Abstract: A method for controlling a buck converter is provided. The method includes monitoring an inductor current flowing through an inductor in the buck converter. The method includes controlling the buck converter to operate in a pulse frequency modulation (PFM) mode with intermittent conduction if the inductor current experiences a plurality of cross-zero periods. The method further includes adjusting a power consumption of a component in the buck converter according to the plurality of cross-zero periods of the inductor current, when the buck converter is operating in the PFM mode.

Abstract: A conversion control circuit controls plural stackable sub-converters which are coupled in parallel to generate an output power to a load, the conversion control circuit includes: a current sharing terminal, wherein a current sharing signal is configured to be connected to the current sharing terminals, in parallel, of the plurality of the conversion control circuits; and a current sharing circuit, configured to generate or receive the current sharing signal which is generated according to an output current of the output power; wherein the conversion control circuit adjusts the power stage circuit according to the current sharing signal for current sharing among the plural stackable sub-converters.

Abstract: Described herein are DC-DC converters with a ratio of the power output to volume of at least 2 kW per liter or even at least 4 kW per liter. Such DC-DC converters can operate at power levels of at least 150 kW or even at least 200 kW. A DC-DC converter comprises an enclosure and a front plate sealed against the enclosure using a set of fasteners. The DC-DC converter also comprises a converter unit comprising a switching sub-module, a diode sub-module, and an inductor as well as an additional converter unit comprising an additional switching sub-module, an additional diode sub-module, and an additional inductor. The switching sub-module and the additional switching sub-module or, more generally, the converter unit and the additional converter unit are configured to operate out of phase. The inductors are immersed cooled, the switching sub-modules are conductively cooled, while the diode sub-modules are convectively cooled.

Abstract: An adaptive-bias metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) device comprises a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a first MOS device, and a second MOS device. The first MOS device generally may have a first width and a first gate length. The second MOS device generally may have a second width and a second gate length. The first terminal may be connected to a first source terminal of the first MOS device and a second source terminal of the second MOS device. The second terminal may be connected to a first drain terminal of the first MOS device, a first gate terminal of the first MOS device, and a second gate terminal of the second MOS device. The third terminal may be connected to a second drain terminal of the second MOS device. The first MOS device and the second MOS device are generally configured to operate in a sub-threshold operating region.

Abstract: PFC converters. One example is a method of operating a power converter, the method comprising: charging a first-phase inductance of a first boost converter, and then discharging the first-phase inductance, the charging and discharging defines a first switching period of the first boost converter; asserting, during the first switching period, a sync-two signal based on a duration of a prior switching period of the first boost converter and an offset value; asserting, during the first switching period, a valley-two signal when current through a second-phase inductance of a second boost converter reaches a predetermined valley current; responsive to the assertion of the sync-two signal and the valley-two signal, charging the second-phase inductance, and then discharging the second-phase inductance; and responsive to relative timing of the assertion of the sync-two signal and assertion of the valley-two signal, modifying the offset value.

Abstract: One variation of a system for regulating power output of multiple solar substrings includes: a set of solar substrings and a power regulator. The power regulator includes: a power supply; an adder; a modulation signal generator; a de-modulator; and an integrator. The power supply is configured to receive an input voltage from the set of solar substrings. The adder is configured to modify a voltage gain of the input voltage at the power supply. The modulation signal generator is coupled to the adder and configured to generate an oscillating power signal at the power supply. The de-modulator is configured to de-modulate the oscillating power signal output from the power supply. The first integrator: is coupled to the de-modulator and the adder; and configured to define voltage gain step at the power supply based on a DC signal component output from the de-modulator.

Abstract: A power converter includes semiconductor modules, a capacitor, a circuit board, a casing, a busbar and a shield layer. The capacitor is electrically connected to the semiconductor modules. The casing accommodates the circuit board, the semiconductor modules and the capacitor. The busbar has an input terminal portion, an output terminal portion and an electric pathway connecting the input terminal portion and the output terminal portion. The electric pathway is connected to at least one of electronic components including the semiconductor modules and the capacitor. The busbar has a built-in portion incorporated into the casing. The shield layer is electrically conductive and provided on an inner surface or an outer surface of the casing such that the shield layer covers the built-in portion.

