Resonant converter having variable frequency control and valley skipping time-shift for efficient soft switching operation

1 . A method of operating a DC-DC converter circuit to maintain an output current to charge a battery, the DC-DC converter circuit includes a tank filter and is operated at an operational frequency and having a bridge circuit coupled to the tank filter that produces a first voltage waveform and a second voltage waveform, the second voltage waveform having a phase shift with respect to the first voltage waveform, the method comprising:

receiving an output voltage of the DC-DC converter circuit;

receiving a desired output charging current to charge the battery;

receiving a battery voltage of the battery;

when the output current of the DC-DC converter is to be adjusted to the desired output charging current:

comparing the output voltage with a predefined output voltage;

when the output voltage is greater or equal to the predefined output voltage, adjusting the operational frequency to a second gate signal that is synchronous with a first gate signal, the first gate signal and the second gate signal are each operating at 50% duty cycle causing the output current to be adjusted to the desired output charging current; and

when the output voltage is less than the predefined output voltage, applying an operational time shift to the second gate signal producing the second voltage waveform in the bridge circuit, wherein the second gate signal is operating at 50% duty cycle and at the operational frequency; and

when the battery voltage is below 450 volts, adjusting the operational frequency between 200 kHz and 300 kHz and applying a fixed time shift to reduce an effective RMS bridge voltage while maintaining soft switching in both phase legs of the bridge circuit,

wherein applying the fixed time shift results in an increase in tank current whereby soft switching in both phase legs of the bridge circuit is maintained.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

setting the fixed time shift to specific set points for soft switching; and

continuously modulating the operational frequency to maintain an operating point for the output current in a single closed-loop operating mode.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage waveform and the second voltage waveform are produced by actuating pairs of transistors of the bridge circuit.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the output current is regulated to the desired output charging current as communicated by a battery control manager.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the output current charges a high voltage electric vehicle battery pack.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the DC-DC converter circuit transforms an input voltage.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the DC-DC converter circuit is a Full Bridge CLLLC DC-DC Converter configured for bidirectional functionality.

8 . A controller configured to operate a DC-DC converter circuit to maintain an output current to charge a battery, the DC-DC converter circuit includes a tank filter and is operated at an operational frequency and having a bridge circuit coupled to the tank filter that produces a first voltage waveform and a second voltage waveform, the second voltage waveform having a phase shift with respect to the first voltage waveform, the controller comprising:

data processing hardware; and

memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:

receiving an output voltage of the DC-DC converter circuit;

receiving a desired output charging current to charge the battery;

receiving a battery voltage of the battery;

when the output current of the DC-DC converter is to be adjusted to the desired output charging current:

comparing the output voltage with a predefined output voltage;

when the output voltage is greater or equal to the predefined output voltage, adjusting the operational frequency to a second gate signal that is synchronous with a first gate signal, the first gate signal and the second gate signal are each operating at 50% duty cycle causing the output current to be adjusted to the desired output charging current; and

when the output voltage is less than the predefined output voltage, applying an operational time shift to the second gate signal producing the second voltage waveform in the bridge circuit, wherein the second gate signal is operating at 50% duty cycle and at the operational frequency, and

when the battery voltage is below 450 volts, adjusting the operational frequency between 200 kHz and 300 kHz and applying a fixed time shift to reduce an effective RMS bridge voltage while maintaining soft switching in both phase legs of the bridge circuit,

wherein applying the fixed time shift results in an increase in tank current whereby soft switching in both phase legs of the bridge circuit is maintained.

9 . The controller of claim 8 , wherein the operations further include:

setting the fixed time shift to specific set points for soft switching; and

continuously modulating the operational frequency to maintain an operating point for the output current in a single closed-loop operating mode.

10 . The controller of claim 8 , wherein the first voltage waveform and the second voltage waveform are produced by actuating pairs of transistors of the bridge circuit.

11 . The controller of claim 8 , wherein the output current is regulated to the desired output charging current as communicated by a battery control manager.

12 . The controller of claim 8 , wherein the output current charges a high voltage electric vehicle battery pack.

13 . The controller of claim 8 , wherein the DC-DC converter circuit transforms an input voltage.

14 . The controller of claim 8 , wherein the DC-DC converter circuit is a Full Bridge CLLLC DC-DC Converter configured for bidirectional functionality.

15 . A method of operating a DC-DC converter circuit to maintain an output current to charge a battery, the DC-DC converter circuit includes a tank filter and is operated at an operational frequency and having a bridge circuit coupled to the tank filter that produces a first voltage waveform and a second voltage waveform, the second voltage waveform having a phase shift with respect to the first voltage waveform, the method comprising:

receiving an output voltage of the DC-DC converter circuit;

receiving a desired output charging current to charge the battery;

receiving a battery voltage of the battery;

when the output current of the DC-DC converter is to be adjusted to the desired output charging current:

comparing the output voltage with a predefined output voltage;

when the output voltage is greater or equal to the predefined output voltage, adjusting the operational frequency to a second gate signal that is synchronous with a first gate signal, the first gate signal and the second gate signal are each operating at 50% duty cycle causing the output current to be adjusted to the desired output charging current; and

when the output voltage is less than the predefined output voltage, applying an operational time shift to the second gate signal producing the second voltage waveform in the bridge circuit, wherein the second gate signal is operating at 50% duty cycle and at the operational frequency;

when the battery voltage is below 450 volts, adjusting the operational frequency between 200 kHz and 300 kHz and applying a fixed time shift to reduce an effective RMS bridge voltage while maintaining soft switching in both phase legs of the bridge circuit;

setting the fixed time shift to specific set points for soft switching; and

continuously modulating the operational frequency to maintain an operating point for the output current in a single closed-loop operating mode.

16 . A controller configured to operate a DC-DC converter circuit to maintain an output current to charge a battery, the DC-DC converter circuit includes a tank filter and is operated at an operational frequency and having a bridge circuit coupled to the tank filter that produces a first voltage waveform and a second voltage waveform, the second voltage waveform having a phase shift with respect to the first voltage waveform, the controller comprising:

data processing hardware; and

memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising:

receiving an output voltage of the DC-DC converter circuit;

receiving a desired output charging current to charge the battery;

receiving a battery voltage of the battery;

when the output current of the DC-DC converter is to be adjusted to the desired output charging current:

comparing the output voltage with a predefined output voltage;

when the output voltage is greater or equal to the predefined output voltage, adjusting the operational frequency to a second gate signal that is synchronous with a first gate signal, the first gate signal and the second gate signal are each operating at 50% duty cycle causing the output current to be adjusted to the desired output charging current; and

when the output voltage is less than the predefined output voltage, applying an operational time shift to the second gate signal producing the second voltage waveform in the bridge circuit, wherein the second gate signal is operating at 50% duty cycle and at the operational frequency;

when the battery voltage is below 450 volts, adjusting the operational frequency between 200 kHz and 300 kHz and applying a fixed time shift to reduce an effective RMS bridge voltage while maintaining soft switching in both phase legs of the bridge circuit;

setting the fixed time shift to specific set points for soft switching; and

continuously modulating the operational frequency to maintain an operating point for the output current in a single closed-loop operating mode.