Electric power conversion with assymetric phase response
AssigneeNVIDIA Corporation
InventorWilliam James Dally
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosure is directed to a multi-phase electric power conversion device coupled between a power source and a load. The device includes a first regulator phase and a second regulator phase arranged in parallel, so that a first phase current and a second phase current are controllably provided in parallel to satisfy the current demand requirements of the load. Each phase current is based on current generated in an energy storage device within the respective phase. The regulator phases are asymmetric in that the energy storage device of the second regulator phase is configured so that its current can be varied more rapidly than the current in the energy storage device of the first regulator phase.
Claims22
A multi-phase electric power conversion device coupled between an electric power source and a load and configured to satisfy current requirements of the load, comprising:
- a control mechanism;
- a first regulator phase operatively coupled with the control mechanism and including a first phase energy storage device, the first regulator phase being configured to selectively provide a first phase current to the load which is based on current generated in the first phase energy storage device;
- and
- a second regulator phase operatively coupled with the control mechanism and including a second phase energy storage device, the second regulator phase being configured to selectively provide a second phase current to the load in parallel with the first phase current, where the second phase current is based on current generated in the second phase energy storage device, and where the first phase energy storage device and second phase energy storage device are configured such that the current in the second phase energy storage device can be varied faster than the current in the first phase energy storage device.
A method of controlling electric current delivery so as to satisfy current requirements of a load, comprising:
- controlling a first regulator phase having a first phase energy storage device so as to selectively provide a first phase current to the load, the first phase current being based on current generated in the first phase energy storage device;
- controlling a second regulator phase having a second phase energy storage device so as to selectively provide a second phase current to the load in parallel with the first phase current, the second phase current being based on current generated in the second phase energy storage device, where the first phase energy storage device and second phase energy storage device are configured such that the current in the second phase energy storage device can be varied faster than the current in the first phase energy storage device;
- and
- in response to a change in load current demand, controlling one or both of the first regulator phase and the second regulator phase so as to vary one or both of the first phase current and the second phase current.
A multi-phase electric power conversion device coupled between an electric power source and a load and configured to satisfy current requirements of the load, comprising:
- a control mechanism;
- a first regulator phase operatively coupled with the control mechanism and having a first phase energy storage device, where the control mechanism is configured to generate a current in the first phase energy storage device;
- a current parking switching mechanism included as part of the control mechanism, the current parking switching mechanism being controllable to control how much of the current generated in the first phase energy storage device is provided to the load as a first phase current;
- a second regulator phase operatively coupled with the control mechanism and including a second phase energy storage device, the second regulator phase being configured to selectively provide a second phase current to the load in parallel with the first phase current, where the second phase current is based on current generated in the second phase energy storage device and where the first phase energy storage device and second phase energy storage device are configured such that the current in the second phase energy storage device can be varied faster than the current in the first phase energy storage device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.