Ultra-wide voltage range auxiliary power module
AssigneesUniversity of Tennessee Research Foundation, Hella Corporate Center USA, Inc.
InventorsLiyan Zhu, Alan W. Brown, Hua Bai, Lukas Michael Keuck
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved auxiliary power module for use with electric vehicles is provided. The auxiliary power module includes a reconfigurable dual active bridge converter for providing either of a voltage-fed input or a current-fed input to a primary-side full bridge. The auxiliary power module also includes a current-fed output port that integrates an interleaved buck stage and presents an ultra-wide voltage coverage. The auxiliary power module achieves low switching currents on the secondary-side of the dual active bridge converter with low current stresses on the output port, which reduces losses and the transformer turn ratio when compared to conventional topologies.
Claims22
An auxiliary power module comprising:
- a dual active bridge converter including a primary-side full bridge, a secondary-side full bridge, and a step-down transformer therebetween, the step-down transformer having a first winding electrically connected to the primary-side full bridge and a second winding electrically connected to the secondary-side full bridge;
- wherein the primary-side full bridge is electrically connected to an input port and wherein the secondary-side full bridge is electrically connected to an output port, the dual active bridge converter being adapted to convert a high voltage at the input port into a low voltage at the output port;
- and
- wherein the dual active bridge converter further includes a switch electrically connected between the input port and the primary-side full bridge, the switch being moveable between a first switching state and a second switching state, wherein the primary-side full bridge receives a voltage-fed input when the switch is in the first switching state, and wherein the primary-side full bridge receives a current-fed input when the switch is in the second switching state.
An auxiliary power module comprising:
- an input port adapted to be coupled to a first battery of an electric vehicle;
- an output port adapted to be coupled to a second battery of an electric vehicle;
- and
- a DC/DC converter electrically connected between the input port and the output port, the DC/DC converter comprising:
- a primary-side full bridge,
- a secondary-side full bridge,
- primary-side smoothing inductors coupled between the input port and the primary-side full bridge,
- secondary-side smoothing inductors coupled between the output port and the secondary-side full bridge,
- a step-down transformer operably coupled between the primary-side full bridge and the secondary-side full bridge, and
- a switch electrically connected between the input port and the primary-side full bridge, the switch being moveable between a first switching state and a second switching state, wherein the primary-side full bridge receives a voltage-fed input from the input port when the switch is in the first switching state and receives a current-fed input from the input port when the switch is in the second switching state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.