Bridge Type Patents (Class 363/17)
  • Patent number: 9780570
    Abstract: An arrangement for providing a vehicle, in particular a track bound and/or road vehicle, with electric energy, comprising a receiving device 1 adapted to receive an alternating electromagnetic field and produce an alternating electric current by electromagnetic induction. The receiving device comprises three phase lines, 2a, 2b, 2c, connected on one side to a common star point 5, and on the other side to a bridge rectifier 10. Each phase line includes an inductance 3a, 3b, 3c and a capacitance 4a, 4b, 4c having a resonant frequency. The rectifier comprises a number of controllable switches 12, 13 and a control device to switch the switches on and off at a frequency smaller than the resonant frequency. During operation the incident electromagnetic field induces a voltage in the inductances and a corresponding alternating current flows through the phase lines, is rectified by the rectifier, and is provided to the load 17.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Bombardier Transportation GmbH
    Inventor: Dominik Anders
  • Patent number: 9780670
    Abstract: A resonant converter includes a primary switching circuit with a primary winding and a primary full-bridge switching stage that drives the primary winding. A resonance inductor is in series with the primary winding. A secondary resonant circuit has a secondary winding magnetically coupled to the primary winding and a resonance capacitor electrically connected in parallel with the secondary winding. A secondary rectification stage is electrically connected in parallel to the resonance capacitor. A driving module receives a signal representing the voltage measured across an upper or lower switching half-bridge. The drive module detects a negative voltage in the signal. At each cycle, the drive module anticipates a control signal for control of the switches of the lower or upper switching half-bridge that is to be activated the next switching cycle by a shift time that is reduced cycle until the condition of absence of negative voltage in the signal is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Lorenzo Trevisan, Massimiliano Picca, Roberto Cardu, Cristian Porta
  • Patent number: 9780675
    Abstract: A power converter is presented. The power converter includes a primary bridge unit coupled to a voltage source. Further, the power converter includes a secondary bridge unit coupled to a load. Also, the power converter includes a transformer disposed between the primary bridge unit and the secondary bridge unit and configured to magnetically couple the primary bridge unit to the secondary bridge unit. Additionally, the power converter includes a current sensor configured to measure instantaneous current flowing at an input terminal of the transformer. Furthermore, the power converter includes a cyclic state controller configured to receive the measured instantaneous current flowing at the input terminal of the transformer, and change a switching state of the power converter from a present switching state to a subsequent switching state based on the measured instantaneous current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Said Farouk El-Barbari, Alvaro Jorge Mari Curbelo, Simon Herbert Schramm
  • Patent number: 9774272
    Abstract: An energy efficient apparatus includes a switching device, a frequency dependent reactive device, and a control element is provided. The switching device is coupled to a source of electrical power and includes a pair of transistors and is adapted to receive a control signal and to produce an alternating current power signal. The frequency of the alternating current power signal is responsive to the control signal. The frequency dependent reactive device is electrically coupled to the pair of transistors for receiving the alternating current power signal and producing an output power signal. The frequency dependent reactive device is chosen to achieve a desired voltage of the output power signal relative to the frequency of the alternating current power signal. The control element senses an actual voltage of the direct current power signal and modifies the control signal delivered to achieve the desired voltage of the direct current power signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Advanced Charging Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Michael H. Freeman, W. J. “Jim” Weaver, Jr., Mitchael C. Freeman, Robert Dieter, Brian Santee
  • Patent number: 9774263
    Abstract: According to one aspect, embodiments herein provide an AC-DC converter comprising a rectifier, a capacitor, a DC bus coupled to the capacitor, a plurality of first switches coupled to the DC bus, a plurality of second switches coupled between the rectifier and the first switches, a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, the primary winding coupled to the plurality of first switches, the plurality of second switches, and the rectifier, and the secondary winding coupled to an output, and a controller configured, in response to a determination that the input AC power is acceptable, to operate the plurality of second switches and the plurality of first switches such that output DC voltage is maintained at a desired output DC voltage level, and operate the plurality of first switches such that a DC bus voltage on the DC bus is maintained at a desired DC bus voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC IT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hui-Jung Chen, Damir Klikic, Kuo-Liang Lee, Hsuang-Chang Chiang
  • Patent number: 9774190
