Integrated transformer, tab converter including the same, and distribution system including the same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an integrated transformer, a TAB converter including the same, and a power distribution system including the same. An integrated transformer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a first core, a first winding formed in a coil shape around the first core, a second core arranged to form a closed loop with the first core, a second winding formed in a coil shape around the second core, a third winding formed in a coil shape around the second core, and a third core arranged spaced apart to form an air gap with respect to the second core, wherein the second winding and the third winding may have the same number of turns.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to power distribution technology, and more specifically, to an integrated transformer that performs voltage balancing, a TAB converter including the same, and a power distribution system including the same. Background Technology

[0002] With the recent surge in research related to renewable energy, active research on Direct Current (DC) distribution is underway. Among converters applicable to bipolar DC distribution, Triple-Active-Bridge (TAB) converters are widely used due to their high efficiency, power density, and wide output voltage range. TAB converters feature a dual-output structure and can be utilized for various purposes as they enable bidirectional power transfer and Zero-Voltage Switching (ZVS).

[0003] Converters with a dual-output structure can cause voltage imbalance problems due to load differences between each output, and various voltage balancing techniques have been proposed to address this. However, according to conventionally proposed voltage balancing techniques, the size of the overall system inevitably increases due to the size of the balancer and controller, and the system structure inevitably becomes complex. To solve this, a voltage balancing method using magnetic elements has been proposed, but the voltage balancing method using magnetic elements has the limitation that an external inductor for zero-voltage switching is necessarily required.

[0004] In this regard, reference may be made to Korean Registered Patent 10-1101488B1 and Korean Published Patent Application 10-2010-0095210A. The problem to be solved

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide an integrated transformer that performs voltage balancing, a TAB converter including the same, and a power distribution system including the same.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide an integrated transformer having an integrated structure, a TAB converter including the same, and a power distribution system including the same.

[0007] The present disclosure aims to provide an integrated transformer including a leakage inductance path, a TAB converter including the same, and a power distribution system including the same.

[0008] The problems that this disclosure aims to solve are not limited to those described above, and other unmentioned problems will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art from the description below. means of solving the problem

[0009] An integrated transformer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a first core, a first winding formed in a coil shape around the first core, a second core arranged to form a closed loop with the first core, a second winding formed in a coil shape around the second core, a third winding formed in a coil shape around the second core, and a third core arranged spaced apart to form an air gap with respect to the second core, wherein the second winding and the third winding may have the same number of turns.

[0010] In an embodiment, the first core, the second core, and the third core may each be U-shaped cores.

[0011] In an embodiment, the first core, the second core, and the third core may each include a material that exhibits magnetic properties.

[0012] In the embodiment, the first core, the second core, and the third core may each be either a ferrite core or a nano core.

[0013] In an embodiment, the second winding is formed for a first region of the second core, and the third winding may be formed for a second region of the second core that is different from the first region.

[0014] In an embodiment, the second winding and the third winding may be formed in a shape that is wound crosswise with respect to the second core.

[0015] In an embodiment, the spacing of the air gap may be determined based on at least some of the output power, input voltage, output voltage, and winding ratio for the integrated transformer.

[0016] An integrated transformer according to another embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a closed loop composed of a material that exhibits magnetic properties, a first winding formed in a coil shape on one side of the closed loop, a second winding and a third winding formed in a coil shape on the other side opposite to one side of the closed loop, and a U-shaped core composed of the material that exhibits magnetic properties and spaced apart to form an air gap on the other side of the closed loop, wherein the second winding and the third winding may have the same number of turns.

[0017] A Triple-Active-Bridge (TAB) converter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a first circuit unit including a power supply unit, a second circuit unit outputting a first voltage corresponding to a voltage supplied to the power supply unit, a third circuit unit outputting a second voltage corresponding to a voltage supplied from the power supply unit, and a bridge unit electrically connecting the first circuit unit to the second circuit unit and the third circuit unit, wherein the bridge unit comprises a first core, a first winding formed in a coil shape around the first core, a second core arranged to form a closed loop with the first core, a second winding formed in a coil shape around the second core, a third winding formed in a coil shape around the second core, and a third core arranged spaced apart to form an air gap with respect to the second core, and the second winding and the third winding may have the same number of turns.

