The multichannel interleaving buck converter with small inductance has proved to be suitable for voltage regulator modules (VRMs) with low voltages, high currents, and fast transients. Integrated magnetic components are used to reduce the size of the converter and improve efficiency. However, the structure of the integrated magnetic requires precise adjustment and is not mechanical stable. This paper proposes integrated coupling inductors between the channels to solve these problems. With the proper design, coupling inductors can improve both the steady-state and dynamic performances of VRMs with easier manufacturing.

Performance improvements of interleaving VRMs with coupling inductors

A Factorized Power Architecture (“FPA”) method and apparatus includes a front end power regulator (“PRM) which provides one or more controlled DC bus voltages which are distributed through the system and converted to the desired load voltages using one or more DC voltage transformation modules (“VTMs”) at the point of load. VTMs convert the DC bus voltage to the DC voltage required by the load using a fixed transformation ratio K=V out /V in and with a low output resistance. VTMs exhibit high power density, efficiency and, owing to their inherent simplicity and component utilization, reliability. VTMs may be paralleled and share power without dedicated protocol and control interfaces, supporting scalability and fault tolerance. Feedback may be provided from a feedback controller at the point of load to the front end or to upstream, on-board power regulator modules (“PRMs”) to achieve precise regulation.

Factorized power architecture with point of load sine amplitude converters

A power system having a power converter with an adaptive controller. The power system is coupled to a load and includes a power system controller that receives a signal indicating a system operational state of the load and selects a power converter operational state as a function thereof. The power system also includes a power converter with a power switch that conducts for a duty cycle to provide a regulated output characteristic at an output thereof. The power converter also includes a controller that receives a command from the power system controller to enter the power converter operational state and provides a signal to control the duty cycle of the power switch as a function of the output characteristic and in accordance with the command, thereby regulating an internal operating characteristic of the power converter to improve an operating efficiency thereof as a function of the system operational state.

Power system with power converters having an adaptive controller

A power converter nearly losslessly delivers energy and recovers energy from capacitors associated with controlled rectifiers in a secondary winding circuit, each controlled rectifier having a parallel uncontrolled rectifier. First and second primary switches in series with first and second primary windings, respectively, are turned on for a fixed duty cycle, each for approximately one half of the switching cycle. Switched transition times are short relative to the on-state and off-state times of the controlled rectifiers. The control inputs to the controlled rectifiers are cross-coupled from opposite secondary transformer windings.

High efficiency power converter

This paper describes developments in the technology of converters primarily intended for server-type distributed power system (DPS) applications. The paper first addresses the single-phase two-stage DPS, discussing the available options for simple power factor correction and high-performance DC-DC converters. Next, the concept is extended to three-phase high-power front-end converters, which also use a two-stage approach. Finally the paper presents the developments in load converters, with emphasis on low-, medium-, and high-voltage regulator modules used to supply high-performance microprocessors. The discussion throughout the paper is supported by an extensive list of references and experimental results.

Topologies and design considerations for distributed power system applications

This paper presents an innovative design for a high efficiency, low profile, low voltage DC-DC power converter module intended for card mounted applications in a distributed aircraft power system. An innovative integrated magnetic structure for the half-bridge power converter lumps all the magnetic components into one structure and reduces the number of magnetic terminations. By incorporating advanced hybrid power packaging with the proposed integrated magnetic technique, a preliminary hybrid module of 1.6"/spl times/2.0" footprint and 0.21" height was developed. An overall efficiency (including the control circuit and power stage) of 90% was achieved for a 3.3 V, 100 W output operating at a 500 kHz switching frequency. The new integrated magnetic structure can be extended to other topologies.

W. Chen

Papers

Design of high efficiency, low profile, low voltage converter with integrated magnetics