    Abstract: Systems and methods for supplying power (both active and reactive) at a medium voltage from a DCSTATCOM to an IT load without using a transformer are disclosed. The DCSTATCOM includes an energy storage device, a two-stage DC-DC converter, and a multi-level inverter, each of which are electrically coupled to a common negative bus. The DC-DC converter may include two stages in a bidirectional configuration. One stage of the DC-DC converter uses a flying capacitor topology. The voltages across the capacitors of the flying capacitor topology are balanced and switching losses are minimized by fixed duty cycle operation. The DC-DC converter generates a high DC voltage from a low or high voltage energy storage device such as batteries and/or ultra-capacitors. The multi-level, neutral point, diode-clamped inverter converts the high DC voltage into a medium AC voltage using a space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: INERTECH IP LLC
    Inventor: Subrata K. Mondal
  • Patent number: 9774265
    Abstract: A power switching converter includes a switch coupled to an input terminal through a primary winding of a transformer and a control circuit configured to drive the switch to provide a regulated output signal at a secondary winding of the transformer. A wake up circuit is provided to force the switching-on of the switch when the power converter enters in a burst mode. The wake up circuit includes a transmitting section coupled to the secondary winding and a receiving section coupled to an auxiliary winding of the transformer and the control circuit. The transmitting section is configured to provide a wake up signal communicated in a wireless manner to the receiving section when the output signal falls below a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Alfio Pasqua, Salvatore Tumminaro, Andrea Rapisarda
  • Patent number: 9768699
    Abstract: Provided is a switching power supply unit that includes a pair of input terminals, a pair of output terminals, two transformers, two inverter circuits, a rectifying smoothing circuit, and a driver. The rectifying smoothing circuit includes eight rectifying devices, a first choke coil, a second choke coil, and a capacitance. In the rectifying smoothing circuit, two full-bridge rectifying circuits are provided that each include a first arm and a second arm. The first arm and the second arm each have two of the eight rectifying devices. Secondary windings of the respective two transformers are each coupled to corresponding one of the two full-bridge rectifying circuits to form an H-bridge coupling. Coupling relation of the first arm, the second arm, the first choke coil, the second choke coil, and the capacitance is appropriately defined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Wataru Nakahori
  • Patent number: 9763294
    Abstract: A lighting device includes a rectifier circuit, a conversion circuit, a constant current circuit and a control circuit. The conversion circuit includes a first series circuit, a second series circuit and a third series circuit. The conversion circuit is configured to output a DC current by on/off of a switching element being controlled by the control circuit. A high potential-side terminal of the third capacitor is electrically connected to an output terminal. The low potential-side terminal of the third capacitor is electrically connected to an output terminal, via the constant current circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Himeda, Hiroyuki Asano, Masafumi Yamamoto, Takeshi Kamoi, Daisuke Yamahara, Keisuke Seki, Katsuyuki Doi
  • Patent number: 9762135
    Abstract: A secondary-side rectification and regulation circuit includes a secondary-side transformer winding, a full-wave rectifier circuit and a control unit. The full-wave rectifier has a first pair of controllable rectifiers including a first transistor connected to a first terminal of the secondary-side transformer winding and a second transistor connected to a second terminal of the secondary-side transformer winding. The control unit is operable to control switching of the transistors of the full-wave rectifier so that the full-wave rectifier (a) generates a rectified output for supplying a load by rectifying current through the secondary-side transformer winding or voltage across the secondary-side transformer winding and (b) regulates the rectified output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Darryl Tschirhart
  • Patent number: 9755533
    Abstract: A resonant inverter is provided that includes a first switch and a second switch alternately turned on and off, a first inverter including the first switch and a first resonant circuit including a first coil and a first capacitor, and a second inverter including the second switch and a second resonant circuit including a second coil and a second capacitor. The first coil, the second coil, and a third capacitor constitute a third resonant circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Katsunori Imai
  • Patent number: 9748767
    Abstract: A system and method for conditioning DC power received from hybrid DC power sources is disclosed. A power conversion circuit is coupled to a respective DC power source to selectively condition the output power generated thereby to a DC bus voltage. The power conversion circuit includes a switch arrangement and capacitors arranged to provide a charge balancing in the power conversion circuit. A controller in operable communication with the switch arrangement receives inputs on a DC bus voltage and at least one parameter related to operation of the DC power source, and determines an adjustable voltage to be output from the conversion circuit to the DC bus based on the received inputs. The controller then selectively controls operation of the switch arrangement in order to generate the determined adjustable voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Fengfeng Tao, Ahmed Elasser, Song Chi, Maja Harfman Todorovic