[0018] In a power distribution system requiring dual output according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the power distribution system comprises a power distribution network including at least one integrated transformer, wherein the at least one integrated transformer comprises a first core, a first winding formed in a coil shape around the first core, a second core arranged to form a closed loop with the first core, a second winding formed in a coil shape around the second core, a third winding formed in a coil shape around the second core, and a third core arranged spaced apart to form an air gap with respect to the second core, and the second winding and the third winding may have the same number of turns. Effects of the invention

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by providing an integrated transformer having an integrated structure, it is possible to reduce the size and simplify the structure of devices and systems using the same.

[0020] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by forming a leakage inductance path, balancing of the output voltage can be maintained without additional elements or controllers for voltage balancing, thereby improving the reliability of the power distribution system.

[0021] The effects according to the present disclosure are not limited to those described above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by a person skilled in the art from the description below. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0022] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a power distribution system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram for explaining the structure of a TAB converter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3a is a drawing for explaining the structure of an integrated transformer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3b is an equivalent circuit diagram of the integrated transformer shown in Figure 3a. FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining the structure of an integrated transformer according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining the voltage derivation result according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0023] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the contents described in the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited or restricted by exemplary embodiments. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in this specification (including technical and scientific terms) shall be used in a meaning that is commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs, but this may vary depending on the intent of those skilled in the art, case law, the emergence of new technology, etc.

[0024] Furthermore, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not to be interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly and specifically defined otherwise. In certain cases, terms have been selected at the applicant's discretion, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the relevant explanatory sections. Accordingly, terms used in this disclosure should be defined not merely by their names, but based on their meanings and the content throughout this disclosure.

[0025] Throughout this specification, when a part is described as "comprising" a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components. Furthermore, the singular form used in this specification includes the plural form unless specifically stated otherwise. Additionally, the expression "at least one of a, b, and / or c" as used throughout this specification may encompass 'a alone', 'b alone', 'c alone', 'a and b', 'a and c', 'b and c', or 'a, b, and c all'.

[0026] Meanwhile, terms such as "first and / or second" used in this specification may be used to describe various components, but they are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another and are not intended to limit the scope to the components referred to by such terms. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be named the second component, and the second component may also be named the first component.

[0027] Additionally, terms such as “…part,” “…module,” etc., as described in this specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software. Furthermore, embodiments of this disclosure may be represented in this specification by functional block configurations and various processing steps. These functional blocks may be implemented by various numbers of hardware and / or software configurations that execute specific functions. For example, embodiments of this disclosure may employ integrated circuit configurations such as memory, processing, logic, look-up tables, etc., which can execute various functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices.

[0028] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In describing the embodiments, technical details that are well known in the art to which the present invention pertains and are not directly related to the present invention will be omitted. This is to ensure that the essence of the present invention is conveyed more clearly without obscuring it by omitting unnecessary explanations. For the same reason, some components in the accompanying drawings may be exaggerated, omitted, or schematically depicted. Furthermore, the size of each component does not entirely reflect its actual size. Throughout this specification, the same reference numerals may refer to the same or corresponding components.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a power distribution system (10) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 1, a power distribution system (10) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a power distribution network (110) and a power consumption unit (120). The power distribution system (10) may mean a system that supplies power to the power consumption unit (120) through the power distribution network (110).

[0031] In an embodiment, the distribution network (110) can deliver power supplied from a power plant or substation to a power consumption unit (120). Although not illustrated, the distribution network (110) may include at least some of a distribution substation that converts high-voltage power to low-voltage, a distribution line that delivers low-voltage power from the substation to a consumer, a transformer that provides a voltage suitable for the power consumption unit (120), a distribution panel that distributes power to multiple circuits, and an electric meter that measures the power usage of each consumer. Meanwhile, in an embodiment, the power consumption unit (120) may include at least one power consumption device used in a home, commercial facility, industrial facility, etc. The distribution network (110) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be constructed for a power consumption unit (120) that requires dual output.

