Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Earl James Copple

John M Rein

A square wave power inverter includes a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, first and second input voltage sources, and a pair of power switching transistors connected series between the first and second voltage sources for selectively connecting the first and second input voltage sources to the primary winding of the transformer. A pair of output terminals is connected to the secondary winding of the transformer for receiving a load. An inverter control is connected to the gates of the switching transistors for generating a gate drive signal. The inverter control generates a low impedance, substantially square wave, gate drive signal, producing a substantially square wave inverter output when a substantial load is connected to the output terminals, and a high impedance gate drive signal, producing a trapezoidal inverter output when a light load is connected to the output terminals. In particular, the inverter control is connected to the output terminals, and produces low impedance drive signal when the voltage at the output terminals is below a predetermined threshold, and high impedance drive signals when the voltage at the output terminals is above the predetermined threshold. The inverter control includes a low impedance gate drive that is connected to the gates of the switching transistors when a substantial load is connected to the output terminals, and a higher impedance gate drive that is connected to the gates of the switching transistors when a light load is connected to the output terminals.

Shifted drive inverter for multiple loads

A DC power converter is disclosed for converting an input voltage to a final output voltage that is higher than the input voltage. The power converter includes an input terminal for receiving the input voltage and a final output terminal. A boost converter generates an intermediate voltage that is higher than the input voltage and lower than the final output voltage. The boost converter includes an inductor having a primary winding that has a first end connected to the input terminal, a switch for selectively connecting the second end of the first winding to ground, a first diode connected between the second end of the first winding and an intermediate node, and a first output capacitor connected between the intermediate node and ground. The boost converter produces at the first output capacitor an intermediate voltage higher than the input voltage. The step up converter described further includes a second winding on the inductor, a first end of which is connected to receive the intermediate voltage. A diode is connected between the second end of the second winding and the converter output terminal. A second output capacitor is connected between the converter output terminal and ground.

High efficiency DC step-up voltage converter

A power converter is disclosed that includes multiple lower power boost converters interconnected to reduce the magnitude of the input current ripple and output current ripple by distributing the converter current draw over time, as compared to a single boost converter. The operating cycle of each of the multiple boost converters is phase shifted with respect to the others. The converter described converts a primary input DC voltage into an output DC voltage, wherein the output DC voltage is higher than the primary input DC voltage. The converter includes a primary input terminal for receiving the primary input DC voltage and a plurality of boost converter cells, each of which has an input connected to the primary input terminal, and each of which has an output. The converter additionally includes a master controller for causing each boost converter cell to operate in a predetermined phase relationship with respect to the other boost converter cells. An output filter is connected to the output of each boost converter cell for summing the outputs of the boost converter cells to produce the output DC voltage. A feedback from the converter output terminal through the master controller to each boost converter cell provides an error command to each boost converter cell to accomplish output voltage regulation.

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Arlington Heights, IL, United States of America

Earl James Copple