  • Patent number: 9742286
    Abstract: A method of controlling a DC/AC converter (2) comprises the steps of (a) providing a desired AC side reference value (VAmp); (b) setting a reference correction value (VAmp,corr,1); (c) calculating an AC side reference signal (VAC,set,1) as a function of the desired AC side reference value (VAmp) and the reference correction value (VAmp,corr,1); (d) obtaining an actual AC side signal (VAC,Act,1); and (e) calculating a converter control signal (MAC,1) as a function of the AC side reference signal (VAC,Set,1) and the actual AC side signal (VAC,Act,1); wherein the setting of the reference correction value (VAmp,corr,1) is based on a relation of the desired AC side reference value (VAmp) and the actual AC side signal (VAC,Act,1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: L-3 COMMUNICATIONS MAGNET-MOTOR GMBH
    Inventors: Jens Biebach, Kay Peschke
  • Patent number: 9728959
    Abstract: A method for operating an inverter, and an inverter for coupling with a photovoltaic array having at least one photovoltaic panel are disclosed. The inverter can be configured: to connect output poles of the photovoltaic array in short circuit with each other; to measure a current supplied by the photovoltaic array through the output poles after they have been connected in short circuit with each other; and to start a DC-to-AC conversion of power supplied by the photovoltaic array if the measured current exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: ABB Oy
    Inventor: Jesse Kokkonen
  • Patent number: 9729084
    Abstract: A resonant power converter. An embodiment with a fullbridge converter is disclosed, controlled with feedback or feedforward technique. Switching schemes are either based on a sort of look up table or on measurement of current or voltage. Dead time may be adjusted. Timing may be such, that in the respective diagonal pairs of the converter, one switch is switched on for a different time (different pulse width) than the other. Use in a relative high power environment for about 20 KW in e.g. an X-Ray or Computer Tompgrapy System.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: ANALOGIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Doug Q. Abraham
  • Patent number: 9705408
    Abstract: Offline power converters draw very small amounts of power when unloaded or inactive (no load demand), power consumption may be further reduced by allowing the start-up controller and/or secondary-side controller to enter into a sleep mode (functions within the controllers shut down). When the energy storage capacitors for either the start-up controller or the secondary-side controller reach a low state-of-charge, either controller can wake itself and the other controller, thereby allowing the power converter to become active until both energy storage capacitors are refreshed enough for the controllers to go back into a low power sleep mode. This cycle, which draws very little average power from the AC line, continues until the power converter is required to remain awake (operational mode) and deliver power to the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Thomas Quigley
  • Patent number: 9705410
    Abstract: Phase differences between primary-side series-connected first and second arms and secondary-side series-connected fifth and sixth arms and between primary-side series-connected third and fourth arms and secondary-side series-connected seventh and eighth arms are controlled for power being transmitted from the secondary side to the primary side. Turn-off of the fifth arm is corrected to cause an integrating result of a secondary coil current for an interval delayed by a current sensor response delay from an interval between turn-off of the first arm and turn-on of the seventh arm to approach zero, or turn-off of the seventh arm is corrected to cause an integrating result of the secondary coil current for an interval delayed by the response delay from an interval between turn-off of the third arm and turn-on of the fifth arm to approach zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masafumi Uchihara, Kazuyuki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9705422
    Abstract: A power inversion system includes an input and output coupleable to a DC power and an AC load, respectively, and a power inverter including a plurality of phase legs each having two bridge legs coupled in parallel with at least two switch and antiparallel diode pairs coupled in series. The system also includes a plurality of inductors, with at least one inductor coupled between a midpoint of each bridge leg and an LCL filter, the inductors in each phase leg being magnetically coupled. The system further includes a control system to drive the power inverter in a soft switching configuration, the control system programmed to output a switching signal to the power inverter according to a duty cycle and a phase shift angle, determine a value of the duty cycle, and optimize the phase shift angle of the power inverter based on the value of the duty cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Xiaohu Liu, Luis Jose Garces, Maja Harfman Todorovic, Mohammed Agamy
  • Patent number: 9680364
