# US 9,882,389 B2 · High efficiency DC/DC converter and controller

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- Number: US 9,882,389 B2
- Document ID: US9882389B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/198,804
- Filed: 2016-06-30
- Published: 2016-12-15
- Granted: 2018-01-30
- Earliest claimed: 2013-11-21
- Assignees: Sparq Systems Inc.
- Applicants: Majid Pahlevaninezhad; Shangzhi Pan; Praveen Jain
- Inventors: Majid Pahlevaninezhad; Shangzhi Pan; Praveen Jain
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9882389B2

## CPC

- H02J 3/381: {Dispersed generators}
- H02M 3/33507: {with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters (H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence)}
- H02M 3/33573: {Full-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer}
- H02J 2101/24: Photovoltaics
- H02M 1/0058: {by employing soft switching techniques, i.e. commutation of transistors when applied voltage is zero or when current flow is zero (using an auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuit connected to an intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches of an inverter bridge H02M7/4811; in resonant inverters H02M7/4815; in inverters operating from a resonant DC source H02M7/4826)}
- H02M 1/007: {Plural converter units in cascade (push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826)}
- H02M 1/083: {for the ignition at the zero crossing of the voltage or the current}
- H02M 3/01: {Resonant DC/DC converters}
- Y02B 70/10: Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes
- Y02E 10/56: Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- 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)
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for use in a DC/DC converter. A circuit uses a full-bridge power semiconductor subcircuit along with a high power transformer subcircuit, a diode bridge subcircuit, and a parallel capacitor to provide galvanic isolation and boost the voltage from a power source such as a photovoltaic panel. To ensure zero voltage switching for the power semiconductors, either a passive auxiliary subcircuit or an inductor coupled in parallel to a transformer in the transformer subcircuit may be used. A controller which derives its timing signals from the transformer primary current is used to control the timing of the power semiconductors in the circuit. The circuit and its controller allows for self-adjusting regardless of load and uses the entire switching cycle to be used for power transfer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A circuit for use as a DC/DC converter, the circuit comprising:
a fullbridge subcircuit coupled in parallel to an input, said fullbridge subcircuit including a plurality of power semiconductors arranged in a bridge configuration;
a high frequency transformer subcircuit coupled to said fullbridge subcircuit;
a diode bridge subcircuit coupled to said transformer subcircuit;
a parallel capacitor coupled in parallel to said diode bridge subcircuit;
a subcircuit for providing reactive current for said power semiconductors for zero voltage switching of said semiconductors;
wherein
said parallel capacitor is coupled to an output of said converter;
said subcircuit for providing reactive current is an inductor coupled in parallel to a transformer in said transformer subcircuit;
said transformer subcircuit comprises a series inductor coupled in series between said transformer and an input from said full bridge subcircuit;
wherein said diode bridge subcircuit comprises a first pair of diodes coupled in series and a second pair of diodes coupled in series, said first pair of diodes being coupled in parallel with said second pair of diodes, said transformer subcircuit being coupled to a first connection point between said first pair of diodes and to a second connection point between said second pair of diodes; and
said inductor coupled in parallel to said transformer is coupled between said first connection point and said second connection point.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A circuit according to claim 1, wherein said full bridge subcircuit comprises a first pair of power semiconductors and a second pair of power semiconductors, said first pair of power semiconductors being in parallel with said second pair of power semiconductors.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A circuit according to claim 1, wherein said circuit is controlled by a controller which receives as input a transformer primary current from said transformer subcircuit, control signals for power semiconductors in said fullbridge subcircuit being derived from said primary transformer current.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A circuit according to claim 3, wherein said controller comprises:
a modulator for producing control signals for said power semiconductors in said full-bridge subcircuit;
a subcontroller for providing a timing signal to said modulator;
wherein
both said subcontroller and said modulator receive as input a version of said transformer primary current; and
said subcontroller receives as input an output of a maximum power point tracking module coupled to an input power source.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A circuit according to claim 4, wherein said input power source is a photovoltaic panel.

### Claim 6

A controller for controlling a DC/DC converter circuit, said controller comprising:
a modulator for producing control signals for power semiconductors in said converter circuit;
a subcontroller for providing a timing signal to said modulator;
wherein
both said subcontroller and said modulator receive as input a version of a transformer primary current from a transformer in said converter circuit;
said subcontroller receives as input an output of a maximum power point tracking module coupled to an input power source; and
said DC/DC converter circuit comprises: a subcircuit for providing reactive current for power semiconductors in said converter circuit, said reactive current being for zero voltage switching of said semiconductors, said subcircuit for providing reactive current being an inductor coupled in parallel to a transformer in a transformer subcircuit of said converter circuit;
said DC/DC converter circuit further comprising a diode bridge subcircuit coupled to said transformer at a first connection point in one arm of said diode bridge subcircuit and a second connection point in another arm of said diode bridge subcircuit, said inductor coupled in parallel to said transformer being coupled between said first connection point and said second connection point.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A controller according to claim 6, wherein said input power source is a photovoltaic panel.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

A controller according to claim 6, wherein said converter circuit further comprises:
a fullbridge subcircuit coupled in parallel to an input, said fullbridge subcircuit including a plurality of power semiconductors arranged in a bridge configuration;
a parallel capacitor coupled in parallel to said diode bridge subcircuit;
wherein
said transformer subcircuit is coupled to said fullbridge subcircuit;
said parallel capacitor is coupled to an output of said converter.