ENERGY CONVERTER, AND SYSTEM

Abstract

This is a power converter system for supplying power to a load. It includes a buck converter with a DC input and a DC output, configured to receive a DC voltage at the DC input and supply a DC output voltage at the DC output. The converter also includes a voltage monitor that monitors the supplied voltage at the DC output and a selectively connectable transient suppression circuit connected to that DC output and connected to the voltage monitor. The selectively connectable transient suppression circuit includes a dissipation circuit and a suppression circuit switch connected in series with the dissipation circuit, which controls the load dissipation from the DC output to the dissipation circuit based on the voltage monitor determining that the voltage at the DC output is above a threshold.

Description

15 ENERGY CONVERTER, AND SYSTEM CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED REQUESTS

[001] This application claims the benefit of IN Application No. 202211030945 filed on May 30, 2022, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. FUNDAMENTALS

[002] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the technique of power converters and, in particular, to buck converters that have low overshoot and settling time.

[003] Switched-mode DC-to-DC converter power supplies are widely used to convert power from a source, such as the mains electricity, into a DC power supply for electronic devices.

[004] Modern embedded control systems (e.g., a field-programmable gate array - FPGA or other core, such as a DSP core) require voltage as low as 1 V DC. In the aerospace industry or any domain, a typical standard voltage available is 28 V (or 48 V). Therefore, for the point of load (PoL), an efficient DC-DC converter is needed to reduce the 28 V (or 48 V) to 1 V. Furthermore, these devices may require that a precise voltage (e.g., within 5%) is always supplied.

[005] One way to provide this power is through a buck converter. A buck converter is also known as a step-down converter and is a DC-DC converter that reduces an input voltage to a lower output voltage. A buck converter is in a class of converters called switched-mode power supplies due to the inclusion of a switching transistor that selectively supplies a voltage from the input through the inductor. These converters are small and lightweight, but as shown below, in certain situations, modification of the Petition 870230042256, dated 05 / 19 / 2023, page 11 / 37 / 15 standard circuit may be desired. BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[006] A power converter is disclosed for supplying power to a load. The power converter includes a buck converter that has a DC input and a DC output and is configured to receive a DC voltage at the DC voltage input and supply a DC output voltage at the DC output, and a voltage monitor that monitors a supplied voltage at the DC output. The power converter also includes a transient suppression circuit that can be selectively connected across this DC output and connected to the voltage monitor. The selectively connectable transient suppression circuit includes a dissipation circuit and a suppression circuit switch connected in series with the dissipation circuit that controls the load dissipation from the DC output to the dissipation circuit based on the voltage monitor determining that the voltage at the DC output is above a threshold.

[007] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative to any of the previous embodiments, the selectively connectable transient suppression circuit is configured so that the suppression circuit switch is configured to electrically connect the dissipation circuit to the DC output when the voltage monitor determines that the voltage at the DC output is above the limit.

[008] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative to any of the previous embodiments, the selectively connectable transient suppression circuit is configured so that the suppression circuit switch is configured to electrically disconnect the dissipation circuit to the DC output when the voltage monitor determines that the voltage at the DC output is below the limit and after a period of time has elapsed.

[009] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or Petition 870230042256, dated 05 / 19 / 2023, p. 12 / 37 / 15 as an alternative to any of the previous modalities, the selectively connectable transient suppression circuit also includes: a trigger connected to the voltage monitor and the suppression circuit switch that controls the operation of the suppression circuit switch.

[0010] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative to any of the previous modes, a trigger is a single-pulse circuit that retains an input signal at its output for a period of time.

[0011] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative to any of the previous embodiments, the trigger is a monostable multivibrator and the time period is a multiple of a switching frequency of the buck converter.

[0012] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative to any of the previous embodiments, the dissipation circuit includes: a load capacitor; a current-limiting resistor connected in series with the load capacitor; and a dissipation resistor connected in parallel with the series connection of the load capacitor and the current-limiting resistor.