    Abstract: Described herein are methods, systems, and apparatus for a controller for a power circuit that interfaces distributed power generation with a power distribution grid, comprising: a first portion, including a maximum power point tracker, that receives signals corresponding to the distributed power generation voltage and current, and outputs to the power circuit a signal for controlling the voltage of the distributed power generation; a second portion, including a current reference generator, a current controller, and a dc voltage controller, that receives signals corresponding to a dc voltage of the power circuit, the power distribution grid voltage and current, and the inverter current, and outputs signals for controlling the power circuit output voltage; wherein the current reference generator includes nonlinear circuit elements and generates a current reference signal from the dc voltage of the power circuit and the grid voltage and current; such that substantially harmonic-free power is injected into the p
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: SPARQ SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Sayed Ali Khajehoddin, Masoud Karimi Ghartemani, Praveen K. Jain, Alireza Bakhshai
  • Patent number: 9680377
    Abstract: A driver circuit includes a high-side power transistor having a source-drain path coupled between a first node and a second node and a low-side power transistor having a source-drain path coupled between the second node and a third node. A high-side drive circuit, having an input configured to receive a drive signal, includes an output configured to drive a control terminal of said high-side power transistor. The high-side drive circuit is configured to operate as a capacitive driver. A low-side drive circuit, having an input configured to receive a complement drive signal, includes an output configured to drive a control terminal of said low-side power transistor. The low-side drive circuit is configured to operate as a level-shifting driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS (SHENZHEN) R&D CO. LTD
    Inventors: Hai Bo Zhang, Jerry Huang
  • Patent number: 9680530
    Abstract: A non-contact power supply apparatus is configured to transmit power in a non-contact manner from a primary-side coil to a secondary-side coil by supplying alternating current power to the primary-side coil. The non-contact power supply apparatus is provided with an alternating current power output unit, a power transmitting unit, wiring, a detecting unit, and a determining unit. The alternating current power output unit is capable of outputting alternating current power. The power transmitting unit has the primary-side coil. The wiring electrically connects the alternating current power output unit and the power transmitting unit to each other. The detecting unit detects a ratio between an output voltage and an output current, which are outputted from the alternating current power output unit, or a phase difference between the output voltage and the output current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki
    Inventor: Tadashi Kondo
  • Patent number: 9667158
    Abstract: A power supply device includes: a power factor correction circuit which includes a capacitor and which corrects a power factor of power; a DC-DC converter which includes a switching element and which steps up or down an output voltage of the power factor correction circuit; a control unit; and a voltage detection unit which detects a voltage of an input side of the power factor correction circuit. The control unit controls the switching element such that an output voltage of the DC-DC converter is gradually reduced when stopping an operation of the DC-DC converter in a normal state in which the voltage detection unit does not detect a voltage lower than a predetermined value. When the voltage detection unit detects a voltage lower than the predetermined value, the control unit immediately turns off the switching element to stop the operation of the DC-DC converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: OMRON AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masanori Ando, Yasumichi Omoto
  • Patent number: 9660537
    Abstract: A power converter provides a low-voltage output using a full-bridge fault-tolerant rectification circuit. The output circuit uses controlled switches as rectifiers. A fault detection circuit monitors circuit conditions. Upon detection of a fault, the switches are disabled decoupling the power converter from the system. A common-source dual MOSFET device includes a plurality of elements arranged in alternating patterns on a semiconductor die. A common-source dual synchronous rectifier includes control circuitry powered from the drain to source voltage of the complementary switch. A DC-to-DC transformer converts power from an input source to a load using a fixed voltage transformation ratio. A clamp phase may be used to reduce power losses in the converter at light loads, control the effective output resistance of the converter, effectively regulate the voltage transformation ratio, provide narrow band output regulation, and control the rate of change of output voltage for example during start up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: VLT, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrizio Vinciarelli
  • Patent number: 9660702
    Abstract: A control method for use in a primary side power converter (1) of an inductive power transfer (IPT) system. The power transfer from the primary side to one or more secondary pick-ups is monitored, and the operating frequency of the primary side power converter (1) is varied in proportion to a difference between the monitored power transfer and a power capability of the primary side power converter. The frequency variation can be sensed by the or each pick-up (2) to regulate the power transfer and to prevent overloading from occurring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Auckland UniServices Limited
    Inventors: Udaya Kumara Madawala, Duleepa Jayanath Thrimawithana
  • Patent number: 9660643
