Online Power Supply, Inc.

Ops Power LLC

Christopher Allen Riggio

Garth Blair Woodland

David P Thompson

Jeffrey Michael Buske

Lyle J Stahle

Nathan J Hunter

The use of low permeability magnetic material (NSME) with the disclosed design strategies form a two-stage isolated output converter system with the distinct advantages of superior density, efficiency, thermal operating bandwidth, service life, transient survival, and form factor flexibility over the prior art. These improvements are realized by, optimized application of NSME, efficient rectifying flyback management techniques, inclusion of switching buffers that substantially reduce switching losses. The instant invention provides power factor correction, output regulation, inrush limiting, over voltage, over current, over temperature, and transient protection, multi-converter load sharing, hot swapability, and fault signals. The disclosed system is designed, specified, and certified to function from &#x2212;40 deg. C. to +65 deg. C. from a 180 vac to 264 vac 50/60 Hz input line and supports 1000 watts of output or 600 watts from 90 vac to 120 vac 50/60 Hz line input at greater then 0.95 power factor and features a packaged power density of 14 watts per cu. in. at high line.

Two-stage converter using low permeability magnetics

Single, multistage, and distributed magnetic switched and tank resonant power conversion systems utilizing NSME. The NSME provide, superior protection to conducted lightning transients, superior thermal operating bandwidth, higher magnetizing efficiency, greater flux/power density potential and form factor flexibility when implemented with the disclosed circuit strategies. Output voltage is maintained substantially constant and ripple free in the presence of line and load variations by the action of various feedback strategies. These mechanisms combine to produce compensations by controlling the duration and/or frequency of a switch or switches. A novel function generator implementation supplies a signal, which is a function of magnetic flux tracking, AC line phasing, and output voltage feedback to provide output regulation, active ripple rejection, and power factor correction to the AC line. Efficient energy storage and transfer is achieved by the optimized application of NSME. The use of efficient rectifying flyback management techniques protects switches and provides additional output. A second novel generator implementation supplies a two-phase signal, which is a function of switching frequency/duty cycle, and output voltage, provides regulation. Further efficiencies are realized by the inclusion of switching buffers that substantially reduce switching losses by presenting a high slew rate, low source impedance critically damped drive current to the main switch or switches.

Individual or distributed non-saturating magnetic element(s) power converters and multi-stage converters

Single, multistage, and distributed magnetic switched and tank resonant power conversion systems use a non saturating magnetic element (NSME). The NSME provide superior protection to conducted lightning transients, superior thermal operating bandwidth, higher magnetizing efficiency, greater flux/power density potential and form factor flexibility when implemented with the disclosed circuit strategies. Output voltage is maintained substantially constant and ripple free in the presence of line and load variations by the action of various feedback strategies. These mechanisms combine to produce compensations by controlling the duration and/or frequency of a switch or switches. A novel function generator implementation supplies a signal which is a function of magnetic flux tracking, AC line phasing, and output voltage feedback to provide output regulation, active ripple rejection, and power factor correction to the AC line.

Individual or distributed non-saturating magnetic element(s) (referenced herein as NSME) power converters

A drive with a high impedance input, low impedance output is created. When a switching or driving action requiring the sourcing and sinking of current from a common node in a wide frequency range is desired, the invention allows the creation of a simple, efficient, two switch drive system that functions across a wide range of conditions. The circuit uses a discrete N-Channel FET paired with discrete PNP transistors. A high impedance input node is formed by connecting the FET gate to the transistor base. The differential threshold voltage that exists between the FET gate and the transistor base prevents the two devices from generating conflicting currents at the output node formed by the common source emitter. The circuit further lends itself to output waveform variations as may be required for various drive strategies by manipulating the input signal processing to custom modify the resulting output voltage and current.

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Longmont, CO, United States of America

Christopher Allen Riggio