DC Balancer Circuit With ZVS
AssigneeSolaredge Technologies Ltd.
InventorsMilan Ilic, Ramesh Govindarajan, Sang Dong Lee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein are systems and/or methods for operation of a switched capacitor converter (SCC). The SCC may include a resonant circuit including an inductor. Aspects of the disclosure include methods for controlling the SCC switches (e.g., modulation methods) to decrease switching losses associated with operating the converter and to increase efficiency of the SCC. According to some aspects, a control method may be used to switch converter switches under zero-voltage conditions. According to some aspects, a control method may be used to switch converter switches under zero-current conditions.
Claims21
An apparatus comprising:
- a first node, a second node, a third node, and a fourth node;
- a plurality of bypass devices;
- a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, and a fourth switch, wherein the first switch and the second switch are coupled in series between the first node and the second node, wherein the third switch and the fourth switch are coupled in series between the second node and the third node, and wherein each of the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch is coupled in parallel to a respective one of the plurality of bypass devices;
- a circuit configured to resonate at a resonant frequency, the circuit comprising an inductor and a capacitor, wherein the inductor is coupled between the second node and the fourth node, wherein the capacitor comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled between the first switch and the second switch, and wherein the second end is coupled between the third switch and the fourth switch;
- and
- a controller configured to switch the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch in a periodic and ordered manner.
A method comprising:
- controlling, using a controller, a resonant circuit,
- wherein the resonant circuit comprises:
- a first node, a second node, a third node, and a fourth node;
- a plurality of bypass devices;
- a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, and a fourth switch, wherein the first switch and the second switch are coupled in series between the first node and the second node, wherein the third switch and the fourth switch are coupled in series between the second node and the third node, and wherein each of the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch is coupled in parallel to a respective one of the plurality of bypass devices;
- an inductor coupled between the second node and the fourth node;
- and
- a capacitor comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled between the first switch and the second switch, and wherein the second end is coupled between the third switch and the fourth switch;
- and
- wherein controlling the resonant circuit comprises determining, by the controller, to switch the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch in the following order:
- (i) turning on the first switch and the third switch,
- (ii) turning off the third switch,
- (iii) turning on the second switch,
- (iv) turning off the first switch,
- (v) turning on the fourth switch,
- (vi) turning off the fourth switch,
- (vii) turning on the first switch,
- (viii) turning off the second switch, and
- (ix) turning on the third switch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.