The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 10, 1998
Filed:
Apr. 17, 1997
Patrizio Vinciarelli, Boston, MA (US);
Jay Prager, Tyngsboro, MA (US);
VLT Corporation, San Antonio, TX (US);
Abstract
AC-DC boost switching power conversion apparatus delivers power from a bipolar input voltage source to a load at a unipolar load voltage without including rectifiers directly in the path of the current which is delivered from the input source. By this means the converter exhibits lower power loss in semiconductor diodes and switches than is exhibited by prior art converters which interpose a rectifier between a bipolar source and a DC-DC boost converter. Power processing is performed by circuitry of the kind which includes an inductive element in series with the bipolar input source, shunt paths which include switching elements for recirculating a bipolar shunt current back toward the input source, a controller for turning the switching elements on and off during each of a series of converter operating cycles and rectification elements which are arranged to deliver a unipolar current to the load. The switching elements may be bipolar switches, which can block a voltage of either polarity when on, and conduct a current of either polarity when off. In zero-current switching embodiments the converter includes circuit elements, such as inductors and capacitors, which allow for turning the switching elements on and off at zero current. One class of AC-DC converters, called 'fully integrated boost bridge converters,' may be used to construct converter arrays of arbitrary size in which each individual converter within the array will share both in the power delivered to the load and in the current withdrawn from, and returned to, the bipolar input source.