Eaton Intelligent Power Limited

James Andrew McBryde

Swanand Juvekar

A multi-level converter includes a plurality of capacitors coupled in series between first and second nodes of a DC port and coupled to one another at n&#x2212;2 first intermediate nodes. The converter also includes a switching circuit including at least one first switch configured to couple the first node of the DC port to an input/output node, at least one second switch configured to couple the second node of the DC port to the input/output node, and at least three third switches configured to couple respective ones of the first intermediate nodes to the input/output node. The converter further includes a control circuit configured to control the first, second and third switches to provide an n-level converter.

Hybrid I-T type multi-level converters

An apparatus includes a string of capacitors including at least two capacitors coupled in series and a switching circuit including a first port having first and second terminals connected to a first node and a second end node, respectively, of the string of capacitors, and a second port configured to be coupled to an energy storage device. The switching circuit is configured to selectively connect first and second terminals of the second port to a first end node, a second end node, and at least one interconnection node of the siring of capacitors. The apparatus also includes at least one inductor configured to be coupled in series with the second port of the switching circuit and the energy storage device and a charging switch configured to directly connect the first terminal of the second port to the second terminal of the second port. The apparatus further includes a control circuit configured to close the charging switch to charge the inductor from the energy storage device in first intervals and to selectively close at least two switches of the switching circuit in second intervals to selectively charge the capacitors of the string of capacitors from the charged at least one inductor.

Balancing multilevel DC-DC converter apparatus

A multi-level converter includes a plurality of capacitors coupled in series between first and second nodes of a DC port and coupled to one another at n-2 first intermediate nodes. The converter also includes a switching circuit including at least one first switch configured to couple the first node of the DC port to an input/output node, at least one second switch configured to couple the second node of the DC port to the input/output node, and at least three third switches configured to couple respective ones of the first intermediate nodes to the input/output node. The converter further includes a control circuit configured to control the first, second and third switches to provide an n-level converter.

Growing community of inventors

Wake Forest, NC, United States of America

James Andrew McBryde