Auxiliary-Winding Protection Circuit for Bulk Voltage Over-Boost

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional power supplies with boost-type high voltage transformers often experience over-boosting due to feedback abnormalities, leading to damage from excessive bulk voltage, necessitating an effective over-voltage protection mechanism.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device with a protection circuit comprising an auxiliary winding, rectifier unit, filter unit, and voltage divider unit, coupled with a controller that detects partial voltages to determine whether to activate over-voltage or under-voltage protection modes, using the winding ratio of the primary and auxiliary windings to induce and rectify AC voltage into DC filter voltage for protection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If feedback abnormality occurs in conventional power supplies, then voltage over-boosting happens, but this leads to damage from excessive bulk voltage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower supply reliabilityVSAvoidexcessive bulk voltage damage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The protection circuit performs preliminary detection of bulk voltage through the auxiliary winding before over-boosting damage occurs. The controller continuously monitors the voltage signal and activates protection modes in advance when abnormal voltage conditions are detected, preventing the harmful effect of excessive bulk voltage damage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The protection circuit uses the auxiliary winding to obtain feedback signal from the bulk voltage. This feedback mechanism allows the controller to detect voltage abnormalities and adjust the power supply operation accordingly, activating over-voltage or under-voltage protection modes to maintain reliability and prevent damage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If a protection circuit is added to prevent over-voltage damage, then reliability improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveover-voltage protection capabilityVSAvoidprotection circuit structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The auxiliary winding serves multiple functions: it provides feedback signal for voltage detection, enables both over-voltage and under-voltage protection modes, and works with the existing rectifier and filter circuits. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated protection components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The voltage divider unit acts as an intermediary that safely steps down the high bulk voltage to a level suitable for controller detection. This intermediary approach allows voltage monitoring without direct exposure to high voltage, simplifying the protection circuit design compared to direct high-voltage sensing methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 solution effectively prevents damage by activating the appropriate protection mode when abnormal voltages are detected, ensuring safe operation and preventing over- or under-voltage issues in power supplies.

Implementation Method 1

The auxiliary winding is configured to induce an AC (Alternating Current) voltage

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic induction: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 2

The rectifier unit is coupled to the auxiliary winding and configured to rectify the AC voltage into a DC (Direct Current) voltage

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRectification: Diode

Data Source

PatentUS11837949B2Electronic device, protection circuit and protection method using the same
Publication Date: 2023.12.05 LITE ON TECH CORP
  • US11837949B2 patent drawing
  • US11837949B2 patent drawing
  • US11837949B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A protection circuit including an auxiliary winding, a rectifier unit, the filter unit, a voltage divider unit and a controller is provided. The auxiliary winding is configured to induce an AC voltage. The rectifier unit is coupled to the auxiliary winding and configured to rectify the AC voltage into a DC voltage. The filter unit is coupled to the rectifier unit and configured to filter the DC voltage into a DC filter voltage. The voltage divider unit is coupled to the rectifier unit and the filter unit to transmit the DC filter voltage. The controller is coupled to the voltage divider unit and configured to detect a partial voltage of the DC filter voltage and detect whether to activate a protection mechanism according to the partial voltage.