Ben-gurion University of the Negev Research and Development Authority

Alon Blumenfeld

Shmuel Ben-Yaakov

Mor Mordechai Peretz

Alon Cervera

A power converter, which comprises a resonant Switched Capacitor Converter (SCC) that consists of an input connected to an input voltage source, from which power is delivered to a load; a resonant tank circuit formed by a capacitor connected in series with an inductor and defining a resonant cycle; a first switch connected in series between a first contact of the input voltage source and a first contact of the resonant tank circuit; a second switch connected in series between the first contact of the resonant tank circuit and a first contact of the load; a conducting path connecting between a second contact of the input voltage source, a second contact of the resonant tank circuit and a second contact of the load and a third switch connected in parallel to the resonant tank circuit. The converter is adapted to charge the resonant tank circuit by controlling the first switch to start conducting at a first zero crossing point and allow current to flow from the input voltage source to the tank circuit during a first portion of the cycle; discharge the resonant tank circuit into the load by controlling the first switch to stop conducting and the second switch to start conducting, at a second zero crossing point to thereby allow current to flow from the tank circuit to the load during a second portion of the cycle, and reverse the voltage polarity on the capacitor by controlling the second switch to stop conducting and the third switch to start conducting at a third zero crossing point during the last portion of the cycle.

High efficiency resonant switched capacitor converter with continuous conversion ratio

A method for increasing the power extraction capability out of Differential Power Processor (DPP) system, which consists of a chain of N serially connected PV elements and an array of N&#x2212;1 gyrator-type converters which are current sourcing resonant Switched Capacitor Converters (SCCs), each of which being connected in parallel with two adjacent PV elements. Accordingly, local MPPT is continuously performed, by each gyrator-type converter, to one of its two connected PV elements by sinking or sourcing current to/from the neighboring PV element. Whenever a mismatch in the MPPs is detected, the gyrator-type converters are used to provide the difference in current that is required for each of the PV elements to operate at its MPP, such that the amount of power processed by each gyrator-type converter in the chain is linearly proportional to its location in the chain, with respect to the mismatched PV element.

Growing community of inventors

Ashkelon, Israel

Alon Blumenfeld