US 9,793,813 B1Granted

Step-down power conversion with zero current switching

OwnerBassam Marawiinventor

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Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, computer program products, and computer readable media are disclosed herein. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a first capacitor, a first inductor in resonance with the first capacitor, a first electronic switch and a second electronic switch. The first electronic switch may be configured to cause, when the first electronic switch is closed, the first capacitor to store a first energy, and to cause a second energy to be stored in magnetic fields of the inductor. The second energy may be transferred to a load during a resonant portion of an energy transfer cycle. The apparatus may further include a second electronic switch configured to cause the stored first energy in the first capacitor to be transferred at least in part to the magnetic fields of the inductor, and then transferred to the load during a buck portion of the energy transfer cycle.

Claims27

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

a first capacitor;
a first inductor in resonance with the first capacitor;
a first electronic switch;
a second electronic switch;
and
a third electronic switch;
wherein a first side of the first electronic switch is connected to a power source, and a second side of the first electronic switch is connected to a first node,
wherein a first side of the second electronic switch is connected to the first node, and a second side of the second electronic switch is connected to a second node,
wherein a first side of the first capacitor is connected to the first node, and a second side of the first capacitor is connected to a third node,
wherein a first side of the first inductor is connected to the second node, and a second side of the first inductor is connected to an output node,
wherein a first side of the third electronic switch is connected to the second node, and a second side of the third electronic switch is connected to the third node,
wherein a load is connected to the output node and a return side of the power source,
wherein turning on the first electronic switch and the third electronic switch and turning off the second electronic switch cause energy from the power source to be stored at the first capacitor and the first inductor while energy is being transferred from the first inductor to the load,
wherein turning off the first electronic switch and the third electronic switch and turning on the second electronic switch cause at least a portion of the energy stored at the first capacitor to be transferred to the first inductor while energy is being transferred from the first inductor to the load, and
wherein flyback from the first inductor is clamped by at least keeping the third electronic switch turned on, when the first electronic switch is turned off before the second electronic switch is turned on.

12 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

a first electronic switch;
a second electronic switch;
a first capacitor;
a second capacitor;
a first inductor;
a first diode;
and
a second diode,
wherein a first side of the first electronic switch is connected to a power source, and a second side of the first electronic switch is connected to a first node,
wherein a first side of the second electronic switch is connected to the first node, and a second side of the second electronic switch is connected to a second node,
wherein a first side of the first capacitor is connected to the first node, and a second side of the first capacitor is connected to a third node,
wherein a first side of the second capacitor is connected to an output node, and a second side of the second capacitor is connected to a return side of the power source,
wherein a first side of the first inductor is connected to the second node, and a second side of the first inductor is connected to the output node,
wherein a cathode of the first diode is connected to the third node, and an anode of the first diode is connected to the return side of the power source,
wherein a cathode of the second diode is connected to the second node, and an anode of the second diode is connected to the third node,
wherein a load is connected to the output node and the return side of the power source,
wherein turning on the first electronic switch and turning off the second electronic switch cause energy from the power source to be stored at the first capacitor and the first inductor while energy is being transferred from the first inductor to the load,
wherein turning off the first electronic switch and turning on the second electronic switch cause at least a portion of the energy stored at the first capacitor to be transferred to the first inductor while energy is being transferred from the first inductor to the load, and
wherein the first diode and the second diode clamp flyback from the first inductor, when the first electronic switch is turned off before the second electronic switch is turned on.

16 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

a first electronic switch;
a second electronic switch;
a first capacitor;
a second capacitor;
a first inductor;
a first diode;
a second diode,
a third diode;
a fourth diode;
and
a transformer,
wherein a first side of the first electronic switch is connected to a power source, and a second side of the first electronic switch is connected to a first node,
wherein a first side of the second electronic switch is connected to the first node, and a second side of the second electronic switch is connected to a second node,
wherein a first side of the first capacitor is connected to the first node, and a second side of the first capacitor is connected to a third node,
wherein a first side of the second capacitor is connected to an output node, and a second side of the second capacitor is connected to a return side of the power source,
wherein a first side of the first inductor is connected to a fourth node, and a second side of the first inductor is connected to the output node,
wherein a cathode of the first diode is connected to the third node, and an anode of the first diode is connected to the return side of the power source,
wherein a cathode of the second diode is connected to the second node, and an anode of the second diode is connected to the third node,
wherein a cathode of the third diode is connected to the fourth node, and an anode of the third diode is connected to a first side of a secondary winding of the transformer;
wherein a cathode of the fourth diode is connected to the fourth node, and an anode of the fourth diode is connected to a second side of the secondary winding of the transformer;
wherein a first side of a primary winding of the transformer is connected to the second node and a second side of the primary winding of the transformer is connected to the return side of the power source,
wherein a load is connected to the output node and the second side of the secondary winding of the transformer,
wherein turning on the first electronic switch and turning off the second electronic switch cause energy from the power source to be stored at the first capacitor and the first inductor while energy is being transferred from the first inductor to the load,
wherein turning off the first electronic switch and turning on the second electronic switch cause at least a portion of the energy stored at the first capacitor to be transferred to the first inductor while energy is being transferred from the first inductor to the load, and
wherein the first diode and the second diode clamp flyback from the first inductor, when the first electronic switch is turned off before the second electronic switch is turned on.