[0032] A distribution network (110) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be constructed to include an integrated transformer having an integrated structure. The integrated transformer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may perform voltage balancing for an output voltage. The integrated transformer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may have an integrated structure and may include a leakage inductance path. Alternatively, the distribution network (110) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a Triple-Active-Bridge (TAB) converter including the integrated transformer described above. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by providing an integrated transformer having an integrated structure, it is possible to reduce the size and simplify the structure of devices and systems using the same. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by forming a leakage inductance path, balancing for the output voltage can be maintained without additional components or controllers for voltage balancing, thereby improving the reliability of the distribution system. Hereinafter, an integrated transformer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5.

[0033] FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram for explaining the structure of a TAB converter (20) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 2, a TAB converter (20) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first circuit section (C1), a second circuit section (C2), a third circuit section (C3), and a bridge section (BR). In the embodiment, the TAB converter (20) includes a power supply section (V) included in the first circuit section (C1). in In response to the voltage supplied from ), the first voltage (V) through the second circuit part (C2) o1 Outputs ) and through the third circuit part (C3) the second voltage (V o2It can output ). In other words, the TAB converter (20) can derive a dual output. In an embodiment, the first circuit section (C1) may be referred to as the primary side circuit, and the second circuit section (C2) and the third circuit section (C3) may be referred to as the secondary side circuit, and the bridge section (BR) may electrically connect the primary side circuit and the secondary side circuit. The bridge section (BR) may include a first winding (L1) formed for the first circuit section (C1), a second winding (L2) formed for the second circuit section (C2), and a third winding (L3) formed for the third circuit section (C3). The bridge section (BR) shown in FIG. 2 may be implemented by an integrated transformer (or integrated transformer element) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and specific details related thereto will be explained in detail through FIG. 3a to FIG. 5, which will be described later.

[0035] FIG. 3a is a drawing for explaining the structure of an integrated transformer (30a) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3b is an equivalent circuit diagram of the integrated transformer shown in FIG. 3a.

[0036] Referring to FIG. 3a, an integrated transformer (30a) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first core (U1), a second core (U2), a third core (U3), a first winding (L1), a second winding (L2), and a third winding (L3).

[0037] In an embodiment, the first core (U1) and the second core (U2) may be arranged to form a single closed loop, and the third core (U3) may be spaced apart to form an air gap with respect to the second core (U2). Specifically, one end of the first core (U1) may be in contact with one end of the second core (U2), and the other end of the first core (U1) may be in contact with the other end of the second core (U2). In some embodiments, the first core (U1), the second core (U2), and the third core (U3) may each comprise any material exhibiting magnetic properties. For example, the first core (U1), the second core (U2), and the third core (U3) may each be either a ferrite core or a nano core. In FIG. 3a, the first core (U1), the second core (U2), and the third core (U3) are each depicted as U-shaped cores, but this is merely an example of an embodiment according to the present disclosure and does not limit the shape of the cores according to the present disclosure. Meanwhile, in some embodiments, a closed loop formed by the first core (U1) and the second core (U2) may be implemented as a single unit comprising any material exhibiting magnetic properties, rather than a combined form of two cores.

[0038] Meanwhile, one end and the other end of the third core (U3) may be arranged to face one side of the second core (U2). In an embodiment, the first winding (L1) may form a coil shape centered on the first core (U1), and the second winding (L2) and the third winding (L3) may form a coil shape centered on the second core (U2). In an embodiment, the second winding (L2) and the third winding (L3) formed centered on the second core (U2) may have the same number of turns and may be formed in the same direction. In an integrated transformer (30a) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the second winding (L2) may be formed with respect to a first region of the second core (U2), and the third winding (L3) may be formed with respect to a second region of the second core (U2) that is different from the first region. In the embodiment, the first region where the second winding (L2) is formed and the second region where the third winding (L3) is formed may be formed separately with respect to a part of the second core (U2).

[0039] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a leakage flux path may be formed by a third core (U3) arranged to form an air gap. In an embodiment, the spacing of the air gap may be determined according to the specifications of the integrated transformer (30a), specifically, the spacing of the air gap may be determined based on at least some of the output power, input voltage, output voltage, and winding ratio. In some embodiments, the spacing of the air gap may be determined according to Equation 1 below. In Equation 1, represents the gap of the air gap formed between the second core (U2) and the third core (U3), and represents the leakage inductance of the second winding (L2) (or third winding (L3)) of the integrated transformer (30a), and represents the permeability of air, and represents the number of turns of the second winding (L2) (or third winding (L3)), and represents the cross-sectional area of ​​the core forming the void.