Abstract: One or more aspects of the techniques and designs described herein may be implemented to provide (e.g., to design, produce, etc.) improved voltage dividers (e.g., more accurate and efficient resistor voltage divider networks). For example, the present disclosure may enable voltage dividers (e.g., resistor voltage divider networks) with a high ratio, such as with a voltage divider ratio K on the order of 100 or more, using a plurality of nominally-identical resistor elements (e.g., such that a significant portion of non-ideal behaviors cancel out and remaining non-ideal behaviors are reduced by statistical averaging). For instance, accurate resistor voltage divider networks may be designed and built using an input resistor having N nominally-identical resistor elements in series and an output resistor having M such resistor elements in parallel. In some examples, an operational amplifier may also be coupled in parallel to the multiplicity of M resistor element strings.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an exemplary three-phase multi-tap balancing distribution transformer capable of operation with both balanced and unbalanced loads and that provides a wide range of incremental voltages to compensate for the varying voltage drops and imbalances as the attached conductor length increases and allows users the ability to incrementally and independently adjust the voltage specifically feeding a specific phase. Incremental adjustment is achieved via the transformer and without any fragile or other external devices or components between the power source and load-side equipment terminals. The transformer, through the use of at least one phase-specific tap-change switch is capable of directly controlling the secondary voltage of the applicable phase independently from the other phases and, thus, does not affect the voltage on the other phases.

Abstract: An inverter with a rated power of at least 3 kVA includes a first assembly which includes a first printed circuit board and a DC/AC converter stage, and a second assembly which includes a second printed circuit board and an EMC filter for the DC/AC converter stage. The first printed circuit board is mounted on a heat sink and lies substantially flat on the heat sink, and the DC/AC converter stage has converter components which comprise power semiconductors, chokes and link circuit capacitors. The chokes and the link circuit capacitors are arranged together on one side of the first printed circuit board, and the heat sink is arranged on the opposite side of the first printed circuit board, and the chokes and/or the power semiconductors are thermally connected to the heat sink via the first printed circuit board and a thermally conductive material arranged between the first printed circuit board and the heat sink.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the teachings herein include a power converter. The power converter may include: a converter for converting between a first electrical voltage and a second electrical voltage; a common mode filter having a common mode transformer; and a second winding connected to a frequency-selective passive damping circuit arranged on a common core. The common mode transformer has at least two first windings arranged in the same direction on the common core and coupled in series into electrical conductors connected to the converter device.

Abstract: A fly-back converter and method of operating is provided to eliminate cross-conduction between a power-switch (PS) on a primary side of a transformer and a synchronous-rectifier (SR) on a secondary side when operating in continuous conduction mode. Generally, the method includes turning on the SR when a drain voltage of the SR drops to a negative voltage followed by a rise in the SR-drain-voltage at a first slope as a current is drawn from the secondary side of the transformer through the SR. When the PS is turned on before the transformer is completely discharged cross-conduction causes a change in the rise of the drain voltage to a second slope greater than the first slope. By turning off the SR within 50 ns of the change in the rise of the drain voltage, cross-conduction is minimized or eliminated without receiving turn-on information from a controller operating the PS.

Abstract: A method for an auxiliary device of an auxiliary resonant commutated pole inverter (ARCPI) to determine a boosting time of the ARCPI is provided. The auxiliary device includes an auxiliary switch path that uses a resonant inductor with at least one saturable inductor. The method includes: calculating, by a processor of the auxiliary device, a first boosting time in the auxiliary switch path based on a theoretical resonance inductance and a voltage that are applied to the resonant inductor; determining, by the processor, a second boosting time in the auxiliary switch path based on a look-up table; and determining, by the processor, the boosting time in the auxiliary switch path based on the first boosting time and the second boosting time. The method further includes controlling, by the processor, boosting current of the ARCPI based on the boosting time in the auxiliary switch path.

Abstract: In discharging of electric power in a smoothing capacitor arranged between a battery and an inverter provided with three-phase power modules, a control circuit alternately and periodically switches between all-phase upper on control and all-phase lower on control. With a power module in which a current flows in a direction from a motor toward the inverter among the three-phase power modules being defined as a negative current module and a power module in which a current flows in a direction from the inverter toward the motor being defined as a positive current module, during a period during which switching between all-phase lower on control and all-phase upper on control is made, the control circuit performs, for a prescribed time period, discharging processing for setting the negative current module to the lower on state and for setting the positive current module to the upper on state.

