.

### Claim 12

A method of operating a converter comprising a magnetic material; a first circuit comprising a first winding surrounding the magnetic material, a first main switch connected to a first input voltage source, a first inductor connected to the first winding, and a clamp circuit; a second circuit comprising a second winding surrounding the magnetic material, a second main switch connected to a second input voltage source, and a second inductor connected to the second winding, wherein the clamp circuit comprises a clamp switch connected to the first main switch and a clamp capacitor between the clamp switch and the first inductor and connected in series with the clamp switch and the first inductor, and the method comprises:
converting, by the first circuit, first power received from the first input voltage source to provide the converted first power to a load;
resetting, by the clamp circuit, a power conversion operation;
converting, by the second circuit, second power received from the second input voltage source to provide the converted second power to the load;
turning on or turning off the first main switch and the second main switch at a same time; and
operating the clamp switch complementary to the first main switch.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising, during a first period:
turning on the first main switch and the second main switch;
generating a current flow in a closed circuit by the first circuit and the second circuit; and
inducing a current flow between the first winding and the second winding coupled to each other.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising, during a second period and a third period subsequent to the first period, turning off the first main switch and the second main switch to discharge electrical energy stored in the first inductor and the second inductor.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising, during a fourth period subsequent to the third period, turning on the clamp switch to decrease a magnetizing current of the first circuit to a negative value until an offset of the magnetizing current is removed.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising, during a fifth period subsequent to the fourth period, conducting the first main switch and the second main switch through a parasitic capacitor.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising, in a sixth period subsequent to the fifth period, turning on the first main switch and the second main switch to allow the first circuit and the second circuit to be a zero voltage switching.

### Claim 18 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the first input voltage source comprises a first photovoltaic (PV) module, and the second input voltage source comprises a second PV module.

### Claim 19 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the first winding and the second winding are in a coupling state.

### Claim 20 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising, during an unbalanced compensation period:
turning on the first main switch and the second main switch;
generating a current flow in a closed circuit by the first circuit and the second circuit; and
inducing a current flow between the first winding and the second winding coupled to each other.