US 5,905,645 A · Thermally aided power sharing of power supplies with or without an external current share line

Abstract

A thermally regulated power system, where the extent to which the temperature of a power module causes a change in the output power of the module depends on the output current of the module. Similarly, the extent to which the output current of the power module causes a change in the output power of the module depends on the temperature of the module. In one embodiment, a thermally regulated down slope power sharing system without a share line includes N+1 power modules coupled in parallel to the same output port, where N is an integer greater than one. The slope of the down slope curve of a power module is changed in response to the temperature of the power module such that a power module operating at a higher temperature outputs less current for a given bus voltage than a power module operating at a lower temperature. In another embodiment, the power system includes 2N power modules, where one group of N power modules is coupled to each other by a first share line and another group of N power modules is coupled to each other by a second share line. This allows the power output of the power modules to be controlled by thermally regulated down slope sharing and by temperature/current share lines.

Claims48

Dependent claims

A method of power sharing in a power system having a plurality of power modules, each power module including a power converter and a thermal sensor, with each power module having an operating temperature, an output current and an output power, said method comprising the steps of:

feeding back a total power module control signal to the power converter, wherein the total control signal has a first component and a second component, with the first component being a function of the output current and not the operating temperature and the second component being a non-linear function of the output current and the operating temperature, such that the operating temperature has an effect on the output power of the power module only when the output current of the module is non-zero and the effect is dependent on the output current of the module such that the effect of the operating temperature on the output power of the module increases with an increase in the output current of the module;
and
varying the output power of the power module in response to the total module control signal.

A power module for use in a power system, said power module comprising:

(i) an output port;
(ii) a power converter having input terminals, a control terminal, output terminals, an output current and an operating temperature, wherein the output terminals of said power converter are coupled to said output port;
(iii) a thermal sensor coupled to one of the output terminals of said power converter and said output port, said thermal sensor comprising:
(a) a first resistive element coupled to said output port and to said one of the output terminals of said power converter, said resistive element having a resistance that varies with the operating temperature of said power converter;
and
(b) a second resistive element coupled to said first resistive element;
and
(iv) a control circuit coupled to said thermal sensor and said control terminal of said power converter, wherein said control circuit receives a total power module control signal from said thermal sensor, the total control signal having a first component and a second component, with the first component being a function of the output current and not the operating temperature and the second component being a non-linear function of the output current and the operating temperature, and further wherein said control circuit outputs an electrical signal to said power converter to adjust the output current of said power converter in response to the control signal such that the operating temperature has an effect on the output power of the power converter that is dependent on the output current of the power module and the effect increases with an increase in the output current of the power converter.

5 more elements

A power system comprising:

(A) an output port;
(B) a share line;
and
(C) a plurality of power modules coupled to said share line and coupled in parallel to said output port, wherein each power module further comprises
(i) a power converter having input terminals, a control terminal, output terminals, an output current and an operating temperature;
(ii) a thermal sensor coupled to one of the output terminals of said power converter and the output port, said thermal sensor comprising:
(a) a first resistive element coupled to said output port and to said one of the output terminals of said power converter, said resistive element having a resistance that varies with the operating temperature of said power converter;
and
(b) a second resistive element coupled to said first resistive element;
and
(iii) a control circuit coupled to said thermal sensor and said control terminal of said power converter, wherein said control circuit receives a total power module control signal from said thermal sensor, the total control signal having a first component and a second component, with the first component being a function of the output current and not the operating temperature and the second component being a non-linear function of the output current and the operating temperature, and further wherein said control circuit outputs an electrical signal to said power converter to adjust the output current of said power converter in response to the control signal such that the operating temperature has an effect on the output power of the power converter that is dependent on the output current of the power module and the effect increases with an increase in the output current of the power converter.

