Resonant DC-DC converter

A resonant DC-DC converter comprising:

• a DC power source;
• an inverter for receiving DC power from said DC source and for converting the DC power into AC power, said inverter having a first series connection of first and second switching elements respectively connected to a positive and a negative pole of said DC power source, a second series connection connected in parallel to said first series connection and composed of third and fourth switching elements disposed so as to respectively correspond to said first and second switching elements, and first, second, third and fourth diodes anti-parallelly connected to said first, second, third and fourth switching elements, respectively;
• a transformer, including primary and secondary windings, connected to an output of said inverter for boosting an output voltage of said inverter;
• a rectifier for converting an AC output voltage of said transformer into a DC output voltage;
• a load connected to said rectifier;
• said transformer including a parasitic leakage inductance and stray capacitance existing amoung said primary or secondary windings of said transformer, said leakage inductance and said stray capacitance being used as resonance elements so that a resonance voltage induced at said stray capacitance by the resonance between said leakage inductance and said stray capacitance and a transformation ratio is applied to said rectifier;
• means for smoothing the DC output voltage of said rectifier and for applying the smoothed DC output voltage to said load;
• a voltage divider for detecting the voltage applied to said load;
• an error amplification phase determination circuit for receiving a detection signal from said voltage divider and an externally applied preset target voltage signal so as to amplify a difference between said detection signal and said target voltage signal, and for determining respective operation phases of said first, second, third and fourth switching elements of said inverter substantially over the entire range of operation of said inverter, on the basis of said amplified difference;
• and
• a phase control circuit for controlling the respective operation phases of said first, second, third and fourth switching elements on the basis of an output signal of said error amplification phase determination circuit in a manner so that said first and second switching elements are alternately turned on with a phase difference of 180 degrees with respect to an operation frequency of said inverter, said third and fourth switching elements are alternately turned on with a phase difference of 180 degrees with respect to the operation frequency of said inverter, while varying a phase difference from a point in time of turn-on of said first switching element to a point in time of turn-on of said fourth switching element and a phase difference from a point in time of turn-on of said second switching element to a point in time of turn-on of said third switching element to thereby effect feed-back control of power supplied to said load in accordance with the phase determination made by said error amplification phase determination circuit.

An X-ray generating apparatus having a resonant DC-DC converter comprising:

• a DC power source;
• an inverter for receiving DC power from said DC source and for converting the DC power into AC power, said inverter having a first series connection of first and second switching elements respectively connected to a positive and a negative pole of said DC power source, a wecond series connection connected in parallel to said first series connection and composed of third and fourth switching elements disposed so as to respectively correspond to said first and second switching elements, and first, second, third and fourth diodes anti-parallelly connected to said first, second, third and fourth switching elements, respectively;
• a transformer, including primary and second windings, connected to an output of said inverter for boosting an output voltage of said inverter;
• a rectifier for converting an AC output voltage of said transformer into a DC output voltage;
• an X-ray tube applied with a smoothed output voltage of said rectifier via a high tension cable;
• said transformer including a parasitic leakage inductance and stray capacitance existing among said primary or secondary windings of said transformer, said leakage inductance and said stray capacitance being used as resonance elements so that a resonance voltage induced at said stray capacitance by the resonance between said leakage inductance and said stray capacitance and a transformation ratio is applied to said rectifier;
• a voltage divider for detecting the voltage applied to said X-ray tube;
• an error amplification phase determination circuit for receiving a detection signal from said voltage divider and an externally applied preset target voltage signal so as to amplify a difference between said detection signal and said target voltage signal, and for determining respective operation phases of said first, second, third and fourth switching elements of said inverter substantially over the entire range of operation of said inverter, on the basis of said amplified difference;
• and
• a phase control circuit for controlling the respective operation phases of said first, second, third and fourth switching elements on the basis of an output signal of said error amplification phase determination circuit in a manner so that said first and second switching elements are alternately turned on with a phase difference of 180 degrees with respect to an operation frequency of said inverter, said third and fourth switching elements are alternately turned on with a phase difference of 180 degrees with respect to the operation frequency of said inverter, while varying a phase difference from a point in time of turn-on of said first switching element to a point in time of turn-on of said fourth switching element and a phase difference from a point in time of turn-on of said second switching element to a point in time of turn-on of said third switching element to thereby effect in feed-back control of power supplied to said X-ray tube in accordance with the phase determination made by said error amplification phase determination circuit.