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide a power device that includes an upper power module and a lower power module. The upper power module and the lower power module are coupled in series between two supply voltages, and are respectively controlled by a first control signal and a second control signal. Interconnections of the power device are inductively coupled to prevent reliability issues, such as crosstalk, self turn on, self sustained oscillation, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Chi-Ming Wang, Yincan Mao, Zichen Miao, Khai Ngo
  • Patent number: 9660548
    Abstract: A rectification device equipped with: a rectification circuit wherein switch elements are on the two sides adjacent to the side of an AC power source on which a feedback current flows, and the other two sides are rectification elements; an input voltage detector; an input current detector; and a control circuit that modulates the pulse width to control the switch elements in response to the difference between the input current and an input current target value generated on the basis of a synchronized sine wave synchronized with the input voltage. When the polarity of the input voltage, the input current, or the synchronized sine wave differs from the polarity of the other two, the two switch elements are switched simultaneously. Thus, it is possible to prevent circuit damage in the rectification device and to reduce the power factor even when there is a possibility of short-circuiting in the AC power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Kota Matsui
  • Patent number: 9653983
    Abstract: A power conversion apparatus is applied to a filter circuit. A reactor of the filter circuit includes a vertical pair of yoke iron cores, in each of which a thin strip of magnetic material is rolled in a toroidal manner and magnetic leg iron cores having respective phases being a pillar formed of thin-strip shaped magnetic material, being provided on a symmetrical position on a circumference with respect to a center of the yoke iron cores, connecting the vertical pair of the yoke iron cores, and providing a coil. The reactor also includes magnetic leg iron cores for zero-phase impedance having the respective phases, each having a rectangular parallelepiped shape in which a plurality of thin strips made of magnetic material are laminated in a direction toward a periphery from the center of the yoke iron cores and being provided between the magnetic leg iron cores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Naoyuki Kurita
  • Patent number: 9653207
    Abstract: An inductive power transfer (IPT system) includes an AC-AC full-bridge converter (Tp1-Tp4) provided between the primary conductive path (Lpt) and an alternating current power supply (Vin). The system may include a controller for controlling the pick-up device to shape the input current drawn from the alternating current power supply (Vin).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: AUCKLAND UNISERVICES LIMITED
    Inventors: Udaya Kumara Madawala, Duleepa Jayanath Thrimawithana
  • Patent number: 9647565
    Abstract: A driving module of a resonant converter receives an enabling signal and a voltage across a switch of a secondary side, and generates a control signal for first and second switches of the secondary side. The driving module cyclically controls switches of a primary full-bridge switching stage and both switches of the secondary side. After a fixed time, the driving module turns off the low-side switch and turns on the high-side switch, waits for a rising edge of the enabling signal, waits for zero current in the secondary side switches, turns off the first switch via the control signal after a variable delay relative to the rising edge of the enabling signal, keeps the second switch on, waits for zero voltage across the first switch, switches back on the first switch via the control signal when the voltage measured across the first switch drops below a variable threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Roberto Cardu, Massimiliano Picca, Lorenzo Trevisan, Cristian Porta
  • Patent number: 9647534
    Abstract: A power conversion apparatus is constituted by a power conversion circuit and a control section. The control section causes a gate driving signal to alternately open and close a set of a first switch and a fourth switch, and a set of a second switch and a third switch based on a circuit current flowing through the power conversion circuit and a voltage of an AC power supply. A current in which a high frequency component is mixed into a low frequency component of the AC power supply flows through the power conversion apparatus by the opening and closing the sets of the switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yutaka Usami
  • Patent number: 9642587
    Abstract: A power supply device includes a power supply module, a high voltage conversion module and a control module. The high voltage conversion module includes a first high-voltage output module and a second high-voltage output module both connected to the power supply module. The control module is connected to the first high-voltage output module and the second high-voltage output module to respectively sample a first output voltage of the first high-voltage output module and a second output voltage of the second high-voltage output module and generate a power control signal, a first control signal and a second control signal respectively used to control the power supply module, the first high-voltage output module and the second high-voltage output module. There is a phase difference between the first control signal and the second control signal to interleaving control the first high-voltage output module and the second high-voltage output module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Delta Electronics,Inc.
