Auxiliary Power Supply for High Voltage Gate Drivers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional auxiliary power supply systems fail to provide adequate insulation and are cost-prohibitive when used with high voltage rated switching devices in high voltage systems, leading to reduced reliability and increased complexity.
Innovation Solution
An auxiliary power supply system with an upper arm circuit and a lower arm circuit connected in series, featuring an isolated converter circuit and a voltage regulator, which generates and regulates output voltage based on impedance ratios to match a reference voltage, ensuring stable operation for high voltage systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional auxiliary power supply systems are used with high voltage rated switching devices, then insulation requirements can be met, but the system becomes cost-prohibitive and overly complex
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary power supply is divided into two independent arms: an upper arm circuit connected to the high voltage DC bus and a lower arm circuit connected to the switching device. Each arm operates independently with its own impedance, providing galvanic isolation and meeting insulation requirements without requiring complex coupling circuits or transformers.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper arm circuit acts as an intermediary between the high voltage DC bus and the lower arm circuit. It provides galvanic isolation while allowing the lower arm circuit to generate the required gate drive voltage through its own isolated converter, eliminating the need for direct high voltage coupling and simplifying the overall system architecture.
2Reliability
If conventional auxiliary power supply systems are used with high voltage rated switching devices, then insulation requirements can be met, but the system becomes cost-prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the power supply into independent upper and lower arms, each with simple impedance elements rather than complex isolation transformers or coupling circuits, the system meets insulation requirements using lower-cost components while maintaining high voltage isolation performance.
3Device complexity
If the lower arm voltage is not regulated based on impedance ratio, then the circuit is simpler, but the output voltage cannot match the reference voltage level
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage regulator circuit in the lower arm uses feedback control to regulate the output voltage based on the impedance ratio between the upper and lower arms. This ensures the output voltage precisely matches the reference voltage level required by the gate driver, achieving accurate voltage matching without excessive complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides a stable output voltage to drive high voltage switching devices, reducing power loss and maintaining reliability while accommodating high voltage systems without excessive circuitry or control schemes.
Implementation Method 1
The isolated converter circuit can be configured to generate an output voltage based on a lower arm voltage
Implementation Method 2
The lower arm voltage regulator can be configured to regulate a voltage level of the lower arm voltage based on an impedance ratio between the upper arm circuit impedance and an equivalent impedance of the lower arm circuit to substantially match a voltage level of a lower arm reference voltage
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to an auxiliary power supply (APS) for a gate driver in high voltage applications.