[0013] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative to any of the previous embodiments, the buck converter includes: an inductor connected between the DC input and the DC output; a control switch connected between the DC input and the inductor that controls the current flow to the inductor; and a controller that opens and closes the control switch with a signal based on the switching frequency.

[0014] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative to any of the previous methods, the time period is 30 times the signal period.

[0015] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative to any of the previous options, the converter Petition 870230042256, dated 05 / 19 / 2023, page 13 / 37 / 15 buck is included in an integrated circuit.

[0016] In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative to any of the previous embodiments, one or more of the following are included in the integrated circuit: the selectively connected transient suppression circuit; the dissipation circuit; and the suppression circuit switch.

[0017] A system is also disclosed that includes a power converter of any of the previous types. The system also includes a connected load and a DC voltage source connected to the power converter. The power converter converts the voltage received from the DC voltage source from a first level to a lower second level and supplies it to the load. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0018] The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way. With reference to the attached drawings, similar elements are numbered similarly: Figure 1 shows an example of a buck converter connected to a load according to one mode; Figures 2a-2c show circuit value graphs for the circuit in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows an example of a buck converter connected to a load according to one mode; and Figures 4a-4c show circuit value graphs for the circuit in Figure 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the apparatus and the disclosed method is presented in this document by way of example and not as a limitation, with reference to the Figures.

[0020] Figure 1 shows an example of a generic 100 buck converter. This 100 converter will be used to show certain elements and Petition 870230042256, dated 05 / 19 / 2023, p. 14 / 37 / 15, to explain certain deficiencies of the same, which the modalities disclosed in this document may improve. The discussion in Figure 1 may be aided by additional reference to Figures 2a-2c, which show, respectively, load current during a load restoration, current through the inductor Ls of the 100 buck converter, and the output voltage of the 100 buck converter.

[0021] The buck converter 100 includes DC input 102 and receives an input voltage from a DC voltage source 106.

[0022] As illustrated, the buck converter 100 includes an input capacitor Cin across the DC input 102 which smooths the input voltage received from the DC voltage source 106. The converter 100 provides a reduced DC voltage that is lower than the input voltage at its output 104. The voltage can be supplied to a load 110, such as a digital signal processor (DSP) or a controller which, in one embodiment, can be an FPGA. The converter 100 can also be a single monolithic IC. For example, (LT8620)

[0023] Converter 100 also includes an output capacitor Cout at output 104 to smooth the output. A switch 112 is connected between DC input 102 and inductor Ls. Inductor Ls is an energy storage element that is selectively switched on and off from the electrical contact with DC input 102 by switch 112. It is understood that a controller 114 may be provided to control switch 112 and, based on the duty cycle of the switch, control how much converter 100 reduces the voltage at output 104 (Vout) from the voltage received at DC input 102 (e.g., the voltage supplied by voltage source 106). As is known in the art, a control element 116 (such as a diode as illustrated or another transistor) may be provided to control a direction current flow from inductor Ls when Ls is disconnected from source 106. Petition 870230042256, dated 05 / 19 / 2023, page 15 / 37 / 15

[0024] In certain cases, the load 110 may require a precise voltage to be supplied. For this purpose, a voltage monitor (VMON) 120 may be provided to monitor the output voltage that Vout supplies to the load. If the voltage is too far above or too far below a defined limit, the monitor may indicate that an abnormal condition has occurred. Optionally, to help reduce the chances of rapid and transient changes causing many alarms, an alarm or “fault” filter 122 may be provided. This filter is shown as an independent element, but may be part of the voltage monitor 120 in some cases.Alarm filter 122 may require that the “alarm condition” (e.g., VMON 120 providing a positive or alarm output indication) remain for a period of time before an alarm is recognized as a real alarm as opposed to an anomaly or momentary voltage fluctuation that is resolved in a timely manner so that the load does not need to be reset.