    Inventors: Hongyuan Jin, Jun Liu, Dezhi Jiao
  • Patent number: 9630513
    Abstract: A portable, bi-directional multiport AC/DC charging cable system provides bi-directional power flow to and from one or more energy storage cells of a vehicle. The system includes a direct current (DC) input/output cable configured to be coupled to the vehicle and an alternating current (AC) input cable configured to be coupled to an AC power source. The system further includes a power module that is coupled to each of the DC input/output cable and to the AC input cable. The power module has an AC output for providing AC power to an external AC load, and a bi-directional AC/DC converter configured to galvanically isolate the vehicle from each of the AC power source and external AC load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Cliff Fietzek, Philipp Retsch
  • Patent number: 9621051
    Abstract: An electrical power converter comprises an inverter with semiconductor switches, a resonant circuit coupled with the inverter, and a controller for switching the semiconductor switches of the inverter to switching states. The controller is adapted for periodically switching the inverter between switching states, such that a periodic resonant current is generated in the resonant circuit, for synchronizing switching events of the switching states with the periodic resonant current, such that a switching state is applied to the inverter at a time point associated with a specific periodic point of the periodic resonant current, and for applying the switching states such that an overall power feed backward from the resonant circuit to an input of the inverter is balanced with an overall power feed forward from the input of the inverter to the resonant circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventor: Bernhard Wagner
  • Patent number: 9608532
    Abstract: To maximize power efficiency, dead time between “on” times of a synchronous rectifier (“SR”) MOSFET switch and a main switch for CCM operation in particular in isolated and non-isolated self-driven synchronous DC-DC converters needs to be optimized. To accomplish that objective, the latest conduction time t of a body diode of the SR MOSFET following conduction thereof is determined, compared with a selected fixed optimum period T1, and incrementally or decrementally adjusted in a subsequent switching cycle while t is unequal to T1, depending on whether t is shorter or longer than T1, so that t eventually is made substantially equal to T1 in length. This process is to be repeated continuously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: JoulWatt Technology Inc. Limited
    Inventors: Pitleong Wong, Yuancheng Ren, Xunwei Zhou
  • Patent number: 9602007
    Abstract: A power conversion apparatus includes a first DC/DC converter which includes a first transformer, a first primary circuit provided at a primary side of the first transformer, and a first secondary circuit provided at a secondary side of the first transformer. The first secondary circuit includes sets of a switching element and a free-wheel diode, which is connected between an input terminal and an output terminal of the switching element, to perform synchronous rectification operation and diode rectification operation. The apparatus includes a second DC/DC converter which includes a second transformer, a second primary circuit provided at a primary side of the second transformer, and a second secondary circuit provided at a secondary side of the second transformer. The second secondary circuit includes a plurality of rectifier diodes, which are arranged in parallel with each other, to perform the diode rectification operation constantly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Hosoda
  • Patent number: 9602067
    Abstract: A switching amplifying method or a switching amplifier for obtaining one or more than one linearly amplified replicas of an input signal, is highly efficient, and does not have the disadvantage of “dead time” problem related to the class D amplifiers. Said switching amplifying method comprises the steps of: receiving the input signal; pulse modulating the input signal for generating a pulse modulated signal; switching a pulsed current from a direct current (DC) voltage according to the pulse modulated signal; conducting said pulsed current positively or negatively to a filter according to the polarity of the input signal; filtering said pulsed current positively or negatively conducted to the filter for outputting an output signal by the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Inventor: Wen-Hsiung Hsieh
  • Patent number: 9595888
