EP0550167A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
High-band width point-of-load power supply
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1992-12-09
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-12-09
Abstract
Abstract A point-of-load power supply employs a linear series regulator between a dc source and a resonant forward converter to achieve high bandwidth and to minimize magnetic and energy-storage components. The linear series regulator is controlled by the power supply output voltage in such manner that the linear series regulator regulates the output voltage over a high bandwidth. In one embodiment, a capacitor-multiplying, dual resonant forward converter is employed wherein a relatively high-voltage, energy-storage capacitor is coupled in parallel between the input dc power source and the converter. The converter is controlled such that one of the transformers is always coupled to the output so that energy is stored on the relatively high-voltage side of the converter, and the value of the energy-storage capacitance is reduced. In distributed power systems wherein the dc input voltage is provided by another centralized power supply such that the dc input voltage is fairly well regulated, a low-overhead series regulator (e.g., an n-channel FET) can be used in order to further increase efficiency. Alternatively, the two switching devices of the dual resonant forward converter are controlled to function as the linear regulator, thus reducing the required number of power devices.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Louis Steigerwald
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 01:16
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02M; H02M3/00; H02M3/22; H02M3/24; H02M3/28; H02M3/285; G; G05; G05F; G05F1/00; G05F1/10; G05F1/46; G05F1/56; G05F1/563; H02M3/01; H02M3/325; H02M3/335; H02M3/33569; Y; Y02; Y02B; Y02B70/00; Y02B70/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
A power supply for providing a dc output voltage when coupled to a dc source voltage, comprising: switching converter means for providing voltage isolation and impedance transformation between said dc source voltage and said dc output voltage; linear regulator means for regulating said dc output voltage over a relatively high bandwidth, said linear regulator means being coupled in series between said dc source voltage and said switching converter means; and control means for feeding back said dc output voltage for controlling said linear regulator means to regulate said dc output voltage.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
17 words
The power supply of claim 1 wherein said linear regulator means comprises a linear series pass device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
The power supply of claim 2 wherein said linear series pass device comprises an n-channel transistor, said control means controlling operation of said linear series pass device such that the gate voltage thereof is greater than the drain voltage thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
The power supply of claim 1 wherein said switching converter means comprises at least one switching device, at least one switching device of said switching converter means comprising said linear regulator means, the gate drive voltage of said switching device being controlled to adjust the forward voltage drop across said switching device in order to regulate said output voltage.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
80 words
The power supply of claim 1 wherein said switching converter means comprises a capacitor-multiplying converter, said capacitor-multiplying converter including an energy-storage capacitance Ce for coupling to said dc source voltage and an output filter capacitance Co, said capacitor-multiplying converter further including a primary winding of at least one transformer coupled to said energy-storage capacitance, said transformer having a turns ratio N; whereby the equivalent output capacitance Ceo of said converter is given by the expression: Ceo = N²Ce + Co.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The power supply of claim 5 wherein said linear regulator means comprises a linear series pass device.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The power supply of claim 6 wherein said converter further comprises an auxiliary winding on said transformer, the voltage induced across said auxiliary winding providing the gate drive power to said linear series pass device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The power supply of claim 6 wherein said linear series pass device comprises an n-channel transistor, said control means controlling operation of said linear series pass device such that the gate voltage thereof is greater than the drain voltage thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
The power supply of claim 8 wherein said converter further comprises an auxiliary winding on said transformer, the voltage induced across said auxiliary winding providing the gate drive power to said linear series pass device.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The power supply of claim 1 wherein said switching converter means comprises a resonant converter.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The power supply of claim 10 wherein said linear regulator means comprises a linear series pass device.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
The power supply of claim 11 wherein said linear series pass device comprises an n-channel transistor, said control means controlling operation of said linear series pass device such that the gate voltage thereof is greater than the drain voltage thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
59 words
The power supply of claim 10 wherein said switching converter means comprises at least one switching device, at least one switching device of said switching converter means comprising said linear regulator means, the gate drive voltage of said switching device being controlled to adjust the forward voltage drop across said switching device in order to regulate said output voltage.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
164 words
The power supply of claim 10 wherein said resonant converter comprises a capacitor-multiplying, dual resonant forward converter, comprising: an energy-storage capacitance Ce for coupling to said dc source voltage; a series combination of a first switching device and a primary winding of a first transformer coupled in parallel with said energy-storage capacitance; a series combination of a second switching device and a primary winding of a second transformer coupled in parallel with said energy-storage capacitance; a secondary winding of said first transformer and a secondary winding of said second transformer each being coupled in parallel through separate respective rectifying means to an output filter capacitance Co; and drive means for driving said first and second switching devices at a substantially 50% duty cycle and substantially 180° out-of-phase with respect to each other, said first and second transformers each having substantially the same turns ratio N; whereby the equivalent output capacitance Ceo of said converter is given by the expression: Ceo = N²Ce + Co.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
The power supply of claim 14 wherein said linear regulator means comprises a linear series pass device.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
The power supply of claim 15 wherein said converter further comprises an auxiliary winding on at least one of said transformers, the voltage induced across said auxiliary winding providing the gate drive power to said linear series pass device.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
40 words
The power supply of claim 15 wherein said linear series pass device comprises an n-channel transistor, said control means controlling operation of said linear series pass device such that the gate voltage thereof is greater than the drain voltage thereof.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
39 words
The power supply of claim 17 wherein said converter further comprises an auxiliary winding on at least one of said transformers, the voltage induced across said auxiliary winding providing the gate drive power to said linear series pass device.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
57 words
The power supply of claim 14 wherein said first and second switching devices of said dual resonant forward converter comprise said linear regulator means, the gate drive voltage of said first and second switching devices being controlled to adjust the forward voltage drop across said first and second switching devices in order to regulate said output voltage.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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