Hybrid power converter and method

1. A hybrid power converter comprising:

an input DC source comprising a first DC common node and a second DC common node;

a non-isolated stage that comprises a first switch and a second switch in series, a non-isolated stage inductor coupled to a non-isolated stage common node of the first switch and the second switch, and the first switch is coupled to the first DC common node and the second switch is coupled to the second DC common node; and

a primary switch network that comprises a third, fourth, fifth, and sixth switch, and an intermediate capacitor, wherein the third switch and fourth switch are connected in series, the third switch is connected to the intermediate capacitor, the intermediate capacitor, the sixth switch, the fourth switch are connected to the second DC common node, and the fifth and sixth switch are in series, and the non-isolated stage inductor is coupled to an intermediate common node between the third and fourth switch, and the fifth switch is coupled to the first DC common node.

2. The hybrid power converter of claim 1 , wherein:

the primary switch network is part of a resonant stage and the resonant stage is an inductor-inductor-capacitor (LLC) resonant converter operating at a fixed frequency.

3. The hybrid power converter of claim 1 , wherein:

when the non-isolated stage operates at a step-up mode, a voltage across the intermediate capacitor is higher than the voltage of the input DC source.

4. The hybrid power converter of claim 1 , wherein:

when the non-isolated stage operates at a step-down mode, a voltage across the intermediate capacitor is lower than the voltage at the input DC source.

5. The hybrid power converter of claim 1 , wherein:

an output voltage of the hybrid power converter is proportional to a sum of a voltage of the input DC source and a voltage across the intermediate capacitor divided by two.

6. The hybrid power converter of claim 1 , further comprising a resonant tank coupled to the non-isolated stage and the primary switch network.

7. The hybrid power converter of claim 6 , wherein the resonant tank comprises a first resonant tank inductor, a second resonant tank inductor, and a resonant tank capacitor, wherein the first resonant tank inductor is coupled to the non-isolated stage inductor and the resonant tank capacitor is coupled to a node common to the fifth and sixth switch.

8. The hybrid power converter of claim 1 , wherein:

a ratio of a power flowing through the non-isolated stage to a power flowing through the load is equal to a voltage across the intermediate capacitor divided by a sum of a voltage across the intermediate capacitor and the voltage of the input DC source.

9. The hybrid power converter of claim 1 , wherein:

in a switching cycle, a turn-on time of the first switch is approximately equal to a turn-on time of the fourth switch, and wherein a current stress of the first switch is less than a current stress of the fourth switch; and

in the switching cycle, a turn-on time of the second primary switch is approximately equal to a turn-on time of the third primary switch, and wherein a current stress of the second primary switch is less than a current stress of the third primary switch.

10. The hybrid power converter of claim 1 , wherein:

gate drive signals of the non-isolated stage switches are in sync with gate drive signals of the switches of the resonant stage.

11. The hybrid power converter of claim 1 , wherein the resonant stage is configured to operate at a duty cycle of about 50%.

12. The hybrid power converter of claim 1 , wherein:

the non-isolated stage is configured to operate in the buck converter mode in response to a first input voltage and operate in the boost converter mode in response to a second input voltage, and wherein the first input voltage is greater than the second input voltage.

13. A method for operating a hybrid power converter, wherein the hybrid power converter comprises a non-isolated stage and a resonant stage, the method comprising:

detecting an input direct current (DC) voltage of an input DC source;

detecting a voltage of an intermediate capacitor of a primary switch network of the resonant stage; and

operating a non-isolated stage of the hybrid power converter in a boost mode upon detecting the voltage of the intermediate capacitor is higher than the input DC voltage.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

configuring the resonant stage to operate at a fixed switching frequency, wherein:

the resonant stage is an inductor-inductor-capacitor (LLC) resonant converter; and

the fixed switching frequency is approximately equal to a resonant frequency of the LLC resonant converter.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

operating the resonant stage at a duty cycle of about 50%.

16. A method for operating a hybrid power converter, wherein the hybrid power converter comprises a non-isolated stage and a resonant stage, the method comprising:

detecting an input direct current (DC) voltage of an input DC source;

detecting a voltage of an intermediate capacitor of a primary switch network of the resonant stage; and

operating a non-isolated stage of the hybrid power converter in a buck mode upon detecting that the voltage of the intermediate capacitor is lower than the input DC voltage.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

configuring the resonant stage to operate at a fixed switching frequency, wherein:

the resonant stage is an inductor-inductor-capacitor (LLC) resonant converter; and

the fixed switching frequency is approximately equal to a resonant frequency of the LLC resonant converter.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

operating the resonant stage at a duty cycle of about 50%.