Switched-Capacitor Charge Pump Using a Negator for High VCR
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional switched-capacitor DC-DC converters face limitations in achieving high voltage conversion ratios (VCR) with fewer components, leading to inefficiencies and increased complexity, especially when departing from defined topological operating modes.
Innovation Solution
A voltage converter system incorporating a negator circuit connected to a topological switched-capacitor DC-DC converter, utilizing a H-bridge configuration with flying capacitors and switches, to achieve a higher VCR by providing a negative input voltage to the converter terminals, thereby enhancing the theoretical limits of conventional systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of converter stages is increased to achieve high voltage conversion ratio, then the voltage conversion ratio is improved, but the number of components and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a negator stage that inverts the input voltage polarity to generate a negative voltage. This inverted voltage is then fed into the switched-capacitor converter, enabling the system to achieve higher voltage conversion ratios by utilizing voltage addition rather than单纯 multiplication through cascaded stages. The negator stage uses a simple H-bridge configuration with two capacitors and four switches to accomplish this voltage inversion, avoiding the need for multiple cascaded converter stages.
2Productivity
If the number of converter stages is increased to achieve high voltage conversion ratio, then the voltage conversion ratio is improved, but power losses and efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using multiple cascaded stages that compound power losses, the patent uses a single negator stage followed by a single switched-capacitor converter stage. The negator stage efficiently inverts the input voltage using minimal components, and the subsequent converter stage achieves the desired voltage conversion in one step rather than through multiple sequential stages, thereby minimizing cumulative power losses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the voltage inversion function and the voltage conversion function into a streamlined two-stage system. The negator stage and switched-capacitor converter are integrated to work together, merging what would traditionally require multiple separate converter stages into a compact configuration that reduces overall power losses.
3Productivity
If conventional switched-capacitor converter topology is used to achieve high voltage conversion ratio, then the voltage conversion ratio is improved, but the system departs from defined topological operating modes and efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains the conventional switched-capacitor converter topology for the main conversion stage but adds a negator stage that provides a negative voltage input. This allows the switched-capacitor converter to operate within its defined topological operating modes while achieving higher voltage conversion ratios, as the negative voltage from the negator stage enables voltage addition without requiring the converter to operate outside its optimal topology.
Data Source
AI summary
A voltage converter system includes a negator coupled to a switched-capacitor converter (SCC). The negator circuit is coupled to an input terminal and generates a negative input voltage signal. The negator circuit includes a flying capacitor, a pair of first switches and a pair of second switches connected in a H-bridge configuration. The SCC is coupled to the input terminal and the negator circuit. The SCC includes a plurality of converter stages. Each stage of the plurality of converter stages includes a capacitor and an assembly of a first switch and a second switch. The system further includes a control unit, to activate or deactivate the pair of first switches, the pair of second switches, each of the first switches, and each of the second switches. A configuration of the negator circuit and the SCC results in a voltage conversion ratio between the output voltage signal and the input voltage signal.