[0025] The inventors of this document have found that in some cases, converter 100 may experience extreme load transient conditions. These conditions may make it difficult for converter 100 to maintain its output voltage (e.g., to avoid triggering voltage monitor 120) under the following extreme load transient scenarios: a) Outside the recovery condition - the 110 load draws large peak currents of 10A or more, typically within 1 µsec; and b) Going to the recovery condition - the load suddenly stops consuming current.

[0026] To address the load transient of the “condition (a)” type, the buck converter 100 can be modified to respond more quickly by using a higher switching frequency (e.g., by controller 114) and by using additional raw capacitance at the output 104. The additional capacitance (Cadd in Figure 1) is added to the output capacitance Cout and Petition 870230042256, dated 05 / 19 / 2023, page 16 / 37 / 15 connected through output 104. Cadd is not normally present in buck converters of the prior art.

[0027] However, the inventors of this document have found that adding the raw capacitance Cadd can reduce performance under load transients of the “condition (b)” type.

[0028] With reference now to Figures 1 and 2a-2c, the larger output capacitance (Cadd) added to handle the sudden demand on the load under condition type (a), implies that a large amount of energy is stored in the output capacitor. Therefore, under the transient condition type (b), when the load is suddenly removed (e.g., the load enters reset), the additional stored energy will take longer to discharge. This causes an initial overshoot and results in a much longer settling time (greater than the fault time). This causes the voltage at the output of the buck converter 104 to exceed the overvoltage tripping limit set by the voltage monitor 120. As mentioned above, the voltage monitor 120 can be any type of circuit that can monitor over and under voltage rail voltages (e.g., Vout) and provide an indication of whether they are within the allowed voltage levels or not.However, due to the reduced settling time caused by Cadd, the monitor may generate annoying triggers / incorrect indication that the buck converter is faulty, which is unacceptable in safety-critical applications.

[0029] For example, consider Figures 2a-2c which show various currents / voltages over time as load 110 enters the recovery condition. In the recovery condition, the current consumed by load 110 drops from a normal operating value (in this case, about 500 mA) to a nominal / near-zero level at time t1. Furthermore, at t1, the current through inductor Ls experiences a dramatic drop. This drop is not interrupted as quickly as the current drop in the load and Petition 870230042256, dated 05 / 19 / 2023, page 17 / 37 / 15 smooths at time t2. In this case, t2-t1 can be about 0.1 ms, but this is just an example. However, it is observed that in Figure 2c the voltage at the output (Vout) has an initial increase (see peak 202) that decays as capacitors Cout and Cadd discharge through the load. In the example shown, Vout does not return to stable output until t3 (about 1.3 ms after t2). This time, however, can result in faulty or annoying triggering, as the time may be longer than that of alarm filter 122.

[0030] To mitigate this problem, designers traditionally place some additional constant load on the output rail so that the output capacitors (Cout / Cadd) can discharge more quickly, reducing the settling time, or they use a design based on a linear regulator. Both options result in higher power consumption.

[0031] To address the problems mentioned above related to condition b above, a system is provided in the form of a 300 circuit that provides a constant output which is a reduced version of a voltage supplied at its input. The 300 circuit includes a 301 buck converter as shown in Figure 3. The 301 buck converter includes the same elements as in Figure 1 and includes other elements. It should be noted that the 301 buck converter can be modified from the exact circuit shown in Figures 1 / 3, provided it provides a reduced constant output voltage. For example, the 116 / 316 diodes can be replaced by a transistor or other type of current flow control device. It should be understood that the 300 circuit can be connected to a DC voltage source and load (and other elements) to form a system as shown in Figure 3.

