Synchronous rectified PWM regulator with auto fault clearing
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorRobert Matthew Martinelli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fault tolerant synchronous rectifier PWM regulator system and method are disclosed. In the system and method, a force commutated synchronous rectifier is operable to be coupled to an electrical bus, and a low side switch is operable to be coupled to a common ground. In addition, a first fuse is coupled to the force commutated synchronous rectifier and the low side switch, and is operable to open in response to a first fault. Furthermore, an inductor is coupled to the first fuse, the force commutated synchronous rectifier and the low side switch, and a second fuse is coupled to the inductor and is operable to be coupled to a current source and to open in response to a second fault.
Claims20
A fault tolerant synchronous rectifier PWM regulator system comprising:
- a force commutated synchronous rectifier comprising an intrinsic body diode, and operable to be coupled to an electrical bus and eliminate a reverse recovery time of the intrinsic body diode by forcing a commutating current across the intrinsic body diode:
- a low side switch operable to be coupled to a common ground;
- a first fuse coupled to the force commutated synchronous rectifier and the low side switch, and operable to open in response to a first fault whereby the electrical bus remains coupled to a current source;
- an inductor coupled to the first fuse, the force commutated synchronous rectifier, and the low side switch;
- a second fuse coupled to the inductor and operable to be coupled to the current source, and operable to open in response to a second fault whereby the electrical bus remains coupled to the current source;
- and
- a bypass rectifier coupled to the second fuse, and the force commutated synchronous rectifier, and operable to be coupled to the current source.
An automatic fault tolerant synchronous rectified PWM regulation method, the method comprising:
- synchronously rectifying a current from a current source into a current for an electrical bus using a force commutated synchronous rectifier coupled to a bypass rectifier and operable to be coupled to an electrical bus, an inductor coupled to the force commutated synchronous rectifier, and a low side switch coupled to a common ground;
- forcing a commutating current across an intrinsic body diode to eliminate a reverse recovery time of the intrinsic body diode, the force commutated synchronous rectifier comprising the intrinsic body diode;
- providing a first fuse coupled to the force commutated synchronous rectifier and the low side switch;
- and
- providing a second fuse coupled to the bypass rectifier and the inductor.
A method for operating a fault tolerant synchronous rectification of a PWM regulator system, the method comprising:
- synchronously rectifying a first current from a current source into a second current for an electrical bus coupled to an input capacitor, using a force commutated synchronous rectifier coupled to the electrical bus, a bypass rectifier coupled to the force commutated synchronous rectifier and the current source, an inductor coupled to the force commutated synchronous rectifier and an input capacitor, and a low side switch coupled to a common ground;
- forcing a commutating current across an intrinsic body diode to eliminate a reverse recovery time of the intrinsic body diode, the force commutated synchronous rectifier comprising the intrinsic body diode;
- opening a first fuse coupled to the force commutated synchronous rectifier and the low side switch, if a first fault occurs in the force commutated synchronous rectifier;
- opening the first fuse, if a second fault occurs in the low side switch;
- opening a second fuse, if a third fault comprising a short through the bypass rectifier occurs in the bypass rectifier;
- opening a third fuse coupled to the input capacitor and the common ground, if a fourth fault occurs in the input capacitor;
- and
- opening a fourth fuse coupled to an output capacitor and the common ground, if a fifth fault occurs in the output capacitor;
- and
- maintaining a current flow from the current source to the electrical bus in a presence of the first fault, the second fault, the third fault, the fourth fault and the fifth fault.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.