Resonant Converter Switching Control with Synchronized Triangular Signal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic driving devices for electric energy converters face limitations in operating frequency due to the constraints of microcontrollers or FPGAs, which restrict the miniaturization and efficiency of the converters, especially at high frequencies.
Innovation Solution
An electronic driving device that includes a measuring module to monitor a regulation variable, a control module to manage switch switching based on a reference triangular signal synchronized with the regulation variable, and a generation module to generate the reference signal, ensuring precise control of switch instants and minimizing switching losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If microcontrollers or FPGAs are used for control, then flexibility and adaptability are improved, but maximum operating frequency is limited to about 1 MHz
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces microcontroller/FPGA-based numerical control with an analog control system using operational amplifiers, comparators, and RC circuits. This substitution eliminates the digital sampling limitations (maximum 1 MHz) of programmable controllers by using continuous analog signal processing, enabling operation at much higher frequencies (10 MHz and above) while maintaining control functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the control parameter domain from digital (discrete sampling at limited frequency) to analog (continuous signal processing). By using operational amplifiers to generate control signals based on continuous feedback from the resonator, the system achieves high-frequency operation without the sampling rate constraints of digital controllers.
2Speed
If direct control at 10 MHz is implemented, then operating frequency is improved, but control unit delays become longer than phase duration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces sequential digital control (which suffers from processing delays) with parallel analog control circuits. The operational amplifiers and comparators process multiple control signals simultaneously in the analog domain, eliminating the time delays inherent in digital instruction execution and making control unit delay negligible compared to phase duration.
3Power
If converter size is reduced, then power density is improved, but controller size may exceed resonator and switch sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces bulky programmable controllers (microcontrollers/FPGAs) with compact analog control circuits based on operational amplifiers and RC networks. This substitution dramatically reduces the controller's physical footprint, allowing it to be smaller than the resonator and power switches, thereby enabling further miniaturization of the overall converter while maintaining high power density.
Data Source
AI summary
A driving device for a converter from an input voltage to an output voltage, comprising a resonator having an oscillation frequency and successive resonance cycles, and a plurality of switches connected to the resonator. The driving device includes a module for measuring a regulation variable representative of the resonator; a module for controlling a switching of the switches, following a plurality of phases during a resonance cycle, each phase resulting from the closing of at least one switch and the opening of the other switches; and a module for generating a reference triangular signal, regularly synchronized with the regulation variable, a characteristic variable of said triangular signal depending on the oscillation frequency of the resonator. The control module controls at least one of the switches based on a comparison with the reference signal.