Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080246577 | Method For Making Magnetic Components With N-Phase Coupling, And Related Inductor Structures - Methods and structures for constructing a magnetic core of a coupled inductor. The method provides for constructing N-phase coupled inductors as both single and scalable magnetic structures, where N is an integer greater than 1. The method additionally describes how such a construction of the magnetic core may enhance the benefits of using the scalable N-phase coupled inductor. The first and second magnetic cores may be formed into shapes that, when coupled together, may form a single scalable magnetic core. For example, the cores can be fashioned into shapes such as a U, an I, an H, a ring, a rectangle, and a comb, that cooperatively form the single magnetic core. | 10-09-2008 |
20090179723 | Method For Making Magnetic Components With M-Phase Coupling, And Related Inductor Structures - An M phase coupled inductor includes a magnetic core including a first end magnetic element, a second end magnetic element, and M legs disposed between and connecting the first and second end magnetic elements. M is an integer greater than one. The coupled inductor further includes M windings, where each winding has a substantially rectangular cross section. Each one of the M windings is at least partially wound about a respective leg. | 07-16-2009 |
20090237197 | Method For Making Magnetic Components With M-Phase Coupling, And Related Inductor Structures - An M-phase coupled inductor including a magnetic core and M windings, where M is an integer greater than one. The magnetic core is formed of a core material, and the magnetic core includes a first outer leg forming a first gap. The first gap includes a first gap material having lower magnetic permeability than the core material. Each winding is wound at least partially around at least a portion of the magnetic core, and each winding has a respective leakage inductance. The first gap causes the leakage inductances to be greater than if the first outer leg did not form the first gap. The coupled inductor may be used in a power supply, and the power supply may be used in a computing apparatus. | 09-24-2009 |
20110279212 | Method For Making Magnetic Components With M-Phase Coupling, And Related Inductor Structures - An M phase coupled inductor includes a magnetic core including a first end magnetic element, a second end magnetic element, and M legs disposed between and connecting the first and second end magnetic elements. M is an integer greater than one. The coupled inductor further includes M windings, where each winding has a substantially rectangular cross section. Each one of the M windings is at least partially wound about a respective leg. | 11-17-2011 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120043818 | Switching Circuits For Extracting Power From An Electric Power Source And Associated Methods - An electric power system includes N electric power sources and N switching circuits, where N in an integer greater than one. Each switching circuit includes an input port electrically coupled to a respective one of the N electric power sources, an output port, and a first switching device adapted to switch between its conductive and non-conductive states to transfer power from the input port to the output port. The output ports of the N switching circuits are electrically coupled in series and to a load to establish an output circuit. Each of the N switching circuits uses an interconnection inductance of the output circuit as a primary energy storage inductance of the switching circuit. | 02-23-2012 |
20120043823 | Switching Circuits For Extracting Power From An Electric Power Source And Associated Methods - A switching circuit for extracting power from an electric power source includes ( | 02-23-2012 |
20120043923 | System, Method, Module, And Energy Exchanger For Optimizing Output Of Series-Connected Photovoltaic And Electrochemical Devices - An energy transfer device for solar power systems operates to draw power from high-producing photovoltaic devices and apply that power across low-producing photovoltaic devices. An embodiment is a self-regulating energy exchanger using bidirectional DC-DC converters that operates to maintain uniform voltage across each series-connected photovoltaic device. An alternative embodiment is an energy exchanger that is controlled to maintain each of several series-connected photovoltaic devices at a maximum power point by drawing power from high-performing devices and applying that power across low-performing devices to provide uniform current among series-connected photovoltaic devices. | 02-23-2012 |
20120044014 | Switching Circuits For Extracting Power From An Electric Power Source And Associated Methods - An integrated circuit chip includes a first input port, a first output port, and first and second transistors electrically coupled in series across the first input port. The second transistor is also electrically coupled across the first output port and is adapted to provide a path for current flowing through the first output port when the first transistor is in its non-conductive state. The integrated circuit chip additionally includes first driver circuitry for driving gates of the first and second transistors to cause the transistors to switch between their conductive and non-conductive states. The integrated circuit chip further includes first controller circuitry for controlling the first driver circuitry such that the first and second transistors switch between their conductive and non-conductive states to at least substantially maximize an amount of electric power extracted from an electric power source electrically coupled to the first input port. | 02-23-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130069755 | Method For Making Magnetic Components With M-Phase Coupling, And Related Inductor Structures - An M phase coupled inductor includes a magnetic core including a first end magnetic element, a second end magnetic element, and M legs disposed between and connecting the first and second end magnetic elements. M is an integer greater than one. The coupled inductor further includes M windings, where each winding has a substantially rectangular cross section. Each one of the M windings is at least partially wound about a respective leg. | 03-21-2013 |
20130106194 | INTEGRATED PHOTOVOLTAIC PANEL WITH SECTIONAL MAXIMUM POWER POINT TRACKING | 05-02-2013 |
