Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jessica Boles

David J Perreault

Joshua Piel

Jeffrey Hastings Lang

Joseph Bonavia

A dc-dc converter can include a plurality of switches, a piezoelectric resonator (PR) for power stage energy storage, and a means for controlling one or more switching sequences. The switches operate in accordance with the switching sequences to transfer energy from the input to the output via the PR while providing low-loss resonant soft-charging of the PR's capacitance. The switching sequences include: connected stages in which a first and second PR terminals are both connected to one of the input, the output, or the other PR terminal; and open stages in which at least one of the first or second PR terminal is not connected by a closed switch to one of the input, the output, or the other PR terminal.

DC-DC converter based on piezoelectric resonator

Described are structures and techniques for providing high-efficiency, high-power-density piezoelectric resonators (PRs) for use in power converters. In some embodiments, a power converter can include a PR for energy transfer, where the PR substantially satisfies geometry conditions disclosed herein for achieving high-efficiency and high-power-density. The geometry conditions can be defined in terms of the converter's specified (e.g., rated) voltage and power level.

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Murfreesboro, TN, United States of America

Jessica Boles