22 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

a first electronic switch;
a second electronic switch;
a third electronic switch;
a fourth electronic switch;
a first capacitor;
a second capacitor;
a first inductor;
and
a first diode,
wherein a first side of the first electronic switch is connected to a power source, and a second side of the first electronic switch is connected to a first node,
wherein a first side of the second electronic switch is connected to the first node, and a second side of the second electronic switch is connected to a second node,
wherein a first side of the first capacitor is connected to the first node, and a second side of the first capacitor is connected to a third node,
wherein a first side of the second capacitor is connected to an output node, and a second side of the second capacitor is connected to a return side of the power source,
wherein a first side of the first inductor is connected to the second node, and a second side of the first inductor is connected to the output node,
wherein a first side of the third switch is connected to the third node, and a second side of the third switch is connected to the return side of the power source,
wherein a first side of the fourth switch is connected to the second node, and a second side of the fourth switch is connected to the third node,
wherein a cathode of the first diode is connected to the second node, and an anode of the first diode is connected to the return side of the power source,
wherein a load is connected to the output node and the return side of the power source, and
wherein turning on the first electronic switch and the third electronic switch and turning off the second electronic switch and the fourth electronic switch cause energy from the power source to be stored at the first capacitor and the first inductor while energy is being transferred from the first inductor to the load,
wherein turning off the first electronic switch and the third electronic switch and turning on the second electronic switch and the fourth electronic switch cause at least a portion of the energy stored at the first capacitor to be transferred to the first inductor while energy is being transferred from the first inductor to the load, and
wherein flyback from the first inductor is clamped by at least keeping the third electronic switch turned on, when the first electronic switch is turned off before the second electronic switch is turned on.

18 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

a first electronic switch;
a second electronic switch;
a first capacitor;
a second capacitor;
a first inductor;
a second inductor;
a first diode;
and
a second diode,
wherein a first side of the first electronic switch is connected to a power source, and a second side of the first electronic switch is connected to a first node,
wherein a first side of the second electronic switch is connected to the first node, and a second side of the second electronic switch is connected to a second node,
wherein a first side of the first capacitor is connected to the first node, and a second side of the first capacitor is connected to a third node,
wherein a first side of the second capacitor is connected to an output node, and a second side of the second capacitor is connected to a return side of the power source,
wherein a first side of the first inductor is connected to the third node, and a second side of the first inductor is connected to the output node,
wherein a first side of the second inductor is connected to the second node, and a second side of the second inductor is connected to the output node,
wherein a cathode of the first diode is connected to the third node, and an anode of the first diode is connected to the return side of the power source,
wherein a cathode of the second diode is connected to the second node, and an anode of the second diode is connected to the return side of the power source,
wherein a load is connected to the output node and the return side of the power source,
wherein turning on the first electronic switch and turning off the second electronic switch cause energy from the power source to be stored at the first capacitor and the first inductor while energy is being transferred from the first inductor to the load,
wherein turning off the first electronic switch and turning on the second electronic switch cause at least a portion of the energy stored at the first capacitor to be transferred to the second inductor while energy is being transferred from the second inductor to the load, and
wherein the first diode and the second diode clamp flyback from the first inductor, when the first electronic switch is turned off before the second electronic switch is turned on.

18 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/641,233Filed 6 Mar 2015 · us provisional application
Priority: 7 Mar 2014
Granted: 17 Oct 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H02M 3/158
With automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators: including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices…
H02M 1/42
Details of apparatus for conversion: circuits or arrangements for compensating for or adjusting power factor in converters or inverters
H02M 3/01
Conversion of DC power input into DC power output: resonant DC/DC converters
H02M 3/335
Using devices of a triode or a transistor type requiring continuous application of a control signal: using semiconductor devices only