[0032] Circuit 300 may have reduced the stabilization time under load transients of the “condition (b)” type, so that incorrect fault indication is avoided in safety-critical applications. This may allow a simple buck regulator / converter to be used in safety-critical applications where a fault must be indicated quickly and correctly under Petition 870230042256, dated 05 / 19 / 2023, page 18 / 37 / 15 transitional cargo conditions of type “condition (b)”.

[0033] Circuit 300 includes a buck converter 301 and a selectively connectable transient suppression circuit 340. The buck converter 301 can be as described above or can be modified. Although described in more detail below, the suppression circuit 340 is connected between the DC output 304 of the buck converter and the load 310. The suppression circuit 340 is an R / C circuit in one mode and is selectively connected to circuit 300 (e.g., to the DC output 304 of the buck converter 301) by a control switch SW1 when a transient of the “condition (b)” type occurs. The suppression circuit 340 can reduce the overshoot and / or settling time at the output (Vout) and is connected for a fixed duration. This duration can be selected based on the switching speed of the buck converter 301.

[0034] Circuit 300 includes a DC input 302 which is configured to receive an input voltage from a DC voltage source 306. Any DC voltage source discussed in this document can be any DC voltage source, such as, for example, a battery, a flyback converter or DC rails, to name just a few.

[0035] The buck converter 301 shares this DC input 302 and is thus also configured to receive this voltage through the DC input 302 and does so in operation. The buck converter 301 includes an input capacitor Cin across the DC input 302 which smooths the input voltage received from the DC voltage source 306. In this document, the circuit is shown as having a positive rail 360 and a neutral rail 362 which are fed by the DC voltage source 306 and define the DC input 302. In operation, the converter 301 provides a reduced DC voltage (Vout) at its DC output 304 which is lower than the voltage supplied by the DC voltage source 306.

[0036] Voltage can be supplied to a load 310, such as a digital signal processor (DSP) or a controller that, in a Petition 870230042256, dated 05 / 19 / 2023, page 19 / 37 / 15 modality, may be an FPGA. Converter 301 also includes an output capacitor Cout across the DC output 304 to smooth the output. Converter 301 may also be a single monolithic IC, for example, LT8620. Other portions of the system in Figure 3 may also be included in the same or a different IC, which includes, but is not limited to, the selectively connectable transient suppression circuit, the dissipation circuit, and the suppression circuit switch, all mentioned below.

[0037] An inductor Ls is connected between DC input 302 and DC output 304 as in a conventional buck converter. A control switch 312 is connected between DC input 302 on the positive rail 360 and the inductor Ls. The inductor Ls is an energy storage element that is selectively switched to turn on and off the electrical contact with DC input 302 by the control switch 312. It is understood that a controller 314 may be provided to control the control switch 312 and, based on the duty cycle of the switch, control how much the converter 301 reduces the voltage at DC output 304 (Vout) from the voltage received at DC input 302 (e.g., the voltage supplied by DC voltage source 306).As is known in the art, a control element 116 (such as a diode as illustrated or another device such as a transistor) can be connected between rails 360 and 362, to control the direction of current flow in inductor Ls when Ls is disconnected from the DC voltage source 306.

[0038] Similar to the above, a voltage monitor (VMON) 320 can be provided to monitor the output voltage Vout supplied to the load 310. If the voltage is too high (e.g., above the limit) or too low, the VMON 320 can indicate that an abnormal condition has occurred. That is, the VMON 320 can provide an output based on the DC output 304.

[0039] Optionally, to help reduce the chances of rapid and transient changes causing many alarms, an alarm or fault filter Petition 870230042256, dated 05 / 19 / 2023, page 20 / 37 / 15 322, can be supplied. This filter is shown as an independent element, but may be part of voltage monitor 320 in some cases. Alarm filter 322 may require that the “alarm condition” (e.g., VMON 320 providing a positive or alarm output indication) remain for a period of time before an alarm is recognized as a real alarm as opposed to an anomaly or momentary voltage fluctuation that is resolved in a timely manner so that the load does not need to be reset.