Abstract: A soft-switching Phase-Shift Full-Bridge (PSFB) converter system may include a transformer comprising a primary side and a secondary side. Phase-leading circuitry and phase-lagging circuitry may be located on the primary side of the transformer. The phase leading a phase lagging circuitry may include one or more bridge switches. The system may further include clamping circuitry coupled to the secondary side of the transformer. The clamping circuitry configurable to, when in an active clamping mode, short the secondary side of the transformer. An inductance may be included on the primary side of the transformer to collect and store energy from an input source when the secondary side of the transformer is shorted. The energy stored in the inductance may be used to enable soft-switching of the bridge switches in the phase-lagging circuitry during a dead time or a circulating time of the bridge switches in the phase-leading circuitry.

Abstract: Apparatuses, devices, and methods for operating a multi-level voltage converter are described. A semiconductor device can include a circuit, where the circuit can include a plurality of current sources. The circuit can be configured to measure a flying capacitor voltage across a flying capacitor of a multi-level voltage converter. The circuit can be further configured to compare the flying capacitor voltage with a voltage level equivalent to an intermediate voltage that is between ground and an input voltage being provided to the multi-level voltage converter. The circuit can be further configured to, based on a result of the comparison, switch a current source among the plurality of current sources to maintain the flying capacitor voltage at the intermediate voltage.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides for a hybrid DC-DC, Hybrid Variable Switched Capacitor (HVSC) power converter. The converter may include one or more power switching networks supporting a plurality of power conversion modes and characterised in that: an input terminal connected to an input power source and an associated input capacitance, an output terminal connected to a load and an associated output capacitance to obtain a desired output voltage or output load current regulation; and at least six switches, one or more inductors and one or more flying capacitors. The converter addresses the problems faced by inductor-based and inductor-less DC-DC power converters while providing higher power conversion efficiencies alike the inductor-less switched capacitor converters and voltage/current regulation alike the inductor-based power converters in a single power conversion unit and enable a duty cycle-based output voltage/current regulation.

Abstract: A control circuit, system and method for switched-mode power supply are disclosed, the control circuit is for driving a first switch to convert an input voltage into an output voltage. The control circuit includes an on-time control unit, which receives a first signal characterizing switching frequency of first switch and a second signal characterizing current flowing through first switch and responsively generates a signal indicative of a turn-off instant for first switch. When a peak value of the current flowing through the first switch drops below a predefined value, the on-time control unit determines the turn-off instant for the first switch based on the first signal so that the switching frequency of the first switch is maintained at a target frequency. This design can effectively avoid the generation of audible noise, stabilize the output voltage against load changes while maintaining desirable efficiency, and ensure operational safety of the switched-mode power supply.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a first die with voltage regulator circuitry and a second die with logic circuitry. The apparatus further includes an inductor, a capacitor, and a conformal power delivery structure on the top side of the apparatus, where the voltage regulator circuitry is connected to the logic circuitry through the inductor, the capacitor, and the conformal power delivery structure. The conformal power delivery structure includes a first electrically conductive layer defining one or more recesses, a second electrically conductive layer at least partially within the recesses of the first electrically conductive layer and having a lower surface that generally conforms with the upper surface of the first electrically conductive layer, and a dielectric material between the surfaces of the first electrically conductive layer and the second electrically conductive layer that conform with one another.

Abstract: An example electric circuit includes a superconductor component having a first terminal at a first end and a second terminal at a second end. The superconductor component includes a first portion coupled to the first terminal, a second portion coupled to the second terminal, and a third portion coupling the first portion and the second portion. The third portion has a curved shape such that the first portion of the superconductor component is proximate to, and thermally coupled to, the second portion of the superconductor component. The example electric circuit further includes a coupling component coupled to the third portion of the superconductor component, and a gate component configured to generate a resistive heat that exceeds a superconducting threshold temperature of the superconductor component, where the gate component is separated from the superconductor component by the coupling component.