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AssigneeBallard Power Systems Inc.
InventorsLizhi Zhu, Xingyi Xu
Estimating the term…
A device and method of commutation control for an isolated boost converter provides a unique commutation logic to limit voltage spikes by utilizing switches on the secondary side to minimize a mismatch between current in the inductor and current in the leakage inductance of the transformer when commutation takes places. To minimize this mismatch, the current in the leakage inductance is preset at a certain level that approaches the current in the inductor prior to the commutation, thus significantly reducing the power rating for a clamp circuit and enabling use of a simple passive clamp circuit. In addition, through unique timing of the turn-on of the secondary switches, soft switching conditions are created that eliminate turn-on losses and the reverse recovery problems of free-wheeling diodes.
An isolated boost DC/DC converter, comprising:
A method for controlling commutation of an isolated boost DC/DC converter, comprising:
A controller programmed to control communication of an isolated boost DC/DC converter comprising a transformer with a primary and secondary, by:
A device for use with a DC/DC converter, the device comprising:
A method for use with a DC/DC converter, the method comprising:
A method for use with a DC/DC converter, the method comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Having several active switching elements: having at least one active switching element at the secondary side of an isolation transformer
Apparatus for conversion between ac and ac, between ac and dc, or
Term end not estimated
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of direct current-to-direct current (DC/DC) converters, and more particularly to commutation control schemes for an isolated boost converter.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram that illustrates an example of a typical isolated boost DC/DC converter for converting a low voltage direct current (dc) power source to a high voltage DC power source.
FIG. 2 is a plot which shows examples of waveforms for the operation of the DC/DC converter of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram that illustrates an example of the isolated boost topology for an embodiment of the present invention.
In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a through understanding of various embodiments of the invention. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without these details. In other instances, well-known structures associated with electrical circuits and circuit elements have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments of the invention.
Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, that is as “including, but not limited to.”
Reference is now made in detail to an embodiment of the present invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals designate like components. The present invention makes use, for example, of isolated buck DC/DC converter topology to run a dual mode-boost mode operation with a novel soft switching commutation control scheme. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram that illustrates an example of the isolated boost topology enabled by an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the isolated boost DC/DC converter topology of the present invention includes, for example, the input source Vb 10, the input inductor Lf 12, the positive and negative bus P 14 and N 16, the low voltage transistors S1 18, S2 20, S3 22, and S4 24, and the isolation transformer 26. As used herein, on the secondary side in FIGS. 1, 3, and 5, unless otherwise provided, the letter “S ” indicates an active switch, the letter “D” indicates a diode, and the numerals 5 through 8 indicate a position.