[0040] As in the example above, to address the “condition (a)” type load transient discussed above, the buck converter 301 can include additional raw capacitance at the DC output 304. The additional capacitance (Cadd in Figure 3) is added to the output capacitance Cout and connected across the DC output 304.

[0041] To address the reduction of the long settling time introduced by Cadd, the selectively connectable transient suppression circuit 340 (short-circuit suppression circuit) is provided in this document. The suppression circuit 340 can be electrically connected to circuit 300 in the event of load restoration 310 in a mode.

[0042] As shown, suppression circuit 340 is connected in parallel with DC output 304 and load 310 / VMON 320. As shown, suppression circuit 340 is connected between DC output 304 and load 310. The exact location is, however, not so limited, unless expressly stated in the claims below.

[0043] The selectively connectable transient suppression circuit 340 includes a trigger 342 that is connected to the output of VMON 320. That is, it is connected, in one mode, to the same signal supplied to the alarm filter 322. In operation, the trigger 342 will “hold” (at its output) the signal it receives at its input for a specific period of time. In this way, the trigger 342 can be a single pulse element / circuit. In a Petition 870230042256, dated 05 / 19 / 2023, p. 21 / 37 / 15 modality, trigger 342 is a monostable multivibrator implemented using an IC-based solution or discrete solution, which detects rising edge / falling edge based on the output of VMON 320 and provides an ON output for a fixed duration.

[0044] The output of trigger 342 is connected to a switch (SW1) and controls whether SW1 is conductive or non-conductive. In one embodiment, the fixed duration that trigger 342 forces SW1 into the conductive (or ON) state is related to the switching frequency supplied to the control switch 312 by the controller 314. In one embodiment, the duration is about 30 switching cycles (e.g., 30 times the period of the signal supplied to the control switch 312). While switch SW1 is conductive, the suppression circuit 340 is electrically connected through DC output 304, and when switch SW1 is non-conductive, the suppression circuit 340 is not electrically connected through DC output 304 and is therefore effectively electrically removed from the circuit.

[0045] The suppression circuit 340 also includes a dissipation circuit 370. The dissipation circuit is an RC circuit that includes the load capacitor Cchg connected in series with a current-limiting resistor Rser. Cchg and Rser are connected in series between the positive rail and the suppression circuit control switch SW1 in Figure 3 so that SW1 controls the current flow through Cchg and Rser. When SW1 is closed, load balancing occurs between Cadd and Cchg, resulting in limited overshoot at a much lower voltage than shown above and a much faster settling time. Rser serves as a current limit through Cchg. The dissipation circuit 370 also includes a dissipation resistor Radd connected in parallel with Cchg and Rser connected in series to discharge the capacitor Cchg after SW1 returns to the non-discharge state. Petition 870230042256, dated 05 / 19 / 2023, page 22 / 37 / 15 conductive (for example, after trigger 342 expires).

[0046] In this way, the selectively connectable transient suppression circuit 340 is configured so that the suppression circuit switch SW1 is configured to electrically connect the dissipation circuit 370 to the DC output 304 when VMON 320 determines that the voltage across the DC output 304 is above a threshold (i.e., out of range). Similarly, to disconnect, the suppression circuit switch SW1 can electrically disconnect the dissipation circuit 370 from the DC output 304 when VMON 320 determines that the voltage at the DC output 304 is below the threshold and that the trigger time 322 has expired.

[0047] Figures 4a-4c show a simulation of circuit 300 during a condition event (b). Figures 4a-4c show various currents / voltages over time as load 310 enters recovery. In the recovery condition, the current consumed by load 310 (Figure 4a) drops from a normal operating value (in this case, about 500 mA) to a nominal / near-zero level at time t1. Furthermore, at t1, the current through inductor Ls (Figure 4b) experiences a dramatic drop. Figure 4c shows the output voltage (Vout) and has an initial rise (see peak 402) that decays as capacitors Cout and Cadd discharge through the load and into Cchg (e.g., load balancing). In the example shown, Vouts returns to stable output at t3.