    Abstract: A power converter is provided. The power converter includes a converter leg including switches for converting power. The power converter also includes a controller for switching the switches using a pulse width modulation technique. The power converter further includes an interface inductor coupled to the converter leg for avoiding a reverse recovery of current in the switches during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Fengfeng Tao, Maja Harfman Todorovic, Luis Jose Garces, Rui Zhou, Donald Gene Marabell, Robert Louis Steigerwald
  • Patent number: 9595877
    Abstract: An apparatus comprises an isolated power converter coupled to an input dc power source, wherein the isolated power converter comprises a primary switching network operating at a fixed switching frequency, a secondary resonant tank including a dc blocking capacitor and a rectifier having two input terminals coupled to the secondary resonant tank, an output capacitor coupled between a first output terminal of the rectifier and a load and a dc/dc converter coupled between a second output terminal of the rectifier and the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Futurewei Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Heping Dai, Dianbo Fu, Liming Ye, Daoshen Chen
  • Patent number: 9595876
    Abstract: Power converters and methods of converting power are provided. In one aspect a converter includes an input to receive an input voltage having an input voltage value, an output, a first voltage bus, a midpoint, a first transformer having a primary and a secondary, a first circuit coupled to the input, coupled between the midpoint and the first voltage bus and coupled to the primary of the first transformer, an output circuit coupled to the secondary of the first transformer and coupled to the output, and a control circuit coupled to the first circuit and configured to control the first circuit to provide an AC voltage at the primary of the first transformer, wherein the control circuit is configured to control switches of the first circuit using a modified triangular waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC IT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Henning Roar Nielsen
  • Patent number: 9590502
    Abstract: A regulated switching converter having improved closed loop settling time is disclosed. An error amplifier having a voltage reference input, a feedback input, and an error output is included. An output filter having a voltage output terminal coupled to the feedback input provides an output voltage sample to the error amplifier. A compensation network coupled between the feedback input and the error output of the error amplifier includes at least one capacitor and at least one switch that is communicatively coupled across the at least one capacitor. A controller is adapted to monitor current flowing through the switching output terminal. The controller has at least one switch control output coupled to a control input of the at least one switch to allow the controller to momentarily close the at least one switch to substantially discharge the at least one capacitor when a predetermined high current state is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventor: Ashraf Rozek
  • Patent number: 9586495
    Abstract: After turning on a switching element by receiving a discharge command from a motor ECU via a control circuit, a drive circuit of a discharge device causes, upon receipt of an overheat protection command from an overheat protection circuit, the switching element to turn off and keeps the resulting state thereof. And, the motor ECU sends the discharge command, after establishment of a diagnostic condition, to the control circuit of the discharge device and determines that the discharge device is abnormal if an electric current will not flow through a discharge resistor and the switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takao Kanzaki, Tomoo Yamabuki
  • Patent number: 9584042
    Abstract: A method for controlling the switching of an inverter, a bridge of which is adapted to chop a voltage from a direct voltage source for feeding a chopped voltage to a primary of a transformer; the inverter comprises a diode rectifier circuit receiving the input voltage from the secondary of the transformer in order to achieve a voltage fed to a chopper which feeds a load. The method comprises: a step in which the switches of the bridge are driven so that the power source is disconnected from the primary, the terminals of which are connected to each other by at least two of the electronic switches and recirculation diodes of the bridge itself, so that the voltage present on the secondary of said transformer is null; a step in which the switching of at least one electronic switch of a chopper branch is achieved when the voltage on the secondary is substantially null in order to minimize switching losses due to the opening/closing of the electronic switch of the chopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Ansaldobreda S.p.A.
