Multi-Phase Power Controller Current Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-phase resonant power converting circuits face performance reduction due to differing parasitic inductance and capacitance across phases, leading to voltage gain disparities and inefficient current balance, especially in parallel connections, which hampers overall system efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A multi-phase power controller is introduced, featuring a current sensing unit, frequency adjusting circuit, and duty cycle adjusting circuit, which generates PWM signals based on sensing currents and output voltages to adjust duty cycles and switching frequencies, ensuring current balance and linear voltage regulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional multi-phase power controller outputs fixed duty cycle PWM signal and changes switching frequency according to voltage feedback, then linear voltage regulation function is achieved, but current balance control is lacking and system performance reduces due to different parasitic inductance capacitance across phases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces current sensing units for each phase to detect phase currents, and feeds these currents back to the duty cycle adjusting circuit. This current feedback mechanism enables the controller to dynamically adjust duty cycles based on actual current distribution, solving the current balance problem caused by different parasitic parameters across phases while maintaining voltage regulation through voltage feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from fixed duty cycle control to dynamic duty cycle adjustment. The duty cycle adjusting circuit modifies the duty cycle of PWM signals based on both voltage feedback and current feedback, enabling real-time adaptation to load changes and parasitic parameter variations, thereby achieving both voltage regulation and current balance.
2Reliability
If switching frequency is changed according to voltage feedback signal, then voltage regulation is achieved, but current balance control mechanism is absent leading to reduced current efficiency in parallel connection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dual feedback loops: voltage feedback for voltage regulation and current feedback for current balance control. The current sensing units detect phase currents and feed them back to the duty cycle adjusting circuit, enabling the system to optimize current distribution across parallel phases and reduce energy losses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically changes the duty cycle parameter based on real-time voltage and current feedback signals. This parameter adjustment allows the system to maintain optimal operating conditions for both voltage regulation and current balance, adapting to variations in load and parasitic parameters across different phases.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different parasitic inductance capacitance exists in each phase resonant power converting circuit, then individual phase characteristics vary, but overall system performance reduces due to voltage gain disparities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality control by implementing individual current sensing units and dedicated duty cycle adjusting circuits for each phase. This allows each phase to be controlled independently according to its specific characteristics, compensating for differences in parasitic inductance and capacitance, and ensuring balanced voltage gains across all phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses phase-specific current feedback to compensate for parasitic parameter variations. Each phase's current is sensed and fed back to its corresponding duty cycle adjusting circuit, enabling individualized compensation that maintains consistent voltage gain across phases despite different parasitic characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-phase power controller coupled to resonant power converting circuits providing an output voltage is disclosed. The multi-phase power controller includes a current sensing unit, a frequency adjusting circuit and a duty cycle adjusting circuit. The current sensing unit, coupled to a first resonant power converting circuit, provides a first sensing current. The frequency adjusting circuit includes an error amplifier and a first ramp signal generation circuit. The error amplifier provides an error signal according to the output voltage and a reference voltage. The first ramp signal generation circuit provides a first ramp signal according to the error signal. The duty cycle adjusting circuit provides a first PWM signal to the first resonant power converting circuit according to a default voltage and the first ramp signal. The change of the duty cycle of the first PWM signal is related to the first sensing current, the default voltage and the first ramp signal.