| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080284449 | Power converters with component stress monitoring for fault prediction - A power converter includes a controller and at least one circuit component. The controller is configured for monitoring stress on the circuit component during operation of the power converter and estimating a remaining life of the circuit component based on the monitored stress. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20080285184 | Power converters with operating efficiency monitoring for fault detection - A power converter includes a controller and at least one output terminal for providing an output voltage and an output current to a load. The controller is configured for monitoring the output voltage and the output current and calculating an efficiency of the power converter based on the monitored output voltage and output current. The controller is also configured to generate a fault signal after detecting a degradation in the power converter efficiency. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20080285192 | Power converters with rate of change monitoring for fault prediction and/or detection - A power converter includes a controller having at least one input for monitoring a rate of change of an operating parameter of the power converter. The controller is configured for comparing the monitored rate of change of the operating parameter with an allowable rate of change for the operating parameter, and for generating a fault signal when the monitored rate of change of the operating parameter deviates from the allowable rate of change for the operating parameter. The operating parameter for which the rate of change is monitored may be, for example, a temperature, a current and/or a voltage in the power converter. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20090073731 | Health monitoring of power converter fans and electric motors - A method for detecting a performance degradation of a fan in a power converter is disclosed. The method includes monitoring a speed of the fan and detecting the performance degradation of the fan based, at least in part, on the monitored speed. The method further includes generating a warning signal after detecting the performance degradation of the fan. According to another aspect, a power converter includes a fan and a processor operably coupled to the fan for monitoring a speed of the fan. The processor is configured for detecting a performance degradation of the fan based, at least in part, on the monitored fan speed. The processor generates a warning signal after detecting the performance degradation of the fan. | 03-19-2009 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090085546 | Fast Transient Step Load Response in a Power Converter - A method of controlling a power converter having at least one switching device for supplying an output voltage and a load current to a load is disclosed. The method includes sensing the output voltage and sensing the load current. The method further includes controlling a duty cycle of the switching device according to the sensed output voltage and a voltage control loop when a rate of change of the load current does not exceed a threshold level. The method also includes adjusting the duty cycle of the switching device set by the voltage control loop when the rate of change of the load current exceeds the threshold level. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090153111 | Switching Power Converter with Reduced Switching Losses - A switching power converter has at least one electronic power switch. To minimize switching losses and optimize efficiency, the gate drive voltage level used to drive the electronic power switch is optimized. In an aspect, a digital controller generates optimizes the gate drive voltage using efficiency optimization algorithms, which in an aspect are programmed in the digital controller. In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, the switching power supply has at least two electronic power switches coupled in parallel. Optimization algorithms are used to determine the optimum number of switched electronic power switches that are actively being switched at a given time in order to achieve optimized efficiency for condition changes, such as input voltage variation, load and environmental temperature changes. In an aspect, the algorithms are programmed in a digital controller chip. In an aspect, both gate drive voltage level and the number of electronic power switches being actively switched at a given time are optimized. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20100033143 | Switching power converter and controller - A switching power converter includes an input for receiving an input voltage, an output for providing an output voltage, a controller, and a power circuit coupled between the input and the output and including at least one switch. The controller is configured to determine a duty cycle for the switch to regulate the output voltage and control the switch with a PWM drive signal having an on-time and an off-time. The PWM drive signal has a constant frequency and a duty cycle equal to the determined duty cycle when the determined duty cycle is greater than or equal to a minimum duty cycle. The PWM drive signal has a variable frequency and a duty cycle equal to the minimum duty cycle when the determined duty cycle is less than the minimum duty cycle. | 02-11-2010 |
| 20110075458 | AC-DC Switching Power Converters With Frequency Variation in Response to Load Changes - A method of operating a switching power converter having at least one power switch controlled by a drive signal having a switching frequency is disclosed. The method includes monitoring an output power of the switching power converter, determining whether the output power has decreased below a threshold level and, in response to the output power decreasing below the threshold level, changing the switching frequency of the drive signal from a first switching frequency to a second switching frequency when an operating condition of the switching power converter is satisfied. Also disclosed are controllers and switching power converters (including PFC converters). | 03-31-2011 |
