Patent ID: 11870340
Assignee: VICOR CORPORATION
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 22:
23. An apparatus comprising:
a power converter having switching power conversion circuitry including an input, an output, a multi-layer printed circuit board (“PCB”), and a magnetically permeable core, the PCB including a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, and an insulation layer separating the first and second conductive layers, the magnetically permeable core having a structure including a number, Np, of magnetic paths, each passing through the first and second conductive layers in at least two leg locations, the number, Np, being greater than or equal to 1;
the switching power conversion circuitry including:
one or more primary switches connected to a first winding, the first winding including one or more first winding elements that pass through the Np magnetic paths between the respective leg locations, the first winding element being formed in the first conductive layer of the PCB;
a switch controller constructed and arranged to operate the one or more primary switches in a series of converter operating cycles;
one or more second winding elements, each passing through a respective set of the magnetic paths between the respective leg locations, each set including a number, Ns, of the magnetic paths, the number, Ns, being less than or equal to Np; and
output circuitry connected to respective ones of the one or more second winding elements, the output circuitry including one or more smart dual switching (“SDS”) devices connected to selectively conduct current between the respective ones of the second winding elements and the output, the power converter including at least one capacitor connected across the output;
each SDS device including SDS circuitry in an SDS package adapted for installation as a self-contained electronic switching device, the SDS package having a common terminal, a first switched terminal, and a second switched terminal;
the SDS circuitry including:
a first switch connected to conduct current between the first switched terminal and the common terminal, the first switch having a first control terminal;
a second switch connected to conduct current between the second switched terminal and the common terminal, the second switch having a second control terminal; and
control circuitry having a first output connected to the first control terminal, a second output connected to the second control terminal, and timing circuitry adapted to generate a first timing signal and a second timing signal, the control circuitry being adapted to:
(a) turn the first switch: (i) OFF if the second switch is ON, (ii) ON for as long as the second switch is OFF and a current flows between the common terminal and the first switched terminal through the first switch and satisfies a predetermined polarity and a predetermined magnitude threshold, and (iii) ON for as long as the second switch is OFF and the first timing signal is ON; and
(b) turn the second switch: (i) OFF if the first switch is ON, (ii) ON for as long as the first switch is OFF and a current flows between the common terminal and the second switched terminal through the second switch and satisfies a predetermined polarity and a predetermined magnitude threshold, and (iii) ON for as long as the first switch is OFF and the second timing signal is ON.