Universal power conversion methods and systems

A method of power conversion in a power converter having a regulated port and an unregulated port, the regulated port having a present voltage, the present voltage having a magnitude and a polarity, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. determining a target voltage, the target voltage having a magnitude and a polarity;
• b. determining the polarity of the present voltage and the polarity of the target voltage;
• and
• c. if the polarity of the present voltage matches the polarity of the target voltage,
• i. charging an inductor using a starting-side capacitor until the inductor has an initial target energy, wherein the starting-side capacitor is connected in parallel to the regulated port if the magnitude of the present voltage is greater than the magnitude of the target voltage, or else the starting-side capacitor is connected in parallel to the unregulated port,
• ii. disconnecting the starting-side capacitor from the inductor, and
• iii. discharging the inductor into an ending-side capacitor until the inductor has a final target energy, wherein the ending-side capacitor is connected in parallel to the unregulated port if the magnitude of the present voltage is greater than the magnitude of the target voltage, or else the ending-side capacitor is connected in parallel to the regulated port, and
• d. if the polarity of the present voltage does not match the polarity of the target voltage value,
• i. determining the magnitude of the present voltage and the magnitude of the target voltage, and
• ii. if the magnitude of the present voltage equals the magnitude of the target voltage,
• 1. connecting the inductor to a capacitor connected in parallel to the regulated port until the present voltage has crossed zero and until the inductor reaches a final target energy, and
• iii. if the magnitude of the present voltage is not equal to the magnitude of the target voltage,
• 1. precharging the inductor with energy from the unregulated port until the inductor has a precharge current,
• 2. disconnecting the inductor from the unregulated port, and
• 3. connecting the inductor to a capacitor connected in parallel to the regulated port until the present voltage has crossed zero and until the energy of the inductor reaches a final target energy,
• 4. wherein said precharge current is sufficient to ensure that at the time that the energy of the inductor reaches a final target energy and the present voltage of the regulated port has crossed zero, the present voltage of the regulated port is equal to the target voltage.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embedded thereon computer-useable instructions that, when executed, implement a method of power conversion in a power converter having a voltage regulated capacitor and an unregulated voltage capacitor, the voltage regulated capacitor having a present voltage, the present voltage having a magnitude and a polarity, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. determining a target voltage, the target voltage having a magnitude and a polarity;
• b. determining the polarity of the present voltage and the polarity of the target voltage;
• and
• c. if the polarity of the present voltage matches the polarity of the target voltage,
• i. charging an inductor using a starting-side capacitor until the inductor has an initial target energy, wherein the starting-side capacitor is the voltage regulated capacitor if the magnitude of the present voltage is greater than the magnitude of the target voltage, or else the starting-side capacitor is the unregulated voltage capacitor,
• ii. disconnecting the starting-side capacitor from the inductor, and
• iii. discharging the inductor into an ending-side capacitor until the inductor has a final target energy, wherein the ending-side capacitor is the unregulated voltage capacitor if the magnitude of the present voltage is greater than the magnitude of the target voltage, or else the ending-side capacitor is the voltage regulated capacitor, and
• d. if the polarity of the present voltage does not match the polarity of the target voltage value, connecting an inductor to the voltage regulated capacitor until the present voltage has crossed zero and until the inductor has a final target energy.