Low loss snubber with energy recovery

An apparatus for powering one or more electrical loads of a powertrain system configured to drive a mechanical load, the apparatus comprising:

• power converter circuitry configured to power the one or more electrical loads via a main output and an auxiliary output, the power converter circuitry comprising:
• a rectifier configured to power the main output and including a transformer including a primary winding and a secondary winding and a plurality of switching devices including a first switching device coupled with a first side of the secondary winding at a first node and a second switching device coupled with a second side of the secondary winding at a second node,
• an inductive-capacitive network operatively coupled with the plurality of switching devices and configured recover energy of electrical transients result resulting from operation of the plurality of switching devices, and
• a DC/DC converter configured to receive energy recovered by the inductive-capacitive network and provide power to the auxiliary output;
• wherein the inductive-capacitive network comprises
• a first energy recovery branch configured to recover energy of first electrical transients resulting from opening of the first switching device by charging a first capacitor with first current flow from the first node through a first inductor that controls a rate of increase of the first current, and discharging the first capacitor to the DC/DC converter, and
• a second energy recovery branch configured to recover energy of electrical transients resulting from opening of the second switching device by charging a second capacitor with second current flow from the second node through a second inductor that controls a rate of increase of the second current, and discharging the second capacitor to the DC/DC converter.

A process for powering one or more electrical loads of a powertrain system configured to drive a mechanical load, the process comprising:

• operating a power converter to power the one or more electrical loads via a main output and an auxiliary output, including:
• rectifying power with a rectifier configured to power the main output and including a transformer including a primary winding and a secondary winding and a plurality of switching devices including a first switching device coupled with a first side of the secondary winding at a first node and a second switching device coupled with a second side of the secondary winding at a second node,
• recovering energy of electrical transients result resulting from operation of the plurality of switching devices with an inductive-capacitive network operatively coupled with the plurality of switching devices, and
• receiving energy recovered by the inductive-capacitive network with a DC/DC converter configured and powering the auxiliary output with the DC/DC converter;
• wherein the recovering energy of electrical transients result with the inductive-capacitive network comprises
• using a first energy recovery branch to recover energy of first electrical transients resulting from opening of the first switching device by charging a first capacitor with first current flow from the first node through a first inductor that controls a rate of increase of the first current, and discharging the first capacitor to the DC/DC converter, and
• using a second energy recovery branch to recover energy of electrical transients resulting from opening of the second switching device by charging a second capacitor with second current flow from the second node through a second inductor that controls a rate of increase of the second current, and discharging the second capacitor to the DC/DC converter.