20130113596 | Method For Making Magnetic Components With N-Phase Coupling, And Related Inductor Structures - Methods and structures for constructing a magnetic core of a coupled inductor. The method provides for constructing N-phase coupled inductors as both single and scalable magnetic structures, where N is an integer greater than 1. The method additionally describes how such a construction of the magnetic core may enhance the benefits of using the scalable N-phase coupled inductor. The first and second magnetic cores may be formed into shapes that, when coupled together, may form a single scalable magnetic core. For example, the cores can be fashioned into shapes such as a U, an I, an H, a ring, a rectangle, and a comb, that cooperatively form the single magnetic core. | 05-09-2013 |
20140103723 | MAXIMUM POWER POINT CONTROLLER TRANSISTOR DRIVING CIRCUITRY AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - An electric power system includes a string of N maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controllers having output ports electrically coupled in series, where N is an integer greater than one. At least one of the N MPPT controllers includes respective transistor driver circuitry powered from a power supply rail of an adjacent one of the N MPPT controllers of the string. Another MPPT controller includes an n-channel field effect freewheeling transistor electrically coupled across an output port and a resistive device electrically coupled between an input port and a gate of the freewheeling transistor, such that the freewheeling transistor operates in its conductive state when power is applied to the input port and a control subsystem of the controller is in an inactive state. | 04-17-2014 |
20140103891 | Systems And Methods For Controlling Maximum Power Point Tracking Controllers - A method for operating a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller including a switching circuit adapted to transfer power between an input port and an output port includes the steps of: (a) in a first operating mode of the MPPT controller, causing a first switching device of the switching circuit to operate at a fixed duty cycle; and (b) in a second operating mode of the MPPT controller, causing a control switching device of the switching circuit to repeatedly switch between its conductive and non-conductive states to maximize an amount of power extracted from a photovoltaic device electrically coupled to the input port. | 04-17-2014 |
20140103892 | SCALABLE MAXIMUM POWER POINT TRACKING CONTROLLERS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS - A scalable maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller includes an input and an output port, a switching circuit adapted to transfer power from the input port to the output port, and a controller core. The controller core is adapted to (a) control the switching circuit to maximize an amount of power extracted from a photovoltaic device electrically coupled to the input port, and (b) set one or more parameters of the MPPT controller based at least in part on a configuration code representing a number of photovoltaic cells of the photovoltaic device electrically coupled in series. | 04-17-2014 |
20140103894 | Maximum Power Point Tracking Controllers And Associated Systems And Methods - A maximum power point tracking controller includes an input port for electrically coupling to an electric power source, an output port for electrically coupling to a load, a control switching device, and a control subsystem. The control switching device is adapted to repeatedly switch between its conductive and non-conductive states to transfer power from the input port to the output port. The control subsystem is adapted to control switching of the control switching device to regulate a voltage across the input port, based at least in part on a signal representing current flowing out of the output port, to maximize a signal representing power out of the output port. | 04-17-2014 |
20140152350 | Integrated Circuits Including Magnetic Devices, And Associated Methods - An integrated circuit includes a semiconductor die including one or more switching circuits, a magnetic core having length and width, first and second metallic leads, and integrated circuit packaging material. The first metallic lead forms a first winding turn around a portion of the magnetic core, and the first metallic lead is electrically coupled to the semiconductor die. The second metallic lead forms a second winding turn around a portion of the magnetic core. The first and second winding turns are offset from each other along both of the width and length of the magnetic core. The integrated circuit is, for example, included in an integrated electronic assembly. | 06-05-2014 |
20140373894 | Photovoltaic Panels Having Electrical Arc Detection Capability, And Associated Systems And Methods - A photovoltaic panel includes a panel arc detection subsystem and a plurality of photovoltaic assemblies electrically coupled in series between positive and negative panel power rails. The panel arc detection subsystem is adapted to detect a series electrical arc within the photovoltaic panel from a discrepancy between a panel voltage across the positive and negative panel power rails and a sum of all voltages across the plurality of photovoltaic assemblies. A photovoltaic string includes a string arc detection subsystem and a plurality of photovoltaic panels electrically coupled in series between positive and negative string power rails. The string arc detection subsystem is adapted to detect a series electrical arc within the photovoltaic string from a discrepancy between a string voltage across the positive and negative string power rails and a sum of all voltages across the plurality of photovoltaic panels. | 12-25-2014 |
20140375134 | Switching Circuits For Extracting Power From An Electric Power Source And Associated Methods - An electric power system includes N electric power sources and N switching circuits, where N is an integer greater than one. Each switching circuit includes an input port electrically coupled to a respective one of the N electric power sources, an output port, and a first switching device adapted to switch between its conductive and non-conductive states to transfer power from the input port to the output port. The output ports of the N switching circuits are electrically coupled in series and to a load to establish an output circuit. Each of the N switching circuits uses an interconnection inductance of the output circuit as a primary energy storage inductance of the switching circuit. | 12-25-2014 |