[0040]

[0041] The integrated transformer (30a) according to the embodiment of the present disclosure can perform the role of an inductor through a leakage flux path, so it does not require the provision of an additional inductor. In the integrated transformer (30a) according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, a first mutual inductance can be formed between the first winding (L1) and the second winding (L2), and a second mutual inductance can be formed between the first winding (L1) and the third winding (L3). In the embodiment, since the second winding (L2) and the third winding (L3) have the same number of turns, the value of the first mutual inductance and the value of the second mutual inductance may be the same. Meanwhile, since the second winding (L2) and the third winding (L3) are formed on the same core, leakage inductance between the two windings may not occur.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 3b, when the input voltage corresponding to the first winding (L1) is Vp, an output voltage of Vs corresponding to the second winding (L2) can be output, and an output voltage of Vt corresponding to the third winding (L3) can be generated. Since the second winding (L2) and the third winding (L3) having the same number of turns are formed on the same core, Vtr,s=Vtr,t and Vlk2=Vlk3 can be satisfied, and accordingly, the output voltage Vs corresponding to the second winding (L2) can be the same as the output voltage Vt corresponding to the third winding (L3). In other words, when the number of turns of the first winding (L1) is N1 (N1 is a natural number) and the number of turns of the second winding (L2) and the third winding (L3) are each N2 (N2 is a natural number), N1:N2=Vp:Vs=Vp:Vt can be established, and the output voltage corresponding to the second winding (L2) and the output voltage corresponding to the third winding (L3) can be balanced.

[0043] FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining the structure of an integrated transformer (40) according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 4, an integrated transformer (40) according to another embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first core (U1), a second core (U2), a third core (U3), a first winding (L1), a second winding (L2), and a third winding (L3).

[0045] In an embodiment, the first core (U1) and the second core (U2) may be arranged to form a single closed loop, and the third core (U3) may be spaced apart to form a gap with respect to the second core (U2). Specifically, one end of the first core (U1) may be in contact with one end of the second core (U2), and the other end of the first core (U1) may be in contact with the other end of the second core (U2). In some embodiments, the first core (U1), the second core (U2), and the third core (U3) may each comprise any material exhibiting magnetic properties. For example, the first core (U1), the second core (U2), and the third core (U3) may each be either a ferrite core or a nanocore. In FIG. 4, the first core (U1), the second core (U2), and the third core (U3) are each depicted as U-shaped cores, but this is merely an example of an embodiment according to the present disclosure and does not limit the shape of the cores according to the present disclosure.

[0046] Meanwhile, one end and the other end of the third core (U3) may be positioned to face one side of the second core (U2). In an embodiment, the first winding (L1) may form a coil shape centered on the first core (U1), and the second winding (L2) and the third winding (L3) may form a coil shape centered on the second core (U2). In an embodiment, the second winding (L2) and the third winding (L3) formed centered on the second core (U2) may have the same number of turns and may be formed in the same direction. Meanwhile, in another embodiment of the present disclosure, the integrated transformer (40) may be formed such that the second winding (L2) and the third winding (L3) are wound in an alternating manner with respect to the second core (U2).

[0047] Similar to the integrated transformer (30a, see FIG. 3a) described above, a leakage flux path may be formed by a third core (U3) arranged to form an air gap, and the spacing of the air gap may be determined according to the specifications of the integrated transformer (40). Specifically, the spacing of the air gap may be determined based on at least some of the output power, input voltage, output voltage, and winding ratio. Since the integrated transformer (40) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can also perform the role of an inductor through the leakage flux path, it does not require the provision of an additional inductor. In the integrated transformer (40) according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a first mutual inductance may be formed between the first winding (L1) and the second winding (L2), and a second mutual inductance may be formed between the first winding (L1) and the third winding (L3). In the embodiment, since the second winding (L2) and the third winding (L3) have the same number of turns, the value of the first mutual inductance and the value of the second mutual inductance may be the same. Meanwhile, since the second winding (L2) and the third winding (L3) are formed on the same core, leakage inductance between the two windings may not occur.

