Synchronized array power oscillator with leg inductors
AssigneeContinental Automotive Systems, Inc.
InventorsPerry Czimmek, Mike Hornby
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic high frequency induction heater driver, for a variable spray fuel injection system, uses a scalable array of zero-voltage switching oscillators that utilize full and half-bridge topology with inductors between semiconductor switches wherein the semiconductor switches are synchronous within each bridge for function, and each bridge is synchronized for function along the entire array. The induction heater driver, upon receipt of a turn-on signal, multiplies a supply voltage through a self-oscillating series resonance, wherein one component of each tank resonator circuit comprises an induction heater coil magnetically coupled to an appropriate loss component so that fuel inside a fuel component is heated to a desired temperature.
Claims7
A synchronized array power oscillator for an electronic induction heater driver, the synchronized array power oscillator comprising:
- an H-bridge circuit comprising high-side and low-side semiconductor switches and a resonant tank circuit comprising a tank circuit inductor and tank circuit capacitor, the resonant tank circuit being electrically connected between legs of the H-bridge circuit via first and second leg inductors, each leg inductor being electrically in series with an adjacent high-side switch and low-side switch and connected to the tank circuit inductor, the tank circuit inductor configured to be able to inductively heat a fuel injector;
- a plurality of half-bridge circuits, each half-bridge circuit comprising high-side and low-side semiconductor switches and a corresponding tank circuit inductor configured to inductively heat a corresponding fuel injector, each half-bridge circuit further comprising a corresponding leg inductor connected in series with the high-side and low-side semiconductor switches of each half-bridge circuit, the plurality of half-bridge circuits being connected in parallel to the H-bridge circuit and connected in parallel to each other, adjacent pairs of half-bridge circuits forming a virtual H-bridge circuit, which is synchronized with the H-bridge circuit;
- wherein the H-bridge circuit and the half-bridge circuits are configured to provide current to a first end of the tank circuit inductors during a first half of a sine wave and provide current to an opposite second end of the tank circuit inductors during a second half of the sine wave;
- and
- wherein bridge switch timing is determined by a synchronized frequency of resonant tank circuits.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.