Planar transformers with interleaved windings and high voltage isolation

1 . A planar transformer assembly, comprising:

planar transformer windings configured to at least generate an isolated output, wherein the planar transformer windings comprise one or more primary windings interleaved with one or more secondary windings embedded on layers of a printed circuit board;

one or more vias within the layers of the printed circuit board, wherein the one or more vias provide at least a connection path to the planar transformer windings;

a magnetic core around the planar transformer windings;

a field-shaping layer configured to at least shape an electric field of the isolated output generated by the planar transformer windings and the magnetic core, wherein the field-shaping layer is disposed above a soldermask layer on a top surface of the printed circuit board, wherein the field-shaping layer is on a separate vertical plane from the planar transformer windings, and wherein the field-shaping layer is placed on a top layer of the printed circuit board beyond an outer boundary of the magnetic core and the planar transformer windings; and

a high-voltage dielectric material between each layer of the printed circuit board.

2 . The planar transformer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more primary windings are coupled with an input at the connection path to the planar transformer windings provided on the top layer of the printed circuit board.

3 . The planar transformer assembly of claim 1 , wherein each primary winding of the one or more primary windings and each secondary winding of the one or more secondary windings are separated by at least a polyimide dielectric layer.

4 . The planar transformer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the top layer of the printed circuit board comprises a soldermask layer, and wherein the field-shaping layer comprises a copper layer.

5 . The planar transformer assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an air gap in the magnetic core.

6 . The planar transformer assembly of claim 1 , wherein a spacing between the one or more vias and the magnetic core and the one or more vias and the planar transformer windings reduces the electric field of the isolated output.

7 . The planar transformer assembly of claim 2 , wherein the input is a photovoltaic source coupled through switching devices.

8 . A power converter module, comprising:

one or more ports fed by a source;

one or more quadruple active bridge converters comprising switching devices coupled with the one or more ports, wherein each quadruple active bridge converter of the one or more quadruple active bridge converters is coupled to a planar transformer assembly configured to generate an isolated direct current (DC) output based on the source, and wherein the planar transformer assembly comprises:

planar transformer windings configured to at least generate an isolated output, wherein the planar transformer windings comprise one or more primary windings interleaved with one or more secondary windings embedded on layers of a printed circuit board;

one or more vias within the layers of the printed circuit board, wherein the one or more vias provide at least a connection path to the planar transformer windings;

a magnetic core around the planar transformer windings;

a field-shaping layer configured to at least shape an electric field of the isolated DC output generated by the planar transformer windings and the magnetic core, wherein the field-shaping layer is disposed above a soldermask layer on a top surface of the printed circuit board, wherein the field-shaping layer is on a separate vertical plane from the planar transformer windings, and wherein the field-shaping layer is placed on a top layer of the printed circuit board beyond an outer boundary of the magnetic core and the planar transformer windings; and

a high-voltage dielectric material between each layer of the printed circuit board.

9 . The power converter module of claim 8 , wherein the one or more primary windings are coupled with an input at the connection path to the planar transformer windings provided on the top layer of the printed circuit board.

10 . The power converter module of claim 8 , wherein each primary winding of the one or more primary windings and each secondary winding of the one or more secondary windings are separated by at least a polyimide dielectric layer.

11 . The power converter module of claim 8 , wherein the top layer of the printed circuit board comprises a soldermask layer, and wherein the field-shaping layer comprises a copper layer.

12 . The power converter module of claim 8 , further comprising an air gap in the magnetic core.

13 . The power converter module of claim 8 , wherein a spacing between the one or more vias and the magnetic core and the one or more vias and the planar transformer windings reduces the electric field of the isolated output.

14 . The power converter module of claim 8 , wherein the planar transformer assembly is coupled to three or more alternating current (AC) inverters, wherein each AC inverter of the three or more AC inverters is configured to each generate a single-phase AC output at different phases with respect to each other based on the isolated DC output of the planar transformer assembly.

15 . The power converter module of claim 14 , wherein each AC inverter of the three or more AC inverters is coupled to an AC grid.

16 . The power converter module of claim 14 , wherein each AC inverter of the three or more AC inverters comprise a controller and/or timing reference configured to synchronize the single-phase AC output of each AC inverter.

17 . The power converter module of claim 14 , wherein the source comprises a single-phase AC output of a secondary power converter module.

18 . The power converter module of claim 8 , wherein the source comprises a DC photovoltaic source.

19 . A method of manufacturing a planar transformer, comprising:

interleaving a primary winding with one or more secondary windings;

embedding the primary winding and the one or more secondary windings into different layers of a printed circuit board;

coupling the primary winding with vias and the one or more secondary windings with the vias to provide an alternate connection path to the primary winding and the one or more secondary windings within the different layers of the printed circuit board;

coupling the primary winding to a current source wherein the primary winding is coupled to the current source by one or more switching devices;

coupling the one or more secondary windings to one or more current ports wherein the one or more secondary windings are coupled to the one or more current ports by one or more other switching devices;

separating the primary winding and the one or more secondary windings with at least a high voltage dielectric capable of maintaining isolation between each layer of windings;

surrounding the primary winding and the one or more secondary windings with a magnetic core; and

integrating a field-shaping layer is disposed above a soldermask layer on a top surface of the printed circuit board, wherein the field-shaping layer is on a separate vertical plane from the primary windings and the one or more secondary windings, and wherein the field-shaping layer is placed on a top layer of the printed circuit board beyond an outer boundary of the magnetic core, the primary windings, and the one or more secondary windings, wherein the field-shaping layer is configured to shape an electric field of an output generated by the primary winding and the one or more secondary windings.

20 . The method of manufacturing a planar transformer of claim 19 , further comprising coupling three or more alternating current (AC) inverters to the primary winding and the one or more secondary windings, wherein the three or more AC inverters are configured to each generate a single-phase AC output at different phases.