[0048] Output voltage balancing of an integrated transformer (40) according to another embodiment of the present disclosure can be performed according to the same principle as the integrated transformer (30a) illustrated in FIG. 3a. In the embodiment, when the number of turns of the first winding (L1) is N1 (N1 is a natural number) and the number of turns of the second winding (L2) and the third winding (L3) are each N2 (N2 is a natural number), N1:N2=V1:V2=V1:V3 can be established for the input voltage (V1) corresponding to the first winding (L1), the output voltage (V2) corresponding to the second winding (L2), and the output voltage (V3) corresponding to the third winding (L3). Meanwhile, for the first current (ip) flowing through the first winding, the second current (is) flowing through the second winding (L2), and the third current (ii) flowing through the third winding (L3), N1:N2=1 / ip:1 / is=1 / ip:1 / ii may hold.

[0049] FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining the voltage derivation result according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] FIG. 5(a) illustrates the first voltage (vp) corresponding to the first winding, the second voltage (vs) corresponding to the second winding, and the third voltage (vt) corresponding to the third winding according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 5(b) illustrates the output voltage (Vo1) corresponding to the second winding and the output voltage (Vo2) corresponding to the third winding. Based on the voltage derivation results of FIG. 5, it can be confirmed that the output voltage is balanced by the integrated transformer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] The above descriptions are specific embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure. The present disclosure will include not only the embodiments described above, but also embodiments that can be simply modified or easily modified. Furthermore, the present disclosure will include technologies that can be easily modified and implemented using the embodiments described above. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the embodiments described above, but should be defined by the claims set forth below as well as equivalents to the claims of the present disclosure. Explanation of the symbols

[0052] 10: Power distribution system 110 : Distribution network 120 : Power consumption part

Claims

Claim 1 An integrated transformer comprising: a first core; a first winding formed in a coil shape around the first core; a second core disposed to form a closed loop with the first core; a second winding formed in a coil shape around the second core; a third winding formed in a coil shape around the second core; and a third core disposed spaced apart from the second core to form an air gap, wherein the second winding and the third winding have the same number of turns. Claim 2 In claim 1, the integrated transformer wherein the first core, the second core, and the third core are each U-shaped cores. Claim 3 An integrated transformer according to claim 1, wherein each of the first core, the second core, and the third core comprises a material exhibiting magnetic properties. Claim 4 In claim 3, the integrated transformer wherein each of the first core, the second core, and the third core is either a ferrite core or a nano core. Claim 5 An integrated transformer according to claim 1, wherein the second winding is formed for a first region of the second core and the third winding is formed for a second region of the second core that is different from the first region. Claim 6 An integrated transformer according to claim 1, wherein the second winding and the third winding are formed in a cross-winding shape with respect to the second core. Claim 7 In claim 1, the air gap is determined based on at least some of the output power, input voltage, output voltage, and winding ratio for the integrated transformer. Claim 8 An integrated transformer comprising: a closed loop composed of a material exhibiting magnetic properties; a first winding formed in a coil shape on one side of the closed loop; a second winding and a third winding formed in a coil shape on the other side opposite to one side of the closed loop; and a U-shaped core composed of the material exhibiting magnetic properties and spaced apart to form an air gap on the other side of the closed loop, wherein the second winding and the third winding have the same number of turns. Claim 9 A Triple-Active-Bridge (TAB) converter comprising: a first circuit section including a power supply section; a second circuit section outputting a first voltage corresponding to a voltage supplied to the power supply section; a third circuit section outputting a second voltage corresponding to a voltage supplied from the power supply section; and a bridge section electrically connecting the first circuit section to the second circuit section and the third circuit section, wherein the bridge section comprises: a first core; a first winding formed in a coil shape around the first core; a second core arranged to form a closed loop with the first core; a second winding formed in a coil shape around the second core; a third winding formed in a coil shape around the second core; and a third core arranged spaced apart to form an air gap with respect to the second core, wherein the second winding and the third winding have the same number of turns. Claim 10 A distribution system requiring dual output, comprising a distribution network including at least one integrated transformer, wherein the at least one integrated transformer comprises: a first core; a first winding formed in a coil shape around the first core; a second core disposed to form a closed loop with the first core; a second winding formed in a coil shape around the second core; a third winding formed in a coil shape around the second core; and a third core disposed spaced apart to form an air gap with respect to the second core, wherein the second winding and the third winding have the same number of turns.

Images