Shared Current Sensor for Voltage Converter Duty Ratio Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing voltage converter systems face challenges in accurately adjusting duty ratios across multiple voltage conversion circuits due to manufacturing errors and temperature changes, leading to deviations in reactor current, which results in inefficient conversion and increased costs and size due to the need for multiple current sensors.
Innovation Solution
A voltage converter system with a controller that adjusts duty ratios using a shared current sensor across two voltage conversion circuits, performing a correction amount learning process to accurately measure and adjust reactor current, reducing the number of sensors needed and maintaining efficient voltage conversion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If one current sensor is provided for each reactor to accurately measure reactor current, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the measurement function for two reactors into a single current sensor by connecting the sensors in series with the reactors. This allows one current sensor to measure the current for two reactors, reducing the total number of sensors from two to one while maintaining measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The single current sensor is designed to serve multiple functions by measuring currents from two different reactors sequentially. The controller manages the switching between measurements, enabling one sensor to perform what would traditionally require two separate sensors.
2Device complexity
If one current sensor is shared by two adjoining reactors to reduce device complexity, then manufacturing cost decreases, but measurement precision deteriorates because only difference value can be measured
Solution Approach 1:
The controller implements periodic measurement action by alternately measuring the current of the first reactor and then the current of the second reactor in sequence. This periodic switching allows the single current sensor to capture individual current values from both reactors over time, rather than only their difference.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller performs preliminary actions by sequentially measuring each reactor's current before calculating the individual current values. By measuring the currents in a predetermined sequence and storing these measurements, the system can derive accurate individual current values for both reactors.
Data Source
AI summary
A voltage converter system comprises a plurality of voltage conversion circuits, each of the voltage conversion circuits includes a reactor and a switching element, a controller, and a single current sensor connected with the reactors of two voltage conversion circuits and configured to be used in common by the two voltage conversion circuits in order to measure the reactor current. When only one voltage conversion circuit out of the two voltage conversion circuits is driven as an object circuit, the controller repeatedly performs a correction amount learning process. When the measured current value approaches the target value to be within a predetermined range or when the correction amount learning process has been performed a predetermined number of times, the controller changes the object circuit from the one voltage conversion circuit to the other voltage conversion circuit, and repeatedly performs the correction amount learning process.