[0048] With further reference to Figures 3 and 4a-4c, in comparison with the 100 buck converter above, adding the additional capacitance Cchg allows load balancing between it and Cout / Cadd which reduces underrun (e.g., peak 402 is smaller than peak 202 in Figure 2c). Furthermore, this additional capacitance can reduce the settling time by bringing t3 much closer to t1 than in the previous circuit (e.g., less than 0.2 ms in the simulations of Figures 4a-4c).

[0049] Based on the above, the person skilled in the technique Petition 870230042256, dated 05 / 19 / 2023, page 23 / 37 / 15, observes that circuit 300 (e.g., a buck converter 301 in combination with suppression circuit 340) can provide one or more advantages. These may include, in some embodiments, one or more of the following: Very fast settling time (~8x improvement); Reduced overshoot (~2x improvement); No continuous power dissipation due to the addition of dummy load; Low power dissipation and high power density for a given regulator design; and Simplicity of implementation due to easy scaling for different output voltage levels to be implemented.

[0050] As an example, certain component values ​​were used in the simulation of Figures 4a-4c. These values ​​are listed below, but should not be considered limiting: Cin = 20 uF; Ls = 3.76 uH Cout = 14 uF; Cadd = 170 uF; Cchg = 10 uF; Rser = 5 ohms; and Rads = 120 ohms.

[0051] The term “approximately” is intended to include the degree of error associated with measuring the specific quantity based on the equipment available at the time the order is filed.

[0052] The terminology used in this document is intended to describe particular modalities only and is not intended to be limiting to the scope of this disclosure. As used in this document, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms “comprises” and / or “that includes”, when used in this descriptive report, specify the presence of resources, numbers Petition 870230042256, dated 05 / 19 / 2023, page 24 / 37 / 15 integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components declared, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other resources, integers, steps, operations, element components and / or groups thereof.

[0053] Although the present disclosure is described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various alterations may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Additionally, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best embodiment contemplated for carrying out this present disclosure, but that the present disclosure includes all embodiments that are covered by the scope of the claims. Petition 870230042256, dated 05 / 19 / 2023, p. 25 / 37

Claims

1 / 5 CLAIMS 1. Power converter (300) for supplying power to a load, wherein the power converter (300) comprises: a buck converter (301) having a DC input (302) and a DC output (304) and configured to receive a DC voltage at the DC voltage input (302) and supply DC output voltage at the DC output (304); and a voltage monitor (320) that monitors a voltage supplied at the DC output (304), characterized in that it further comprises: a selectively connectable transient suppression circuit (340) connected through that DC output (304) and connected to the voltage monitor (320), wherein the selectively connectable transient suppression circuit (340) comprises: a dissipation circuit (370);and a suppression circuit switch (SW1) connected in series with the dissipation circuit (370) that controls the load dissipation from the DC output (304) to the dissipation circuit (370) based on the voltage monitor (320) that determines that the voltage at the DC output (304) is above a threshold; wherein the selectively connectable transient suppression circuit (340) is configured so that the suppression circuit switch (SW1) is configured to electrically connect the dissipation circuit (370) to the DC output (304) when the voltage monitor (320) determines that the voltage at the DC output (304) is above the threshold and to disconnect the dissipation circuit (370) from the DC output (304) when below the threshold and after a period of time has elapsed;wherein the selectively connectable transient suppression circuit (340) further includes: Petition 870260076805, dated 07 / 31 / 2026, page 7 / 16 2 / 5 a single pulse circuit connected to the voltage monitor (320) and to the suppression circuit switch (SW1) that controls the operation of the suppression circuit switch (SW1) and retains an input signal at its output during the time period; wherein the trigger (342) is a monostable multivibrator and the time period is a multiple of a time period associated with the frequency of the buck converter (301).; 2. Energy converter according to claim 1, characterized in that the dissipation circuit (370) includes: a load capacitor (Cchg); a current-limiting resistor (Rser) connected in series with the load capacitor (Cchg); and a dissipation resistor (Radd) connected in parallel with the series connection of the load capacitor (Cchg) and the current-limiting resistor (Rser).

