Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for sharing a load current among frequency-controlled D.C.-to-D.C. converters

US5724237A · kind A · utility

37Cited by
6References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 11, 1996
Grant dateMar 3, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 11, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02M3/285
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A current sharing circuit forces current delivered to a common load to be provided in substantially equal shares by two or more D.C.-to-D.C. converters, particularly those of the type whose output varies according to a predetermined functional relationship with the frequency of a controllable signal generated by the converter indicating its operating frequency. The load current delivered by such converters typically varies approximately proportionately with the converter operating frequency when the converter input and output voltages are held constant. Based on the frequency of these indicating signals and the predetermined relationship between their frequency and the output current of each respective converter, it is determined which particular one of the converters is presently supplying the largest share of load current. The outputs of each of the other converters are adjusted to share the load more equally among all the converters. In the preferred embodiment a frequency to voltage converter senses the operating frequency and converts it to a filtered analog voltage which is functionally related to the input frequency. An amplifier circuit compares this analog signal with the …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.