# US 8,659,276 B2 · Interleaved power converter and controller therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,659,276 B2 - Document ID: US8659276B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/430,924 - Filed: 2012-03-27 - Published: 2012-10-04 - Granted: 2014-02-25 - Earliest claimed: 2011-03-28 - Assignees: TDK-Lambda UK Limited - Applicants: Andrew John Skinner - Inventors: Andrew John Skinner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8659276B2 ## CPC - H02M 3/1584: {with a plurality of power processing stages connected in parallel} - H02M 1/0009: {Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter} - H02M 3/1586: {switched with a phase shift, i.e. interleaved} - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) ## Abstract Disclosed is an interleaved power converter for converting a DC voltage source into a DC voltage output. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An interleaved power converter for converting a DC voltage source into a DC voltage output, the converter comprising:— two or more sub-circuits connected in parallel, each sub-circuit comprising an inductive element, a rectifying element and a controllable switching device connected for converting a DC voltage source into a DC voltage output; driving means for driving the switching device of each sub-circuit to repeatedly switch on at a time t1 and off at a time t2, with a phase difference between the switch-on times t1 of each switching device; current sensing means for repeatedly determining an input current value associated with each sub-circuit, by sensing the input current of the converter at a sample point a pre-determined time relative to the switch-on time t1 or the switch-off time t2 of said switching device; and control means comprising:— comparator means for comparing the input current value determined at each sample point with the input current value determined at the preceding sample point, to obtain a measure of current imbalance attributable to one or both of the sub-circuits with which the compared input current values are associated; and current balancing means for adjusting the time interval Ton from t1 to t2, for one or both of the sub-circuits with which the compared input current values are associated, to compensate for said current imbalance. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The converter as claimed in claim 1 having n sub-circuits, wherein the phase difference between the switching devices is preferably substantially 360/n degrees. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The converter as claimed in claim 1 wherein n=2 and the phase difference between the switching devices is preferably substantially 180 degrees. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The converter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the current balancing means is configured to adjust the time interval Ton from t1 to t2, for the sub-circuits with which the latest sensed input current value is associated, to compensate for said current imbalance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The converter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the current sensing means is configured to repeatedly determine said input current value associated with each sub-circuit, by sensing the input current of the converter at a sample point after the switch-on time t1 of said switching device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The converter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the current sensing means is configured to repeatedly determine said input current value associated with each sub-circuit, by sensing the input current of the converter at a sample point after the switch-off time t2 of said switching device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The converter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sample point is calculated to coincide with a rising slope of the input current waveform. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The converter as claimed in claim 7 wherein the sample point for each sub-circuit is calculated to coincide with the first rising slope of the input current after the switch-off time t2 for the switching device of the corresponding sub-circuit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The converter as claimed in claim 8 wherein the sample point is calculated to be located substantially mid-way along a rising slope of the input current waveform. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The converter as claimed in claim 1, having 2 sub-circuits, wherein the sample point associated with each sub-circuit is substantially Ton/2+T/2 after the most recent switch-on time t1 of said sub-circuit, for operation at <=50% duty cycle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The converter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sample point is calculated to coincide with a down slope of the input current waveform. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The converter as claimed in claim 2 having 2 sub-circuits, wherein the sample point associated with each sub-circuit is substantially Ton/2−T/4 after the most recent switch-on time t1 of said sub-circuit, for operation at >50% duty cycle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The converter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the control means further comprises current following means for adjusting the time interval Ton from t1 to t2 of each sub-circuit to cause the input current of a converter to follow a reference current. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The converter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the control means comprises a Proportional Integral Differential (PID) controller. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The converter as claimed in claim 1 wherein a differential term is used to adjust for current imbalance. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The converter as claimed in claim 1 wherein a proportional and/or an integral term is used to cause the converter to follow a reference current. ### Claim 17 A controller for an interleaved power converter, wherein an interleaved power converter comprises two or more sub-circuits connected in parallel, each sub-circuit comprising an inductive element, a rectifying element and a controllable switching device connected for converting a DC voltage source into a DC voltage output, and driving means for driving the switching device of each sub-circuit in the converter to repeatedly switch on at a time t1 and off at a time t2, with a phase difference between the switch-on times t1 of each switching device; the controller comprising:— receiving means for repeatedly receiving a signal which represents an input current value associated with each sub-circuit at a sample point a pre-determined time relative to the switch-on time t1 or the switch-off time t2 of said switching device; comparator means for comparing the input current value determined at each sample point with the input current value determined at the preceding sample point, to obtain a measure of current imbalance attributable to one or both of the sub-circuits with which the compared input current values are associated; and current balancing means for determining the time interval Ton from t1 to t2, for one or both of the sub-circuits with which the compared input current values are associated, to compensate for said current imbalance. ### Claim 18 A multi-phase interleaved power converter for converting a DC voltage source into a DC voltage output, the converter comprising:— two or more sub-circuits connected in parallel, each sub-circuit comprising an inductive element, a rectifying element and a controllable switching device connected for converting a DC voltage source into a DC voltage output; driving means for driving the switching device of each sub-circuit to repeatedly switch on at a time t1 and off at a time t2, with a phase difference between the switch-on times t1 of each switching device, such that each sub-circuit is associated with a different phase of the converter; and current sensing means for repeatedly determining an input current value associated with each phase, by sensing the input current of the converter at a sample point a pre-determined time relative to the switch-on time t1 or the switch-off time t2 of the switching device; and control means comprising:— comparator means for comparing the input current value determined for each phase with the input current value determined for the preceding phase, to obtain a measure of current imbalance between said phases; and current balancing means for adjusting the time interval Ton from t1 to t2, for one or both of the sub-circuits with which the compared input current values are associated, to compensate for said current imbalance. ### Claim 19 A controller for a multi-phase interleaved power converter, wherein a multi-phase interleaved power converter comprises two or more sub-circuits connected in parallel, each sub-circuit comprising an inductive element, a rectifying element and a controllable switching device connected for converting a DC voltage source into a DC voltage output, and driving means for driving the switching device of each sub-circuit to repeatedly switch on at a time t1 and off at a time t2, with a phase difference between the switch-on times t1 of each switching device, such that each sub-circuit is associated with a different phase of the converter; the controller comprising:— receiving means for repeatedly receiving a signal which represents an input current value associated with each phase at a sample point a pre-determined time relative to the switch-on time t1 or the switch-off time t2 of said switching device; comparator means for comparing the input current value determined for each phase with the input current value determined for the preceding phase, to obtain a measure of current imbalance between said phases; and current balancing means for determining the time interval Ton from t1 to t2, for one or both of the sub-circuits with which the compared input current values are associated, to compensate for said current imbalance.