Power converter having parallel power switching systems coupled by an impedance inversion network

A power converter comprising:

• a primary power switching system having an input for accepting a rectified AC voltage;
• a quarter wave impedance inversion circuit connected to receive a switched output of the primary power switching system;
• a secondary power switching system switched synchronously with the primary power switching system and connected to receive a current output of the quarter wave impedance inversion circuit;
• a charge storage capacitor connected to be charged by the secondary power switching system;
• an output circuit connected to receive a current output of the quarter wave impedance inversion circuit and having an output for accepting a load to be energized;
• a control circuit adapted for monitoring a voltage at the output and control a delay in switching in the secondary power switching system with respect to the primary power switching system in order to maintain a voltage at the output at a regulated value.

A power supply, comprising:

• a primary power switching circuit adapted to be powered by an active AC line source, and including an input rectification circuit;
• a quarter wave impedance transformation circuit connected to receive an output of the primary power switching circuit, and including at least first and second reactances tuned to resonance at a switching frequency of the primary power switching circuit and having a substantially constant current output;
• a secondary switching circuit connected in parallel with an output of the quarter wave impedance transformation circuit and having power switches operating at a substantially full duty cycle and connected to apply output from the quarter wave impedance transformation circuit to charge a charge storage capacitor;
• an output circuit for accepting a load connected in parallel with the output of the quarter wave impedance transformation circuit;
• and
• control circuitry for controlling a phase of switching of the power switches of the secondary switching circuit relative to switching in the primary power switching circuit to control a charge on the charge storage capacitor in order to regulate a voltage across the load.

A power supply comprising

• a first switching circuit operative as a voltage source at its output, and a switching frequency control for the first switching circuit;
• an impedance inversion circuit having an inductive input impedance and coupled to receive the voltage source as an input, and the impedance inversion circuit operative as a current source at its output and including a tee configuration circuit comprising two inductive reactances and a capacitive reactance all having an equal impedance value equal to the characteristic impedance of the impedance inversion circuit at an operative switching frequency of the first switching circuit;
• the capacitive reactance comprising a plurality of capacitor devices adapted to be selectively connected in parallel by a switching arrangement, and
• a range control for responding to changes in power at an input to the first switching circuit by adjusting the switching frequency control to different frequencies and changing the capacitance reactance by selectively connecting capacitor devices in parallel to maintain a desired current output at the output of the impedance inversion circuit.

A power system, comprising:

• a primary switching circuit adapted to be energized by a power source, and an output of the primary switching circuit operative as a voltage source,
• an impedance inversion circuit connected to convert an output of the primary switching circuit from a voltage source to a current source,
• a secondary switching circuit having an input connected to the current source of the impedance inversion circuit and an output connected to an energy storage device,
• an output circuit for accepting a load having an input connected to the current source of the impedance inversion circuit,
• the secondary switching circuit operative as a control of power flow from the power source to the load.

A power switching system comprising:

• a power switching system including;
• a first switching circuit connected to a current source and including a quarter wave phase shift output circuit,
• a second switching circuit connected to a voltage storage device,
• the first and second switching circuits being connected in parallel,
• a circuit for accepting a load to be energized, and
• means for controllably phase delaying switching of the second switching circuit with respect to the first switching circuit in order to regulate a voltage at the load.

A power switching system comprising:

• an input including a first power switching circuit and adapted for accepting a power source,
• at least one secondary switching circuit connected to energy storage means,
• an output circuit connected to the first switching circuit,
• at least one of the secondary switching circuits connected to the first switching circuit and operative for controlling a signal at the output by controlling an energy storage level of said energy storage means.