Current Balancing Multiphase Power Converters, Controllers and Methods
AssigneeAstec International Limited
InventorPiotr Markowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of controlling a multiphase power converter including a plurality of sub-converters is disclosed. The method includes, for each of the sub-converters, estimating a current provided by that sub-converter. The method includes selecting one of the sub-converters that is on and determined to have a greatest current as the next sub-converter to be turned off and selecting one of the sub-converters that is off and determined to have a smallest current as the next sub-converter to be turned on. Other methods, multiphase power converters and controllers for multiphase power converters are also disclosed.
Claims32
A method of controlling a multiphase power converter including a plurality of sub-converters, the method comprising:
- estimating for each of the sub-converters a current provided by said sub-converter;
- selecting one of the sub-converters that is on and determined to have a greatest current as the next sub-converter to be turned off;
- and
- selecting one of the sub-converters that is off and determined to have a smallest current as the next sub-converter to be turned on.
7-8. (canceled)
A method of balancing current in a multiphase power converter including a controller and a plurality of sub-converters coupled to provide power to a load, the controller configured to cause a variable number of the sub-converters to turn on and/or to turn off to produce a desired output from the power converter, the method comprising:
- ordering the sub-converters that are currently on in a first sequential queue having a head and a tail, the first sequential queue ordered from head to tail by descending current;
- and
- turning off the sub-converter at the head of the first sequential queue when one of the sub-converters is to be turned off.
A method of balancing current in a multiphase power converter including a controller and a plurality of sub-converters coupled to provide power to a load, the controller configured to cause a variable number of the sub-converters to switch on and to switch off to produce a desired output from the power converter, the method comprising:
- totaling an on-time of each sub-converter over time;
- when one of the sub-converters is to be turned off, turning off the sub-converter that has a largest total on-time and is on.
33-42. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.