3. Power converter according to claim 1, characterized in that the buck converter (301) includes: an inductor (Ls) connected between the DC input (302) and the DC output (304); a control switch (312) connected between the DC input (302) and the inductor (Ls) that controls the current flow to the inductor (Ls); and a controller (314) that opens and closes the control switch (312) with a signal based on the switching frequency.

4. Energy converter according to claim 3, characterized in that the time period is 30 times the signal period.

5. Power converter according to claim 4, characterized in that the buck converter (301) is included in an integrated circuit.

6. Energy converter according to claim 5, characterized in that one or more of the following are included in the integrated circuit: the selectively connectable transient suppression circuit (340); the dissipation circuit (370); and the suppression circuit switch (SW1).

7. System comprising: a load (110); a DC voltage source (106); and a power converter (300), wherein the power converter (300) is connected to the load (110) and to the DC voltage and converts the voltage received from the DC voltage source (106) from a first level to a second lower level and supplies it to the load (110), wherein the power converter (300) comprises: a buck converter (301) having a DC input (302) connected to the DC voltage source and a DC output (304) connected to the load (110); and a voltage monitor (320) that monitors a voltage supplied at the DC output (304); characterized in that the power converter (300) further comprises: a selectively connectable transient suppression circuit (340) connected via this DC output (304) and connected to the voltage monitor (320), wherein the selectively connectable transient suppression circuit (340) comprises: a dissipation circuit (370);and a suppression circuit switch (SW1) connected in series with the dissipation circuit (370) that controls the load dissipation from the DC output (304) to the dissipation circuit (370) based on the monitor Petition 870260076805, dated 07 / 31 / 2026, page. 9 / 16 4 / 5 voltage (320) which determines that the voltage at the DC output (304) is above a limit, wherein the selectively connectable transient suppression circuit (340) is configured so that the suppression circuit switch (SW1) is configured to electrically connect the dissipation circuit (370) to the DC output (304) when the voltage monitor (320) determines that the voltage at the DC output (304) is above the limit and to disconnect the dissipation circuit (370) from the DC output (304) when below the limit and after a period of time has elapsed;the selectively connectable transient suppression circuit (340) further including: a single pulse circuit connected to the voltage monitor (320) and to the suppression circuit switch (SW1) which controls the operation of the suppression circuit switch (SW1) and retains an input signal at its output during the time period, wherein the trigger (342) is a monostable multivibrator and the time period is a multiple of a time period associated with the frequency of the buck converter (301).

8. System according to claim 7, characterized in that the dissipation circuit (370) includes: a load capacitor (Cchg); a current-limiting resistor (Rser) connected in series with the load capacitor (Cchg); and a dissipation resistor (Radd) connected in parallel with the series connection of the load capacitor (Cchg) and the current-limiting resistor (Rser).

9. System according to claim 7, characterized in that the buck converter (301) includes: an inductor (Ls) connected between the DC input (302) and the DC output (304); Petition 870260076805, dated 07 / 31 / 2026, page 10 / 16 5 / 5 a control switch (312) connected between the DC input (302) and the inductor (Ls) that controls the current flow to the inductor (Ls); and a controller (314) that opens and closes the control switch (312) with a signal based on the switching frequency.

10. System according to claim 7, characterized in that the buck converter (301) is included in an integrated circuit and in that one or more of the selectively connectable transient suppression circuit (340), the dissipation circuit (370) and the suppression circuit switch (SW1) are included in the integrated circuit. Petition 870260076805, dated 07 / 31 / 2026, page 11 / 16

Images