8 more elements

A power module for use in a down slope power sharing system, said power module comprising:

(i) an output port;
(ii) a power converter having input terminals, a control terminal, output terminals, an output current and an operating temperature, wherein the output terminals of said power converter are coupled to said output port;
(iii) a thermal sensor coupled to one of the output terminals of said power converter and said output port, said thermal sensor comprising:
(a) a first resistive element coupled to said output port and to said one of the output terminals of said power converter, said resistive element having a resistance that varies with the operating temperature of said power converter;
and
(b) a second resistive element coupled to said first resistive element;
and
(iv) a control circuit coupled to said thermal sensor and said control terminal of said power converter, wherein said control circuit receives a total power module control signal from said thermal sensor, the total control signal having a first component and a second component, with the first component being a function of the output current and not the operating temperature and the second component being a non-linear function of the output current and the operating temperature, and further wherein said control circuit outputs an electrical signal to said power converter to adjust the output current of said power converter in response to the control signal.

5 more elements

A power system using down slope power sharing, said system comprising:

(A) an output port;
and
(B) a plurality of power modules coupled in parallel to said output port with each said power module comprising:
(i) a power converter having input terminals, a control terminal, output terminals, an output current and an operating temperature;
(ii) a thermal sensor coupled to one of the output terminals of said power converter and the output port, said thermal sensor comprising:
(a) a first resistive element coupled to said output port and to said one of the output terminals of said power converter, said resistive element having a resistance that varies with the operating temperature of said power converter;
and
(b) a second resistive element coupled to said first resistive element;
and
(iii) a control circuit coupled to said thermal sensor and said control terminal of said power converter, wherein said control circuit receives a total power module control signal from said thermal sensor, the total control signal having a first component and a second component, with the first component being a function of the output current and not the operating temperature and the second component being a non-linear function of the output current and the operating temperature, and further wherein said control circuit outputs an electrical signal to said power converter to adjust the output current of said power converter in response to the control signal.

7 more elements

A power system comprising:

(A) an output port;
(B) a first share line;
(C) a second share line;
and
(D) 2N power modules coupled to said output port, wherein N is an integer greater than 1 and a first group of N power modules are coupled to said first share line and a second group of N power modules are coupled to said second share line, wherein each power module further comprises
(i) a power converter having input terminals, a control terminal, output terminals, an output current and an operating temperature;
(ii) a thermal sensor coupled to one of the output terminals of said power converter and the output port, said thermal sensor comprising:
(a) a first resistive element coupled to said output port and to said one of the output terminals of said power converter, said resistive element having a resistance that varies with the operating temperature of said power converter;
and
(b) a second resistive element coupled to said first resistive element;
and
(iii) a control circuit coupled to said thermal sensor and said control terminal of said power converter, wherein said control circuit receives total power module control signal from said thermal sensor, the total control signal having a first component and a second component, with the first component being a function of the output current and not the operating temperature and the second component being a non-linear function of the output current and the operating temperature, and further wherein said control circuit outputs an electrical signal to said power converter to adjust the output current of said power converter in response to the control signal such that the operating temperature has an effect on the power output of the power converter that is dependent on the output current of the power module and the effect increases with an increase in the output current of the power converter.

9 more elements

A power system using down slope power sharing, said system comprising:

(A) an output port;
(B) a first share line;
(C) a second share line;
and
(D) 2N power modules coupled to said output port, wherein N is an integer greater than 1 and a first group of N power modules are coupled to said first share line and a second group of N power modules are coupled to said second share line, wherein each power module further comprises
(i) a power converter having input terminals, a control terminal, output terminals, an output current and an operating temperature;
(ii) a thermal sensor coupled to one of the output terminals of said power converter and the output port, said thermal sensor comprising:
(a) a first resistive element coupled to said output port and to said one of the output terminals of said power converter, said resistive element having a resistance that varies with the operating temperature of said power converter;
and
(b) a second resistive element coupled to said first resistive element;
and
(iii) a control circuit coupled to said thermal sensor and said control terminal of said power converter, wherein said control circuit receives total power module control signal from said thermal sensor, the total control signal having a first component and a second component, with the first component being a function of the output current and not the operating temperature and the second component being a non-linear function of the output current and the operating temperature, and further wherein said control circuit outputs an electrical signal to said power converter to adjust the output current of said power converter in response to the control signal.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Thermally aided power sharing of power supplies with or without an external current share line

Life of this patent

Thermally aided power sharing of power supplies with or without an external current share line

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims48