Multilevel Self-Balance Circuit for DC/DC Voltage Divider Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing DC/DC converters face challenges in achieving voltage balancing in voltage divider units, which increases system complexity and cost due to the need for numerous voltage or current signal samples and complex control strategies.
Innovation Solution
A multilevel self-balance control circuit is introduced, which includes a voltage divider unit, a voltage-controlled charge source load, and a control unit. The circuit connects an active load to the output of the voltage divider unit, ensuring that the power through the active load is correlated with the front-stage circuit's output, allowing for automatic balancing through linkage control between the front-stage and rear-stage circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional voltage balancing control strategies are used in DC/DC converters, then voltage balancing can be achieved, but system complexity and cost increase due to numerous signal samples and complex control circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the voltage divider unit to automatically balance its own capacitor voltages through intrinsic circuit mechanisms. The flying capacitors and switches naturally redistribute charge among capacitors during switching cycles, eliminating the need for external control circuits to monitor and adjust voltage balances. This self-balancing mechanism reduces device complexity while maintaining reliable voltage balancing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the complex control circuitry traditionally required for voltage balancing and removes it from the system. By designing the voltage divider unit with inherent self-balancing properties through proper capacitor and switch configuration, the patent eliminates the need for separate voltage sampling circuits, control processors, and adjustment mechanisms, thereby simplifying the overall system.
2Reliability
If traditional voltage balancing control strategies are used in DC/DC converters, then voltage balancing can be achieved, but system cost increases due to numerous signal samples and complex control strategies
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage divider unit performs self-balancing through its inherent circuit operation, requiring no additional control components, sensors, or processing units. This self-service approach reduces component count and manufacturing complexity, directly lowering system cost while ensuring reliable voltage balancing across all capacitors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses simple, inexpensive passive components (capacitors and switches) arranged in a configuration that provides self-balancing functionality. Rather than employing expensive active control elements like operational amplifiers, microcontrollers, or precision voltage references, the solution relies on the natural charge redistribution properties of the capacitor-switch network, achieving cost-effective manufacturing.
3Measurement precision
If extensive signal sampling is performed for voltage balancing, then accurate voltage control can be achieved, but system complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit eliminates the need for voltage sampling and measurement by implementing self-balancing through passive charge redistribution. The flying capacitors automatically equalize voltage levels across the voltage divider capacitors during switching cycles without requiring any voltage sensing, sampling, or digital processing, thereby achieving accurate voltage control with minimal device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the electronic measurement and control system (voltage sampling, ADC conversion, digital processing) with a passive electrical mechanism (charge redistribution through flying capacitors). This substitution eliminates complex signal processing requirements while maintaining accurate voltage balancing through fundamental electrical principles.
Data Source
AI summary
A multilevel self-balance control circuit can include: a voltage divider unit configured to receive and divide an input voltage; a voltage-controlled charge source load coupled to an output terminal of the voltage divider unit, and being configured to adaptively adjust charge amount input to the voltage-controlled charge source load based on an output voltage of the voltage divider unit, such that a total amount of charges flowing through the voltage-controlled charge source load during a period of each working state of the voltage divider unit is positively correlated with the output voltage of the voltage divider unit, thereby forming a negative feedback loop to achieve voltage balancing of the voltage divider unit; and a control unit configured to generate control signals for the voltage divider unit and the voltage-controlled charge source load, thereby coordinately controlling the voltage divider unit and the voltage-controlled charge source load.