    Inventors: Giovanni Busatto, Luigi Fratelli, Francesco Iannuzzo, Carmine Abbate
  • Patent number: 9577429
    Abstract: A parallel filter arrangement with at least two filters supplying current in line side sensing configuration and a number of sensors for measuring current. The sensors are used to determine the amount of current being supplied by the filters and the amount of current being supplied by a source. The filters adjust their supplied current in order to reduce or eliminate the amount of reactive or harmonic current being supplied by a source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: TCI, LLC
    Inventors: Ian Wallace, Ashish Bendre, William Kranz, Jeff Seibold
  • Patent number: 9577564
    Abstract: A drive system with energy store and method for operating a drive system, an inverter powering an electric motor, the inverter being supplied from a unipolar DC-link voltage, an energy store being connected in parallel to the inverter, in particular, a film capacitor being connected in parallel to the inverter, the DC-link voltage being generated by a DC/DC converter which is supplied from an AC/DC converter, especially a rectifier, in particular, an electric current being able to be supplied to the DC link by the DC/DC converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: SEW-EURODRIVE GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Sebastian Schiffmann, Josef Schmidt, Matthias Hauck, Christian Lampert, Daniel Tritschler, Thomas Zöller
  • Patent number: 9570993
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter wherein a series reactor and primary-side terminals of a transformer are connected between output terminals of a full-bridge inverter in which each of an upper arm and a lower arm includes a switching element and a freewheel diode, and a rectifier circuit and a filter circuit are connected to secondary-side terminals of the transformer. The DC-DC converter includes a circulation current generation mode in which a circulation current flowing between the transformer and the switching element is generated in a power non-transmission period, and a circulation current interruption mode in which the circulation current is interrupted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takaaki Takahara, Satoshi Murakami, Ryota Kondo, Masaki Yamada
  • Patent number: 9564821
    Abstract: Included are a switching power supply device main body, and a frequency control circuit that controls the switching frequency of a switching element in accordance with a feedback signal in accordance with the output voltage of the switching power supply device main body. The frequency control circuit is divided into a frequency control region wherein the amount of the feedback signal is greater than a predetermined boundary value and a frequency control region wherein the amount is less, linear frequency control whereby the switching frequency of the switching element is caused to change linearly in accordance with the feedback signal is executed in the frequency control region wherein the feedback amount is less, and linear cycle control whereby the switching cycle of the switching element is caused to change linearly in accordance with the feedback signal is executed in the frequency control region wherein the feedback amount is greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masayuki Yamadaya
  • Patent number: 9565728
    Abstract: An LED drive circuit (1) includes: a booster circuit (2); a light emitting pattern generator (5); and a switching switch (3) for, (i) during an on period, feeding back, to the booster circuit (2), an electric current flowing to an LED (7), and (ii) during an off period, feeding back, to the booster circuit (2), a voltage signal obtained by dividing an output voltage of the booster circuit (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Norikazu Yagi
  • Patent number: 9559603
    Abstract: A power converter including: a transformer; a primary-side full-bridge circuit including a primary-side coil of the transformer and a magnetically-coupled reactor, in which two reactors connected to both ends of the primary-side coil are magnetically coupled; a first port connected to a positive electrode bus bar of the primary-side full-bridge circuit; a second port connected to a tap of the primary-side coil; a secondary-side full-bridge circuit including a secondary-side coil of the transformer; a third port connected to a positive electrode bus bar of the secondary-side full-bridge circuit; a first search coil wound around a core of the magnetically-coupled reactor; a second search coil wound around a core of the transformer; and a detection circuit detecting voltages of the first port and the third port by measuring a variation in a sense voltage generated by combining voltages of the first search coil and the second search coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiro Usami
  • Patent number: 9543843
    Abstract: There is provided a power supply device having a primary side and a secondary side isolated from each other. The power supply device includes: a power supply unit converting power from the primary side to output the converted power to the secondary side; a control unit located on the secondary side and acquiring control information on the power supply unit based on a voltage output from the power supply unit; and a delivery unit delivering the control information to the primary side, the delivery unit including a Y-capacitor that provides an EMI noise path between the primary side and the secondary side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: SOLUM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tae Won Heo, Hwan Cho, Jeong Gyu Lim, Sang Kyoo Han, Young Seung Noh, Bo Mi Lee
  • Patent number: 9537401
    Abstract: A push-pull converter including a primary-side input converter circuit with a plurality of primary-side switching devices in a full-bridge circuit including a transformer being designed to receive the first AC voltage on a primary-side winding and to generate a second AC voltage on a secondary-side winding. The push-pull converter includes a secondary-side output converter circuit to convert the second AC voltage into an output DC voltage, including a first semi-bridge circuit, said semi-bridge circuit including a first secondary-side switching device, a second secondary-side switching device, and a first center tap connected to a first connection of the secondary-side winding. The secondary-side output converter circuit includes a second semi-bridge circuit which includes a first secondary-side diode, a second secondary-side diode, and a second center tap connected to a second connection of the secondary-side winding, said second semi-bridge circuit not including a switchable component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Florian Hembach, Christoph Van Booven